Roland XP30 as a Controller ??

[rocknkeys]

I have been trying to set up a Roland XP30 to work with a Roland RS70. All I want to do is control the RS70 from the XP30. Tried the MIDI settings but can't seem to get and patch changes. Does anyone know if this can be done ?

Thanks

[Andre Lower]

I do have an XP-30 and gave up on using the features offered for controlling other synths. I tried, but could not make sense of the MSB and LSB logic. I suppose it is possible, but was not prepared to find out how using the User Manual...

 

I ended up buying myself a MIDI event processor and never looked back. It turns the XP-30 into a nice MIDI controller, and should do the same to most other synths, so long as they have a reasonable number of physical controls that can transmit MIDI signals.

[SilverDragonSoun]

I wouldn't waste the time with it personally. They make midi controllers for so cheap now and they are designed for this and can be programmed exactly for your needs. Sounds like your creating an unecessary headache for yourself. Of course if you get it working you can disregard what I said and then my comments would be, well you saved yourself some money and made do with what you had. There I covered my bases

[Bill H.]

These settings are in System-MIDI on Rolands. As long as the Patch Rx Ch and Tx Ch are the same number and Tx and Rx Program Changes switches are enabled it should work. Are you in Patch mode on both keyboards, or are you trying to do this in Performance mode?

[NYKeys]

I have a xp-60 but this should work

 

Per the manual Page 180

Using external MIDI devices

Procedure>

Press [LOCAL/TX/RX] to open the LOCAL/TX/RX

window.

Press [F2] (Tx P.C) or [F3] (Tx P.C) to call up the

Transmit Program Change window.

 

¸ Set the Channel (MIDI channel), P.C Number

(Program number), Bank Select MSB, and Bank Select

LSB parameters to match the sound used by the external

MIDI device.

S If the Program number of the external MIDI device

reads 0127, set the P.C Number parameter by adding

1 to the external MIDI devices value.

¹ Press [F6] (Trans) to change the sound of the external

MIDI device.

 

Using the XP-80 to control external MIDI

Using the XP-80 to control external MIDI

devices

Connect the XP-80s MIDI OUT to the MIDI IN of the

external MIDI device using a MIDI cable.

Set the XP-80s MIDI channel to match the external

MIDI devices receive channel.

The MIDI channel is determined by the following parameters.

Patch mode: Patch Tx-Ch parameter (SYSTEM/MIDI/MIDI

Param 1)

Performance mode: Channel parameter (PERFORM/MIDI/

Part MIDI), Tx Switch parameter (PERFORM/MIDI/Part

MIDI) ON

¸ If you want to play just the sound source of the external

MIDI device, set the Local Switch parameter (SYSTEM/

MIDI/MIDI Param 1) OFF.

When you want to connect two or more external MIDI

devices, use the MIDI THRU connector of the external MIDI

devices.

S If you daisy-chain three or more MIDI devices using

IN®THRU®IN®THRU..., the MIDI signal may

become garbled and cause errors in data. Using a MIDI

Thru Box is recommended in such cases. MIDI Thru

Boxes allow a single stream of MIDI data to be sent to

a large number of MIDI devices or sound modules

without causing data errors.

[rocknkeys]

Thanks for the info everyone...I will try your suggestions. In response to Bill H. , I have tried it in both Patch and Performance. Also, Andre, what type of MIDI Event Processor did you use ?

Thanks

[Andre Lower]

MIDI Solutions Event Processor Plus.

 

Over time I became sort of a preacher for using it over here. I'm no endorsee or anything like that, it's just that it is so simple and effective that I think fellow keyboard players should know about it.

 

Hope the moderators do not construe it as spam

[Prague]

Why is it so difficult for a Roland product to control a Roland product? Program Change is as easy as it gets.

[Andre Lower]

Well Prague, if you ever try to make any sense out of my XP-30's "User Manual" and actually succeed you'll become one of my all-time heroes...

 

BTW, I did a thorough research of PGMCHG and it should not be difficult. Unless the controller is a Roland XP-30

[Prague]

Yeah, both of those Rolands require Bank and Patch number to be selected. No sounds can be selected (Patch or Performance) unless an MSB of 80 (or whatever) is sent.

 

On many synths, Banks start at 00, 00 for MSB and LSB. Roland assigns different MSB's to EVERY synth these days. The XP-30 STARTS at 80.

 

I guess they may want all Rolands to be able to operate on the same MIDI channel, yet be addressable separately. Not a bad idea, but one MUST have a controller with Bank select to select sounds from Roland devices.

[rocknkeys]

Andre, I agree, the XP-30 is a challenge. I can get it to put out a patch # when I change patches...but the Bank select will not work. If I turn the bank select Transmit to ON, then the other synth shows a display that looks like this

----:--------- It looks like it is waiting for a CC# for the Bank select, but maybe none is being generated by the XP-30. I hate to keep asking for details, but were you able to program the Event Proc Plus on the computer, and then use it as a stand alone ? What messages does it use from the XP30 to trigger the translated CC#s and PC ??

Thanks Again

[Andre Lower]

The EPP is a stand alone unit. You hook it to your computer's MIDI port, program whatever you want using a really simple software (you can even download it now to have a look before you buy the EPP itself), disconnect it and insert it between the MIDI OUT and MIDI IN sockets of any pair of MIDI devices you wish to use. It is energized by the MIDI OUT socket of the controller synth.

 

I'm doing something similar to what I believe you wanna do, only the "controlled" synth is my Alesis Micron. But just like you, when I change performances in my XP-30 I want the Micron to follow it (something like XP performance Nr.13 calls up Micron performance Nr.13, and so forth). (BTW Roland Performances are termed Setups by Alesis, but that's irrelevant for your case).

 

One of the settings I have programmed in the EPP converts the PGMCHG 0-31 messages broadcast by the XP-30 into a certain range of CTRLCHG messages that correspond to the desired BANK SELECT CCs "required" by the Micron.

 

Another setting converts the PGMCHG 0-31 messages broadcast by the XP-30 into a certain range of PGMCHG messages that correspond to the desired PATCH SELECT CCs "required" by the Micron.

 

Therefore I have each Performance on the XP-30 calling up a specific pair of BANK and PATCH in the Micron.

 

You can store up to 32 different settings (i.e. conversion orders) on the EPP Plus. It is amazingly simple. Mind you, it converts absolutely any MIDI signal output by your XP-30 (be it a CC, PGMCHG, MIDI note ON, MIDI note OFF, the continuous values output by sliders 1-4, etc.) into absolutely any MIDI signal you may want the other synth to receive.

 

Once you understand what that means you will realize that I am not exaggerating when I say that this little (and way overlooked) gadget can turn any lousy keyboard into a top-notch MIDI controller.

 

In case you wanna get more specific feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to help you out .

[Prague]

Originally posted by Andre Lower:

One of the settings I have programmed in the EPP converts the PGMCHG 0-31 messages broadcast by the XP-30 into a certain range of CTRLCHG messages that correspond to the desired BANK SELECT CCs "required" by the Micron.

 

Another setting converts the PGMCHG 0-31 messages broadcast by the XP-30 into a certain range of PGMCHG messages that correspond to the desired PATCH SELECT CCs "required" by the Micron.

 

The XP-30 can already do that by itself, with one Performance selection. Why would you buy and program something else? Selecting the Banks and Programs on a Micron is easy to do.

[Cliffk]

Originally posted by Andre Lower:

Well Prague, if you ever try to make any sense out of my XP-30's "User Manual" and actually succeed you'll become one of my all-time heroes...

Too true .

[Bill H.]

Originally posted by rocknkeys:

Andre, I agree, the XP-30 is a challenge. I can get it to put out a patch # when I change patches...but the Bank select will not work. If I turn the bank select Transmit to ON, then the other synth shows a display that looks like this

----:--------- It looks like it is waiting for a CC# for the Bank select, but maybe none is being generated by the XP-30. I hate to keep asking for details, but were you able to program the Event Proc Plus on the computer, and then use it as a stand alone ? What messages does it use from the XP30 to trigger the translated CC#s and PC ??

Thanks Again

OK this is from my experience with Roland modules and my Fantom S. I don't know if it holds for the XP-30 or RS-70, but here goes. Everything has to be there and in this order:

 

CC 0

CC 32

Program Change

 

All the same channel of course. It has worked flawlessly for years for me as long as I get everything right. A program change message must immediately follow a bank select message or the bank select goes blank as it has with you. Other possiblilties are incorrect channel, incorrect order, N/A MSB or LSB numbers.

 

Quite honestly, I thing Roland has made this as easy as you can get it given the confines of the MIDI spec. Hope it works for you also, rocknkeys!