Patches and discussion for Ensoniq VFX family

Michael, 
  There are lightning systems (or rather lighting controllers) that 
accept MIDI controls.  It is actually quite fun to program lights via 
MIDI, because it is as easy as hitting the corresponding key on the 
keyboard that syncs with the desired lighting can.  It is a matter of 
MIDI note numbers.  You read the MIDI layout of the controller (or 
set them up how you want to  on the controller), and hit the 
corresponding note on the keyboard that transmits that particular 
MIDI note number.
  The same applies to doing effects and other program changes.  In my 
setup in California when I was doing much solo shows than I currently 
do, I used my Ensoniq SQ2 to send program changes to my Alesus 
MIDIVerb II.  When there was a particular solo that I wanted a lot of 
delay on, I would hit that track button while in preet mode and it 
would send a program change (on the MIDI channel assigned to the 
MIDIVerb II), to the efx unit and change presets to accomodate the 
new efx program.  When I went back to the original sound, I simply 
hit that button and it sent the original program back to the Alesis.
  It is all a matter of numbers and channels.
  Sometimes, you have more devices than channels as well (when you 
combine a very track sequence with the assigned device MIDI channels, 
you might have more than 16 things going at once), and what I did was 
have a MIDI mapper to send out on two or more MIDI outputs at any 
given time, so I could accomodate all of that.  Additionally, I also 
had so many keyboards on stage that I would have up to 3 boards with 
the ability to send MIDI out to other boards and devices.  What that 
required was a programmable MIDI patch bay.  On any given song, I 
would be able to control any device from up to 3 other devices (one 
at a time of course), and those changes were sent to the MIDI patch 
bay via program # from the master keyboard, which was always in 
control.
  The downside to the Roland sequencer, is that I can only transmit 
on 16 channels all the time, so I have to be judicious in which board 
is controlling what.
  Since I now have the VFX (the SQ2 mainly stays in the studio now), 
I will probably use that to send changes to everything else and have 
the VFX get its program changes from the Roland.  I might have to get 
another patch bay and start using it live again to make it happen, 
but that is the price of total control.

Thank you, 

Harry Ebbeson III
Ebbeson Management Group
www.geocities.com/ebbrecords