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MIDI control of Matrix-1000



hey folks,

sorry for the off-topic mail - i imagine that the brilliant readers of this
mailing list might be able to assist me (lots of oberheim edp and peavey
pc1600 users here!)  since i bought my awesome waldorf microwave 2 xt, i
look to my other gear with a whole new level of expectations.  last night,
i revisited my neglected oberheim matrix-1000, seeking better midi realtime
control of patch parameters (where are the knobs damnit?!!)  

at one point last year, i went through the process of setting up a couple
control patches on my peavey PC1600 midi controller to allow me to tweak
matrix-1000 patches in realtime.  in particular, of course, i wanted to be
able to adjust in realtime the filter cutoff and resonance, as well as
various other things like wave shapes, FM amount, mix, oscillator
frequencies, etc.  i used sysex strings from the pc1600 to map the sliders
and buttons to do these things.  unfortunately, when adjusting some of the
parameters in realtime, the synth would act strangely, hanging notes, etc.
 the worst of them all is the filter cutoff frequency.  the matrix-1000
sysex chart calls it the "VCF Initial Frequency" which sort of implies that
you're not supposed to be wiring this to a slider and reaming it with
values...

now, an alternative approach is to modify the matrix-1000 patch with a
modulator to map a continous controller to filter cutoff frequency, and
then set up a pc1600 slider to send that CC- this works beautifully.
obviously, this is less than ideal, because i have to modify the
matrix-1000 patch before i can tweak it from the pc1600, potentially
clobbering something else in the modulation matrix...  also, there are only
9 slots in the matrix, and only 4 or 5 possible CC's that act as sources in
the matrix.  so i can't really get control over a bunch of patch parameters
simultaneously.  (however, if this is my only option, i can set up the
pc1600 with a button which sends out a big sysex string to change the
synth's modulation matrix paths.) 

SO, now for the big mystery question.  at the very end of the matrix-1000
manual, there is a paragraph which implies that you can control patch
parameters from continuous controllers without the modulation matrix and
without sysex.   i however do not understand it, and after a couple hours
experimenting with pc1600 midi strings, was unable to get any results.
The "active continuous controllers" chart lists the following:

98  Non-Reg Parm LSB
99  Non-Reg Parm MSB
100 Reg Parm LSB
101 Reg Parm MSB

Registered parameters:
00  Pitch Bend Range
01  Fine Tune
02  Transpose

and then there is the following paragraph:
"Non-registered parameters may be used to control any parameter by using
the front panel parameter number.  Matrix modulations must be controlled by
use of the System Exclusive message.  When using registered or
non-registered parameter editing, all received data entry controller values
are offset by 40h, except when the currently selected paraemeter is the
register pitch bend range [...] this allows for transmission of negative
numbers."

this seems to imply that you can send one CC message with a parameter
number followed by another CC message with a value.  i tried sending CC 98
as the num and CC 99 as the value, and vice versa.  i tried all kinds of
things!  unfortunately my original MIDI 1.0 spec doesn't discuss this, and
the oberheim manual doesn't elaborate...  i don't have a chart of "front
panel parameter numbers" either.

sorry for the lengthy email.  i'm really hoping i can make my matrix-1000
more usable.

thanks!
-john

......................................................
john s cooper                     opcode systems, inc
http://www.planetz.com          http://www.opcode.com

Please vote for my band, Z music, at www.bestband.com