Just want to check before taking the plunge. I’m pretty settled on picking up an MX49 for a top board in a two tier set-up for live playing. I need some horm stabs, synth leads, strings and organs never all in the same song....

For anyone who might know or has midi’ed up an input board to an MX…

If I run a MIDI out of a weighted keyboard (that is transmitted two zones, midi channels 1 and 2 throughout the whole keyboard) to the MIDI in of the MX, will all MX functions work normally? or do I loose control of the split and layer functions? Maybe I loose only those functions (since bottom board is alwasy transmitted on both MIDI channels 1 and 2, in wich case I would do my layering and splitting from the bottom board)?

Everything (except maybe the split and layering) should work right?

Thanks in advance very much! Bob

I don’t no about the split but I do something similar with a 25 key controller and I can choose any of the 16midi channels I want from the controller as well as pitch and mod wheel still respond.

If I run a MIDI out of a weighted keyboard (that is transmitted two zones, midi channels 1 and 2 throughout the whole keyboard) to the MIDI in of the MX, will all MX functions work normally?

If by “normally” you mean will it behave in the same fashion as if you were playing the actual keys of the MX. The answer is, no.

The MX does not address itself using MIDI channels, as you will have to from an external device.

However, this does not mean that you cannot create PERFORMANCES that utilize separate MIDI channels and get what you need done.

Here is how it works:
The MX is a standalone music synthesizer that can be understood as always being in a Multi-timbral, multi-MIDI channel mode.

Its own programs, called PERFORMANCES, consist of 16 PARTS (like the MIXING in the Motif or MOX). A PERFORMANCE in the MX can be a SINGLE, a LAYER, or a SPLIT.

SINGLE you are playing the VOICE assigned to PART 1
LAYER you are playing both PART 1 and PART 2 simultaneously
SPLIT you are playing both PART 1 and PART 2 above and below a split point.

A separate RHYTHM PATTERN addresses PART 10.

If you create a LAYER on the MX and play it from the MX keybed - both PART 1 and PART 2 will sound simultaneously to each key press.

If you were play that same LAYER from your external keyboard you would need to transmit on both MIDI channel 1 and MIDI channel 2.

If you were to transmit in on just MIDI channel 1, only PART 1 of the LAYER would sound. If you were to transmit on just MIDI channel 2, only the PART 2 of that LAYER would sound.

The LAYER and SPLIT functions are handled quick and easy on the MX when using it standalone - you don’t have to understand MIDI channels or any of that, you simply press the LAYER button and PARTs 1 and 2 are layered. You press the SPLIT button and PARTs 1 and 2 are split - just set the Split Point. Easy and Fast is the key from the front panel.

Now all that said: Here is what you can/would do...
Using the Free VYCROMX PERFORMANCE EDITOR, you would create your PERFORMANCE setups using MIDI Channel assignments. You can place as many of the 16 PARTS on a single MIDI channel as you desire. You can also set split points and have even multiple regions for different channels - total freedom with as many as 16 PARTS and 128 Note polyphony… quite powerful.

Any two PARTS can be assigned an ARPEGGIATOR
As many as four PARTS can recall their INSERTION EFFECT.

And the real nice thing is it is much easier to edit this with the VYCROMX PERFORMANCE EDITOR than it would be in the MX screen - so doing it on the computer not only makes sense but makes the workflow quick and easy. Also once you create a PERFORMANCE you can STORE it to the hardware and leave the computer home!!! So even PERFORMANCES that you could not create from the front panel are able to be stored on board the MX.

It is really very cool! The first PERFORMANCE I made were not only fun and easy but scary powerful…

But it is not as simple as plugging in an external keyboard and you get the same experience right off (for many reasons)… The RHYTHM PATTERNs, for example, trigger by a “KEY ON START” function or a formal MIDI START (FA) command… you must send the “KEY ON START” command with an MX key… the MIDI Start command can be sent in via MIDI.

But with the tools provided you are able to turn the MX into a really powerful tone module!!! For LIVE play or for Music Production in a computer.

Hope that helps.

Hi Bad_Mister,

Thank you very much for the great info. Yes. you answered my question to the tee! I know exactly how to use this board then.

I will download the “performance editor” and set up a few performances beforehand. Then I’ll be able to use those live. I will basically be using the MX as I would any other multi-timbral synth. (Currently I use the Mo6 as a top board but want something even smaller for gigging that has Motif sounds. Been waiting for good multi-timbral 49 key synth for a long time)

I’m going to use the editor and set up a performance assigning an electric piano to part3/channel3. Have part 1 a string sound, part 2 an organ sound, have the split point be the lowest key on the keyboard.

I’ll transmit on channel 3 from my external board.

Then with the layer and split button off, the external board will play electric piano and the mx49 will play strings. to switch the MX to play organ, I’ll hit the split button (the whole keyboard will play part 2 due to the split point being the lowest key).

If I then add a second zone on my external key board to transmit on channel 1, I’ll have an ep/string layer from my external board and have organ on the MX49… and I can back out the same way I got in.

Ya know, with the editor, (and the retail voice editor), the MX49 is one powerful machine.

From reading various reviews on various sites, I think many people are not seeing the potential of the MX.

Thanks again. As always, you are a tremendous wealth of info! Bob