Controlling a Ketron SD2 with a Roland A-37

[jazzcat]

For starters, and before we try to incorporate a Ketron SD2 into a live situation, I need to know how to use a Roland A-37 (76 key keyboard controller) to access the patches on a Ketron SD2 sound module.

The Ketron SD2 does not have any buttons, knobs nor a screen.
It has only a power switch, a volume slider, power on light, a MIDI activity light and one IN MIDI port and one OUT port. That's it. This means I can't set up a receive channel on the SD2. In the past I have only used it with a MIDI interface to my computer and changed patches in a sequencing program so I had no problems. trying to use it live is a whole 'nuther ball of wax.

I want my partner to be able to use it live with his other sound modules but without being able to call up the patches from the A-37 we're not able to do it. Can anyone help??

[JohnG]

Howdy Cat, long time no see!

If you go to the Ketron USA site here www.ketron.com/specs_descrit.asp?mod=SD2 and find your way to product specifications and the "FAQ" page you will see the forth Q/A gives you a synopsis of the way the SD2 uses a combination of Bank Select and Program Change messages to access the voices.

The first column of the table tells us that it only uses CC#00 (Bank Select MSB), followed by a Program Change message, that is it doesn't require Bank Select LSB (CC#32) in addition.
But it only uses CC#00 set to values of 00, 01, 02 and 10. These Bank Select followed by Program Change messages are normally coded into a standard MIDI file at the start of each track for the MIDI channel.

For a controller we have to enter them and hopefully store them as a preset.

For the A37 refer to the manual downloadable from here www.rolandus.com/products/details/276/support/, go to the control tab for the pdf manual download, and then to section 5.4 (PRG CHG parameters) of the manual, which tells you how to enter them initially.

Then jump to section 6.3 (Working with Patches) which tells you how to store them as presets or patches, if you prefer. It would seem then that a simple button press or two can recall and send the complete message pair (or trio if an LSB were needed).

That's it in a nutshell. Do ask if you need more clarification.

All the best,
JohnG.

P.S. I hear that Michael McDonald is in a very poor state of health. Did you know?

[jazzcat]

Hi John,
Thanks, I knew you'd reply. I almost asked you via an email but thought, eh, what the heck. I haven't touched the forums in ages so to kill two birds ( let everyone know I'm still kickin' and get a bit of help) I came here.
What I don't know is what channel the SD2 receives on. As far as I know there is no way to tell it what channel to receive on. Not even sure if that's needed.
We are going to pull it out today and try again. I might be back asking more dumb stuff!
David knows his equipment pretty well but I think you reminded him of something that he brain farted on!

BTW, I believe the SD2 specs are not entirely correct. It says it has 32 channels. How could it with only one MIDI IN and one MIDI THRU port?

I got a hold of Mike through facebook and he wrote me a pretty long email regarding how his health has failed big time. It makes me pretty sad to hear it. I still haven't finished my reply to him and it's been since before Xmas that he wrote to me. Poor Mike has been in a bad way for years and years but now... well.....

[jazzcat]

Got it working. Don't know why it didn't the first time we tried. Was quick and easy... thanks to you.

David is really jazzed about having access to some very much updated and more realistic sounds than his vintage Alesis S4 module provides.

[JohnG]

Well, it's good to see you around again, Cat.

We have just moved from Germany to the UK, which has been not a little stressful!
Kinda still settling in, it's not quite been two months yet.

No, I don't see how it can be 32 channel with only one 'in' port.
The SD2 can respond to all 16 channels on its one port.
The A37 can be set to upper and lower by defining a 'split point'
Then the upper and lower can be set to different MIDI channels.
It's all in various sections of the manual.
The thing is, if you don't use these parameters for a while, then you tend to forget them.
Certainly, I have to remind myself on the working of the AN1x synth on a very regular basis.

All the best, hope you had a good Christmas?
John.

[jazzcat]

He's just had the A-37 set up to control only 2 synths for many long years. Once he got his brain going set up wet pretty fast. He's been using certain sounds in the SD2 now for a year! Mostly several guitar sounds, a muted trumpet and a sax. Now he'd hate to go back to the older sounds, and I'd hate for him to have to, which is why I got a back-up SD2!

As for Christmas, last year didnt get or give anything. No money. Been like that for 4 years but this year I got a piece of kit that I have to figure out how to make good use of. It's a TC Helicon Voicelive Touch 2. I'm in a band of 6 people and none but I can hear and sing harmony. I figured maybe with the Voicelive Touch 2 I might be able to do it all by myself.

I sure don't show up often, do I. LOL!

[JohnG]

Howdy Cat,

Great to see you posting again, please don't leave it a year next time. Eh?

I haven't been too active myself for a while though.
The move was very stressful and I've had a couple of health problems though nothing serious.

Glad Mike got it all sorted with the SD2.
Now the Helicon Touch Live looks like a rather nice piece of kit!
Are you going to connect a small MIDI keyboard to it to input chord shapes?
A small 25 note one might be just the ticket.

Or what?

Don't be a stranger,
Kindest regards,
John.

[parametric]

Jan 13, 2015 10:42:58 GMT jazzcat said:

I'm in a band of 6 people and none but I can hear and sing harmony. I figured maybe with the Voicelive Touch 2 I might be able to do it all by myself.

Hi jazzcat,

Just noticing your comment above . . . .

I realise you have just GOT a new toy, but I wondered if you had seen this: shows harmonies mostly



Or This? Shows vocoder - but some harmonising too . . .



From your posts and your handle, I'm guessing at a Jazz combo?

I like the way that the VoiceBox uses the mic input to generate harmony from the INSTRUMENT (line) input!

But maybe this doesn't lie well with your material/style?

Probably the vocoder aspect is not of much interest . . .

Just a thought

Best Regards

parametric