Yamaha MOX/Motif pitch wheel stepping?! Help!

[bloodyMary]

Yea, thinking about it more I suppose the PB pot is sampled at a certain fixed frequency one that is designed to be compatible with the baud rate of midi.

 

To return - somewhat - to the original topic: I would really like to know why Yamaha couldn't or wouldn't implement 14-bit PB in one of their pro musical instruments. Is it really that hard to do?

 

Because they're cheap. It's actually very easy to do.

[AnotherScott]

The DX7 came out in 1983, and list price was about $2,000US. Inflation since then (30 years) would price the DX7 in today's dollars at about $4,680US - a Motif XF6 lists for about two-thirds of that

...and includes a whole lot of technology way beyond what was in the DX7.

[WesG]

I would also be shocked to find out that the DX7 pitch bend went through MIDI when processed internally. It would an interesting experiment to wire two up together and use the wheel on one and the generator in the other.

[bloodyMary]

Well, I hooked my Yamaha MOX to an external midi controller (Korg Karma) and the pitch bend was far smoother than using the internal wheel.

 

Oh well. I guess I'll just limit my bends to one octave and live with the limitation.

[Bif_]

Yea, thinking about it more I suppose the PB pot is sampled at a certain fixed frequency one that is designed to be compatible with the baud rate of midi.

 

To return - somewhat - to the original topic: I would really like to know why Yamaha couldn't or wouldn't implement 14-bit PB in one of their pro musical instruments. Is it really that hard to do?

 

Because they're cheap. It's actually very easy to do.

 

I would be quite curious to hear what Bad Mister on the Motifator forums has to say about this.

[Reezekeys]

Looks like I was wrong about my old Yamaha DX7 having 14-bit pitch bend. It's 7 bit.

[AnotherScott]

I would also be shocked to find out that the DX7 pitch bend went through MIDI when processed internally. It would an interesting experiment to wire two up together and use the wheel on one and the generator in the other.

Yes, that is an interesting variable. As I understand it, the MOX's controllers do send MIDI to its own sound engine (in a sense, a MOX is a controller keyboard and a sound module in the same box), but I think it is alternately possible to design a board so that there is a kind of "direct connection" that avoids MIDI between its internal components.

[MIDI2XS]

I would also be shocked to find out that the DX7 pitch bend went through MIDI when processed internally. It would an interesting experiment to wire two up together and use the wheel on one and the generator in the other.

Yes, that is an interesting variable. As I understand it, the MOX's controllers do send MIDI to its own sound engine (in a sense, a MOX is a controller keyboard and a sound module in the same box), but I think it is alternately possible to design a board so that there is a kind of "direct connection" that avoids MIDI between its internal components.

Not that it couldn't be designed otherwise, but typically the controller and tone generator sections of synths are separate, and connected via MIDI. That allows a simple "Local Control" on/off setting to determine whether the two sections are interconnected or not.

 

It would be easy enough to determine if a synth had a direct, high resolution connection between PB (or other controller) and the tone generator, versus a connection via MIDI. First determine how things sound with Local Control on. Then turn Local off but connect MIDI-Out to MIDI-In with a cable, and listen for a reduction in sound quality, which could therefore be attributed to reduced resolution.