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Selecting and Playing Styles — The Style Mode
MIDIThe PortaTone also features MIDI terminals, allowing you to interface the
PortaTone with other MIDI instruments and devices.
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, a 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.
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 sequencer). 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.
Receives MIDI data
from the connected
sending device.
Transmits MIDI data
(keyboard perfor-
mance) to the con-
nected device.
IN OUTMIDI
S
39
MH
12 21 LLH L
H L
HL
H
BCSBS LM H
MIN MAX
METRONOME
SMART
DICTIONARY
OFF
WAITING
MINUS ONE
OFF
AUTO FILL
MAINAB
rit.
INTRO/
ENDING
ACMP
ON/OFFSYNC-
STARTSTART/
STOP CHORD
GUIDE
OTS
MELODY
GUIDE
VOICE
CHANGE
Mmaugdim 7M7
sus4 m7 mM77 5 m7 57sus4m6 (9)CC D DD EE F F G GG AAA B B
TEMPO
GrandPno
001
116
Connect the MIDI
OUT of the
PortaTone to the
MIDI IN of the
sequencer.
Connect the MIDI
IN of the PortaTone
to the MIDI OUT of
the sequencer.
Sequencer