MIDI

SELECTING AND PLAYING STYLES — THE STYLE MODE

The PortaTone also features MIDI terminals, allowing you to interface the PortaTone with other MIDI instruments and devices.

Receives MIDI data from the connected sending device.

IN

Transmits MIDI data (keyboard perfor- mance) to the con- nected device.

MIDI

OUT

About MIDI

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a worldwide standard that is built into many electronic musical instruments and other digital music related devices, allowing them to be connected and “communicate” with each other.

For two MIDI instruments to communicate, they must be connected by MIDI cables. In a basic example, the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT terminals of the PortaTone could be connected to the MIDI OUT and MIDI IN terminals of a se- quencer, allowing you to record and play back performance data from the PortaTone.

The instruments communicate with each other by sending “messages” or MIDI data. The sending instrument usually assigns the data to one of sixteen MIDI channels, then transmits it over the MIDI cable. The cable itself, however, is not divided up into sixteen channels. Just as with a television set that receives programs on different channels, it is up to the receiving instrument to “tune into” the proper MIDI channel. If the sending and receiving channels on the respective instruments do not match, the receiving instrument may not understand or respond to the one sending.

How Can MIDI be Used?

In the simple, yet powerful MIDI application example below, the Yamaha QY-70 Music Sequencer is used to record and play back

performance data played on the PortaTone keyboard.

Before actually recording to the sequencer, press the ACMP button once or twice to make sure that the current settings are sent.

001 GrandPno

Connect the MIDI

 

 

 

Connect the MIDI

 

 

 

OUT of the

 

 

 

IN of the PortaTone

PortaTone to the

 

 

 

to the MIDI OUT of

MIDI IN of the QY-

 

 

 

the QY-70.

70.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE:

On the PortaTone, the following channels (eight total) are enabled for MIDI reception: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10. The MIDI transmit channels are fixed to the following data:

Ch. 1 : Keyboard, harmony

Ch. 2 : Bass

Ch. 3 : Chord

Ch. 4 - 7 : Other

Ch. 10 : Rhythm

Parts that have been recorded using the PortaTone should also be played back from the PortaTone. Data may not play back as expected when using other sound sources (such as the internal sounds of the QY-70). Also, a connected sound source may sound at a different octave from that originally played on the PortaTone.

MIDI data cannot be transmitted during song playback.

Avoid using MIDI cables 15 meters or longer, since doing so can result in MIDI errors.

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Yamaha PSR-140 manual About Midi, How Can Midi be Used?