I’m currently performing with a couple of groups and my Voice library has become a challenge.  I have the editors okay and can re-arrange, import to the XS and all of those good things… My challenge, is trying to recall “setups” using two XS’ I use for live performance.

My current rig includes an XS6 on top and an XS8 on bottom. I don’t have them MIDI connected, but each has mLAN so could receive CC messages.

Ideally, I would like to use my laptop to pull up the sets depending on which band/gig repertoire.  At the same time, I am looking for a technique of ‘dumping’ or sending cc messages to select the appropriate patches for each song/setup on each respective synth/deice. In a perfect world, it would be an Application, with a database and a search function by song, which would then send CC messages to each respective device.

Anyone have any thoughts, ideas or similar challenges in this regard? 

I’ve contemplated a controller, but not sure how to get it sending data to different devices and this level of programming is new to me.

Thanks in advance for your inputs or suggestions.

tbone

You are saying “CC messages” but we are not at all convinced that is what you mean. A “cc” message is a Control Change message and is typically used when referring to controllers like Modulation Wheel (cc001), Breath Control (cc002), Foot Control (cc004), Channel Volume (cc007), Pan (cc010), [removed]cc011) etc.

If you are using the Studio Manager and the Editor, you can use it to recall your setups - That is what it is for. You can have as many as 16 Motif XS linked (bless your heart if you do)… each can be addressed individually by giving each one its own unique DEVICE number.

It is totally possible with Studio Manager to have several instances of the Motif XS Editor open and have each one designated for a specific device. This is, in fact, the purpose of the DEVICE NUMBER parameter.

------------------------------------------------------------
Device Number
Determines the device number used by this synthesizer in receiving or transmitting data. This number must match the Device Number of the external MIDI device when transmitting/receiving bulk data, parameter changes or other system exclusive messages.

Settings: 1 – 16, all, off

all
When this is selected, system exclusive messages for all MIDI device numbers are received. When system exclusive messages such as bulk dump are transmitted from the MOTIF XS with this setting, the MOTIF XS is recognized as Device Number 1.
off
When this is selected, system exclusive messages such as bulk dump and parameter change cannot be transmitted or received. When you try execute transmission or reception of system exclusive messages, an error message appears.
------------------------------------------------------------

Therefore setting your Motif XS6 to, say, Device Number 1 and your Motif XS8 to Device Number 2, you can individually address them via the Editors and Studio Manager.

When you launch Studio Manager simply place two (2) Motif XS Editors in your WORKSPACE and set the DEVICE NUMBER both in the software and in the instruments.

The Device Number is found in the Motif XS as follows:
Press [UTILITY]
Press [F5] CONTROL
Press [SF2] MIDI
Change the setting from the default “all” to “1” and “2” for each Motif XS, respectively.
Press [STORE] to make this a part of your UTILITY Mode preferences.

Device Number is found in the Motif XS Editor as follows:
Launch the EDITOR
Click on FILE > SETUP
DEVICE NUMBER parameter

Now when you open your Studio Manager File both Editors will open - one will be specifically for the Motif XS6 and the other for the Motif XS8. You can set it up so each FILE that you open will automatically send the correct data to each unit. You only need to name and organize your data carefully.

Each instance of the Motif XS Editor you add to your Workspace will be numbered “Motif XS”, “Motif XS2” and so on.

This is very much part of the design concept and use application of the Studio Connections initiative.

Thanks Bad Mister for your input. Always appreciated.

I am aware of the device assignments, and had been experimenting with that as an approach for what I am trying to achieve. I had tried a device centric approach using John Melas’ editors because I use Performances and Master setups to organize my voices, splits, etc. However, John’s editors can only address 1 device at a time and couldn’t recognize a second device at the same time.

I will dig deeper into what you are describing, using Studio Manager and Yamaha Editor instances, but on first glance it seems the Editor is used only for Voices, Songs and Patterns and not equipped to manage Performances and Masters. I think that’s what led me to try John’s tools in the first place.

To your first point, re CC messages, you are usually correct. Are they more correctly then channel messages?  (Midi

Conceptually, I’m trying to find a programmatic method to send (midi/sysex) commands to change patches/voices (Masters, Performances, Songs, Patterns)on each XS device. Linked with a database search function (Perl, Java, whatver) it would be ideal for my needs, to search songs and load these into my current live rig.

I had exchanged email with John Melas, but I’m likely the only one asking for the ability to address multiple devices simultaneously. He suggested he might contemplate this as a future feature, however, if something exists today…

I saw some open source tools recently that might achieve what I’m thinking.  I truly don’t really want to learn to program in C+ or develop software, but if I can properly articulate my requirements in terms of MIDI/SYSEX or whatever, possibly someone will have already written something that could be tweaked or migrated for use on my XS’.

tbone

There is an easier way to do what you want. You can borrow a technique
I developed for the Michael Jackson This Is It show (I was the programmer for that). Actually the technique is described on the last page of the
September issue of keyboard magazine.

You can’t send program changes to a MASTER. That’s because MASTER mode is just that - it is the mode in which the XS is the device sending all the
program changes. A master can address one of three things on the XS itself - a Voice, a Performance, or a Song/Pattern MIX.

So here’s how I did it. I used Digital Performer 5.13 for this, but you can do it in just about any DAW. You’ll have to have a MIDI interface attached to your computer (I’m assuming you’d use a laptop - we were using MacBook Pros).

I created sequences for each song in Digital Performer. Since you can have multiple sequences (which are also called “chunks” in DP) you can
have as many sequences as you have songs. Each sequence (chunk) is assigned to be called up from a QWERTY key on the Mac keyboard. For example, your third song would be called up by pressing the “H” key on the computer keyboard.

Within each sequence, all the keyboards connected via MIDI would each receive a program change. The XS’s were in Performance mode, since a Performance can contain a single voice, or up to four voices, in any zone or layer combination. So calling up a sequence would immediately send the program changes to the appropriate receiving devices (the XS’s, in your case).

Tha’s all there is to it. Pretty simple when you think about it. It worked flawlessly for the MJ Tour, and as an added bonus you can put
a “sticky” on your laptop screen listing the songs and what QWERTY keys call them up.

Thanks Dave for sharing this technique.

DavePolich - 09 September 2009 12:57 PM

You’ll have to have a MIDI interface attached to your computer (I’m assuming you’d use a laptop - we were using MacBook Pros).

Would something like Motu micro line fit the bill? Are you just sending standard MIDI messages to this MIDI interface which splits the MIDI to address two devices on that bus?

I created sequences for each song in Digital Performer.

Could one alternately assign these ‘sequences’ (macros) to an Alt-# or Command-# combination? This sounds promising.  I have Cubase 4.5 and will have to research to see if that could work in a similar way as I don’t have a MAC.

Thanks again for sharing your experience. I haven’t quite figured out the whole MIDI programming thing, but your approach sounds very straight forward and promising.

thank you

tbone - 09 September 2009 11:19 PM

Thanks Dave for sharing this technique.

Would something like Motu micro line fit the bill? Are you just sending standard MIDI messages to this MIDI interface which splits the MIDI to address two devices on that bus?

Any MIDI interface will do. 

I created sequences for each song in Digital Performer.

So DP provides the ability to define “macros” which can be triggered from the laptop keyboard to transmit the desired MIDI messages?  And in this case, I need only send “Program Change” message out over the midi port.

There are no macros. A DP project can contain numerous sequences, each a complete song in itself. But there’s no need for it to contain any MIDI notes. Just put the program changes for each of your XS’s onto a MIDI track. You create one MIDI track per XS. Put the program changes at bar 1 beat 1 tick 1 if you like. In DP you don’t even have to do that. There’s a separate column called “Patch” and that’s where you put the patch number.

Could one alternately assign these ‘sequences’ (macros) to an Alt-# or Command-# combination? This sounds promising.  I have Cubase 4.5 and will have to research to see if that could work in a similar way as I don’t have a MAC.

Yes. Think of it this way.
You make one new sequence for a song - Prince’s “1999”. You call it “1999”. You make 2 MIDI tracks, one assigned to one of your XS’s, the
other MIDI track assigned to your second XS. Put the program change for
XS number “one” on the first MIDI track. Put program change for XS number two on the second track.
Now, you will need to create a new sequence for the next song and do the
same thing. You should be able to link these “song sequences” together, all in the same Cubase project. (Sorry, I’m not a Cubase user). You can
do this in Logic, Sonar, and Pro Tools, that much I do know.

I found MainStage 2 to be very much up to the task sending midi commands to multiple keyboards.
The only drawback is no Sysex support. A fairly easy workaround is avail and that is the only thing making a DAW still a good alternative.
However switching between songs is so easy and well displayed. I think MS2 wins it from any DAW.

That is, if you only want to use it for that.

Tee