Ensoniq EPS users... need some help.

I have the rack version of the EPS (EPSM), but i found it applies to the EPS16+ too. After a week of searching google, I still have not found confirmation. Heres my problem.

When I have the EPS set to OMNI mode you can select wavesamples via MIDI
from your external controller (my MPC60).

When you are in MULTI mode you can't select wavesamples from an
external controller via MIDI. Is this a known bug? feature?

Is it just a bug within the rack versions only? Or do the keyboard versions have this problem also? Can someone confirm/check their EPS/EPS16+ rack/keyboard version for me?

If the keyboard versions dont have this problem then i will go ahead and purchase one because this bug is slowing my workflow. Thanks again in advance.

what do you mean with "select wavesamples"? Play them from a the pads of your MPC60??

I dont know the EPS OS and didnt read the manual of it but Omni and Multi are MIDI-Modes that you can choose. When MULTI is set, the sampler (or synth) will receive the MIDI Data in channels. Ususally this is used for example like this:

Program(Preset): Piano = MIDI Cahnnel 1
Program(Preset): Bass = MIDI Channel 2
Program(Preset): Strings= MIDI Channel 3
.
.
So if you want to play the Bass from an external Controler (your MPC) you need to set the MIDI Out channel of the controller to MIDI channel 2. And you need to set it to 3 when you want to play the strings.

When OMNI is set, the Sampler (or synth) won't split the incomming MIDI Data by channel so it doesnt matter witch channel the piano, bass or strings are set to. It will play. All three instruments of the above example will play when you hit a pad/key on the external controller.

Like I said. I dont know the EPS and its stucture (samples, programs etc) enough to tell you exact what you need to do but I guess your samples or programs are on different MIDI Channels so they doesn't respond when you hit the pads.

peace

Sorry if I wasnt clear, what I meant was when you select a wave sample to edit (at least with these vintage ensoniq machines with builtin keyboards), you have to press edit, then press the key the sample is on, then an edit menu. I have the rack version so obviously I cannot do this because I dont have a builtin keyboard. What I have is my mpc60 to use for triggering. My question is, why am I able to select wavesamples via midi in ONMI mode and not in MULTI mode. I want to be in Multi mode to take advantage of the 8 instruments on 8 separate midi channels. Is this problem only in the rack versions or do the keyboard version have his bug also?

Its not a matter of being able to trigger sounds via midi, that part works fine but when I want to edit my samples I cant in MULTI mode.

I hope thats clear. Thanks

Am I just not clear? I dont have problem triggering sounds. Im have problem selecting individual wave-samples in edit mode in MULTI MODE with my midi controller...

You need to be in poly to control all 8. Set command instrument to recieve on inst channel, set command track to send on inst channel. 1-8 respectively. If you have a multi controllers turn it to on (command system midi).

If that doesn't help, it could be an EPS only thing. The 16 does it.

Thanks for the reply Grublet. Im not at home to try it out yet but is seems like your just recreating MULTI mode by assigning midi channels?


BTW do you have the rack or the keyboard version? If you can, could you check if this works under MULTI mode? Just boot it up and put it into multi mode in EDIT>MIDI>MIDI IN MODE>MULTI. Try to see if you can select a root key with a MIDI controller after sampling. Or see if you can select wave samples to edit via MIDI. Thanks A LOT.

I have the asr10 key and still have the 16+ key in my crew. The only thing tapping a button does to assign root key is tell your eps what the root assign value will be. So as long as your midi is sending data, and your eps is "listening" to that channel of midi, it shouldn't matter what mode you are in. It's more of a "get your channels set right" thing. Let me know.

Thats exactly why i need confirmation. In multi mode, it works as it should with a midi controller, each of the 8 instrument track on the EPS works on its own midi channels. its just when i go to use the midi controller to send system information to select things like root key or to select between the different samples to edit, the EPS does not receive it. This is why i think it might be a bug? i want to confirm because i dont want to sell it or buy the keyboard version only to realize it didnt work because i set it up wrong.

My ASR10 doesnt have this problem but then again it has a built in keyboard. If you can Grublet, see if you can use just a midi controller only to do work in the EPS in MULIT mode. More importantly, check if you can select root key after sampling or if you can select between the individual samples to edit.

Thanks man.

To make it work your instrument needs to have the correct recieve channel.

I can't do it, the eps is in a different town. If your instrument is correctly set to recieve on channel one, and your mpc is sending on all, (or one).:. Then it will trigger midi and assign root key.

The reason multi works is because your eps is recieving on all channels and notes of your midi data sent from the mpc.

The reason poly does not work is because your instrument (s) are not recieving the data correctly.

Set your mpc to send data on all channels, go to your midi channel selector (on your mpc track) and make sure it's on all. For test purposes: that way it is for sure not just sending on base (or 1).

Set your command inst to recieve on 1-8, respectively on tracks (sounds) 1-8.

Then it should work.

After that, go back to the mp, and set tracks up to control different sounds (tracks) on your ensoniq.

The only difference between rack and key is that keys have a "local control", meaning midi data is both generated and recieved inside the machine. You have "external control". The only difference is the machine does not automatically fix your midi to respond to only one thing (ie local keys) so you have to do it yourself.

Wait so you are confirming that it works under MULTI mode?

Heres how i have it setup.

EPS midi in mode set to MULTI
Everything else default

MPC set to a1-a8 on 8 different tracks respectively.
everything else default.

Every track on the MPC plays a different instrument on the EPS. MPC track A1 play EPS instrument 1, MPC track A2 plays EPS instrument 2 and so on. This is what MULTI mode is.

HERES THE PROBLEM, on the ASR, you would follow theses steps to edit a sample

press EDIT>press the key the sample is on (say key C1)>press an edit menu (filter, wave, pitch, or whatever etc) then you would in the menu for that particular sample.

This is the part that dosent work!! say i want to edit sample 4 (on key C1) of instrument 1 of layer 1.
I press EDIT> but when i got to press a key (C1 which is pad 2 on my MPC track A1) the EPS does not receive anything (BUT IT DOES TRIGGER THE SOUND, IT JUST DOESNT SELECT THE SAMPLE FOR ME TO EDIT). I have to put the EPS back to OMNI mode for it to work and then back to MULTI mode because i want to be in MULTI mode.

Clear as mud?

Im beginning to think its just the EPS... If only someone could check it for me

Like in the asr there's a setting to "recieve on instrument channel. Anything like that?

Should be command instrument.

if it's only set to recieve on base channel, then when you press the note, on anything other than an instrument is set to recieve on, it won't trigger.

But I'm 100 percent on page with where your at. Just never had a regular eps. The asr and 16+ are virtually identical.

Also, is there a local control on/off?

The Grublet wrote:Like in the asr there's a setting to "recieve on instrument channel. Anything like that?

Yes there is but when you are in MULTI mode i think this is bypassed. Say my set up is
MIDI base channel = 1
MIDI receive channel = base or instrument (it doenst matter)
This is what will happen.
When instrument 1 is selected on the EPS and i have the MPC track A2 selected to trigger/play, it will trigger/play instrument 2 on the EPS even if instrument 1 is selected (and vise versa).

BTW where would the local setting be on the EPS? Im just going to mess around wit it an hopefully something gives. Thanks