Connecting to Miditzer with Artisan

[cswift]

P.S.  How do you do the "Originally posted by" block

 

Carl

[greenfox]

P.S.  How do you do the "Originally posted by" block?

 

Hi Carl

 

You came very close to getting it.

 

You start your reply post by clicking the "Quote" icon in the top right area of the post you want to quote.  This will give you everything written in that post in an "Originally posted by...." box at the top of your new post.

 

You can edit it if you wish (cut out irrelevant text) but be careful not to alter the {quote=xxxx} at the beginning, and the {/quote} at the end. 

 

(I have used different brackets to show the format because if I use the square brackets it displays an "Originally posted by" box.)

greenfox2008-06-04 19:36:40

[greenfox]

As an aside, is it possible for Miditzer to be configured with more than 1 Aux input? It would seem that when this input is dedicated to, for instance, Program Change information (on MIDI channel 15 for instance), to drive Pistons, it does not seem to recognise Control messages, which, it would seem, that Miditzer needs for Stop input. Or am I missing something here.

[toplayer2]

My two cents:

 

While Artisan uMIDI can provide simple MIDI outs for manuals, pedals, pistons and swells, most often it is installed in a console fitted with real SAM stops.   As such, it serves as a full console, capture combination action and relay.   This is essentailly what MiditZer does execpt for the manual and piston inputs.   A full Artisan system thus only needs a sample player to act as the pipework to created a digital organ.   I've done it.  Click this link and scroll down to the photo "Joe Hardy's 260 VTPO".

 

http://prosites-allmanmusic.homestead.c ... loads.html 

 

This console was fitted with 225 SAMs and the legacy Artisan system.  I used it to drive 9 Alesis QSR modules using samples I authored 10 or 12 years ago.  

 

Today, one would be better off with a single computer to play VTPO samples.   Here are some of the choices:

 

• Sfz as a free sample player with the Bruce Miles, John Tay or Kent Allman soundfonts.


• Artisan's Sound Engine plus Artisan rank samples


• GigaStudio Orchestra or LinuxSampler as the sample player and the UGSF VTPO samples


• Hauptwerk 3 in stand-alone mode and the Jensen or Milan VTPO samples

The advantage of real stops is that this is by far the most user freindly interface for hand registering an organ.  The disadvantage is you are pretty much locked in to the stop specification, whereas with a virtual organ, you can rapidly switch to a completely different spec.   This is mainly why today I use a touchscreen interface.   At the end of the day for me, it is "how good does it sound".

Joe Hardy

[Barry]

Hi all,

Some progress today. I can now operate the stop tabs (pedal set up only so far) from the organ running MicroMIDI (uMIDI) Artisan to MidiTzer. I will try to attach a part of my config file.

 

;Control System Configuration (Test dayver6.ucf).
;
*umidi_module ;#1
;
*HV64
;
;PEDAL
;
*input_bit=p_TubaHorn16  *bit=1       *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=1  
*input_bit=p_Diaphone16  *bit=2       *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=2 
*input_bit=p_Bourdon16  *bit=3       *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=3 
*input_bit=p_StringBass  *bit=4       *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=4

 

;(etc)
;
;GREAT
;
*input_bit=g_Tuba16  *bit=18      *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=18
*input_bit=g_Diapason16  *bit=19      *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=19
*input_bit=g_Tibia16  *bit=20      *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=20
;(etc)
;SOLO 
;
*input_bit=s_Bombarde16  *bit=41      *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=41
*input_bit=s_Tuba16  *bit=42      *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=42
*input_bit=s_Kinura16  *bit=43      *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=43
(etc)
*HV64
;
;blind_combination_action
;
;input_bit=  *bit=1  *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=53
;input_bit=  *bit=2  *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=54
(This to be expanded later)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
*input_bit=ps_1   *bit=8       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=1
*input_bit=ps_2   *bit=9       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=2
*input_bit=ps_3    *bit=10       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=3
*input_bit=ps_4    *bit=11       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=4
*input_bit=ps_5    *bit=12       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=5
*input_bit=ps_6    *bit=13       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=6
*input_bit=ps_7    *bit=14       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=7
*input_bit=ps_8    *bit=15       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=8
*input_bit=ps_9   *bit=16       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=9
*input_bit=ps_10   *bit=21       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=10
*input_bit=ps_11   *bit=22       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=11
*input_bit=ps_12   *bit=23       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=12
*input_bit=ps_13   *bit=24       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=13
*input_bit=ps_14   *bit=25      *midi_channel=15 *program_change=14
*input_bit=ps_15   *bit=26       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=15
*input_bit=cancelBit *bit=27  *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=60
;input_bit=rangeBit *bit=28  *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=61
*input_bit=setBit *bit=29  *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=62
*input_bit=mapBit *bit=30  *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=63
*input_bit=p_SnareDrum *bit=31  *midi_channel=15 *midi_note=64
*input_bit=ps_16   *bit=47       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=16
*input_bit=ps_17   *bit=48       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=17
*input_bit=ps_18   *bit=49       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=18
*input_bit=ps_19   *bit=50       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=19
*input_bit=ps_20   *bit=51       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=20
*input_bit=ps_21   *bit=52       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=21
*input_bit=ps_22   *bit=53       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=22
*input_bit=ps_23   *bit=54       *midi_channel=15 *program_change=23
;
*umidi_module ;#2
;
*HV64
;
*div=great *bits=1,61 *mch=1 *mno=36
;
*HV64
;
*div=solo *bits=1,61 *mch=4 *mno=36
;
*HV64
;
*div=accomp *bits=1,61 *mch=2 *mno=36
;
*umidi_module ;#3
;
*control=ex1 *midi_channel=15 *bit=1 *midi_controller=7 *range=1,65
*control=ex2 *midi_channel=15 *bit=2 *midi_controller=8 *range=1,65
;
*HV64
;
*div=pedal *bits=1,32 *mch=3 *mno=36
;
;input_bit=    *bit=33       *midi_channel=3 *midi_note=33
;input_bit=    *bit=34      *midi_channel=3 *midi_note=34
;input_bit=     *bit=35       *midi_channel=3 *midi_note=35
(This to be expanded later);
*umidi_module ;#4
;
*blind_combination_action
*cancel = cancelBit
;range = rangeBit
*set = setBit
*map = mapBit
*piston = ps_1
*piston = ps_2
*piston = ps_3
*piston = ps_4
*piston = ps_5
*piston = ps_6
*piston = ps_7
*piston = ps_8
*piston = ps_9
*piston = ps_10
*piston = ps_11
*piston = ps_12
*piston = ps_13
*piston = ps_14
*piston = ps_15
*piston = ps_16
*piston = ps_17
*piston = ps_18
*piston = ps_19
*piston = ps_20
*piston = ps_21
*piston = ps_22
*piston = ps_23
;
*tab = p_TubaHorn16
*tab = p_Diaphone16
*tab = p_Bourdon16
*tab = p_StringBass
*tab = p_SustainPedal
*tab = p_Tibia8
*tab = p_Accomp2Pedal
*tab = p_SnareDrum
*tab = a_TubaHorn8
(Most removed for clarity in this post)
;
*midi_command (p_TubaHorn16) 190,81,120
*midi_command (!p_TubaHorn16) 190,80,120
*midi_command (p_Diaphone16) 190,81,121
*midi_command (!p_Diaphone16) 190,80,121
*midi_command (p_Bourdon16) 190,81,122
*midi_command (!p_Bourdon16) 190,80,122
*midi_command (p_Tibia8) 190,81,125
*midi_command (!p_Tibia8) 190,80,125
*midi_command (p_Accomp2Pedal) 190,83,002
*midi_command (!p_Accomp2Pedal) 190,82,002
*midi_command (p_SnareDrum) 190,83,23
*midi_command (!p_SnareDrum) 190,82,23
;
*end

 

As mentioned within the post, most info has been deleted so that the post is not too long, but to give the general idea. I was unaware that note input and Program Change can be mixed on the same card. It does work however. If anyone has any ideas, I am very receptive.

Cheers!

Barry

[greenfox]

Well done Barry!

 

Good to see your progress.  With that under your belt, the rest will be a snap.

 

In theory now, you should be able to manually add a stop to a piston generated combination.  I suspect that to turn off a tab that has been selected by a piston you would need to turn it on then off again.  I will be interested in your feedback as to how it actually functions.

[cswift]

Good work Barry,

 

Apparently, because you are not trying to run SAMs and full Combination Action Functions, there is enough capaciity in your UMIDI module to accommodate the additional function.  Unfortunately, I'm out of resources in the uMIDIs I am using and need another.  If you exceed the capacity of your uMIDI, you may be able to improve the situation by abreviating the names of the stops.  I'm not sure what microprocessor Artisan is using on the uMIDI, but its capacity is not infinite and every byte (character) counts.

 

Carl

cswift2008-06-11 06:47:12

[cswift]

Rick, Barry, and other interested members,

 

This is a quick progress report.  I received the additional uMIDI module this afternoon and was able to conduct a quick test on the Rodgers 340.  By uisng the *midi_command function, in the 7th uMIDI module, I was able to have Pistons, SAMs, Combination Action, Stop Control, keyboards, and 3 expression pedals functional on the 260SP.  In addition, it turns out that the Artisan Stop Control method is still functional.

 

It appears that by using the uMIDI module with 4 midi outputs it would be possible to have the Miditzer and at least one other sound engine simultaneously actvie, if that struck your fancy.

 

Big task now is deciding which of the multitude of 260SP stops we want on the 105 SAMs.

 

Carl

[greenfox]

Hi Carl

 

Thank you for your progress report.  Well done.  It sounds like you have a very functional console and are quite rightfully pleased with your results.

 

Further to helping Barry with his system, I wanted to check the functionality you have described would actually work for the restoration / conversion of a genuine Wurlitzer 185 console.

 

What I would like to do is have the console do the combination memory function to SAM's.  So we would not send piston information to Miditzer, only Tab's, notes / pedals, second touch, 2x swell & crescendo.

[Barry]

Hello Rick,

I suspect you are correct when you mention that a stop would need to be turned on, then off again if preciously set on a piston with blind combination actions. However, a future project may be to fit SAM's if I can get a supply for a reasonable cost.

I am using some of the 20 switches that I fitted to the straight rail (in place of piston indicator lights on the Conn 650), and have put some of the lesser used voices there, as well as some couplers and 'trinkety' bits.

Received 18 more pistons from the USA today, so it's back to the carpentry.

Regards,

Barry