Hammond XM2 question

[Tonysounds]

Anybody using one? Im looking at the manuals online, and not finding the answer. The old Xm1 was played by running keyboard midid to rack module, and the drawbar controller connected to the rack module via an Apple printer cable (there was no midi jack on the drawbar controller).

 

The XM2 has mid in and out on drawbar controller, and the manual shows a variety of hook-up possibilities, but the main one being Keyboard midid to drawbar controller which is connected to rack module via Apple printer cable.

 

Im wondering if I can just connect the rack module to keyboard with midi, and connect the drawbar module to rack module with the Apple printer cable (like the XM1). The manual shows multi-keyboard setups going midi in straight to rack module (for upper/lower control), and the drawbar module connected via Apple Printer cable.

 

In other words, I dont want a midi cable going to the drawbar controller.

 

[JMcS]

The XM-2c only has MIDI in and the proprietary cable out. The XM-2 has 2 MIDI ins, the proprietary cable in and a MIDI out. If the XM-2 is used with only one manual that manual can be connected to the XM-2c drawbar controller and then only the proprietary cable needs to be connected to the XM-2. The manual may also be connected to one of the MIDI ins on the XM-2 as well. If 2 manuals or 2 manuals plus pedals will be used then all three MIDI ins can be used so mergers etc. are not necessary.

 

Apple printer cables will also work and longer ones can be found. They may not be sold as Apple printer cables any longer since I don't think Apple uses them any more. IIRC I found some at a FRY's.

 

 

[Tonysounds]

Thanks! I can still get those cables at Radio Shack too I believe. The way I want to configure is keyboard midi to rack module, and drawbar module connected via printer cable.

[JMcS]

That will work. The MIDI in on the DB controller allows shorter cables and one less to be tripped over. Radio Shack may have them, I tried a number of local stores, and wound up getting them from FRY's on line. The local one didn't stock them. I bought a regular cable (M - M) and an extension (M - F). They may also just be labelled 8 pin Mini DIN.

[Bobadohshe]

Yep, those funky printer cables are the way the rack connects to the drawbars. I have a short one and a much longer one. I bought it from Calumnet and he included that longer one. Those cables are probably harder to find these days but with the internets anything is possible.

[kanker.]

Not sure if any of these are the right cable, but it's worth a look. The prices at this joint are insane and the stuff it top notch

 

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10215

[Jim Alfredson]

Wish I had an XM2. I'm about to go on the road with a great singer out of LA and I'm a bit wary of the backline. The XM2 would fit the bill perfectly.

 

Can I borrow yours, JMcS?

[kanker.]

You can borrow my Electro 73...

[WheelHead]

The XM2 should be able to be hooked up, more than basically, to any drawbar controller actually, though it seems to me the parameters will have to be mapped to NRPN.

 

It doesn't do a lot of the easier CC. I believe the Midi Solutions Event Processor + can map to NRPN. A map would have to be composed to get a complex controller to use it and all or the most important functions. (EP+ uses software writing to an RTF file to program it)

 

Obviously the easy thing is to use their controller that is very limited, in my opinion, than say using a non-HS clone or a controller that may have more and easily accessible functions. I find the notion very attractive to add the unit to the HC with a B3-like interface with 4 sets of drawbars.

 

They are not selling at times very well actually. Almost just bought one on Ebay for 715 starting bid as an option for another organ for the HC. Had I bid I would have got one with a new warranty open box for $715. No one bid on it and it was not re-listed. I didn't bid because I am too busy to do the mapping now and it would be laying around.

 

When I do a map for the HC I may link it so others need just buy the XM2 and EP+ who may own the HC to add Hammond Suzuki sounds using it as a controller. Probably take a few hours or more to compose the mapping.

 

W

[Tonysounds]

The XM2 should be able to be hooked up, more than basically, to any drawbar controller actually, though it seems to me the parameters will have to be mapped to NRPN.

 

It doesn't do a lot of the easier CC. I believe the Midi Solutions Event Processor + can map to NRPN. A map would have to be composed to get a complex controller to use it and all or the most important functions. (EP+ uses software writing to an RTF file to program it)

 

Obviously the easy thing is to use their controller that is very limited, in my opinion, than say using a non-HS clone or a controller that may have more and easily accessible functions. I find the notion very attractive to add the unit to the HC with a B3-like interface with 4 sets of drawbars.

 

They are not selling at times very well actually. Almost just bought one on Ebay for 715 starting bid as an option for another organ for the HC. Had I bid I would have got one with a new warranty open box for $715. No one bid on it and it was not re-listed. I didn't bid because I am too busy to do the mapping now and it would be laying around.

 

When I do a map for the HC I may link it so others need just buy the XM2 and EP+ who may own the HC to add Hammond Suzuki sounds using it as a controller. Probably take a few hours or more to compose the mapping.

 

W

 

????

What is an HC, and what exactly are you talking about?

 

Yes, the XM2 gear reads drawbars as NRPN; yes MidiSolutions will remap midi ccs to NRPN. (In fact, my Xk1 with an EPP+ controls B4 quite effectively.)

 

All I needed to know was that I didn't need to route midi through the XM2c drawbar controller (though the manual indicated it).

[JMcS]

The XM2 should be able to be hooked up, more than basically, to any drawbar controller actually, though it seems to me the parameters will have to be mapped to NRPN.

 

It doesn't do a lot of the easier CC...

W

 

The XM-2 responds to CC's 80 (upper), 81 (lower) and 82 (pedals) for drawbar changes like all the other Hammond units. It will also respond to CC's 12 - 20 (upper), 21 - 29 (lower) and 33 & 35 (pedals) like many non-Hammond units do. Slider boxes like the Peavey PC1600x can easily be programmed to act as an additional drawbar controller using either method. Control of most of the other functions would not be as easy.

 

[JMcS]

All I needed to know was that I didn't need to route midi through the XM2c drawbar controller (though the manual indicated it).

 

There are a number of Templates - Single KBD, 2KBD for L&U, By Channel and 2/3KBD via XMc. Depending on how you want to connect everything, you just select the Template that fits. Each Template sets a variety of parameters to work with the way things are connected to it. Those parameters can then be adjusted as needed.

 

The socket for the 8 pin mini DIN XMc-2 - XM-2 cable is on the front of the XM-2. If the XM-2 is in a rack with a bunch of other gear it may be more convenient to connect the controller keyboard to the XMc-2 and the XMc-2 to the XM-2 than to have to route the keyboard controller's MIDI cable to the back of the XM-2 every time.

[Tonysounds]

 

The socket for the 8 pin mini DIN XMc-2 - XM-2 cable is on the front of the XM-2. If the XM-2 is in a rack with a bunch of other gear it may be more convenient to connect the controller keyboard to the XMc-2 and the XMc-2 to the XM-2 than to have to route the keyboard controller's MIDI cable to the back of the XM-2 every time.

Yes, I saw that, but the downside is Im trying to condense this rig down to one keyboard (S90es), and it has one midi output. So I would have to then keep a midi splitter on top of my keyboard to split the midi signal for the XM2 and my midi rig. All of which just makes clutter, adds to set up time, etc. I wish they would have put that mini input on the back with the rest, especially since points of contact are the first thing to wear down (those mini jacks get pretty chewed up after a couple years time); I like to put an adaptor on things (in this case, the factory shipped short cable) and use that as the point of contact; when it gets sloppy or chewed up, just replace that shorty cable. So in this case, Id rather just make that mini cable part of my snake, and keep things to one midi cable, and leave the XM2 hardwired into my rack with everything else. The snake would then have one midi cable (which feeds everything), one audio cable (for S90es), the mini XM2c cable (which Ill leave loose at the rack end to facilitate front entry), a pedal cable for the Ventilator (which will be in the rack), and what looks like a pedal cable for expression control of XM2 as it looks like me getting the S90es to work the pedal assignment task is a probable failure.