Roland MV-8800 Production Studio Instruction manual

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MV-8800 Production Studio
© 2007 Roland Corporation U.S.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the
written permission of Roland Corporation U.S.
MV8800WS11
Working with External MIDI Instruments
®ÂØÒňήWorkshop

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About the MV-8800 Workshop Series
Roland’s MV-8800 Production Studio is packed with features for making
music. It’s a heavy-duty sampler that can do all sorts of things with sounds
you sample or import. Its sequencer has 136 tracks for MIDI sequencing and
playing back audio, and its set of editing tools is deep. It’s a great box for
performing—using its pads or an attached MIDI keyboard—and, of course,
it can even burn a CD of your final master mix.
Each MV-8800 Workshop Series booklet focuses on one MV-8800 topic, and
is intended as a companion to your MV-8800 Owner’s Manuals.
About This Booklet
The MV-8800 can act as the command center of a MIDI studio. This booklet
explains how to play MIDI instruments—including computer-based soft
synths—from the MV-8800’s pads, as well as how to use MIDI sounds in your
MV-8800 sequences.
The Buttons, the LCD, or a VGA?
On the MV-8800, you can work on the built-in LCD or on an optional color
VGA monitor. You can use the MV-8800’s front-panel controls, or a mouse on
your VGA screen. No matter how you like to work, there’s an easy way to get
things done.
Probably the best idea is to work primarily with a mouse
on a VGA, using the MV-8800’s buttons to quickly get in and out of
MV-8800 screens. The procedures in this booklet typically assume you’ll be
working this way.
If you’re not, don’t worry, because the VGA windows and LCD screens are
essentially the same. There are clickable VGA icons for all of the MV-8800’s
buttons. You can also press an onscreen button by clicking your mouse or
by pressing an F button on the MV-8800. The main difference has to do with
how you deal with settings—or “parameters”—and how you select objects.
If you’re using a mouse: If you’re using the MV-8800’s buttons:
You select parameters and objects with
a left click. You change the selected
parameter’s value by turning the scroll
wheel. You can display an object’s menu by
right-clicking the object.
You select parameters and objects with
the 3, 4, 5, and 6CURSOR buttons.
Change a selected parameter’s value by
turning the VALUE dial or by pressing DEC
and INC.
Left click Right click
Scroll
wheel
Understanding the Symbols in This Booklet
Throughout this booklet, you’ll come across information that deserves
special attention—that’s the reason it’s labeled with one of the following
symbols.
A note is something that adds information about the topic at hand.
A tip offers suggestions for using the feature being discussed.
Warnings contain important information that can help you avoid
possible damage to your equipment, your data, or yourself.

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The Heart of Your MIDI Studio
If you have other MIDI instruments—hardware
synths, samplers, or soft synths running on a
computer—you can play their sounds from
your MV-8800, using them alongside MV-8800
patches and audio phrases in your MV-8800
patterns and songs.
While this booklet explains making MIDI connections and the MV-8800’s
MIDI settings, it assumes you have a basic understanding of MIDI. To
learn about MIDI, you can download InFocus: An Introduction to MIDI
from the Support Documents section of the Roland US website.
Throughout this booklet, we’ll refer to all external MIDI devices as
simply “MIDI instruments” to make things easier to read.
To learn how to operate an external MIDI instrument or a computer/
soft synth setup, see its documentation.
Listening to Your MIDI Instruments
You’ll need a way to hear both the MV-8800 and your MIDI instruments when
you want to use them together. There are basically two ways to do this. You
can:
listen through a mixer—by connecting the MV-8800 and the MIDI
instruments to the mixer and listening to the mixer’s output. (To learn
how to set up a mixer, see its documentation.)
listen through the MV-8800—if you’re using the MV-8800 with a single
MIDI instrument, or if you’ve connected multiple MIDI instruments to
a mixer. We’ll explain this option in detail in “Listening Through the
MV-8800,” next.
To find out how to get the best sound from a MIDI instrument, see its
documentation.
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Listening Through the MV-8800
Making a Direct Audio Connection
You can listen to a MIDI instrument—or a mixer—in stereo through the
MV-8800 by connecting its:
analog stereo outputs—to the MV-8800’s L and R MIC/LINE jacks.
When you’re not using
the PHONO jacks, keep
the included shorting
pin inserted in them.
digital output—to a digital input on an optional MV8-OP1 Audio I/O
Expansion board (purchased separately) installed in your MV-8800.
In addition to simplicity, there’s another advantage to listening directly
through the MV-8800: If you decide to sample your MIDI instrument(s),
you’re already set up to do so.
Selecting the MV-8800 Input(s) You’re Using
Press the MV-8800’s SYSTEM button.
Select Global from the SYSTEM menu to display the
GLOBAL window.
Whenever you want to select a numbered menu item—such as the
Global menu item—you can select it by pressing its number on the
MV-8800’s numeric keypad and hitting ENTER.
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If you’ve installed an
optional MV8-OP1
expansion board, you’ll
see its digital connectors
here.
Set the Input Select parameter to Analog, unless you’ve installed an
MV8-OP1—if you have, you can also select the Coaxial, Optical, or
R-BUS digital input.
Setting The MIDI Instrument’s Listening Level
Press the MV-8800 MIXER button to display the MIXER
(AUX/FX/AUDIO PHRASE/INPUT) window.
IN (A) level
If the AUX/Phrs/In pane isn’t visible—as shown here—click its tab at the
top of the window to bring it forward.
Set the IN (A) fader’s level to 100, as shown above.
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If you’re using the analog inputs, listen to your MIDI instrument and
adjust the SENS knob for each input so that the level shown in the IN
(A) level meter onscreen is as loud as possible without lighting its red
Clip indicators.
Clip indicators
Typically, you’ll set the L and R SENS knobs to the same position.
Once they light, the Clip indicators stay lit to make sure you see your
volume’s too high. To unlight them, click the Reset Peak button.
Connecting the MV-8800 to Other MIDI Devices
About the MV-8800’s Two MIDI OUT Jacks
The MV-8800 has two MIDI OUT jacks on its rear panel: MIDI OUT A and MIDI
OUT B.
Each MIDI OUT jack can transmit MIDI data on 16 MIDI channels, allowing
you to play 16 individual MIDI sounds.
Since each jack has its own set of 16 MIDI channels, together they allow you
to play and control up to 32 individual MIDI instrument sounds.
Add a third MIDI OUT, as well as a second MIDI IN jack, by connecting a
Roland DIF-AT24—purchased separately—to an installed MV8-0P1.
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MIDI Connection Options
To make MIDI connections, you’ll need a MIDI cable—purchased
separately—for each MIDI instrument you plan to use.
You can connect the MV-8800 directly to one or two MIDI instruments—
Connect one of the MV-8800 MIDI OUT jacks to the MIDI IN jack on each
MIDI instrument.
MIDI OUT A MIDI OUT B
MIDI IN
MIDI IN
You can use either MV-8800 MIDI OUT jack for a single MIDI instrument.
If you’re using two, use either MIDI OUT jack for either instrument.
You can use a MIDI keyboard for sequencing on the MV-8800 by
connecting its MIDI OUT jack to the MV-8800’s MIDI IN jack.
You can “daisy-chain” MIDI instruments—If a MIDI instrument has a MIDI
THRU jack, it can pass the MIDI data it receives from the MV-8800 to the
MIDI IN jack of another MIDI instrument. This lets you connect several
MIDI instruments, one-after-another, to either MV-8800 MIDI OUT jack.
MIDI IN MIDI THRU
MIDI OUT A or B
MIDI IN
Each instrument in a MIDI daisy-chain gets its data a bit later than
the one before it. Keep your MIDI rhythm sounds tight by placing their
instruments as close as possible to the beginning of the daisy-chain.
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Using MIDI Instruments in a Sequence
Pads, Plus
For recording sequencer tracks, you can use the MV-8800’s pads and/or a
MIDI controller—such as a MIDI keyboard with or without its own sounds—
connected to the MV-8800’s MIDI IN jack.
Preparing the MV-8800 for MIDI Sequencing
Press the SYSTEM button to display the SYSTEM menu.
Select MIDI to open the MIDI window.
Make sure Multi Timbre Sampler Mode is set to Off as shown above. This
accomplishes two things. With this parameter off:
The MV-8800’s pads and a MIDI keyboard connected to the
MV-8800’s MIDI IN jack play the MIDI sound controlled by the
currently selected sequencer track.
As you play a MIDI instrument from the MV-8800’s pads or a
connected MIDI keyboard, you can also record your playing into
the MV-8800’s sequencer.
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Setting Up the MIDI Instrument
On each MIDI instrument you’ll be using, you’ll need to select the desired
sound, or sounds. If you’re using a:
single-sound MIDI instrument—choose the sound you want the
MV-8800’ pads to play.
drum machine—select the drum or percussion kit you want the
MV-8800’s pads to play.
multitimbral MIDI instrument—set up the instrument’s parts so that they
play the desired sounds, and so that each part receives MIDI data on the
correct MIDI channel.
A multitimbral MIDI instrument can play multiple sounds on separate
MIDI channels. The instrument is typically divided into “parts,” with
each playing its own sound on its own MIDI channel.
The MV-8800 can select sounds in a MIDI instrument automatically as
the sequencer plays using MIDI Program Change messages. To learn
more, see “Editing events individually” in the MV-8800 Owner’s Manual.
If Your MIDI Instrument Has a Keyboard
To use a keyboard with its own sounds for MV-8800 sequencing, only the
MV-8800 should actually play those sounds—you don’t want each note
to sound twice. Check the keyboard’s manual to learn how to temporarily
disable the playing of its sounds from the keyboard. (In the Roland Juno-D
shown above, for example, you’d turn off the Local Control parameter.)
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Choosing MIDI Instrument MIDI Channels
Here are some things to keep in mind as you set up your MIDI
instrument(s):
If you’re using both of the MV-8800’s MIDI OUT jacks, you’ve really got
32 completely separate MIDI channels to choose from. Get used to
thinking of these as A 1-16 and B 1-16 when you assign MIDI channels
to the sounds you want to play.
In order for an MV-8800 sequencer track to play a MIDI sound, its track
has to be set up to send out MIDI data on the sound’s MIDI channel.
When you set up your MIDI instrument(s), keep track of each sound’s
MIDI channel since you’ll need this information later when you set up
its track on the MV-8800.
Normally, each MIDI channel controls a single sound or drum/percussion
kit in a MIDI instrument. Therefore, set each sound—whether it’s the
only sound played by a MIDI instrument, or a part in a multitimbral MIDI
instrument—to its own unique MIDI channel.
If you want to layer two or more MIDI sounds so that they play exactly
the same thing, you can play them from the same MV-8800 sequencer
track by setting them to respond to the same MIDI channel.
Preparing to Record a MIDI Instrument Track
The MV-8800 sequencer has two types of tracks:
audio tracks—play onboard audio phrases.
MIDI tracks—play MV-8800 patches and/or sounds in MIDI
instruments.
When you want to sequence a MIDI instrument’s sound, use a MIDI
track. You can identify a MIDI track in a song by the note icon to
the left of its name.
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A MIDI track can play an internal MV-8800 patch and a MIDI instrument
sound at the same time. You’ll see how to do this in “Setting up a MIDI
Instrument Track” below.
When you create a new project using the default settings, the song the
MV-8800 automatically loads contains four MIDI tracks, and the current
pattern has one MIDI track. Likewise, when you create a new song using
the default settings, the song has four MIDI tracks, and its default pattern
has one.
If your pattern or song has no MIDI tracks, or if you’ve used all the MIDI tracks
it has, you can easily create new ones, as we’ll see.
Setting Up a MIDI Instrument Track
Whether you want to work with a MIDI track that already exists, or you
want to add a new MIDI track, you’ll use the same two settings to set up the
track for playing a MIDI instrument. These are the Output Assign and MIDI
parameters.
To set up a MIDI track that already exists:
Press PATTERN or SONG to display the desired screen.
Select the MIDI track you want to use by pressing the 6or 5buttons
to highlight it. (If you’re using a VGA, you can also select it by clicking
its name.)
Click Track Param to open the TRACK PARAMETER window where you’ll
find the two parameters.
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When you’re creating a new MIDI track:
Press PATTERN or SONG to display the desired screen.
Press the MENU button.
Select Add MIDI Tracks... to open the ADD MIDI TRACK
window where you’ll see the two parameters we’re
concerned with.
Tell the MV-8800 how many new MIDI tracks you want to add by setting
the Number of Tracks parameter at the top of the window.
The Output Assign Parameter
The setting of the Output Assign parameter decides whether or not the
track’s notes get sent to an MV-8800 part in order to play its patch.
To learn about parts and patches, see “About Patch Loading” on Page
3 in the MV-8800 Loading Patches Workshop booklet.
You can set Output Assign to Off, or set it to the part whose patch you want
the MIDI track to play.
When you want the track to play only a MIDI instrument, set Output
Assign to Off.
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The MIDI Parameter
The MIDI parameter selects the MIDI channel that carries the track’s data to
its MIDI sound. Set it to the MIDI channel you selected for the sound when
you set up its MIDI instrument. You can set MIDI to:
Off—so that the track sends out no MIDI data.
A-1 through A-16—so that the track’s data is sent on one of the 16 MIDI
channels coming out of the MIDI OUT A jack.
B-1 through B-16—so that the track’s data is sent on one of the 16 MIDI
channels coming out of the MIDI OUT B jack.
Once you’ve set the MIDI parameter, we recommend naming your track
to avoid confusing it with other tracks. Click Name to open the EDIT
TRACK NAME window where you can name the track.
Automatic MIDI Instrument Patch Selection
A MIDI instrument’s track can automatically select the desired sound when
you start playback of an MV-8800 pattern or song from the top. It does this
by sending the MIDI instrument the required Program Change and Bank
Select MIDI messages. Here’s how to set this up.
Before proceeding, see the MIDI instrument’s documentation to learn
the Program Change and Bank Select messages for the sound you want
to select from the MV-8800.
Press PATTERN or SONG to display the desired screen.
Select the desired MIDI track by clicking its name. (If you’re using the
internal LCD, select the desired MIDI track by pressing the 6or 5
buttons to highlight it.)
Click Track Param to open the TRACK PARAMETER window.
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You select an
external patch with
the Prog and Bank.
H and L parameters.
Set:
Prog—to the desired sound’s Program Change value.
Bank H—the the desired sound’s MSB value.
Bank L—the the desired sound’s LSB value.
You can set up other MIDI tracks the same way by selecting them using
the Track parameter in this window, and then setting their parameters
as desired.
When you’re done, click Close.
Ready to Go
That’s it. At this point you can record your MIDI instrument track the same
way you’d record a track that plays an MV-8800 patch. To learn about
sequencing on the MV-8800, see the MV-8800 Owner’s Manual.
The End
We hope you’ve found this workshop helpful. Keep an eye out for
other MV-8800 Workshop booklets, all available for downloading at
www.RolandUS.com.
For the latest MV-8800 updates and support tools, visit the Roland U.S.
Web site at www.RolandUS.com. If you need personal assistance, call
our amazing Product Support team at 323-890-3745.
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