Hello all.

Disclaimer: I posted this same message verbatim earlier on another MO6 forum. I hope that’s OK! If not, I’ll mend my ways…

I frequently play my keys along with recorded music. Frequently, though, the tuning used on these recordings is not A-440, but something off a few cents in either direction. I want to try to use one of the 4 assign knobs (or zone sliders) to be a fine tune knob/slider. I know I can use Utility -> General -> TG then “Tune” but I’m looking for a much more direct way. Just FYI, I’m using an MO6 and I always boot off a USB.

Question 1: Can this be done?
Question 2: If so, ideas on how to proceed?

Thanks

Welcome to the forum.

There’s no simple/direct way to accomplish what you’re asking for that I’m aware of.

Would you explain why you don’t find Utility -> General -> TG then “Tune” acceptable?

5pinDIN - 18 December 2015 09:22 AM

Welcome to the forum.

There’s no simple/direct way to accomplish what you’re asking for that I’m aware of.

Would you explain why you don’t find Utility -> General -> TG then “Tune” acceptable?

I was just trying to figure out a more easily accessed way to do it. If I’m playing along with streaming radio (especially for 70s music it seems) each song might have a different A pitch. So I adjust to match on the fly. A knob would be very quick and easy.

On a perhaps related topic, I wish there was a easier way to make a voice polyphonic. I think many of the “lead” and “bass” voices sound great as chords. (So I press Edit -> General -> Ply Mode...) In fact, if I could, I’d make ALL voices poly. But it’s another feature I’d like a dedicated button for.

I suppose, though, since the MO6 “remembers” what setting I was last using under Utility or Edit it’s (usually) fairly quick and easy to change the tuning or play mode on the fly, but I guess I’m just lazier than that!

Yes, once you select the Utility mode “Tune” Parameter, it’s easy enough to return there when desired.

As to Mono/Poly selection for a Voice, perhaps allocating a few User Voice locations for edited versions might be the way to go.

Of course, you could control these things externally, although I’m not sure that would necessarily be any easier than doing so on the MO. For example…

Normal Voice Mono/Poly Parameter Change message:
F0 43 1n 7F 00 40 00 03 00 F7 Mono
F0 43 1n 7F 00 40 00 03 01 F7 Poly
where n = Device number 0~F (1~16), typically 0
(The above is from the MO Data List.)

5pinDIN - 18 December 2015 01:08 PM

Of course, you could control these things externally, although I’m not sure that would necessarily be any easier than doing so on the MO.

Funny you should say that. The MIDI standard includes “Master Fine Tuning” and “Master Coarse Tuning” Real Time SysEx messages, and I was going to look into just that. Between the Owner’s Manual and the Data List, I’m a little uncertain how to proceed, but then I haven’t spent much time on it yet. I may be able to use some scripting language or something to send the MIDI, and then attach the scripts to hotkeys, etc. I’ve used Sibelius to send various MIDI messages, but that’s way too cumbersome for this purpose. I haven’t really explored other MIDI-capable softwares. Yet.

And, another thought: sending MIDI tuning messages from the computer may have the advantage of reaching both my synths at once. So I could, with one “controller” based on my PC, simultaneously change the tuning on both my MO6 and my Radias. When I’m noodling along with music, I generally use both synths, so that could be pretty slick.

The Motifs don’t appear to recognize any Universal RealTime Messages except Master Volume.

General form for MO Parameter Change SysEx:
F0 43 1n 7F 00 HH MM LL data F7
n = 0~F, HH/MM/LL are High/Mid/Low address bytes, data length varies.

See page 64 of the MO Data List, right-hand table near top, for the Master Tune address (3 bytes) and data (4 bytes).

By the way, the first two Data Ranges shown in the table for Master Tune are incorrect, the other two are correct.
It should be:
00 - 00 (always zero)
00 - 07
00 - 0F
00 - 0F
That will cover the range of -102.4 ~ +102.3 cents in 0.1 cent steps.

Some examples, for first Device (n = 0):

Ah, clarity approaches. Splitting the MIDI message into legible parts:

By playing with the 4 data bytes, this does indeed change the tuning on the MO6. :) I played with Bome SendSX to send the messages for testing. Thanks, 5pinDIN, for giving me the examples to send to get started.

I was also able to tune the Korg Radias using the Universal Real Time SysEx Master Fine Tuning as given in the MIDI spec seen at http://www.midi.org/techspecs/ca25.pdf so my goal of tuning two devices at once seems pretty easily reachable.

I think now I need to explore tools. Bome SX was a no brainer to setup, but I want something that (1) allows splitting the MIDI hex strings across lines in the editor window, which Bome does not (sometimes, and it may support this use in saved files), and (2) allows sending data to more than one MIDI device at once.

To recommend such a tool would morph the thread, but feel free. Or, after trying a few things, I can start a new thread or visit a MIDI forum (not that I know of any). For now, I’d rather have a small tool that I can feed simple MIDI strings rather than a large program or suite.

Thanks again!

You’re welcome.

Just to clarify something…
The Data List for the MO shows the 3 lowest bits being used in all 4 of the data bytes. That doesn’t make sense, since the indicated Data Range of 00 - 0F can’t be covered in 3 bits. The data bytes in the messages I posted work with my XS and XF, and are based on using the 3 lowest bits in data byte 2, and the 4 lowest bits in data bytes 3 & 4.

That’s certainly not the first inconsistency I’ve found in Yamaha MIDI information. However, if you (or anyone else) find what I posted is inaccurate, please let us know.

Back in DOS days I programmed editor/librarians in BASIC for various synths, and even my (rare) Windows programming is done in a flavor of BASIC. I tend to use MIDI-OX when verifying that SysEx messages are doing what I expect them to. I don’t have any particular recommendation for what you’re doing.

(If any XS/XF owners want to use the Master Tune SysEx, the fifth byte - Model ID - has to be changed. Instead of 00, it’s 03 for the XS and 12 for the XF.)