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Midi Controller - sysex


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I have read that the Roland VR-700 sends sys-ex rather than CC's; if this is true then other Roland controllers may do the same thing. You will need to research and verify this.

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I have read that the Roland VR-700 sends sys-ex rather than CC's

Yes, but it's not user-definable, so I don't think it addresses the OP's situation. There's no value (as a controller) in a board that sends fixed sysex commands... if you specifically want a board that sends sysex, it presumably means you want to be able to customize the sysex it sends.

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FWIW the Behringer BCF/BCR 2000s are highly customizable and send SysEx.

I was very happy with it's build quality and usefulness since I used racks of analog synths until last year.

Just set it in between your controllers and hardware on a music stand.

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The classic Roland JD-800 (with all of its wonderful sliders) sends sysex, but only because in 1991 there was no "standard" for CC's and what type of function each CC should control. That came a few years later with the VA phenomenon.

 

During the time I had my JD-800, I used it to control Arturia CS-80V, which was like a dream. But I had to use a 3rd-party software to convert the sysex from the JD-800 into CC's for the software synth. I think it was called Bome's MIDI Translator.

 

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I have read that the Roland VR-700 sends sys-ex rather than CC's; if this is true then other Roland controllers may do the same thing. You will need to research and verify this.

 

I think this is true, and in my case it bugs me. I got a great deal on a VR700 and like the board a lot, but I'm not sure how I'd use the drawbars at home to control software. There may be a way to map it, I haven't tried yet since it's primarily a live-use board. The reason it bugs me is that apparently the older VK-8 *does* send cc messages with it's drawbars, though I'm not sure exactly how it is implemented. Regardless, not sure why Roland would change that, unless the controller #s got standardized to some other function.

 

But to the point, yeah I'd be surprised if it would help you. I'd expect the sysex it would send would be only meaningful to the VR700 and probably set to only send that data.

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The reason it bugs me is that apparently the older VK-8 *does* send cc messages with it's drawbars

Actually, I think you have to go back to the VK7 for that.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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FWIW I have the Roland A800 and I had an A500. It's very easy to program to send Sysex messages (with the help of Reezekeys and others on this forum!!!).

 

It has the "short" black keys everyone complains about, but the build quality seems to be good. I've been hauling mine out to gigs for a year in the back seat of my car, not in a case! I'm super careful and have a case now, but even with that the stupid little knobs on the sliders come off really easily. I'm missing 4 of them now. The sliders still work of course, it's just that the knobs are gone - if you're carrying it and you brush against something they'll fall off! So you just have to keep your eye on them at all times (a dot of glue might help but I'd be afraid some would drip inside).

 

Mine has fallen off the rear deck in my car, and unfortunately I had an X stand collapse at a gig on me before I knew that could happen. It broke the little MIDI interface switch on the side but I've never used that so thankfully it's still in working condition.

 

The only other thing that bugs me is the USB cable port is very snug - you have to be really careful pulling out the cable - I'm always afraid it might pull the jack out if I'm not careful.

 

If you consider one, there are maybe 16 or so maps you can set up - so Control Map 1 could control Drawbars on an organ patch (assuming the synth can do that) and Control Map 2 could just be volume and pan for 8 channels or something like that.

 

The only stupid thing is, the splits and layers can only be set up to affect ALL the control maps - you can't have a different type of split/layer on each control map (what were they thinking?).

 

But, even though the buttons say "split" and "dual" on them, they don't have to be that way - any of the 4 presets can be whole, split, or layer (2 way only) and you can choose which of the MIDI channels each sends on as well as the octave.

 

All in all a pretty good controller for the price.

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FWIW I have the Roland A800...

[...]

The only other thing that bugs me is the USB cable port is very snug - you have to be really careful pulling out the cable - I'm always afraid it might pull the jack out if I'm not careful.

You're the second person I've seen complain about a too-snug USB connection on an A800 which is the complete opposite of mine. My cable has slipped out twice. If you don't mind, could you check out this old post of mine with a picture of my A800's original USB jack (it's the one on the right):

 

https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2551286/Re_Dependable_reliable_Midi_Co#Post2551286

 

Is your jack like mine? Four small pins instead of that large plastic or ceramic piece like the pic on the left?

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  • 4 years later...

I'm resurecting this thread as I just ordered one of these, a 500 version, a little used for just over 200. I don't need any more keys, and I almost got the 300. I heard the AT is terrible but moddable. I have a nice Nektar T4, which I like, but it won't send sysex.

 

My goal is to get some realtime control over a JV1010 which I grabbed two months ago, along with some expansion cards. It's very small and has over 1000 presets, some which are very nice, really. I already ordered a BCR-2000 for this job but it's stuck in NYC, and by chance I found this video, where the guys uses an A-500 or 800 to send sysex:

 

[video:youtube]

 

I don't know how I missed the A-Pro editor when I've been looking at solutions-- I also never heard of the JD-Xi! ADD, for real. I did buy a JV1010 editor, from patchbase, which is finally working regularly, and can tweak many parameters on the fly. JV1010 has confusing layout, with 4 "tones" for every sound, and many parameters effect only a single tone, OMG. Sounddiver still works too if you have a older computer or Wine.

 

Then I saw a number of threads on this forum with love/hate for it here LOL

 

I guess the Novation controllers will also send sysex, but I'm guessing Roland to Roland might be easier.......knock on wood.

 

I was also tempted by the Fadermaster Pro, and some new entries like:

 

[video:youtube]

 

This one will be out pretty soon, I'm not sure on the cost.

RT-3/U-121/Leslie 21H and 760/Saltarelle Nuage/MOXF6/MIDIhub, 

SL-880/Nektar T4/Numa Cx2/Deepmind12/Virus TI 61/SL61 mk2

Stylophone R8/Behringer RD-8/Proteus 1/MP-7/Zynthian 4

MPC1k/JV1010/Unitor 8/Model D & 2600/WX-5&7/VL70m/DMP-18 Pedals

Natal drums/congas etc & misc bowed/plucked/blown instruments. 

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[i just noticed my old post above yours, after typing everything below - ha! Well, some of this is new info.]

 

Allow me to chime in as I have a Roland A800 and a JV1010. Years ago I used an Edirol (Roland) midi controller to send sysex to my JV1010, programming it like the guy in the first video does. Now I'm on my second A800 Pro. I copied the Edirol setup to one of my A800 memories because I still carry the JV1010 as an emergency module should I have a problem with my laptop. Since I started with this setup 14 years ago I've only needed it twice â once when I got to a gig and found that I accidentally left my laptop bag home :facepalm:, and once when I thought my laptop went down but it was actually my Mackie speakers thermalling.

 

I needed to use sysex with the JV1010 because my old Edirol controller could not do splits â midi notes could only be on one channel. Of course the JV lets you limit a part's note range so you can easily set up splits, however since every part had to be on the same midi channel the only way to independently control the volume of each part was with sysex. The fact that APRO keyboards can program sysex strings and include Roland checksumming is a big plus that makes all this possible.

 

BTW there is a small trimpot on the APRO keyboards' main board that adjusts channel aftertouch sensitivity. I maxxed mine and AT works fine now. IIRC I saw a u-tube or post somewhere that detailed its exact location.

 

BTW #2 - If your USB cable seems loose, you might want to check out the first post of an old thread I started here. This is why I'm on my second A800! My current A800 is doing fine so far â the USB jack grips the cable nicely, but I use 5-pin midi for road gigs now so it's not getting stressed as much.

 

This is the pic that's a "?" in that post:

 

A800-usb-ext.jpg

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[i just noticed my old post above yours, after typing everything below - ha! Well, some of this is new info.]

 

Allow me to chime in as I have a Roland A800 and a JV1010. Years ago I used an Edirol (Roland) midi controller to send sysex to my JV1010, programming it like the guy in the first video does. Now I'm on my second A800 Pro. I copied the Edirol setup to one of my A800 memories because I still carry the JV1010 as an emergency module should I have a problem with my laptop. Since I started with this setup 14 years ago I've only needed it twice â once when I got to a gig and found that I accidentally left my laptop bag home :facepalm:, and once when I thought my laptop went down but it was actually my Mackie speakers thermalling.

 

I needed to use sysex with the JV1010 because my old Edirol controller could not do splits â midi notes could only be on one channel. Of course the JV lets you limit a part's note range so you can easily set up splits, however since every part had to be on the same midi channel the only way to independently control the volume of each part was with sysex. The fact that APRO keyboards can program sysex strings and include Roland checksumming is a big plus that makes all this possible.

 

BTW there is a small trimpot on the APRO keyboards' main board that adjusts channel aftertouch sensitivity. I maxxed mine and AT works fine now. IIRC I saw a u-tube or post somewhere that detailed its exact location.

 

BTW #2 - If your USB cable seems loose, you might want to check out the first post of an old thread I started here. This is why I'm on my second A800! My current A800 is doing fine so far â the USB jack grips the cable nicely, but I use 5-pin midi for road gigs now so it's not getting stressed as much.

 

This is the pic that's a "?" in that post:

 

A800-usb-ext.jpg

 

You are so kind to chime in again here. I hope you don't mind if I PM you to beg your file for the JV1010 in the A-Pro editor. Great to hear about the aftertouch!!!

 

The new Korg wavestation is merely a JV1010 rompler on modulating steriods, powered by RazPi, or so I read. I had very low expectations, the build is very plastic I guess, but Nick's recent demo of the Wavestation at Sonicstate really shows those romplers can make fantastic sounds. That review has caused a minor sensation.

 

I became interested in the JV1010 watching Paulo play a orchestral expansion on the 1080 on his wonderful Synthmania channel.

 

RT-3/U-121/Leslie 21H and 760/Saltarelle Nuage/MOXF6/MIDIhub, 

SL-880/Nektar T4/Numa Cx2/Deepmind12/Virus TI 61/SL61 mk2

Stylophone R8/Behringer RD-8/Proteus 1/MP-7/Zynthian 4

MPC1k/JV1010/Unitor 8/Model D & 2600/WX-5&7/VL70m/DMP-18 Pedals

Natal drums/congas etc & misc bowed/plucked/blown instruments. 

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My a-pro's JV1010 setup does things that are specific to my playing preferences so I doubt it would be too useful to you, except maybe the part volume controls. I do some kludgey moving around of split points with the sliders that I could probably figure a better way of doing today. You're welcome to it, maybe some of the controls will be useful.

 

As far as the 1010 being similar to a Wavestation â if you say so! I never used a WS but I thought its basic concept was to mix different waveforms in real time with an x/y controller. The JV is strictly a rompler and its sounds are somewhat dated IMO, though the ones on the expansion cards were pretty good for their time, and the stock sounds can work fine in a proper context. I used the "Session Piano" as my main piano sound for years on a XP50. I had four expansion cards for it but the synth was lost in a house fire a few years ago. I think I put the "Keyboards of the 60s/70s" card into the JV1010 before that happened though.

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