Thank you for your detailed correct instructions regarding S90ES MIDI setup with Sonar 7. Since I have the mLAN16e and 3 PLG boards (piano, DX7 and vocal harmony) do I even need to designate the S90ES2 port for communication with the Studio Manager and the Editors. The real question is what mLAN16e port should be used for communication with Sonar and what port for communication with the Studio Manager and the Editors? Do I need to follow the graphic I-O chart you included with your instructions? Does it really make a difference if the USB-MIDI (1-4) and mlan MIDI drivers (16)are all checked as available within Sonar? I know you must be bored to tears with these questions but I have recently migrated to Yamaha after leaving Kurzweil for many years. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Re: Studio Connections -Sonar 7 - mLAN16e-PLG boards

The real question is what mLAN16e port should be used for communication with Sonar and what port for communication with the Studio Manager and the Editors? Do I need to follow the graphic I-O chart you included with your instructions?

The mLAN16E is a multiple port MIDI and Audio interface. When placed in the S90 ES it will communicate back and forth with the computer as follows:

16 audio outs from the S90 ES and 4 pair of audio returns
4 MIDI Ports Out from the S90 ES and 4 MIDI Ports IN

MIDI Ports are assigned so that the internal 16 PARTS of the S90 ES tone engine are fixed on PORT 1 ( referred to as “mLAN MIDI IN” and “mLAN MIDI OUT").

If you wish you can address your PLG150-series boards on a separate port, this way your S90 ES does not have to lose access to an internal PART to accommodate a PLG150 Board.

The PLG150 Boards can be placed on their own dedicated Port and Channel (instead of having to share the 16 channels on Port 1). If you leave your PLG150 boards on Port 1 or set to “off”, you will have to substitute a PLG Part for an internal Part… by using a separate port you make the S90 ES more multi-timbral.

So you can change your PLG150 Boards to Port 2 (mLAN MIDI IN (2) and mLAN MIDI OUT (2). 

Press [UTILITY]
Press [F6] PLUG
Press [SF2] MIDI

The PLG100-VH is a PLG100-series board. It is fixed as an Insertion Effect for the internal tone engine and is always going to be addressed on PORT 1. It must be installed in SLOT 1 of the S90 ES. (orange wire).
A MIDI Port is defined as what travels down a MIDI cable - it consists of 16 MIDI channels.

Port 1 = S90 ES internal 16 MIDI channels
Port 2 = PLG150 series boards. When you set one of them to port 2 you will notice that they both change to Port 2. This is because by definition the PLG150 series boards are single PART boards and will only occupy 1 MIDI channel.

So by default your PLG boards will be
PLG100-VH slot 1; Port (1) fixed
PLG150-XX slot 2; Port 2 (defaults to MIDI channel 2)
PLG150-YY slot 3; Port 2 (defaults to MIDI channel 3)

where xx and yy are your AP and DX boards.

Does it really make a difference if the USB-MIDI (1-4) and mlan MIDI drivers (16)are all checked as available within Sonar?

You can check whatever you like because you cannot use both simultaneously. If you are going to use mLAN make sure they are selected… if you are going to use USB make sure those are selected. But it is either/or

in the S90 ES
Press [UTILITY]
Press [F5] MIDI
Press [SF4] OTHER
MIDI IN/OUT = _____ Here you MUST choose what you are going to use. If you select “mLAN” than the USB ports are meaningless. If you select “USB” than the mLAN ports are meaningless. Make sense?

Re: Studio Connections -Sonar 7 - mLAN16e-PLG boards

Thank you again for your prompt and detailed response. I will try to implement all of your suggestions when I get time away from my “day job”. The S90ES is an interesting board - one day I hope to harness all of its power. The mlan16e certainly makes a huge difference in the instrument.