I have an MotifES8 keyboard running midi out to midi into a digitech vocalist workstation ex.  When I change songs the digitech vocalist isnt changing to the correct presets that I have chosen for that song. 

On my other keyboard (ensoniq ts10) whenever I would go to a new song the digitech would change to the appropriate setting that I selected.

Please Help

Thank You!

Re: controlling external midi device

How do you have them interfaced? What Mode are you working in in the MotifES? This will determine how the Vocalist gets commands from the ES.

Re: controlling external midi device

Unlike some other sequencers I have used in the past, the ES sequencer does not send program change messages over MIDI when you select a new song. You have to embed PCs into the song on the track driving the external device. 

I used to own an Ensoniq SQ-80 and it did send PC messages when a new song was selected, I suspect your TS-10 does too.

Re: controlling external midi device

I’m a bit late to this post but I’ve just recently been looking at a Motif ES6 to use as a master keyboard and found this post through a search.

The ES would need to be able to send program change messages to five pieces of outboard gear set to receive midi messages on separate channels. I would do this between songs preferably with no more than a jog wheel spin and/or a button press.

The research I’ve been doing leads me to believe the best way would be to use Song mode. Like a sequencer I could program the tracks with the appropriate patch numbers and midi channels and hit send.

Is that anywhere close to being right? I see where it’s mentioned that the program change messages need to be “embedded”. What does that mean?

Re: controlling external midi device

Yes if you have more than four external devices, use of the sequencer will be your best bet. Embedded in this thread is referring to the fact that the Program Change event should be placed in the track… nothing more.

So designate a MIDI channel for each external device and on the corresponding Track place the Program Change event.

Yamaha uses a “packed” event - which makes using the Bank Select and Program Change protocol a bit easier.

Typically a Bank Select command is a dual Control Change messages. An MSB and LSB value
Control Change 000 is the MSB message for Bank Select
Control Change 032 is the LSB message for Bank Select

When you call up a track of the Motif ES sequencer
Press [EDIT] to view the Event List
Press [F5] INSERT
Move the cursor down
Select “Program Change” as the Event Type
You will see a “packed” event as follows “xxx-xxx-xxx”
This will be the MSB-LSB-PC

Enter the values for you external devices and press [F6] SET to ‘embed’ the Program Change in the track.

Initially a Track will transmit on the MIDI channel matching its number (however, you can change that if you require)
On the main SONG or PATTERN screen
Press [F3] TRACK
Press [SF1] CHANNEL
As you can see Track 1 = MIDI Ch 1, Track 2 = MIDI Ch 2, etc.

Re: controlling external midi device

Thanks Bad_Mister, very helpful.

I’ve been reading the manual on-line and hopefully you’ll answer a couple more questions for me.

According to what I’ve read the songs need to be backed up to a computer (via USB) or a memory card because while in the ES they only reside in SDRAM. If this is correct, how many of my “songs” can I cram into the ES at a time?

Is there a PC XP and/or Mac OSX program to edit and create the “songs” with and then load them into the ES?

Re: controlling external midi device

Motif ES Songs must be saved to a USB drive or a SmartMedia Card. Most people have a USB drive of some sort… thumb drives (often called sticks) are popular.

You cannot save your Motif ES Song to your computer via USB. USB connection to computer is for MIDI communication only. Not storage (on the Motif ES).

How many songs you get is really up to the song… How long is the song? The best answer I ever heard to this question was another question: How long is a piece of string?

It is a Zen thing… it forces the question: what string? So your question forces the question: what song?

Your mileage will vary. There are 64 SONG locations on the Motif ES. I don’t think anyone has ever used 64 Song locations. The songs would have to be “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and “Happy Birthday” length songs… (but Song locations have many other uses beyond actual songs)

Your mileage will vary. The typical MIDI Song is 50-80K and you have sequencer that holds 896KB of data.

Get yourself some storage devices, if you want to use the ES sequencer it is required.

Any computer sequencer can be used to create songs for the ES. MIDI provides for a universal transfer format called the Standard MIDI File. Most sequencers can export and/or load this type of file. (.MID) So if you create your data in a computer software program, simply save it as a SMF (.MID) to a USB stick (see how useful they are?) and shuttle it over to your Motif ES.

You should, if you are interested in using a computer sequencer, download the Studio Manager and Motif ES Editors from the [url=http://www.yamahasynth.com]http://www.yamahasynth.com [/url] website (They are free and will allow you to archive your Voice data, your Mixing setups, for recall).

Re: controlling external midi device

Thanks again, you’ve been very helpful!