general midi question

[metaltim]

Ok, I just started using midi for the first time about a month ago, so bear with me.
I have a Roland xp-30, using it for whatever it has to offer. When ever I record a midi track, I assume that the roland has to be on what ever patch I used to record it to playback that same instrument. So if i want to hear the drums i recorded, the xp30 must be on the specific drumset i used to record it. Is this right? If so, how would i have more than one midi track, and mix down. If i wanted piano and drums, but the xp30 can only be one on thing at a time, how does this work???
tim

[Kev]

Does the xp have a GM mode ( General Midi )

An easy way to see the potential of all this is to get a GM file or a Standard midi file and import it to PT and play.

It may open a few doors.

Are you on Mac or PC. One of use could send a session to you and again open a few doors.

[accession]

Hi Tim,

The XP30 is a 16 part multitimbral synth. This means it can play up to 16 different sounds, across 16 MIDI channels, all at once.

Due to limitations with respect to effects distribution, it may be set as a single performance instrument (ie. one sound at any one time - as seems to be the case with yours at present), or a 'multi' mode set-up (where you assign different sounds to different channels - which is what you want).

I'm not familiar with the correct terminology for your synth, but that's what you should be looking into. Refer to you Roland manual for direction on setting it up as a multitimbral instrument.

Phil

[Kev]

Originally posted by accession:

The XP30 is a 16 part multitimbral synth

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yes it is and General Midi mode may be the quickest way to demonstrate what Multi-Timbral means.

As accession said please read your manual. Midi is too good to let go just because you didn't have instant success.

Also the Quick Time Instuments ( Mac only - PC's have a sound card with a synth on board ) can be very useful for those using midi for the first time.

[SoundWrangler]

Go here:
OMS Names docs
Download the doc. for the XP-30. Drop it into your OMS folder (in System Folder).
Open the OMS Names app. (inside Beta/Bug Fix SW folder, inside PT folder).
Highlight the XP-30 in the OMS list.
Select "Subscribe..." in the menu, & then locate the file you've downloaded for the XP-30; double-click it.
If you get through all this successfully, when you click the P button on your PT MIDI tracks, you can click the Bank button to select XP-30 banks, & get a whole Patch listing for your XP-30, by NAME rather than prog. number.

(BTW, when using the XP-30 w/PT, you should always be in Perform mode, NOT "Patch". And remember that drum sets are ONLY in Chan. 10 on this kybd.)

[matthew lippiatte]

hope this is of some help....on the xp-30 press the performance button and the patch button down at the same time (actually press the performance button slightly ahead of the patch button to be sure). now you should be in performance mode (multitimbral) but have access to each part. to the right of the display use your left and right arrow keys to scroll through the parts. now when you get to the part you want to record....you can scroll through the sounds using the wheel and when you find one you like keep it. however, now you have edited the performance so you need to save your changes....press the performance button so that it is the only one lit. press the utility button and then navigate to 1.Write (it should already be there) and press Enter. it will ask you where you want to save the performance....you can save it somewhere else if you want to....i usually just press enter. now your "internal write protection" defaults to ON when you turn the keyboard on so turn the wheel until it says OFF, and press enter again (you shouldn't have to change it again unless you turn the unit off). now go back into Perform/Patch mode by pressing the two buttons at the same time and repeat. make sure you DO NOT use a performance that is set to Layer. that is for playing multiple parts at the same time or for playing two or more sounds across the keys (i.e. lower keys play bass, middle keys play piano, upper keys play strings). [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]