I have an S90XS. On the regular s90, you could assign “tempo” to one of the sliders so you could control the tempo realtime during a performance.

On the S90XS is it possible to assign tempo to either the assignable knobs or the sliders?

I know about the tap tempo switch; this is fairly unusable during a performance due to apparent key bounce issues. I’m not sure if you can route that to a footswitch or not, but that would help.

Alternatively, is there a midi controller message that the S90XS will respond to for tempo during a performance?

Thanks in advance.

I know about the tap tempo switch; this is fairly unusable during a performance due to apparent key bounce issues.

What “apparent key bounce issues”? What do keys have to do with tempo?

You have to hold shift, then the tap (enter) key at the rhythm you want. Try this experiment...hold shift down, then tap at the same rhythm. Watch the tempo meter change, sometimes to double the rhythm. I consider this keybounce, maybe it’s something else?

In any case, while playing with 2 hands, it’s hard to come off the board to do fine tempo adjustments. A knob is more workable, IMHO.

You have to hold shift, then the tap (enter) key at the rhythm you want. Try this experiment...hold shift down, then tap at the same rhythm. Watch the tempo meter change, sometimes to double the rhythm. I consider this keybounce, maybe it’s something else?

You can’t consider this “key bounce” since it has nothing whatever to do with the keys.

Tempo changes on the third touch. Maybe it it a lack of a sense of rhythm, (certainly not “key bounce"). If you have trouble hitting the button three times try tapping on the metal chassis next to the button (practice) until you can hit the button 3 times in tempo. Assuming 4/4 time the first Tap should represent beat #3 - do you see why?

Seriously, Tap Tempo takes practice, same as you practice playing the actual KEYS.
:-)

Alternatively, is there a midi controller message that the S90XS will respond to for tempo during a performance?

Yes, the arpeggio tempo can be controlled by a MIDI sync command send in via MIDI. Set the MIDI SYNC = MIDI
Connect the external clock device to the MIDI port you are setup to use.

A company called ploytec made a tap tempo FootSwitch that worked via MIDI (http://www.ploytec.com/34oneII)
I don’t know if they are still in business… (It, too, required practice)

A company called ploytec made a tap tempo FootSwitch that worked via MIDI (http://www.ploytec.com/34oneII)
I don’t know if they are still in business… (It, too, required practice)

I’ve got one of those. They’re pretty slick…

Bad_Mister - 05 May 2014 06:34 AM

Tempo changes on the third touch. Maybe it it a lack of a sense of rhythm, (certainly not “key bounce").

Heh. I’ve been playing a long time and no one has ever accused me of not having time. You’d be the first to imply that, actually. :)

Knowing it changes on the third touch is helpful, yes. I didn’t know that, and this did contribute to my confusion.

Two facts (in my experience) remain:

1) That button is thick. Unlike a piano key which has a definable distance where it hits bottom, this button has a bit of slop. I’ve worked with several tap tempo keyboards/sequencers/controllers for many years, and between buttons and footswitches I’ve had no trouble with them at all. For some reason this button appears to me to activate almost 10-20ms before it hits bottom...enough for me to notice.

I could hit the button harder, but I am a piano player as well as a computer consultant, and I’ve learned not to use my chops on weak keys as I will break them. So if I heavy finger this button to get better time, I’ll break my nice new keyboard.

2) Note that you have to hit 4 (!) keypresses, 3 of them in time. That’s 3/4 of a bar (in 4/4). Assuming you are trying to sync your echo with a drummer real time during a performance, this is an eternity.

With a knob and some ear skills, I can hear how far the echo is off and adjust with just one twist. The time to change the sound with a twist is much less than having to wait three beats. On my old S90, this was a breeze.

I’m just trying to find a way on the S90XS to have one of the assignable knobs control the tempo. :)

Yes, the arpeggio tempo can be controlled by a MIDI sync command send in via MIDI. Set the MIDI SYNC = MIDI
Connect the external clock device to the MIDI port you are setup to use.

A company called ploytec made a tap tempo FootSwitch that worked via MIDI (http://www.ploytec.com/34oneII)
I don’t know if they are still in business… (It, too, required practice)

This might be what I’m looking for. It’s kind of odd that I can’t just send a byte of data via midi that says “set tempo to x”; instead having to go to the trouble of creating an external clock and syncing to it. I’ll check these guys out too.

You may indeed have a great sense of rhythm playing the keys of a keyboard… Probably do in part to inborn ability, talent, and some manner of practice. Although your assessment of the response time of 10-20ms (we doubt that greatly) it is a button. I bet you never practiced hitting a button at least not with the same vigor you practiced playing keys. Changing tempo by tapping is the antithesis of good timing because you have to listen and yet ignore the current tempo while you tap, tap, tap the new tempo. It ain’t easy.

But please do respect that as weird and uncomfortable as it might be to tap that button, I promise with practice you will get better. 3, 4, then 1 is the key. Since this bit of news is, in fact, news to you, I guarantee that in a week of using it you will be 10-20 times better at it than before that bit of knowledge arrived.

It’s kind of odd that I can’t just send a byte of data via midi that says “set tempo to x”; instead having to go to the trouble of creating an external clock and syncing to it.

You can send a bit of information from an external device via MIDI to set the tempo
Set your S90 XS to MIDI SYNC = MIDI. This will allow you to send that information in from an external source… At the touch of a button. Any number of devices can send MIDI tempo to control your instrument.