Multi Mode Using Real MIDI Cables

[iain010100]

I'm going to begin using my TI Desktop with a MIDI (5-pin DIN) cable connected to a keyboard workstation's on-board sequencer. Since I don't yet have the workstation, I can't test Multi-mode this way. Basically I need to send multiple MIDI channel messages to the TI, including patch changes. Since the TI is (I think) designed mostly to be used with USB, are there any pitfalls I need to look out for?

[~BHG~]

Try to find a sequencer that does 16 midi channels....or something like 2 electribe emx1s(each do 8 channels and channels vary from 1-16).If you got the loot get an Octopus.Make sure the sequencer you get has a start/stop button.Get an APC40 and wait for Ableton to release the Sequencer program in MAX for Live!

[luddy]

You've got two choices, really. One is to work in SEQ mode, same mode VC uses. That mode fits what you describe pretty well; in particular, it's designed for sending individual patch changes per channel. The patches refer to SINGLE mode patches.

The other choice is to use MULTI mode. That mode is designed to switch all 16 parts at once with a single program change. You get slightly more detailed control with it. For example, you can have more than one part receiving a single MIDI channel, and there are some multi-level controls that affect the whole collection of parts that aren't available in SEQ or SINGLE mode.

They're both well thought-out, but I prefer using the MULTI mode at the end of the day, because there's less bookkeeping, and you can easily keep all the patches associated with a single song together, with a single MULTI dump to an archiver or sequencer. In other words, what I really like about it above all is that it frees you from worrying about which RAM locations are in use for which patch and where those patches are used by which multis. The self-contained multis are very simple to think about, and you can rearrange your RAM & ROM banks at any time without worrying if you stick to them.

hth,

-Luddy

[iain010100]

Thank you Luddy. The TI manual has some basic info about setting up Multi mode from the TI unit, and it seems straight forward enough. But there doesn't seem to be any way to edit a Multi from the VST software. Am I correct?

Where can I read about SEQ mode and how do I enter that mode? Nothing about it is mentioned in the TI manual.

[luddy]

Right, you cannot edit multis from VC... Working with them means working with the panel of the unit.

SEQ mode is documented a little bit in the original TI manual (not the newer reference manual); I remember reading about it there some years back. I'm not sure that the original TI manual is still being distributed with the OS ?

To enter SEQ mode from the panel of the Virus, press the MULTI and SINGLE buttons together.

Good luck!

-Luddy