Excelsior MIDIVOX "Serie II" User manual

EXCELSIOR MIDIVOX "Serie II" CONDENSED INSTRUCTIONS
(To be used side by side to the Operating Guide)
1) Make all connections when mains power is off.
2) t power up the accordion is set to POLY Mode by default: "POLY" and "TREBLE"
lights come on.
The following controls are available in POLY Mode:
EDIT To enter EDIT Mode (see later)
PRESET To enter PRESET Mode (see later)
B.OCT To transpose the Bass range one octave up
T.OFF Treble Off. Switches off midi transmission from the treble keyboard.
CONST To switch off swell pedal volume control over Bass and Chord sounds.
POLY - When off, switches to OMNI Mode (see later in EXP NDER SET -UP)
TREBLE lso called "section switches". They select the section CHORD(or
Midi Channel) where the Program Change Messages are B SSsent, thus
allowing separate effect selection for treble, bass and chord
sounds. Please note that the expander units must be able to
recognize Midi Program Change Messages separately over the proper
Channels (see later: EXP NDER SET-UP).
SOLO The SOLO section sends midi information related to the treble
keyboard over Midi Ch. #4. t power off the SOLO section is not
enabled and no messages are sent over Midi Ch. #4.
Press "SOLO" to enable the SOLO section: the red light comes on and all
information related to the treble keyboard are now sent over CH. #1 and CH. #4
simultaneously.
If the expander units connected to the accordion are correctly programmed, it is
possible to get two different sounds at the same time playing on the right hand
side.
The "SOLO" switch has a double function: it works as section switch like
"TREBLE", "CHORD" and "B SS" to allow separate effect selection for the SOLO
section (Midi Ch. #4), and also as ON/OFF to enable or disable Midi transmission
over Ch. #4.
When "SOLO" is on, if you want to select a different section without disabling
Solo transmission, press another section switch (i.e. TREBLE, CHORD, or B SS).
The SOLO light goes off, but the operation over Midi Ch. #4 is still enabled.
Instead, when "SOLO" is on, if you want to switch off midi transmission over
CH.#4, press "SOLO" once more : the red light goes off and the TREBLE light
comes on.
B NK Bank Hold : useful when selecting effects and presets. See OPER TING
GUIDE for more details.
+64 To be used in conjunction with the numbered pushbuttons, to select up
to 128 effects or presets.
1 Numbered pushbuttons. In POLY Mode they are used to
2 select effect numbers which will be sent to the expander
3 units over the midi channel selected by the section
4 switch (TREBLE: Ch.#1, CHORD: Ch.#2, B SS: Ch.#3, SOLO
5 Ch.#4).
6 lways a two-digit number must be selected (octal code).
7 See the OPER TING GUIDE (page 4-6) for larger details 8and a useful
cross-table.
3) OPER TION IN EDIT MODE.
In EDIT Mode it is possible to store up to 128 "presets" or, in better words,
combinations of effects for all four sections, which can be recalled during a
musical performance in a very simple way.
Professional players can store their own combinations of effects, and won't have
to worry any more about switching the right effects for each section during
their perfomances.
Thank to the VLS system (Volume Level Scaling) it is also possible to store,

along with presets, also volume information for each section.
ll information are stored into a permanent R M block, and will be retained
until you decide to change them. They can be edited, modified and deleted as you
like.
Mind that in EDIT mode some of the pushbuttons switch to a different function:
those are PRESET, T.OFF, CONST, POLY and B NK which become respectively
COMP(are), ER SE, VLS, S VE, COPY.
To store your presets, operate according to the following instructions:
1) From POLY Mode, enter EDIT Mode pressing "EDIT": the Poly and Treble lights
go off, and the EDIT light comes on.
2) Select the preset number you want to create. The preset number is selected
according to the usual octal codification (two digits) and it represents the
memory location where the preset information will be stored to.
3) Select a section switch, i.e. TREBLE, CHORD, B SS or SOLO, according to the
section in which you want to select an effect. The proper section light comes
on.
4) Select the effect number following the usual codification (two digit octal
number). fter selecting the number, the section light goes off to signal
that data have been accepted.
5) Select another section switch if you want to store effects in other sections,
and then repeat from step 4). Otherways, go to the following step.6)Press
S VE to store the preset in memory.
7) Repeat from step 2) in case you wish to store other information. Mind that if
you select the same memory location as before, the new datas will overwrite
the previously stored ones.
8) Leave the EDIT mode switching off "EDIT".
You are now in POLY Mode as before. If you want to use your stored presets
you must leave the POLY mode and enter the PRESET mode: see the proper
chapter below.
Use Of The Volume Level Scaling Function (VLS)
VLS function allows the user to store volume information along with presets.
Mind that the VLS function works only if the expander unit recognizes the
Control Change #7 Midi Message - if the volume swell pedal works, it does.
VLS operation must be accomplished in EDIT mode. When creating presets, you can
store volume information or not. You can even add volume information to an
already stored preset.
How to add volume information to an already stored preset:
1) Enter EDIT mode.
2) Select the preset number.
3) Select the section where you want to vary the volume level.
4) Press "VLS": the VLS light comes on.
5) Select a number from 1 to 8 (just one!) according to the followings:
"1" means 100% of the relative volume level (no variation);
"2" means 90% of the relative volume level;
"3" means 80% of the relative volume level;
"4" means 70% of the relative volume level;
"5" means 60% of the relative volume level;
"6" means 50% of the relative volume level;
"7" means 40% of the relative volume level;
"8" means 30% of the relative volume level;
The VLS light goes off.
6) If necessary repeat from step 3) for other sections.
7) Press "S VE" to save the updated preset.
8) If necessary repeat from step 2) for other presets.
9) Leave the EDIT mode switching "EDIT" off.

Steps from 2) to 6) can be also executed during preset creation, along with
effect storing.
For larger details, see the OPER TING GUIDE, pages 8-9.
Further Information bout EDIT Mode
lready stored presets can be easily modified simply writing over them.
But, if you want to erase a preset entirely, you must use the ER SE function.
See the OPER TING GUIDE at page 9, par. 5.3, lines 9-26, for use of COMP(are),
COPY and ER SE functions.
IMPORT NT:
If you find out that after operating the ER SE switch you can't go on storing
new information under the same preset number or you can't select any other
preset, that means that your accordion is equipped with the first firmware
release.
In this case, to get the proper operation, operate as follows:
1) Press "EDIT";
2) Select the preset to be ER SEd;
3) Press "ER SE";
4) Press "S VE"
5) Select same preset number to store new information in the erased preset, or
6) Select new preset number to be erased or edited.
Steps 4) and 5) are not necessary if your accordion is equipped with the latest
firmware release. (Released since Sept. 12, 1988).
4) OPER TION IN PRESET MODE
This is the mode of operation that must be entered if you want to use the
presets stored in EDIT Mode.
To enter the PRESET Mode, press the "PRESET" switch.
The PRESET light comes on.
In PRESET mode the "TREBLE", "CHORD" and "B SS" switches are not enabled. The
"SOLO" switch works only as "SOLO Section On/Off".
ll other controls work as in POLY Mode, but the numbered pushbuttons, which now
select the stored presets instead of single effects.
In better words, each number you select will point to a memory location: any of
the information (effects and/or VLS) it retains will be recalled and the
expander units will be set accordingly.
If no information is retained (preset still clear or erased), nothing will
happen.
If you stored full information for Treble, Chord, Bass and Solo including
effects and volumes (VLS) into a preset, with a simple preset selection (a two
digit number) you will change effects and volume in all sections, all at the
same time!
Though presets can be accessed only in PRESET mode, the pedal switch "PRESET UP"
will always scan and recall stored preset upwords, even if the accordion is set
to POLY mode.
This gives you the freedom to select presets and/or single effects during your
performance, without need of mode switching.
For a proper use of the "PRESET UP" switch, see the Operating Guide, page 7.
5) EXP NDER SET-UP
MIDI-wise, the accordion is actually a four section Midi Master Keyboard. It can
send all information over four Midi Channels, thus to get full operation, the
expander or expanders connected through the MIDI line must be programmed to
receive information over the proper channels.
See the MIDIVOX Midi Chart (last page of Operation Guide) to learn about the
Midi Messages transmitted by the MIDIVOX accordions.

Nowadays, the most of expander units available on the market are multi-
instrument expanders, that is they can receive information over more than one
channel and can generate different sounds at the same time.
The only limit is polyphony, that is the number of tones which can play
simultaneously.
The player must be aware of this fact when sele#ting the expander unit to be
used with his MIDIVOX.
Infact, the cheapest 8-note-polyphony expanders may not give a full featured
operation, as the accordion naturally needs 4 notes for the left hand side and 5
for the right hand (total 9).
Moreover, a few notes (3 or 4) should be assigned to the SOLO section to get
this section work.
Thus we recommend the use of one 16-notes-polyphony expander or two 8-notes
polyphony units.
reduced polyphony may also give good outcomes, but in t(is case a cut-off of
overlapping notes may sometime result.
Multi-instrument expanders need to be programmed into partitions (instruments)
to operate over different midi channels simultaneously.
simple programming for an 8-note expander unit is the following:
INSTRUMENT OR P RTITION #1 : Midi Ch. 1 (TREBLE), No. of notes:3;
INSTRUMENT OR P RTITION #2 : Midi Ch. 2 (CHORD) , No. of notes:3;
INSTRUMENT OR P RTITION #3 : Midi Ch. 3 (B SS) , No. of notes:1;
INSTRUMENT OR P RTITION #4 : Midi Ch. 4 (SOLO) , No. of notes:1.
This kind of programming allows use of SOLO section too, with the limit of one
note of polyphony.
The TREBLE section has a 3-note polyphony, which may be acceptable, provided you
do not play with full hand.
When notes overlap , a certain cut-off may happen, even in other sections,
depending on the expander key-assigning routine.
THIS IS NOT DEFECT OF THE MIDIVOX SYSTEM!
See carefully your expander operating guide for understanding correct operation.
lso, for correct operation of the Midivox system, you must check the
followings:
1) Your expander must recognize volume control under MIDI Control Change #7
Message;
2) Your expander must recognize Program Change Messages over four channels
separately (INDIVIDU L);
3) Your expander must comply with the standard rule of MIDI Spec. 1.0 which
states that " no status byte is needed if not changed from the last midi
message received".
OMNI MODE
Switching off "POLY", the accordion is set to Omni On (Poly Off) mode.
When in Omni mode, all information regarding notes and effects related to B SS,
CHORD and TREBLE sections are sent over Ch.1 only.The SOLO section, instead,
works as usual.When switching from Omni to Poly and backwords, a Midi Mode
Message is sent through Channels 1,2,3.
If the expander unit can recognize those messages, it too switches to Omni mode
thus keeping the full polyphony.
But, if the expander unit can't work in Omni mode, or it doesn't recognize Mode
switching messages, it still keeps the same partition and, supposing we
programmed it as above, only INSTRUMENT #1 will be able to receive information
over Ch.1.
The result is that only a single instrument of only 3 note-polyphony will play
under control of the accordion, with severe note limitations.
lso, Midi codes actually assigned to the accordion treble and bass keys may
cause some problems when operating in Omni mode.

Infact, according to the natural range of chords in the accordion, some of the
treble keys have the same code (same pitch) as those forming chords.
Thus, when chord and treble sections send messages over the same channel (that's
the case when in Omni mode), inevitably the two section interfere, causing
random cut -off of respective tones.
Please be aware of the above facts, when switching to Omni mode.
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The above instructions do not replace the MIDIVOX Operating Guide
CEMEX
Compagnia Elettro Musicale Excelsior s.r.l.
Via Martiri della Libertà, 3
60022 Castelfidardo
IT LY
ph.+39 071 7820982