What's up DS1. Was scrollin through the unanswered posts and found this one.
You got the jump on lots of people who think MIDI is an audio medium.
Here go some answers:
1. You can control the playback of multiple sequencers (ie the one on the XL and the one on the Fantom) by setting the one to sync to MIDI beat clock or MTC and the other to send clock pulses. (this is normally on by default)
You can also have the MPC (and most likely the Fantom) sequence external devices. That means, for instance, if you want to program your drums on the MPC and then use a riff or two (or 12) off the Fantom, you can just record your playing of these riffs into the MPC sequencer. Read up on the MPC and Fantom manuals for more detailed info.
2. Check the above, and hit that manual!
3. MIDI is just like any document or string of data, it's basically like sheet music but it contains more info than sheets could reasonably store. Its main features are not on and off messages for given note numbers, bend messages, program changes, and of course the different channels.
More detail:
In any given setup, each MIDI cable can carry up to 16 channels of data. Each of these cannels can be directed at a different timbre of a device, or to a single device that is monotimbral. For instance, you'd assign a trumpet, a string section and a drumkit to different channels on the Fantom, setup separate tracks on the MPC with corresponding channel numbers, and write note data by playing it into the MPC while it is recording.
To back up sequence data, most sequencers allow you to save MIDI Type 0 or Type 1 files, and most will read either. The main reason Type 0 is still around is for backward compatibility with vintage devices. I'm not sure of the differences between types. More complicated sequencers (like the one on the Fantom or a Triton series sequencer) can save proprietary sequence files (SNG, etc) which store effects bus data and so on.
Peace!
-tank.
You don't know what I know
Cuz you aint seen through my eyes
This spliff is always lit but it's a natural high
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