Big problem using Fantom X7 as a controller only

[Reezekeys]

Going on stage with no sound or line check, rented gear. I use my laptop rig and just need any keyboard that can send notes, sustain pedal, expression pedal, pitch bend & mod wheel on midi channel 1.

 

Last night I got a Fantom X7 and it would not send midi notes. It was sending active sensing, and changing patches sent program changes and some other data, but playing notes, working the pitch bend/mod wheel nada. The crew there switched me to a Nord keyboard and the show went on.

 

Now I'm at home, looking at the Fantom X7 manual for the last 20 minutes, trying to find the setting that turns midi transmit on & off, without success. Can anyone help me out so the next time this happens I'll have a clue as to what I should do? Many many thanks in advance.

[zephonic]

Make sure you are in patch mode. It will send MIDI notes on channel 1.

 

It works in Performance mode as well, but it is a little convoluted if you're not familiar with it.

 

If you don't need multiple zones, staying in Patch mode is the best.

 

[Reezekeys]

Thanks! I thought that might be the issue and I believe I did get into patch mode (the LCD seemed to display a name of a single instrument) although I could be wrong. I found a system page that had several midi settings but no midi tx on/off.

 

I figured that in Performance mode, the keyboard could be zoned and that individual zones would be able to have midi tx switched on & off. I guess I need to look through the manual some more because I haven't found where that function is described yet.

 

The next time I get a Fantom, I hope to have a sound check!

[Throbert]

Don't you usually find that in a Global page where you switch on/off different kinds of midi info as well as local mode

[Reezekeys]

With a thousand people waiting for us to go on, already running late, and me not being familiar at all with the Fantom, I did the best I could! As I said, I found a System page with several midi settings. Nothing that turned midi tx on & off.

 

Before I started using my laptop, I used a Roland XP50 so I'm familiar with the basic concepts of Roland's workstation architecture. "Basic" being the operative word here! The XP50 dates to the mid 90s, but does have "patch" and "performance" modes along with global and part-specific midi settings. I'll look at the Fantom manual for the global settings, if they have those. Thanks!

[Ashville.Guru]

Factory reset.

 

A workstation is a complex beast that may take years to master. Even if you did learn what patch and performance modes are, how many different settings can you check before going on stage? How do you know some previous power user hasn't changed velocity curves, or mapped aftertouch to pitch bend, or sustain pedal to PC change messages? These are just illustrative examples, dunno if the Fantom can do these. But there are maybe even nastier surprises some previous use could have set in store!

 

If I were in your position, the only thing I would bother learning would be how to do a factory reset. This would give me a rock-solid, 100% reliable rig, quick and easy. No unknown variables, no hidden nasty surprises.

 

- Guru

[Reezekeys]

Ashville- that's a great suggestion and one our sound tech guy also mentioned. I'm going to do that from now on. It's just amazing to me how these rental keyboards are so screwed up. The other week was a Fantom with a broken backlight on the LCD and velocities set to transmit at a fixed value! And once I got it set right, the keyboard was power-cycled in between the sound check & gig and it reverted to sending fixed velocities again! Just crazy.

[zephonic]

I don't know if you still need it, but are you connecting via USB or external MIDI IO? If via USB, press [menu], scroll down to [uSB] and make sure that is set to 'MIDI', not 'Storage'.

 

I found a system page that had several midi settings but no midi tx on/off.

 

AFAIK, you can not disable note on/off tx. You can only select the default MIDI channel on which to transmit in 'patch'mode. Press [menu], scroll to [MIDI] and adjust "Kbd patch RX/TX channel" to the channel you want to transmit on.

 

[Reezekeys]

I don't know if you still need it, but are you connecting via USB or external MIDI IO? If via USB, press [menu], scroll down to [uSB] and make sure that is set to 'MIDI', not 'Storage'.

Midi- this is so I can use my laptop rig with any controller.

 

I found a system page that had several midi settings but no midi tx on/off.

 

AFAIK, you can not disable note on/off tx. You can only select the default MIDI channel on which to transmit in 'patch'mode. Press [menu], scroll to [MIDI] and adjust "Kbd patch RX/TX channel" to the channel you want to transmit on.

I'm quite positive midi notes were not being sent while other data was. I had a monitor window open on my laptop screen. I could see patch change data when I scrolled through patches. I could see a regular blinking light on my MOTU Fastlane which was undoubtedly active sense bytes.

 

Thanks for the suggestion but as you say, the parameter you describe is only for setting the channel not to turn midi tx/rx on or off. My only guess is that the board was in Performance mode and there is a setting somewhere that disables midi for individual zones. I'm still looking for it I suspect it's kind of "hidden" in a another zone parameter. Unfortunately I don't have access to a Fantom.

 

I may have the option of bringing my own keyboard for future gigs but that opens another can of worms which is the wear & tear of the road and the TSA screwing it up. Right now I think Guru's suggestion to just reset the whole thing makes the most sense.