MIDI out from older Roland synths

hi there,
I tried to setup my old Roland D-50 ( 1987 vintage) as master keyboard. not recommended at all!
That machine uses a non MIDI standard as it sends out controller 123 every time you release the keys. The sampler in mpc1k handle that as an universal all notes off on all MIDI channels... It mutes playback until a new note is played by the sequencer, only to be muted next time you release a key again.
the keyboard on D-50 has a better feel to it, that many newer synths. but it's a no no together with MPC1k.
/jocks

I get the same thing from my JX-3P. Plus, I can't get it out of OMNI, even following the directions I have found online. Kind of a pain the arse.

That's interesting because the midi implementation chart in the online D50 manual doesn't list #123 as an implemented controller. Don't know if we can trust Roland docs but there's no listing for it.

Sounds like some kind of wrong keymode issue (assuming it isn't some known D50 thing) like a monophonic play mode or some such. It looks like the thing has a bunch of different keymodes available.

sorry to hear about your jx3p and the omni-mode, still it's a great sounding synth I bought one new to replace my polysix. I upgraded my Jupiter-6 with the latest firmware in 1990, but it still didn't respond to pitch bend and hold pedal
regarding the all-notes-off thingy with older Roland's: Atari sequencers software of that time, had an option to disable "all notes off" I believe that even early PC software sequencers had that just because of Roland "non standard" MIDI. I had simply forgotten it.
BTW: Yamaha DX-7 mk1 (1983) didn't transmit velocity higher than 100 (the norm was 1-127 levels)
PS. check out the newest MPC1K OS, v1.12, the first since 2007!

jocks wrote:PS. check out the newest MPC1K OS, v1.12, the first since 2007!

Eh.. from Akai, that is.

Personally I'm gonna steer clear 'O that one....

hi Electric,
I also went for JJ OS V3.08 to get grid editing, but the SYSEX handling from my old D-50 synth patches was too unstable.
I dumped a sound bank on track 1 in a sequencer, muted that track, dumped a new bank on track 2. the result was that the tracks interacted. I deleted one track only to find out that parts of the remaining track was gone as well
dumping large sysex files to a sequencer is heavy duty for mpc1k for some reason, but Akai OS doesn't freeze up like JJ OS3.08 does all the time. the solution was to dump the hole sound bank to one track, and then save that sequence to disk.

Yes, SYSEX problems like what you describe are common and I've experienced the same stuff, mainly with older machines that may have sketchy SYSEX implementation to begin with. Causes the MPC to choke or produce all sorts of weird behavior.

SYSEX is always tricky especially when you try to record it into a sequencer database (as opposed to one of those "straight to the medium" midi data filers). You may find newer gear to have less of a problem -- I've never had any of those weird failures when I work with SYSEX out of a DSI Evolver (If I would expect anybody to get their midi transmission up to the latest standards it would be Dave Smith).

Hi there,

I've had the same issues with using my Roland D-50 to control some of my VSTis (Zero-G Nostalgia is one). The D-50 annoyingly sends a cc:123 message ("all notes off") when any key is released (strangely the old Roland S-10 used to do the same thing, but the S-50 didn't)...

Anyway, I got around it by using MIDIOX to filter the incoming MIDI from the D-50 and remove all "all notes off" messages. Then I route the MIDIOX output to my loop-back MIDI device (LoopBe). I then use the LoopBe as my MIDI input for the VSTis...

You could use the same method to filter the messages, then route the output to your chosen MIDI interface.

There's no noticebaly latency issues either...

I know my explanation is a bit vague, but if anyone needs more specific details, let me know.

Cheers,

Mike.

hi Mingle,
my solution was to simply set an Roland RS-5 as master keyboard. Now I need to check out how my new Alesis Ion deals with MIDI protocol... the MIDI wires will be glowing in the dark as I twist all the parameters on that machine
/jocks