PART 1: MARTIN RUSS's Studio 5LX has changed the way he runs his studio. In the first of this two-part series, he explains how to set up a multi-port MIDI interface, and reveals some of the ways in which these useful devices can simplify your life.
Some time ago, I took my Opcode Studio 5 Mac MIDI interface to MCMXCIX in London to have it upgraded to the 'LX' version. While I was there, I chatted with a customer who had recently moved from Atari to Macintosh. He commented on the poor resale value of Atari computers, at which point I said that he should keep the Atari, and use it in his MIDI system. He replied that he now had a Mac and did not need the Atari any longer. An 'Atari Notes' column which I wrote in the June 1993 issue of SOS advises you not to sell your old Atari, but to use it with whatever you buy to replace it. This is what I do in my studio, making full use of the aforementioned Studio 5LX to fully integrate the ST with my Mac and the rest of my studio gear. In fact, my multi-port Studio 5LX is now the heart of my MIDI system. I use it so much that now I literally could not work without it. This feature aims to explore some of what is possible using a multi-port MIDI interface such as the Studio 5LX. Part 1 deals with the basic concepts involved in using it to organise a studio; Part 2, coming next month, goes into more detail and also explains how the Studio 5LX can help integrate an Atari into a studio running with a diffferent make of main computer.
MULTI-PORT MIDI
The only major required purchase for what I'm about to explain is a combined multi-port MIDI interface and MIDI patchbay. I chose the Opcode Studio 5 because it has just enough Ins and Outs to cope with my MIDI equipment, and some very powerful MIDI processing capabilities as well. Although it's expensive, I've been very pleased with it right from the beginning, and it's saved me lots of cable changing and rewiring effort. I say this because many MIDI musicians still use combinations of low-cost switching boxes and careful allocation of channels on a single-port MIDI interface, which may work -- but there again, it may not. You'd be surprised at how many people call me to sort out problems which are caused by not having a multi-port MIDI interface and MIDI patchbay. I reckon that once you have more than four pieces of MIDI equipment, you should buy at least an 8x8 MIDI interface/MIDI patchbay before you buy anything else, for several reasons:
• Multi-port MIDI interfaces free you from having to map out the allocation of MIDI equipment to MIDI channels.
• You no longer need to worry about not being able to make the most of multitimbrality because you don't have enough free MIDI channels.
• Manual switch boxes are such a pain to keep track of (and use) that a patchbay repays its cost in increased productivity very quickly.
The problem is that most manufacturers are quite happy to sell you the hardware and software, but never really explain how to use them. You really can do a huge amount with a patchbay -- it can make things much, much easier. Cue the rest of this article.
SETTING UP
The first thing to do when you start to use a patchbay is connect everything through it. This gives you a chance to sort out all those cables that you aren't sure about -- and you might even label them clearly while you're at it. The software with most patchbays will give you a graphical 'picture' of how all your equipment is wired, but it's a good idea to check that this is how things really are -- the Studio 5 LX lets you interrogate each port to confirm that reality matches the picture.
The MIDI setup of AYS Studios, the example used in the diagrams in this feature, is best described using the Studio Setup display from within OMS. This is a graphical version of the wiring, and can be saved as a Studio Setup file. On the left-hand side are numbered boxes for the MIDI port numbers -- the Studio 5LX provides 15 separate MIDI In and Out ports. On the right-hand side are the instruments, modules, drum machines, and so on. When a second or third unit is shown connected to a port, this uses the Thru on the first unit -- and for these additional units there is a small MIDI switch which selects which MIDI Out is connected to the Studio 5LX. These could be connected directly to a MIDI In port if a second Studio 5LX was networked to the first.
Because a Studio Setup file lets you set which channels your devices are assigned to, you can create different Setup files for different purposes. This can help to keep stuff like pop-up menus under control -- if you have lots of multitimbral devices and you give each one 16 MIDI channels, you're going to get 16 numbered versions of each devices, which produces huge pop-up menus. A simple studio setup made from monotimbral instruments would produce only one entry per instrument in a pop-up 'instrument select' menu, whereas a studio setup with lots of 16-part multitimbral instruments could be up to 16 times as long! Why? It would be full of entries like TG77-1, TG77-2, TG77-3, TG77-4...
Instead of defining everything to its maximum multitimbrality, I have two major setup documents:
• One is a 'monotimbral' studio, where each MIDI device is set up to receive on just one MIDI channel -- that is, it produces only one part. I use this setup for orchestration and arranging of music, where I want to be able to quickly change sounds and adjust volumes on individual parts. Having one part/sound per channel/device makes this easy -- even if it often wastes polyphony. The catch is that you need lots of instruments -- which makes a good excuse to buy lots of expander modules.
• In contrast, for squeezing the maximum out of one MIDI device, I use the 'multitimbral' studio setup, where each device is allocated a realistic number of MIDI channels -- typically the polyphony divided by four. Sixteen different monophonic synthesizers may sound exciting, but it is a pain to try and avoid any overlapping notes which then steal notes from elsewhere. So a 16-note polyphonic module gets four channels, which keeps the pop-up menus reasonably short but provides enough scope for exploiting multitimbrality.
Initially, I used just one studio setup for my Studio 5LX -- with lots of multitimbrality and huge numbers of patches to connect everything together. After several rationalisations, I now have a few specialist setups for doing the ubiquitous 'half a dozen impossible things before breakfast', but they are another story. For the rest of the time I use just the above two setups.
STUDIO SETUP HINT: I use the '~' symbol to indicate Studio Setup files and make them easier to find in a list of files on the computer's disk.
PATCHES
Patches are the key to using a patchbay. A patch sets the connections between the MIDI Ins and the MIDI Outs -- but instead of real patch cables, you use 'virtual' ones, drawn on the computer screen. My Studio 5LX patches are organised into easy-to-remember groups, so that I can quickly select the patch I want without having to think too hard. This is especially useful when I'm using the MIDI system without my Mac turned on, because then the Studio 5LX only displays a two-digit patch number.
Because I tend to focus on specific manufacturers when I buy equipment, I have a fairly restricted set of MIDI devices. I have some Emu expanders, some Yamaha gear, and some miscellaneous items from an intentionally wide range of manufacturers. Not surprisingly, these are separated into four groups to keep them manageable:
• All (This group contains all the equipment.)
• Emu
• Yamaha
• Others
The patches I use on the MIDI patchbay part of the Studio 5LX reflect this organisation. If I want to send the output of my master keyboard to all the equipment, I use a virtual instrument called 'All' -- and I just connect from the master keyboard to 'All'. This one simple patch is equivalent to about 20 real MIDI cables.
My basic Studio 5 patches are simple and easy to remember. Patch number 1 is deliberately set to do nothing: although this sounds crazy, it actually enables the playing of keyboards individually without any stacking, which can be very useful sometimes. Too much layering can be distracting!
All of the 'All' patches have '2' as their units digit (remember tens and units from school maths?) -- Patch '1' is reserved for sequencer use, and so I never use numbers ending in 1. For just trying out ideas (and keyboard practice), I tend to select either the Emu or Yamaha setting, then use the sliders on my mixing desk to choose which of the sound sources are actually heard on the monitor speakers. This gives a large palette of timbres to work with, and makes layering a standard function instead of something which has to be specially set up. I find that the easier it is to use something, the less it gets in the way of creating music. For example, have you ever seen a guitarist pick up a guitar, check the tone and volume knobs, adjust the tuning, check the whammy bar, clean the fluff from the nut, polish the frets, set up the controls on their amplifier, adjust the pedal board, dig out a plectrum or two, do some warm-up exercises, and then get on with playing? I suspect you're more likely to have observed that most guitarists just pick up the guitar, wazz the volume up to 'loud', and get widdling...
Patches ending in '3' are used to connect to Emu equipment, whilst Yamahas end in '4', and Others end in '5'. Not only can I remember this without much effort, but I don't need to put any major effort into reading the display on the Studio 5LX. I can cope with four things to remember, and if I'm unsure, the MIDI activity LEDs on the front panels of most of my equipment soon show me what's playing.
Patches can also include clock routing. I use the 'tens' digit on the display to indicate what sort of patch is used: a '0' indicates a direct connection from the master keyboard to the destination, while a '1' shows that the MIDI Clock is also routed from the master keyboard to the drums and other devices which receive sync. Of course, clock routing can be different from the routing of notes. For example, in patch 14, the master keyboard is connected to all the Yamaha equipment (shown by the '4'), while the MIDI Clock source (usually the SY99 on-board sequencer clock) is connected to all the drum machines. You can extend this numbering system to cover any other requirements particular to your system. For example, all patches with a '9' as the tens digit could be set up to run via a MIDI analyser for troubleshooting.
I deliberately use different types of arrows in patch descriptions, to show single and double patch leads. A '->' shows one connection, while a '-->>' shows a double connection. Visual clues like this help to avoid the need to open up the patches for editing all the time. Double-clicking and waiting wastes time even on a fast Mac -- so the more information you can get into the text description of the patch, the better. Because I do the pruning at the audio level using my mixer, I don't have to think too hard about selecting patches on the patchbay.
Organising patches in this way not only keeps things neat and tidy -- it also forces you to plan out what sort of connections you'll make. Just connecting devices together when the need arises will produce a random and confusing set of patches which you will later want to reorganise. And if you've already used the patches to automate the changes in a live set for performance, you can't change the order of patches without also editing the set plan as well. It really does pay to plan ahead when you're designing patches for patchbays.
PATCH HINT: Don't worry about those one-off special patches you create for unusual circumstances. I have the lower patch numbers allocated in a formalised way, but higher numbers are left as temporary memories -- just give them a number in the 80s or 90s and a descriptive name. And remember to always make backups of your patch files!
PATCH CHANGES
If you play live using hi-tech instruments and you've never thought about automating your patchbay changes, you must be one of those busy people who spends lots of time pressing buttons in between songs -- and who often misses their first cue!
The idea is that you configure your performance patches to suit the songs in your set, with suitable controllers and destinations (master keyboard to one set of expander modules, second/melody/lead-line keyboard to another set of expander modules, and so on), as well as program changes and volume controller settings, all stored away and retrievable with a single patch selection on the patchbay.
If you watch well-prepared keyboard players on stage, you'll notice that they often just press one or two buttons in between songs -- and now you should know why! What automation does is allow you to make complex changes with minimum effort.
A basic patch chain might start with the master keyboard connected to all the expander modules for setting up and testing purposes during a sound check. Subsequent patches might select just the Emu equipment for one song, then just the Yamaha... Moving through the patch chain can be done by any MIDI controller. In my case, two footswitches are connected to the Studio 5 LX. Pressing the first of these will step through the performance patches one by one. (The other footswitch is used for controlling my sequencer from the master keyboard.) Manual selection of patch changes needs to be set in such a way that accidental changes are avoided. Using the Studio 5LX control software, it is easy to specify that, for example, the patch changes from the SY99 will only happen if the portamento pedal is also held down.
Each time a patchbay patch is selected, the Studio 5 LX can output a short sequence of program changes, controller values, and other useful 'housekeeping' settings. For example, selecting patch number 2 might set the program and volume for the Yamaha TX816 rack, the Kurzweil K2000, the Waldorf MicroWave, and the SY99 (including a Bank Change and Reset All Controllers, too). Finally, an All Notes Off is sent to All Instruments -- this is Opcode's 'every note on every channel' variation on the real MIDI ANO message; whilst some instruments do not support the official ANO message, most support Note Off messages.
Finally, the last patch in the chain has but one purpose: it aims to restore everything to as neutral or 'default' a state as possible.
PATCH/SETUP HINT: Is that file a Patch or a Setup? I use a 'bullet' point '*' in front of the filename of patches so that they are easy to see in file lists. They all stay grouped together, and they are separate from my studio setup files, which start with '~'.
REVIEWS
As you may have noticed, I've done one or two reviews of synthesizers and expander modules during the first 10 years of SOS. After doing major surgery on my studio for the first couple, I decided that I needed to be more organised, so I produced a patch specifically for doing reviews. The first available tens digit was 2, and 22 seemed to be memorable, so Patch 22 became my 'Review' patch.
When a synthesizer or expander module arrives for review, I connect it up to Port 13 on the Studio 5LX, and select Patch 22. I hope none of the review equipment is superstitious! My 'Review' patch incorporates filtering and velocity mapping so that I can adjust any new arrivals to my own tastes. The master keyboard is connected to the review instrument, so that I can play it initially from a familiar keyboard. I put two asterisks in front of the device name -- this automatically makes the review instrument appear near the top of the pop-up menus (which are sorted alphabetically).
Installing a review instrument in my studio involves connecting the audio leads, MIDI leads, and the power supply -- it takes about two minutes. No rewiring. No figuring out how to connect it to a suitable Thru socket. No problem with examining System Exclusive information (I just patch it to a special SysEx analyser I wrote in Max). No hassle. And it's all down to having a combined MIDI interface and MIDI patchbay. Probably one of the best MIDI investments I ever made.
REVIEWING HINT: Many studios also have a need to be able to quickly accommodate a new or hired-in instrument for a session, and this is one way of doing it with ease.
MONITORING
Some sequencers have MIDI output monitors which can show activity on the 16 MIDI channels. With a multi-port MIDI interface, things are a little more complicated, since you can have lots more MIDI channels. I use the Studio 5LX to patch in my MIDI monitoring gadget wherever I need to see what is happening. Normally, patching cables so that the MIDI data passes through a MIDI monitor gadget, or even getting at the Thru socket, can be quite a problem, but because port 15 has the MIDI monitor gadget connected up, it is easy to patch it anywhere. This can be very useful for troubleshooting problems -- especially because it is very quick to connect the monitor to different places and see what is going on.
Next month, Martin deals with the Atari ST, master keyboards, and more...
RULES
I'm afraid there are some rules:
• One port per multitimbral device. Thrus are only allowed for chains of monotimbral devices.
• Use the MIDI processing inside the interface (except if you're using Emagic's Logic).
• Never rewire or move your devices from port to port once you are set up. Leave them alone and use the patchbay to do the wiring changes.
• Label cables, and make a note of the wiring arrangement. If you ever do need to re-connect all your equipment (after upgrading a Studio 5, for example), this can save you lots of work.
STUDIO 5 LX UPGRADE
Quite a lot of the new features of the Studio 5LX (you can upgrade to this from the original Studio 5) make the techniques described in this article lots easier (such as debugging and testing using Source or Destination Muting, and especially the increased internal patch storage). So here's a quick recap on the new features:
• Up to six Studio 5LXs can be networked together, which offers the potential for up to 90 MIDI Ins and Outs (or 1440 independent MIDI channels). Four Studio 4s can be similarly networked, which gives up to 512 independent MIDI channels.
• Four times the RAM (256Kb) as on the Studio 5 is now provided for internal patch storage. (If you start to use the ideas in this article seriously, you may soon need the extra space!)
• Muting of any MIDI Source or Destination in a Patch Edit Window.
• MIDI Controllers can be used to set note or velocity splits.
• User-definable Transposition maps.
• Pitch Bend module.
• Modifier modules now have an invert function.
• Improved communication speeds between the Studio 5LX and the Macintosh.
• Improved MIDI throughput.
The upgrade from Studio 5 to 5LX costs £129.95. Contact MCMXCIX on 0171 723 7221 for more details.
Multi-port MIDI interface/patchbays can seem like an expensive indulgence for the average studio. But, as MARTIN RUSS explains in the concluding part of this two-part feature, they can really help you to get the best use from the MIDI gear you already own.
Last month, I explained just some of the ways in which you could use a multi-port MIDI interface, like the Opcode Studio 5LX, to make working with MIDI equipment easier. This month, I'll describe yet more applications for these useful devices.
MASTER KEYBOARDS
I currently use a Yamaha SY99 as my main master keyboard, but sometimes I want to change it to something else -- like another keyboard with different facilities, or a wind controller. To achieve this painlessly, I have my Studio 5LX set up so that I need only make one change, and I don't even need to touch my patches! This trick is achieved by using a Virtual Controller, which is a neat way of mapping real MIDI sources to ones which exist only inside the software in the Studio 5LX and the Macintosh. Notice the two other greyed-out sources to 'Master No Clock' ? They are 'reminders' for the other sources I have available for my master keyboard. If I want to use a Wind Controller instead of the SY99, I go to the Virtual Controllers window and select the WT11. Without using a Virtual Controller, I would instead have to go to each patch that used the SY99 as the master keyboard and edit it, which could be a long and very tedious task. As it is, I have a very quick and simple method of selecting sources for the master keyboard. Not content with just one Virtual Controller, I also have several different 'versions' of my SY99. The basic one produces no MIDI Clocks, so is very useful when I don't want to clog up the MIDI bandwidth with unnecessary timing information (I can't be bothered to turn it off on the SY99 -- it takes rather too many button-presses). By replacing my use of the SY99 output with a Virtual Controller, I can have an SY99 master keyboard that does not produce clocks -- and I've only got one thing (the filter in the Virtual Controller patch) to change if I need to change the allowed MIDI messages -- like Active Sensing, or extra Controllers, for example.
Another 'virtual' version of the SY99 only produces MIDI Clocks and related messages (Start, Stop, and so on). The filter block removes everything else. Once again, because all the filtering is in the Virtual Controller instead of the individual patches, you only need to edit this one filter to change the filtering for all the patches which use this controller.
But one of the 'other' versions of the SY99 produces just a MIDI clock, and this patch is called 'Master MIDI Clock'. Although the clocks usually come from my SY99 (which acts as the master keyboard most of the time), I could change the source of the clocks merely by editing this one patch. Of course, when I use the WT11 wind controller as the 'master keyboard', I may still need to have the SY99 as the source of the timing, since the WT11 obviously can't do this -- and in this case I would change only the source for my 'Master No Clock' Virtual Instrument. If I was changing real MIDI cables at this point, I would have to wire up the WT11 as the 'keyboard' input, and somehow merge the SY99 MIDI clocks with it. I'd have to rewire the cables without getting lost and having to start all over again, whereas with the MIDI patchbay/interface and a few Virtual Controllers, it takes just a couple of double-clicks to completely alter the MIDI topology of my studio.
Virtual Instruments are also the key to producing simple patches like the one I explained last month, where the master keyboard was connected to all my Emu devices. Without the underlying Virtual Instrument, the patch would have to explicitly connect the master keyboard to all the Emu instruments, and if either the master keyboard changed, or a new Emu instrument was purchased, every patch containing either of these devices would have to be changed.
THROWING A CURVE
Master keyboards are a good idea because they let you use a keyboard whose action suits you, but the response of many synth expander modules to velocity is variable enough to cause some problems. This 'velocity curve' problem has afflicted MIDI from the very beginning: the original DX7, for example, did not like to output velocities much above 110. Sophisticated patchbays allow you to sort out this problem either at source or at destination. I have experimented with Virtual Controller keyboards, where the synth module's output is modified to give alternate 'velocity curves', but I find that I prefer to make the changes at the input to the expander modules which have the wrong 'feel': here's how.
"Opcode's news-sheet regularly features patches from people who are using the Studio 5LX to automate complete keyboard rigs for tours, or complex tasks in studios."
The Studio 5LX provides a neat 'input/output' map which shows velocity curves in a graphical form. One useful curve expands velocities from the middle of the velocity range and compresses the extremes, which makes playing some dynamic synth sounds much easier. As I mentioned, velocity curves are best changed at the input to the specific item which requires the change -- so my easy-play 'Piano' velocity curve is often used before piano-like modules to reduce the amount of pressure which a soft-fingered player like me has to use!
GETTING THRU
Tying up a master keyboard as the input to a sequencer is fine until you want to do some accompaniment. Playing on the master keyboard usually results in all the 'Thru'd' instruments playing your melody line, which is often exactly what you don't want. For this occasion, I have a 'Two Keyboard' patch, which leaves the master keyboard alone, but adds a second keyboard for the solo or melody playing.
When performing live, it is possible to extend this idea so that all the MIDI instruments for all the performers are routed through the patchbay -- as long as someone stays in sole charge of patchbay patch changes! More creative uses for patchbays which feature processing capabilities are limited only by the available facilities and -- as they say -- your imagination. For example, it is possible to use multiple keyboard splits inside the Studio 5LX, where groups of notes are assigned to different instruments. Or a Virtual Instrument could provide 'hocketing' -- the distribution of notes to different instruments. Although you could set up this sort of patch on the two instruments themselves, it is much easier to do it inside the patchbay, and much faster and easier to edit it.
ATARI ST INTEGRATION
When I took my Studio 5 to MCMXCIX to have it upgraded to the LX version, I had a chat with a fellow musician who had recently moved from Atari to Macintosh. He commented on the poor resale value of Atari computers, at which point I said that he should keep the Atari, and use it in his MIDI system. He replied that he now had a Mac and did not need the Atari any longer. So I asked him if he'd ever read the June 1993 issue of Sound On Sound...
The Atari Notes column in that issue of SOS advises you not to sell your old Atari, but to use it with whatever you buy to replace it. Your ST/TT/STE is not going to make you very much money when (and if) you can sell it, so why not keep it, and continue using some of the music software?
Although I only have one Atari physically connected to my MIDI system, these are treated as several different 'virtual' Ataris, depending on what tasks the machine is asked to do. The first thing to do when integrating an Atari is define a new device on the Studio 5LX. Since Atari don't normally figure in Macintosh MIDI equipment lists, you simply choose 'Other' for manufacturer, and 'Other' for the model type. I select all the options so that everything gets passed to and from the Atari. Once set up, the way in which the Atari is used depends on the patches in which it appears. Message filtering can help to prevent unexpected problems which can be caused if extra data gets into the rest of the MIDI system from the Atari.
One of the patches that I use the Atari ST with provides 'jittered' MIDI clocks from a small utility program I wrote several years ago: the idea was to humanise sequenced phrases and drum patterns by not always having the same gap between successive MIDI clocks. It works very nicely, and everything else 'syncs' to it, although if you record something while using it, the tempo maps in a sequencer can look a little unusual. Of course this kind of randomisation now comes as standard with most modern sequencer packages, but it serves to illustrate the point -- that the Atari still plays a valuable part in my setup.
Another Atari ST patch is optimised for sound editing on my Yamaha FB01, a useful device which is not supported in my favourite editor/librarian software. The patch allows me to use the ST to edit FB01 patches, via MIDI SysEx messages, whilst also merging in the SY99 keyboard so that I can play edited sounds. In this patch, 'Atari SysEx' is connected to a 'device' called FB01, even though in my case the FB01 is not physically connected directly to the Studio 5LX port, but is connected via a Yamaha TG77 FM expander module instead.
"Having a graphical display of your patch routings may seem like overkill at first, but it makes the complex possibilities much clearer."
Normally, the only device that you would see in a Source pop-up menu would be the one which is directly connected to the port -- the TG77, in this case. But since it is unlikely that a single TG77 would be able to use all 16 MIDI channels and still have a usable amount of polyphony, you can hang a second device on there and feed it with a different MIDI channel. The FB01 is connected to the Thru port of the TG77 and is set to an unused channel (if the TG77 were set to receive on the same channel as the FB01, any note messages would be played by both the TG77 and the FB01!). Although this is perfectly OK for providing extra polyphony and sounds, it complicates any editing of the FB01 using SysEx messages, since the Out of the FB01 needs to be connected back into the Studio 5LX.
One apparent catch with this setup is that there's no obvious way to name that second device. However, it can be done. You simply use a Virtual Instrument, so that you can give it a meaningful name -- like FB01.
LIMITATIONS
Although this approach works fine for sending SysEx and other MIDI information from the Out of the Atari ST to the In of the FB01, it does fail when it comes to connecting the Out of the FB01 to the In of the Atari ST -- so I have a little MIDI switch box that swaps between the FB01 and the TG77 output. The effort of switching whenever I edit the FB01 is very minor compared to the cost of an extra Studio 5LX! I have defined a Virtual Controller for the FB01 channel, to remind me that when I'm using the FB01 with SysEx messages, I need to switch to the FB01's MIDI Out port instead of the TG77's. The end result is a device called FB01, which can be used almost as if it was one of the devices connected directly to a port, even though it isn't!
MENU TIP: When naming a virtual object, I place an underline character (a shifted 'minus' key) at the beginning of the name. This is so that when you display a menu, all the virtual objects will be listed together near the bottom of the list. Using the alphabetical sorting of names like this can be very helpful with long lists of equipment, especially if you use lots of virtual Instruments and Controllers.
Another SysEx patch to the Atari ST is used when a 'direct' connection is required between the ST and another device. This time, the SY99 is connected directly to the Atari via the Studio 5LX port; no switching is needed, and I can edit samples on the Atari ST and download them to the SY99's user sample RAM. The Atari ST is just another way of editing the SY99 patch or sample data, and the fact that I use a Mac connected to the same patchbay makes no difference. This really is using computers as musical tools rather than the focus of everything, which can only be good for the music.
Why do I still use the Atari ST for samples? It turns out that acquiring sound patches via SysEx dumps from a BBS or the Internet has one major shortcoming: they're almost always in the wrong format for the generic editor/librarian that you use. In such circumstances, I reach for the excellent Chameleon on the Atari first, because it is very adept at ignoring 'foreign' headers and looking for just the System Exclusive information. After that, I use a home-written ST MIDI Toolkit utility, which will quite happily squirt complete nonsense as a MIDI SysEx dump if you ask it to. This is another useful way of extracting usable SysEx out of someone else's format. I don't know why every editor/librarian program insists on adding their own header around the basic SysEx information, but they do, and I often need to try and undo it.
AND FINALLY...
Opcode's news-sheet regularly features patches from people who are using the Studio 5LX to automate complete keyboard rigs for tours, or complex tasks in studios, and more. Having a graphical display of your patch routings may seem like overkill at first, but it makes the complex possibilities much clearer -- imagine trying to work out how a Virtual Controller is set up from just a few LEDs!
Although the applications I've featured in this article have used the Opcode Studio 5LX, many of the same techniques are applicable to other multi-port MIDI interfaces. Opcode's own Studio 4 shares many of the features of the 5LX, and Mark of the Unicorn's MIDI Time Piece also has comprehensive routing and patching capabilities. Whichever MIDI patchbay you have, take another close look at your user manual and start making the most of it. If you don't have a MIDI patchbay at all yet, perhaps you can now see the sense in buying one!
UPGRADE UPDATE
Once I had been using my upgraded Studio 5LX for a while, I noticed that I was getting more 'over-run' errors than before. These errors occur when there are communication problems between the Macintosh and the Studio 5LX. I quizzed Opcode about this and got several answers, in ascending levels of complexity. Here's some of what they said:
Opcode's Greg Thomas advised checking that 'Local Control' was off on my master keyboard, and looking at the routings in Studio 5 patches for feedback loops. He also suggested a 'hard reset': hold down both the black front-panel buttons, and power up the Studio 5LX. If you use a PowerBook or PowerMac, you need to connect to just the Modem port, not the Printer port. The Mac IIfx and Quadra 950 models might also need the 'Studio 5LX-to-Mac' speed slowing down.
Jarrell Irvin, the author of the Studio 5LX firmware, also responded, with more detail on the slowing-down theme. Apparently, the enhancements to the LX improve its MIDI throughput and accuracy of the transmission delay calculations. In other words, the new ROMs are 'more efficient' -- which can mean that you need to slow down the 'Studio 5LX-to-Mac' speed so that the Mac can respond properly. Jarrell pointed out that even SysEx information only produces one set of MIDI data, and that where you need the speed is in the 'Mac-to-Studio 5LX' direction -- which is normally eight sets of MIDI data.
Opcode's fast response was thorough and helpful, and simply slightly reducing speed, as suggested, solved my problem -- no more 'over-run' error messages.
BEATING DRUMS
The problem with drum sounds is that they are often available as part of the same multitimbral MIDI expander as the instrumental sounds. Coping with this can be confusing, as can trying to remember which channel the percussion is on. Roland and GM-compatible equipment may use MIDI Channel 10 as standard for drums and percussion, but some other manufacturers use channel 16, and some use any channel they like!
I often use a Virtual Instrument for drum sounds, and I have all my drum sounds mapped to note numbers which remain the same, wherever possible. Depending on how much control I need over the drum sounds, I either assign all the drums to the same channel, or use separate channels for each drum sound source. If you put all your drum sound sources on the same channel, they become a single destination and, of course, they'll all play at the same time. When I do this, I can use my mixer to select the mix of drums I want .
For multiple channels of drums, I can clone my sequencer drum track and then send the drum notes separately to all the sources of drum sounds I have. The drum hits are still made up from several separate drum sounds, but I can then delete the ones I don't like on an 'individual note event in a track' basis... This gives a dynamic mix of drum sounds which suits my ad-hoc working methods beautifully. Using a 'subtractive' method like this avoids the complication of having hundreds of separate defined drum sounds made from combinations of individual instruments.
These slightly unorthodox methods enable me to add and take away percussion sounds quickly, and mean that all my drum patterns use the same note numbers. The mapping I use is based on GM drums, but with differences due to the way in which I've gradually built up my percussion sound sources over the years.
OPCODE MIDI INTERFACES
Here are the current prices (1996) of the Opcode range of interfaces:
• Studio 3: £269.08
• Studio 4: £410.08
• Studio 5LX: £938.83
Published in SOS October 1996
