USER MANUAL MRG2 – MIDI merging controller
Contents
1. bal A k ko k Fo ka F HIGHEST KEY Y Y Y 7 3 BBSP common ground pedals scanner This one is especially suitable for small keyboards or pedals with single wire used as common bus for all switches in entire keyboard This one does not use diode matrix and can be used with almost any type of switch arrangement It can also be controlled by logic gates Apart from contacts it also has 3 analog inputs for potentiometers that can be used in swell crescendo pedals Keyboard connects to two 16 pin connectors J1 and J2 shown below Each of them covers 16 keys Potentiometers connect to 5 pin header at the right hand side of the board according to the diagram below See chapter 4 for more info on potentiometers usage The key contacts must use one common buss bar with GND or logic IC may control BBSP inputs OV at an input means key pressed 5V at input or left open means key released Keyboard should be connected to two 16 pin headers according to the diagram below Works best with 2 IDC plugs and 16 wire ribbon cable ordered separately Each black connector holds 16 inputs for keyboard switches The pin numbering Ji J2 d oi a ai ul orl o oi d d zl ai ai d d d ol mm ai a oa ri o oi ad d d al ai za d A SEBES ERR RER E within one connector is shown here Notice orientation of the keying slot This pinout is valid2. 98 All analog inputs of potentiometer scanners POT12 PDS BBSP BBS24 translate input voltages or potentiometer position into MIDI Actual pot position is updated via MIDI every time it changes This update is however not immediate this is common to any MIDI knob box The fastest response for potentiometer movement on a single input is about 5ms It means that when you constantly move the pot MRGx will update the MIDI parameter every 5ms This is more than enough for most of uses In some instruments either hardware or virtual some problem may occur when there is heavy MIDI load It is also sometimes desirable to limit MIDI traffic e g to minimize the size of MIDI file recorded in a sequencer It is possible to change this setting using command 98n from the keypad where n determines update rate according to the table below More on how to enter digits and setting procedures in chapter 5 Default factory setting is 18ms keypad sequence pot latency 5ms me Oms 13ms 18ms 25ms 35ms 50ms 70ms 0 1s update rate 200Hz 145Hz 115Hz 80Hz 55Hz 40Hz 30Hz 20Hz 15Hz 10Hz 980 981 982 983 984 985 986 987 988 989 This setting is available for all pot capable boards POT12 BBSP PDS BBS24 connected to MRGx board Each board can have different update rates but all inputs in one POT board work with one rate For example you can set it to 50ms on first POT scan
3. It is also possible to select numbers greater than 128 with use of Bank Select messages This is exactly how patch select works in mode described here To select any patch number from range 1 999 enter 4 followed by the patch number To change the patch on selected keyboard directly to specific number play a note on this keyboard and enter the sequence 4 lt program number gt This also applies to external keyboards connected via MIDI IN of MRG2 because the Program Change is always sent in last used channel The Bank Select MSB then LSB always equals 0 and Program Change MIDI messages are sent directly after 3rd digit of entered patch number You must type 3 digits every time like for example 001 5 5 Keyboard split 5 It is possible to split each keyboard into 2 independent parts The split point can be anywhere on the keyboard and both parts can work with independently adjusted MIDI channel type of event and starting note transposition or range of other controllers if something else than notes is assigned to a keyboard Assuming that all inputs of MRGx are equipped with DMS 2K dual keyboard scanner it is possible to make a system with 20 splits 16 in MRG3 To set up the split point you have to select the keyboard by playing a note on it and then enter sequence 5 followed by stroke of the key that you want to be the top one of the lower part Since then lower part remains at the same channel that was used for whole
4. 1 MIDI merge input MRG2 Only 2041 6 2 MIDI monitor RON 6 3 All settings Backup Restore 978 ccccccsseeesseeeeeeeeesaeeeeaeeeeaes 6 4 Factory defaults SE dee Eege eege E Keele 7 1 PDS diode matrix pedal ecanner EE 7 2 DMS 2K dual keyboard matrix eCanner 7 3 BBSP common ground pedals ecanner EN 7 4 BBS 1K common ground keyboard scanner 7 5 BBS24 contacts amp pots little scanner 7 6 LITSW button scanner with LED drivere ZE L SPIE point FDO Bi x seer cvs Ce aenean ar a EAEE AAAA 7 6 2 Independent mode FIGs vs veevccscedcvedswaecea can sandvinadevdrawweverstenveeraeds 7 6 3 Dependent mode 909 ccccccsssserecssseesersssecessaseeeesseseeseesssaesaees 7 6 4 Bank preset Select AO10 ENER 7 6 5 Disable bank select mode 911 cccccccesssesseeeseueeeueeeeeeueseeeaeeeanees 7 6 6 Contact on off keyboard scanner mode A0O1 7 6 7 CC value pot Scanner mode 913 cccccsssseesesssseressseeeeseaserensens 7 0 8 Left split el 7 6 9 RIGHT Split BINK A 917 riiai aa a e E a 7 6 10 All LEDs blink 918 nsnnnsnnnsnnsnnnnnnnnnnnrrnnnrnsnnnnnrnnrnnnrnnnnenrmnnnnnt 7 6 11 Reset to Gett tee vd Ed EE deg 7 7 POT12 potentiometer SCaPREE esssegNgNSENNENENESNKSREKEA NEEN EENNNNEAgeeg e 7 8 MiDisp 2X16 Characters display 7 8 1 Toggle mode 90 Si EE 7 8 2 Momentary mode EE 7 8 3 Display ID Set 914 ieuan innaka n ia ari ia iia eiii 7 8 4 Display ID show 920 sssssssesssssssrrse
5. for every 16 pin connector in every board 7 4 BBS 1K common ground keyboard scanner This one is mainly used in 5 octave keyboards It has 64 contact inputs and daisy chain input so you can use 2 of those connected to 1 MRG input For example with MRG2 you can use 10 BBS 1K boards but only 5 BBSP 8 and 4 respectively in MRG3 All 4 connectors for ribbon cable and the pinout are the same as used in BBSP see above Each black connector covers 16 keys BBS 1K must be connected towards the MRGx with 4 way connector indicated OUT The one e marked IN is for adding next TO KEYBOARD CONTACTS optional scanner There can be only 2 f J1 1 16 J3 33 48 keys scanners BBS 1K BBSP DMS g H 2K PDS BBS24 LITSW in one chain 2 faa 2 as TON If third keyboard scanner is chained it will work like paralleled inputs of TO KEYBOARD CONTACTS 2nd keyboard in the chain 22 0 TO NEXT SCANNER 7 5 BBS24 contacts amp pots little scanner This one is especially suited for the bass chord part of MIDI accordions It works with 24 switches and 3 analog sources like pots or voltages e g from pressure sensor If split is set in the middle chapter 5 5 12 inputs can be assigned to basses and 12 to chord contacts in accordion and play in different channels The board is small enough to put inside bass chord part of an accordion Unlike other scanners all user inputs are bare pads
6. so in order to use 8x8 scanner you must build diode matrix yourself assuming it is possible to separate the contacts into groups of 8 keys There are also scanners especially designed for keyboards without diodes where all keys share only one common bus this is typical keyboard arrangement in all old organ consoles Below is a short table showing which scanner type can be used with different keyboards CKeyboardtype DMS BBS PDS Independent switches no connections o e gt o Switches organized in 8x8 diode matrix e e Switches organized in 8x12 1 com per octave oe One common rail for all switches Ze oe o e can be used directly with additional diodes requires rewiring of existing contacts 4 Potentiometers amp Control Voltages Pot inputs are available with use of proper expanders like POT12 PDS BBS24 or BBSP They can be used as continuous controllers for things like volume modulation etc Usually those inputs would be connected to potentiometers but it s possible to use them as analog inputs with range of 0 5V Applying voltage of OV causes generation of CC with lowest value while 5V makes highest possible value of assigned MIDI parameter Each input in the system has separately assigned MIDI event and channel This assignment can be easily changed by the user with use of special programing keypad or lowest 10 keys of any connected keyboard Every potentiometer s
7. the split point is and where are the LEDs connected 7 6 10 All LEDs blink 918 When you type this sequence on a keypad whole LITSW will blink all LEDs This can be used to see if every LED is connected properly and where they are located 7 6 11 Reset to defaults 929 If your LITSW has been set with a strange combination of modes it may be useful to return to the state where it was as it came out of the box To do so press any of the LITSW buttons and enter command 929 LITSW then returns to factory defaults which is independent mode no split and keyboard scanner mode This is confirmed with short blink of all LEDs This is available since LITSW version 2 8 7 7 POT12 potentiometer scanner POT12 adds 12 analog inputs potentiometers or OUT voltages to MIDI system built around MRGx It has one Ge 14 pin black connectors for potentiometers and 2 small 4 pin sockets typical for all scanner boards described here The one indicated OUT is used to connect the to the MRGx The other one can be used to connect POT INPUTS another scanner be it keyboard or another POT board If you reverse connections between those 2 sockets the board will not work and potentiometer movement will not result in any MIDI activity However this does not cause any damage to the POT12 board You can chain up to 5 POT12 scanners and make 60 inputs for the whole system The bigger black connector holds potentiometer inputs according to diagram bel
8. with single button stroke Go to chapter 5 2 for details on how to assign events to inputs 5 1 3 Transpose command 10 11 Third option uses lowest 2 keys of the keyboard or numbers 0 and 1 of the keypad It doesn t matter if keyboard starts with key C or F or whatever those are always two lowest keys The lowest one shifts the keyboard one semitone down with each sequence 10 the 2nd key shifts the keyboard one semitone up 11 This is useful if you want to slightly change the transposition once and there s no need for easy accessible buttons 5 1 4 Global Transpose Apart from methods just described which are mostly used during initial setup there s different kind of transposing more suitable for live playing Global transpose affects ALL keyboards in the system as well as notes coming to the MIDI IN with the same number of semitones shift from default position This one is not memorized in nonvolatile memory After power cycle all keyboards return to initial state To access this way of transposing you can assign special functions to any POT inputs Available are 1 semitone and octave steps The event numbers for this feature are one semitone up 156 one semitone down 157 one octave up 158 one octave down 159 Go to chapter 5 2 for details on how to assign events to inputs 5 2 MIDI event assignment for keyboards and analog inputs MIDI event assigned to given potentiometer or keyboar
9. 1 detent per pulse is used every tick of the encoder will result in 2 MIDI messages crossing 2 steps The encoder must be soldered to 3 empty pads by the side of 4 way scanner connector Pinout is the same as of encoder itself with common lead in the middle and pulse inputs at the sides 28
10. 2 e S MIDI status byte in hexadecimal format e V1 value of ist MIDI data byte in hexadecimal format e V2 value of 2nd MIDI data byte in hexadecimal format MIDI monitor should not be enabled during normal performance it noticeably increases MIDI latency and may cause dropped or hung notes during fast keyboard playing especially if LCD is connected in one chain with other scanners To turn off the MIDI monitor enter 970 from the keypad MIDI monitor is always disabled at power up 6 3 All settings Backup Restore 978 This is available only in MRG2 starting from version 2 4 When entire settings proces is finished and everything works as required it is worth to save your work results externally so they can be easily recalled Also if you need different setups of the MIDI controller adjusted for 2 or more instruments you can change all events channels and more in a manner of seconds by playing a MIDI file To have full backup of current MRG2 configuration connect MIDI OUT of MRG2 to any kind of sequencer start recording and dial 978 from the keypad MRG2 will then send a burst of MIDI System Exclusive messages with its settings After about 2s it s over and you can save the sequence as standard MIDI file This is indicated in LCD module if you have it You must NOT alter the tempo of this MIDI file Pauses between bursts are there for a reason Whenever you wish to recall specific configuration simply connect seque
11. 5 2 14 Native Instruments B4 chorus vibrato 2140 Turning this pot will be reflected in B4 as chorus vibrato switch move It has only 6 positions and appropriate command will be sent from MRGx to B4 every time the potentiometer crosses each threshold representing another vibrato chorus mode The circuit on the right shows proper B4 connection 5 2 15 MidiTzer stops control 2141 When assigned to a keyboard each key becomes specific stop controller When a key is pressed MIDI controller 81 51 hex is sent and when it is released MIDI controller 80 50 hex Value of the controller is determined by the button pressed This is default way of controlling stops in MidiTzer organ software 5 2 16 Ahlborn Archive module stops control 2142 If assigned to a keyboard each key becomes stop control in Ahlborn Archive organ sound module When a key is pressed MIDI controller 73 49 hex is sent when released MIDI controller 74 4A hex Value of the controller is determined by the button pressed This is default way of controlling stops in Ahlborn Archive module 5 2 17 Ahlborn Organs stops control 2143 When assigned to a keyboard each key becomes specific stop controller in Ahlborn Organs When a key is pressed MIDI controller 70 46 hex is sent with bit 6 of the value set and when it is released the same MIDI controller but with bit 6 of the value cleared Other bits of the value are determined by the button pressed In a
12. EDIT mode either by momentarily shorting proper 2 pins of header on MRG board or by pressing keypad button 3 enter 92 from numeric keypad or any other well known working keyboard scanner 4 enter one digit from range 1 4 the same way as you entered 92 Each digit turns the scanner into different one of 4 modes of how notes are ordered 5 play the DMS 2K keyboard to check if it is OK now If not start from the beginning but now select different digit from range 1 4 in step 4 To work with 12x6 or up to 12x8 keyboard you need to utilise both connectors J1 and J2 to connect one keyboard Use all 8 even pins of J1 and 4 even pins of J2 to connect cathodes of the matrix and connect 8 odd pins of either J1 or J2 whichever convenient to the anode side of the matrix Then follow setup procedure above to set matrix mode to one of two 12x8 layouts using digit 5 or 6 in step 4 If there are more than 64 keys all the ones above will play in different channel and start from low C You only need to adjust the channel and transposition of the upper part like you d normally do for any keyboard chapter 5 1 and 5 3 12x8 mode is available since version 1 7 of DMS 2K ANA KKK ol of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of ol o ER D Zt LI 2 q EM Vu bal Uu of of of of of of of o
13. USER MANUAL for MRG2 MIDI merging controller MRG3 MIDI controller firmware version 2 x www midi hardware com Roman Sowa 2012 Table of contents DAVE VIQW ee ee EE 4 2 Connections amp Power SUPPLY scscccsscsssesseseesssessaseosseeseessneessessaeseaeaess 4 SE aren visa vincnne en a a a e a aA a aO ra a TA sagan 5 4 Potentiometers amp Control VoltageS s sssssssrsssssrnnnrrnrrnrnnnnrenrnnnnnnnennenns 6 4 1 Analog inputs update rate AO eskeKEKRRKEERRRR ENER EEN NENNEN REENEN REENEN 7 4 2 Bitwise resolution Of analog inputs ZOp ANNE 7 5 MIDI settings and special Tupnchons 8 5 1 Transposition starting note 9 5 1 1 Middle C select E EE 9 5 1 2 Transpose Een e EE 9 5 1 3 Transpose command 10 11 ccccccesecesseeecseeesenseseeeeseeeeseseeenesaaes 9 5 1 4 Gl bal Tee ves viii si aradin iiaa aiala aaa aera a ti cabin dares 10 5 2 MIDI event assignment for keyboards and analog Impute 10 5 2 1 Control Change 2 EE 10 5 2 2 Pitch Bend 4 21 eet seis rdi EEE ei Eaa EAE AEA AEE E NE E aeli 10 5 2 3 PROGIAM CHANGE 2129 E 11 5 2 4 Channel After Touch 23120 RRE EEN 11 5 2 5 Standard keyboard action single notes 27131 11 5 2 6 Note Eesen Seege E 11 5 27 Note off ORY F 21335 ci sisceiierccssisssacsauaiads SEA geed ENEE ENEE 11 5 2 8 One touch Patch Recall 2134 ccccccssecsessssesecsessssersssecessesseesseessesesssarees 11 52 9 CC keyboard 213 E 12 5 2 10 MIDI ch
14. actly like that In typical case you d probably use different way of selecting programs like 4 lt number gt described in chapter 5 4 5 2 20 Ahlborn Common Functions 2146 When assigned to a keyboard the buttons act in a way usable for group of controls in Ahlborn module called Common Functions like general cancel tutti etc It works very much like mode 143 described in chapter 5 2 17 When a key is pressed MIDI controller 71 47 hex is sent with value 64 127 and when it is released the same MIDI controller but with value lower by 64 5 2 21 3 note chord collect 2147 This mode of operation is used only for keyboard scanners You must play at least 3 notes at once to see any MIDI activity When 3 notes are pressed whole 3 note chord is immediately sent This assures that the chord is played clean and it s not spread in time All additional notes 4th 5th etc are played in MIDI right after they are detected This is especially usable in chord section of MIDI accordions where mechanically coupled switches do not always close in the same time 5 2 22 Dual note layered sound 2148 If assigned to a keyboard every note played will be doubled in MIDI as 2 notes played in user selected channels and music interval The settings of channel and starting note of doubled layered channel are the same as used for upper split So in order to change defaults you should first set the split at any point of the keyboard 5 and an
15. ain of displays they will blink in a sequence determined by their position in the chain 7 9 KEYPAD numeric entry for user MIDI settings This small numeric keypad contains all you need for changing every setting available for MRGx When MRGx is not in edit mode buttons 0 9 work like any music keyboard playing notes if default setting was not changed Button works like momentary switch connected to the header on MRGx board it turns the board into EDIT mode If MiDisp module is connected it is clearly indicated there To quit from EDIT mode without changing anything if was pressed by mistake enter 0 and it immediately returns to normal playing mode The KEYPAD as setup entry does not have to follow the rule of only 2 keyboards in a chain It may be connected at the end of 2 BBS 1K chain and still it will work as expected The channel event and starting note of the KEYPAD will be the same as 2nd BBS 1K in the chain but this in any way des not disturb the KEYPAD in correct function as setup keypad The electronic board mounted at the back of the keypad since version 7 0 allows to connect one rotary encoder endless potentiometer It is treated like any other POT input meaning it can be assigned to any possible event Most obvious use for example is Program Change knob event 129 but it may be global transposition channel shift or any Continuous Controller The encoder must have no detents or 2 detents per pulse If
16. also possible but you cannot reach full range of transposition then After using controls assigned this way actual transposition is displayed in MiDisp module if such is connected 5 2 12 Big Transposer 2138 Turning such pot will shift all notes played on all connected keyboard scanners by number of semitones determined by pot position In the middle it gives no shift and full rotation covers range from 8 to 8 semitones Assigning this to a keyboard is also possible but you cannot reach full range of transposition then After using controls assigned this way actual transposition is displayed in MiDisp module if such is connected 5 2 13 Velocity 2139 Position of this pot will then determine velocity parameter of all MIDI notes played If assigned to a keyboard each key will set velocity of all notes in 1 128 steps across the keyboard Range can be adjusted with transposition settings There can be only one such potentiometer for the whole system and its settings affect all notes played on all keyboards in all channels It s not intended for initialisation setup during installation but rather as a way of performance expression during play To set the velocity once and always use chosen value even after power cycle 12 use parameter 2149 chapter 5 2 23 It works exactly like the one described here but additionally it remembers last position in nonvolatile memory so it will use the same value after next power up R23
17. an assign completely different MIDI events and channels for ON state and OFF state like described in chapters 5 2 and 5 3 Both states work like potentiometer action but the value is always the same determined by display ID see 7 8 3 for details 7 8 2 Momentary mode 909 In momentary mode it works almost like a keyboard It is useful if you want to connect mechanical toggle switch Apart from momentary action all other 27 functionality is exactly like in toggle mode ON state generates different event than OFF state and can be programmed 7 8 3 Display ID set 914 Each MiDisp in the system has individually set parameter called Display ID Currently it is used only as value for on off events of the button connected to MiDisp To change display ID you have to select it by pressing its button first Then enter command 914 and the display will show current ID waiting for new digits Possible values are from 00 to 99 This parameter is associated with the display itself and does change when you replace the module to another MRG input or another position in a chain 7 8 4 Display ID show 920 You can check display IDs of all MiDisp modules in the system at once First you have to press a button of any LCD in the chain and then enter command 920 Then all displays connected to MRG will show their current display ID 7 8 5 Display blink 918 This is simply to make the MiDisp blink for a while If you have ch
18. annel shift for all Controls 33126 12 5 2 11 Small Transposer 4 2137 enee egg dee Seege Gegner Sen 12 52 12 BiG Transposer 2138 sass ch cedars a ANNEKE e 12 Be 2s Sy VOICI Se 218 EE 12 5 2 14 Native Instruments B4 chorus vibrato 2140 cccccesseeseeseeeseeeeeeeeeaneeeens 13 5 2 15 Midilzer stops control F214 1 vcisisessiiwciexsssiassracceudinansseadeveasasseeenaeuarieeeaees 13 5 2 16 Ahlborn Archive module stops Control 22147 13 5 2 17 Ahlborn Organs stops Control S71A3 REENEN 13 5 2 18 Program selector KA BEE 13 52 19 Bank selector geesde Ee Zeene ed 13 5 2 20 Ahlborn Common Functions 2146 ccccssseeeessseeeseesesseeeseeeesaeeesaeeenaeees 14 5 2 21 3 note chord collect E TE 14 5 2 22 Dual note layered sound A 714A8 ENNER 14 5 2 23 One time velocity setup 2149 ccccccsssseceessssecenssseeeesansseeeesastenseeensees 15 5 2 24 Single keyboard transposition buttons 2150 to II 15 5 2 25 Channel set buttons 2154 amp SIb E 15 5 2 26 All keyboards transposition 2156 to 2159 ceeeeesseeeeenseeeeeeaneeeneees 15 5 2 27 MIDI notes for stops Control 23160 15 5 2 28 Reversed notes action 2161 ccccccccssseccesssseressssecseeeseseeseeeesastensesenaess 15 5 2 29 Program up down 2162 amp II 16 5 3 MIDI Channel 3 is ozs Ss bcecdc nes exter eacnceccus pcbeneceeioustinn Ee 16 5 4 Program Change FFs E 16 ET Ee ie Ke 17 5 6 Programming Patch Recall Buttons 26 G Rei e 6
19. ay can only have range 1 128 If last selected program was entered with 4 command i e was greater than 128 the number memorized will be the one from Program Change part regardless of actual Bank Select used 17 For example if patch 700 was selected as 4 700 actual number stored will be 700 modulo 128 that is 60 To have Program Change memory in multiple channels you may use multiple keyboard scanners or splits but total number of PC recall buttons must not be greater than 64 in entire MIDI system built with one MRGx Also if 2 or more scanners are used this way the same input in every scanner will generate the same Program Change although in separately defined channel 6 Utilities 6 1 MIDI merge input MRG2 only 972 There s MIDI merging input in MRG2 board It gives you possibility to connect any existing MIDI controller and use it together with all scanners connected to MRG2 All activity on MRG2 controllers and your existing controller connected to MIDI IN are available then at one MIDI output This is called MIDI merge function and it is similar to audio mixing in analog world Since version 2 3 of MRG2 all MIDI notes incoming to MIDI IN are affected by global transposition see chapter 5 1 4 while all other MIDI traffic leave the board unaltered MIDI data received at MIDI IN of MRG2 has priority over all scanners connected to MRG2 If there is heavy traffic coming into MRG2 like sys ex dumps you will not see an
20. canner is described in chapter 7 with connection schematics All potentiometers must be linear taper not audio in range 10 50k preferably 20k If there are 2 or more potentiometer scanners in the system they must be chained i e first board is connected to MRGx and second one is connected to first POT board etc If you use 2 inputs of MRGx to connect POT boards they both will share the same settings That means it would be like having 2 potentiometers for the same MIDI parameter on the same channel The chain of potentiometer scanners can be connected to any one of the MRGx inputs or any daisy chain input of other connected scanners but only one Only keyboard scanners can be connected to all inputs at the same time You can mix different kinds of POT scanners in one chain There can be for example two POT12 and BBSP at the end The total number of potentiometer inputs should not exceed 64 All additional inputs will be ignored 6 Every POT scanner has pins for connecting outer leads of the pots They are described as 5V and GND You must not connect any power to those pins they are only for connection end potentiometer taps All cables leading from POT scanners to potentiometers should be either shielded or very short no more than 30cm Using long non shielded cable may generate spurious MIDI messages when unexpected Typical microphone cable is good enough for preventing this even the low cost one 4 1 Analog inputs update rate
21. ctaves Each keyboard or actually each split in every keyboard scanner can be individually set Change is always performed for the last controller that was used prior entering transposition edit mode There are three ways of single keyboard transpose and one for global transposition If MiDisp module is available transposition is displayed after each change 5 1 1 Middle C select 1 This one is usable when you want to quickly align your keyboard with actual MIDI notes First you select the keyboard to edit by playing any note in it Enter followed by 1 on the keypad or EDIT pin and lowest contact in any keyboard scanner Now whatever key you press it will be the new position of the middle C MIDI note afterwards MIDI note number 36 You can select new position of middle C note anywhere between 3rd and top key of the keyboard 5 1 2 Transpose buttons Second option is to use transposition buttons There can be 4 of them two for semitone steps up down and two for octave steps up down Such buttons can be assigned as special events for potentiometer inputs The event numbers for this feature are one semitone up 150 one semitone down 151 one octave up 152 one octave down 153 Pressing such button shorting input to ground will affect the last played keyboard and this setting will be memorized in non volatile memory Here you don t have to enter entire command every time instead setting is accessible
22. d split can be easily changed To perform this turn the knob or play a key on the split you want to assign and then select the controller type by entering keys then 2 and then appropriate number from the list that follows You need to enter 2 or 3 digits for each input controller depending on entered number To assign another one again you must turn the pot it a bit or play the key on another split and then start from 2 sequence followed by event type number Possible MIDI event codes are from 000 to 161 Standard setting for a keyboard is 2 131 single notes and for analog input it s Continuous Controller 2 nnn where nnn is number from 001 up This is factory default If a keyboard is assigned to note on off event 131 or 161 only starting note by default is MIDI number 36 the same as most MIDI keyboards use Any other event sends MIDI values starting from 0 at lowest contact If for example keyboard is assigned to After Touch event the lowest contact will send MIDI After Touch with value 0 next value 1 and so on The starting point can be adjusted with transposition setting chapter 5 1 so the first contact can actually take any possible value 5 2 1 Control Change 2 CC Any MIDI Control Change number where CC is number in range from 000 up to 127 5 2 2 Pitch Bend 2128 The pot will work then like typical pitch bender If assigned to a keyboard each key will set pitch bender in 1 128 steps acros
23. es with momentary buttons and LEDs independent mode most useful as register control in organ emulator But it can be converted into a few variations finding its way toward other non typical uses Possible controls are 7 6 1 Split point 905 This is different kind of split than the one described in chapter 5 5 and is independent of that one So you can use both kinds of split at one time and they can be at different points even though it may not make much sense The 905 split controls only button s behavior and not actual MIDI data transmitted by MRGx to MIDI OUT socket Each split can work in different mode with independent or dependent buttons generating CC values or contact on offs To have different MIDI events or channels in the splits you have to also split it logically using procedure described in 5 5 7 6 2 Independent mode 908 In independent mode all buttons work without interactions to each other If a button is pressed associated LED lights and note on is sent by MRGx only if it is configured to send notes on this input sequence 2131 Another touch of this button and LED turns off and note off is sent To set this mode on a split you have to select it first by pressing one of the buttons in that split 7 6 3 Dependent mode 909 In dependent mode there can be only one LED active at a time If you press another button it will light up and any one that was previously lit will now turn off In this mode on
24. hey can be assigned to any pot or special switch input Event 154 rises the channel number of last played keyboard or last turned pot by one up while event 155 does the same but one channel down The settings are stored in non volatile memory 5 2 26 All keyboards transposition 2156 to 2159 This is similar to transposition setting described in chapter 5 2 24 also you can have 1 semitone buttons events 156 amp 157 and 1 octave buttons events 158 amp 159 But there are 2 main differences Here transposition is set at once for ALL keyboards in the system regardless of what was played last and this setting is applicable only as long as the power is on After power cycle transposition returns to initial settings as adjusted by other means This way of transposing is recommended for performance control where you may want to frequently shift all keyboards Go to chapter 5 1 2 for more details 5 2 27 MIDI notes for stops control 2160 In this mode keyboard plays normal MIDI notes just like with standard note event 131 chapter 5 2 5 but there are 2 differences Global Transposition does NOT affect this keyboard and starting note number is 0 like other non note events This is useful in organ emulators where stops can be controlled by note on off messages but you really don t want the stops to change positions every time Global Transposition is used 5 2 28 Reversed notes action 2161 If keyboard s contacts are
25. ile channel 1 needs to be entered as 2 digits namely 01 Channel 10 and above of course need 2 keystrokes too Then turn another potentiometer or strike a key in other keyboard and select its channel the same way Channel can be also set by buttons if you assign any 2 potentiometer inputs in the system to proper events They become then 2 inputs for buttons that change channel in steps one up or down for last used device in the system like keyboard or potentiometer Go to chapter 5 2 25 for details There s also temporary channel shift control for all devices keyboards and pots available if you assign event 136 for example to a small contact scanner like BBS24 This way you can have direct inputs for selecting MIDI channel with single key stroke Go to chapter 5 2 10 for details 5 4 Program Change 4 MRG boards allow to send Program Change MIDI messages in range 1 128 Several ways are available here s summary of them series of Program Change buttons in continuous numbering range using event 129 described in chapter 5 2 3 same as above but with each input programmable to a specific number using event 134 described in 5 2 8 up and down buttons for browsing through sequence of Program Change numbers programmed by the user as Patch Recall Buttons in chapter 5 6 available since version 2 4 Use events 162 and 163 to any analog inputs rotary switches for Bank and Program select described in chapters 5 2 18 19 16
26. keyboard while upper part takes settings of upper part which by default is 10 MIDI channels higher 8 in MRG3 To change MIDI channel type of event transposition or send a Program Change for split part follow directions described before regarding non split keyboard but now changes are made only to the split last played prior entering the edit mode To cancel existing split of a keyboard as usual play any note on that keyboard and set the split for the top note like this 5 lt top note gt This sets the end of ist split at the top note so in fact the upper one is not visible anymore Channel and starting note settings of upper split are also used in dual note mode described in 5 2 22 5 6 Programming Patch Recall Buttons 6 Whenever a program patch instrument selected from this MIDI controller is often used it is worth to memorize as fast recall button There can be 64 such buttons working in single MIDI channel Those buttons can be connected to any keyboard scanner MRGx will send the patch number in channel previously assigned to all those buttons with 3 command see chapter 5 3 To memorize any patch this way you have to first select this patch somehow by using any method described in chapter 5 4 Then simply press 6 and the key where the patch should be stored Next time whenever you press this key button the MIDI Program Change message will be transmitted with the number previously stored The number stored this w
27. keys have increasing MIDI Continuous Controller assigned Pressed key sends CC with max value 127 while key release generates the same CC but with minimum value 0 5 2 10 MIDI channel shift for all controls 2136 This is mostly usable with contact scanners First 16 keys work like MIDI channel selector for all controllers After one of the keys is hit notes played on all keyboards are played in altered channel Individual channel settings for every keyboard and potentiometer described in chapter 5 3 work together with this setting For example if one keyboard was set to channel 3 and you change the channel using this feature to 4 by hitting 5th key resulting channel is 7 3 4 If all controllers are set to channel 1 then all 16 keys assigned to this feature are direct channel selectors from 1 to 16 To use pot you should first reduce its resolution to 4 bits chapter 4 2 After using controls assigned this way actual channel change is displayed in MiDisp module if such is connected 5 2 11 Small Transposer 2137 Select the pot to be edited enter 2 137 Turning such pot will shift all notes played on ALL connected keyboard scanners by number of semitones determined by pot position In the middle it gives no shift and full rotation covers range from 4 to 4 semitones It s most useful when pot is replaced by 9 position switch with 8 resistors of equal value connected between switch leads Assigning this to a keyboard is
28. ly note on messages are generated there is no note off This is 24 most useful for selecting presets on MIDI instrument like described in chapters 5 2 3 and 5 2 8 To set this mode on a split you have to select it first by pressing one of the buttons in that split 7 6 4 Bank preset select 910 This mode requires prior split of the LITSW keypad sequence 905 described in chapter 7 5 1 If you then type 910 on the keypad LITSW board will work as patch selector with separate row of banks buttons and presets buttons If the split is made after 10 keys lowest 10 buttons will act like preset selector within a bank and all buttons above 10 as bank selectors Although it is possible to use this mode with independent buttons described in 7 5 2 most obvious use is together with dependent butons mode described in 7 5 3 Also it works best if inputs of both parts are set into CC value mode chapter 7 6 7 because in keyboard mode you are limited to values below 64 To use it then as Program Change selector you should program appropriate MIDI event on this input which for Program Change is 2129 The split point doesn t have to be after 10 buttons It can be e g after 6 buttons Then first bank will select patches from 1 to 6 second bank from 7 to 12 and so on 7 6 5 Disable bank select mode 911 To disable bank select mode described above you must type 911 sequence on the keypad It then returns to normal mode where each b
29. ncer or MIDI file player to MIDI IN of MRG2 and play selected MIDI file Configuration will be then saved in MRG2 just like it would be done by entering numerous setting commands from the Keypad This proces is also indicated at the LCD Settings covered by backup procedure are all channels events splits starting notes velocity and 64 user programmable Patch Recall memory locations NOT included are update rate and resolution of analog inputs settings of LITSW chapter 7 6 MiDisp chapter 7 8 Those can only be done manualy 6 4 Factory defaults 979 MRG controller has a lot of features to set and you may sometimes go one step too far so it may be useful to have last resort in form of factory defaults reset To do so play on any keyboard scanner connected MRG will not reset if last used controller was POT scanner and enter command 979 either from the keypad if you have one or from any contact scanner using lowest 10 keys as numbers from 0 to 9 in a way described in chapter 5 About one second later MRGx is ready to use with all factory settings in place If MiDisp module is used this process is clearly indicated at the display 19 7 Scanners MRGx board is the merging point for all keyboard and potentiometer scanners Depending on their sizes the whole system can cover up to 10 8 in MRG3 keyboards with 640 keys 512 in MRG3 over single MIDI socket together with 64 potentiometers at the same time When MIDI merging inp
30. ner and 13ms on second one assuming you have 2 As usual to change any settings for particular board select it first by moving a bit any potentiometer connected to board in question Then using your keypad enter the code from above table New settings will be activated and remembered 4 2 Bitwise resolution of analog inputs 96 Usually all MIDI parameters have 128 possible levels determined by 7 bit nature of MIDI standard In some cases it may be useful to reduce the number of possible levels or in another words number of information bits For example if you want to use MIDI channel rotary selector described in chapter 5 2 10 it s better to reduce resolution to 4 bits and have only 16 levels in full pot rotation In some software synthesizers you can select parameters using only a fraction of the full CC range And in organ emulators it s also sometimes desirable to have only a few steps in full pedal travel if it s used e g for crescendo Bit resolution is user adjustable in a similar way as update rate described above by using command 96x where x is desired bit resolution For example 967 makes the pot input 7 bits wide 128 levels this is default mode of operation For example 963 sets it to 3 bit resolution allowing for only 8 levels and 8 possible MIDI messages sent per full pot rotation It s adjustable per single input so you can set every analog input in the system individually To change resolution of the inpu
31. normally closed and open when key is pressed you may take advantage of this mode If keyboard is assigned to reversed action MIDI note on is sent when contact opens and note off when contact closes There is no need to short to ground any unused inputs of keyboard scanner 15 5 2 29 Program up down 2162 amp 2163 Those two can be assigned to any 2 analog inputs if potentiometer capable scanners are used Shorting such input to ground will cause next or previous Program Change number to be sent There are 64 memory location where you can program a sequence of Program Change numbers They can be set by 6 command see chapter 5 6 The up and down simply control the index of this sequence and send MIDI Program Change everytime they are pressed Both those inputs must have proper MIDI channel programmed as in chapter 5 3 If you have MiDisp connected their action is shown as current memory position 1 64 and stored Program number 1 128 available since version 2 4 5 3 MIDI Channel 3 Channel of each potentiometer and keyboard or split can be set individually To change MIDI channel of certain potentiometer select the pot by simply turning it a bit Likewise to select a contact scanner play any note or flip any switch whatever is connected Then you can select MIDI channel with the following sequence 3 lt channel number gt The channel number must be in range 1 16 Channels from 2 to 9 require only 1 key stroke wh
32. nother words pressing the button sends CC 70 with value range 0 63 and releasing a button CC 70 with value range 64 127 This is default way of controlling stops in Ahlborn Organs 5 2 18 Program selector 2144 Together with another pot configured as in 5 2 19 this mode allows to select one of 120 available MIDI Program Changes presets by use of 2 rotary switches Program selector selects one of 12 Programs within a bank For better feel you should rather use 12 position rotary switch To do so use the following schematics to build appropriate resistor network around the switch D OH x WI D H gt GND OUT 5 5 2 19 Bank selector 2145 This mode works in combination with the one described in 5 2 18 A potentiometer or switch assigned to this mode selects banks of 12 Programs E g if it is in lowest position you can select any of Program numbers from range 1 12 using Program 13 selector described before If you change the bank one position higher Program selector will then select programs from range 13 24 and so on up until program number 120 To use 10 position rotary switch instead of potentiometer you must add appropriate resistor network around the switch leads as shown in schematics above Bank selector and Program selector are useful only if you really want to select programs by rotary switches for example to match MIDI controller behavior to NI B4 Hammond emulator where bank selector works ex
33. nsrrnssrnrrssrnnrsnnrnnsnnrenennresrmns 750 5 DISDIBY Blink OLB EN 7 9 KEYPAD numeric entry for user MIDI eettings NN all chapters denoted with asterisk denote features available in 2 x versions later than 2 0 MIDI controller boards described here are products of MIDI hardware Roman Sowa ul Azotowa 15B 41 503 Chorz w Poland phone 48 532 425 835 email info midi hardware com www midi hardware com www midimplant com 2012 Roman Sowa boards made and manual printed in Poland EU manual edition 15 1 Overview This manual describes master 2 boards MRG2 and MRG3 as well as all compatible scanners Most of MRGx functions are the same but MRG2 has more scanner inputs and additionally MIDI merge input Whenever there is a difference between the 2 boards it is clearly stated The boards described here are the heart of medium to large scale consoles with multiple keyboards and various additional functions By themselves they cannot interface to any type of contacts or potentiometers But their main function is to combine external scanners and translate to MIDI MRG2 can also merge incoming MIDI traffic and connected scanners activity into single MIDI stream There are a few scanner inputs Each of them can take up to 128 keys if keyboard scanner is connected or up to 64 potentiometers if pot scanner is used Up to 10 keyboard scanners can work together 8 in MRG3 but only one input at a time can work with a chain of p
34. otentiometer scanners It is possible to combine keyboard and potentiometer scanners on one input thus 640 keys 512 in MRG3 and 64 pots can be connected Features MIDI merge input MRG2 only 5 scanner inputs in MRG2 and 4 in MRG3 for keyboards and potentiometers user defined split for every keyboard independent transposition for all keyboards splits user defined MIDI channel for each keyboard split and pot user defined MIDI event for each pot and keyboard split select Program Change from keyboard by entering number 001 999 all settings remain after disconnecting power DC power supply 5 5V 12V DC 2 Connections amp Power Supply MRG2 scanner inputs MIDI OUT MIDI IN activity LEDs MRG3 Scanner inputs EDIT button header Power supply 6 12V GND MIDI output Activity LED Scanner inputs Recommended power supply range is between 5 5 and 12V DC It is possible to run this board from lower voltage but its operation is not guaranteed then Current consumption depends on the number of attached scanners and varies between 2 and 15mA making it suitable for battery operation This figure doesn t include the load caused by potentiometers if they are used with appropriate scanners If LCD module takes more current about 15mA per display The board comes with screw terminals for power Make sure to use proper polarity of power supply Connecting power in reverse will not cause any damage but of course it will onl
35. ow O Ae ee te he te KA D x Sjj Oly S Ki ys al Le IN d The black connector holds 12 inputs for pot wipers and 2 2 4 6 8 19 12 14 for top and bottom taps The pin numbering within one lt He ee ee connector is shown here Notice orientation of the keying SST FAL slot If you don t use all potentiometers you may want to connect unused inputs to VCC pin 1 Keeping any or all inputs open is quite safe but in some cases may result in unexpected MIDI messages That s 26 most likely to happen with fast response settings described in chapter 4 1 With fast update rate and inputs left open moving one potentiometer may trigger unexpected other MIDI messages In such cases it is enough to connect all unused inputs to VCC pin 1 of the black connector and spurious messages will never appear again 7 8 MiDisp 2x16 characters display MRG boards have lots of useful features and all are available to the user without need of any PC or custom programmer Simply because there are so many parameters it may sometimes become difficult to follow every setup procedure without any clear indication what is happening To help in user settings and add yet another functionality you may use MiDisp module with the following features one input for external switch assignable the same way as any other scanner e text messages indicating every stage of user settings e backlit color changing depending on c
36. re giving predictive results 4 CC value mode where LITSW works like potentiometer scanner but with only min and max values The advantage of this mode is that you can assign totaly different MIDI channel and event to each button 5 bank select useful for preset selectors First it must be split in 2 parts 905 One works as bank select the other one as program select If the split is made on 10th key lower part is representing units and the upper one tens of selected value Of course it makes more sense when MIDI event 129 is assigned to that LITSW that s Program Change 23 It is possible to select more than one mode at once although not always it makes sense For example modes 1 2 as well as 3 4 are mutually exclusive but you can set for example modes 1 3 and 5 together The mode of operation can be assigned to all buttons or any the 2 splits if it was divided in a way described later 7 6 1 388888885 ssssssss ssssssssis 11 LED buttons 1 8 au IB aan Be J2 LED buttons 9 16 33 LED buttons 17 24 J4 connector to MRGx The pins of each LED button connector are interlaced for easier installation Odd pins are LED outputs and even pins are button inputs in the following manner pin 1 LED 1 pin 2 button 1 pin 3 LED 2 pin 4 button 2 etc This is shown in the schematic on the left Each 16 pin connector layout is the same Out of the box it generates note on and note off messag
37. s the keyboard Range can be adjusted with transposition settings 10 5 2 3 Program Change 2129 If assigned to a keyboard pressing each key will generate MIDI Program Change message with different patch number Starting number can be adjusted with transposition setting This is useful for organ emulators where bank of Program Change buttons can be used to work as pistons sets of registers Although this is rather unusual usage for a potentiometer it will generate MIDI Program Change messages with its every move Program Change can be also generated in numerous ways all are summarized in chapter 5 4 5 2 4 Channel After Touch 2130 Turning such pot will cause Channel After Touch messages to be sent out If assigned to a keyboard each key will set After Touch in 1 128 steps across the keyboard Range can be adjusted with transposition settings 5 2 5 Standard keyboard action single notes 2131 Whenever MIDI event 131 is assigned to a keyboard it works as typical MIDI keyboard playing MIDI notes It is also possible to generate a burst of glissando notes when this event is assigned to a pot Select the pot to be edited enter 2 131 This knob becomes then a note generator resembling quantized Theremin spitting series of notes with every pot move There s only one note played at a time with velocity set like described later and it is released just before new note is about to play Whole knob slow rotation plays 128 no
38. t key is digit 0 while 10 key is digit 9 This becomes obvious with mentioned numeric keypad As a general rule any change to a controller keyboard or potentiometer requires selecting this controller first before making change For example if you want to change MIDI channel of certain potentiometer move it enough to generate some action see 4 2 and go into MIDI channel settings mode Or to change the split point first play any note on the keyboard to be split and enter split point change mode In this chapter describing how to set all parameters whenever sign is mentioned it means the EDIT key connected to 2 pins shown in the layout section or the or key on numeric keypad if one is present in the system All three have exactly the same function Numeric entries are provided with the assumption that numeric keypad is used but the same can be achieved with lowest 10 keys of any keyboard connected to MRGx It helps to add a sticker over those 8 keys with numbers from 0 to 9 if only musical keyboard is used If you also have dedicated LCD module MiDisp all settings activity is clearly visible It s much easier then to follow what stage of programming you are in and short prompts are displayed according to your selection 5 1 Transposition starting note Transposition of any keyboard connected to MRGx is unlimited that means any key can generate any note from full MIDI range of more than 10 o
39. t turn the potentiometer connected to that input and then enter 96 from the keypad followed by number of bits you want to set If this potentiometer was previously set to very low resolution like 1 or 2 bits you have to turn the pot almost full rotation to select it for EDIT operations To start any pot for any kind of configuration event channel resolution it must first make some action and when you have only so little levels it takes much more rotation to cross next valid level and indicate to MRG board hi I m the last used pot any setting changes apply to me now 5 MIDI settings and special functions All settings are accessible from a keyboard connected to MRGx with any type of contacts scanner There is 2 pin header on MRGx board that should be connected to momentary switch This is the entry to EDIT mode and allows changing all settings of entire set Detailed procedures for all settings are described later in this chapter To make the settings more ergonomic and easier there s optional numeric keypad available similar to phone keypad It is connected the same way as any keyboard scanner with 4 wire cable and works like actual keyboard meaning it is possible to play notes with it But the advantage is the key which duplicates the EDIT button connected to on board header To change any settings in EDIT mode you must enter new value of given parameter To do so use lowest 10 keys of the keyboard as numeric entry Lowes
40. tes from entire MIDI range 5 2 6 Note on only 2132 This mode is somehow similar to the action described just before but only note on messages are generated that means whenever you move this pot new notes will be played and they will stay on forever unless proper note off message will be issued by another means 5 2 7 Note off only 2133 This is like note on mode described before but instead it sends out only note off messages Both modes can be used if you want separate inputs for note on and note off like for example in dual contact stop tabs in organs If assigned to a keyboard it will send only note offs so it may be used to quiet some notes played earlier 5 2 8 One touch Patch Recall 2134 Keyboard in this mode serves as an array of Program Change memory buttons Each key recalls Program Change or in another words selects a patch preset that was earlier programmed There s 64 memory locations so you can use one full 64 key scanner For example you can program key 1 to send Program Change 37 key 2 as PC 76 key 3 as PC 20 etc All buttons work in one channel selected with 3 command as described in chapter 5 3 Assigning Program Change numbers to a specific key is described later in chapter 5 6 Programming Patch Recall Buttons 11 5 2 9 CC keyboard 2135 This feature can be used only with keyboard In this mode you can use keyboard as toggle switches selecting min max values in a subset of CCs All
41. tion is DMS 2K adding 128 inputs This can be described as diode matrix driver for 2 keyboards The layout is shown on the next page There are two 16 way connectors used to connect diode matrix keyboards Smaller connector is to connect with main controller board MRGx The keyboards must have 8x8 scanning diode matrix that s very simple circuit made of diodes forming electric XY matrix Usually all modern keyboards are equipped with just that but sometimes the matrix is organized differently in 5x12 or 6x11 For those you may try 8x12 mode of DMS 2K but only one keyboard can be used 20 Ji connector of 1st group of keys 1 to 64 J2 connector of 2nd group of keys 65 to 128 J3 connector linking this board to J2 the main board J3 ease l Each 16 way connector works with one 8x8 keyboard Schematic on the right shows example of diode matrix compatible with DMS 2K board Although this is default matrix layout DMS 2K can be reconfigured by the user to work with 4 different 8x8 diode matrix types and also as a single keyboard scanner using 12x8 matrix The only requirement is that cathodes are connected to odd pins of DMS 2K connector and anodes to even pins Either directly or via key switch If 8x8 keyboard plays notes in wrong order you can try one of the 4 modes of DMS 2K operation in the following way 1 play any note on a keyboard connected to DMS 2K 2 enter
42. to solder wires This further reduces space required for installation because typical IDC headers would be too big Of course it may work in any other instrument controller requiring limited 24 number of contacts and up to 3 potentiometers The diagram below describes all connections to BBS24 to master controller 2 3 analog inputs 3 lowest note 7 A a e top note pot s upper ends 5V switch common amp pot s lower end 7 6 LITSW button scanner with LED drivers LITSW is the controller for lighted switches It has 24 inputs for contacts and 24 outputs for LEDs associated with them Available modes of operation for this board are 1 independent registers check boxes where each button click lights up or darkens the LED and proper MIDI message is generated according to MRGx setting for that scanner If this is MIDI note a note on is generated at LED turn on and note off when LED turns off If it is Program Change only one event is generated when the LED turns on 2 dependent choice radio buttons where only one LED button can be active lights up Pressing any other button causes previously lighted to turn off and the one pressed lights up now If assigned to notes only MIDI note on is generated this is more suitable for use with Program Change 3 contact on off mode where button action is recognized as typical contact scanner BBS So all kinds of MIDI events applicable to a keyboard are also possible he
43. urrent EDIT or other modes e MIDI monitor useful when checking communication MiDisp module can be connected anywhere in the system directly to MRG or in the chain with other scanners There may be several MiDisp modules connected to one MRG master controller but due to power limitations there should be no more than 5 display modules in one system To have more you should use power booster available on request Only one MiDisp will become system display during startup It will show all EDIT messages and MIDI monitor Other displays may be used only as 1 button controls with visual indication To maintain full compatibility you should use MiDisp in version 1 4 or later You may change the way how MiDisp operates to some extent To do any settings on particular display module you must select it first and the only way of doing that is to press the button connected to MiDisp button input or simply short those 2 pads temporarily with a piece of wire The pads to connect MiDisp button are located at the back of it and are clearly indicated More general guidelines about entering commands can be found in chapter 5 Possible controls are 7 8 1 Toggle mode 908 In toggle mode the module works like bistable SPDT switch If a button is momentarily pressed the display shows ON and turns white Appropriate MIDI message is sent via MRG s MIDI OUT Another button press and display turns blue showing OFF and another MIDI message is sent You c
44. ut is used to chain multiple MRG2 systems total size is only limited by MIDI standard itself Currently available sizes are 32 64 and 128 keys the last one has the 128 keys grouped in 2 keyboards For analog pots there are boards with 3 and 12 inputs 7 1 PDS diode matrix pedal scanner Pedal board controller takes care of 32 keys and two analog inputs usually all what s needed for pedals with 2 swell shoes It s a small board that fits inside pedal board and it connects to the main board via 1 12 supplied 4 wire cable from J2 connector 4 pads labeled as J3 are for potentiometers The picture shows how to connect the pots and also in which pot position you get the maximum or minimum value of MIDI parameter controlled by the pot Go MIN to chapter 4 for more about potentiometer connection Keys must be connected in diode matrix an example is shown below To change note order if it s not correct due to different diode matrix use the same procedure described in chapter 7 2 about DMS 2K commands 92x H deii j i i i ke ek f i A Low keys oe High keys The groups of 8 switches with 1 common lead must be separate In case of keyboard with 1 common bus bar going through entire keyboard you have to cut the bar every 8th key or use BBSP scanner instead KH infoo kat 7 2 _DMS 2K dual keyboard matrix scanner For keyboards with diode matrix ideal solu
45. utton in both splits have constant value regardless of what was pressed in the other split 7 6 6 Contact on off keyboard scanner mode 912 This is normal way of operation for this scanner When a button is pressed MRGx can then generate MIDI notes or any other MIDI event usable with a keyboard scanner This is the oposite to CC value mode described next To set this mode on a split you have to select it first by pressing one of the buttons in that split 7 6 7 CC value pot scanner mode 913 In this mode LITSW works a bit like potentiometer scanner When button is on it simulates turning a potentiometer to a maximum and when the button is off LED is turned off it resembles a potentiometer turned to minimum So it s like 24 pots with only 2 valid positions min and max This is useful for switching parameters in virtual instruments e g Hammond emulators For each button you can assign individual MIDI event like CC or anything else and MIDI channel To set this mode on a split you have to select it first by pressing one of the buttons in that split 7 6 8 Left split blink 916 When you type this sequence on a keypad LITSW will blink all LEDs in lower split of LITSW This can be used to determine where the split point is and where are the LEDs connected 25 7 6 9 Right split blink 917 When you type this sequence on a keypad LITSW will blink all LEDs in upper split of LITSW This can be used to determine where
46. y action from MRG2 scanners until the MIDI burst is finished In normal situations like playing MIDI files time codes etc you should experience no problems with increased latency The merger can be turned off if required by entering 972 from the keypad This is needed for example in Hauptwerk With merger turned off incoming MIDI is still recognized but not transmitted via OUT socket MIDI IN is used then only for setup and to receive display messages to LCD modules from Hauptwerk To turn the merger on again repeat 972 from the keypad This toggles merger s on off state Actual state is displayed after each change in LCD module if it is connected Merger s on off state is memorized and kept after power cycle Every time any MIDI data is received the MIDI IN indicator blinks 6 2 MIDI monitor 971 MRGx boards have one outstanding feature that helps during installation and troubleshooting You can use MIDI monitor if you have MiDisp dedicated LCD module chapter 7 8 To activate this function select 971 and the LCD will turn red showing DEBUG MODE Each activity on any scanner will be shown in the display Every time you press or release any key or turn the potentiometer the display will indicate last transmitted data In MRG2 you can also see incoming MIDI messages The meaning of displayed values are e D internal device number in the system e Ch MIDI channel 18 e EI event number as described in chapter 5
47. y key then set the channel any key in upper split 3 and channel number and optionally change starting note of upper split 1 and one of the 2 lowest key in the keyboard which are actually located in lower split see chapter 5 1 for details When finished cancel the split by setting its position to the top key Go to chapter 5 5 for details on split usage 5 2 23 One time velocity setup 2149 This is similar to velocity settings described in 5 2 13 but in addition it saves last used velocity settings in nonvolatile memory This should be used only during ke LJ Ww tW D a 14 installation when you want to set default velocity of notes after each power up For expression and frequent usage control the velocity by assigning 2139 5 2 24 Single keyboard transposition buttons 2150 to 2153 A potentiometer or special switch input can be assigned as setup buton for keyboard transposition There are 4 of them to choose and their event numbers are 150 to 153 one semitone up 150 one semitone down 151 one octave up 152 and octave down 153 Pressing such button shorting input to ground will affect only the last played keyboard and this setting will be memorized in non volatile memory Go to chapter 5 1 2 for more details 5 2 25 Channel set buttons 2154 amp 2155 MIDI channel of the last used keyboard or potentiometer can be changed in single steps up or down by using these special events T
48. y work with proper power polarity The 6 pin header at the left side of PCB contains optional connections for external activity LEDs for MIDI OUT and IN and the EDIT momentary button The button allows changing al user settings as described in chapter 5 You don t need that if special programing KEYPAD is present in the MIDI system or if you don t want to change any default settings xx ia _ Here s detailed pinout OUT IN EDIT 3 Keyboards Keyboard switches are connected to keyboard scanner There are several scanners available for 24 32 64 128 keys with switches organized in 8x8 matrix and single rod bus bar All are described in chapter 7 Type of the scanner is determined by keyboard size and the way how switches are organized Connection between keyboard scanner and MRG main board is always the same regardless of the type of scanner MIDI settings of those keyboards can be changed by the user after all connections are in place 8x8 scanner driver can be used if the keyboard has scanning diode matrix that s very simple circuit made of diodes forming electric XY array of 8 rows and 8 columns Usually all modern keyboards are equipped with it In fact it is integral part of the contacts board found beneath the keys Those kind of keyboards can work directly with DMS 2K scanner Its advantage is that it can connect 2 such keyboards Older keyboards and especially those used in old analog organs usually don t have such a thing
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