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Patches and discussion for Ensoniq VFX family

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Re: Re: [Ensoniq-VFX-SD] Beware cheap chinese USB MIDI cables onebay...

2008-06-22 by Neil Wakeling

I think you are referring to "active sensing" where a synth or module sends out a stream of bytes to say "I'm still here!"

I don't know if many modern units stil ldo it but certainly i believe older synths did it or expected it.

try http://www.borg.com/%7Ejglatt/tech/midispec/sense.htm
http://www.planetoftunes.com/sequence/activesense.html

cheers
neil

Steve Wahl wrote:

Claus,

> As a test back then I tried hooking up my RD-170
> (Roland E-Piano): I wasn't even able to see the keys I pressed
> because the running status bytes were so many!!

I think we have a fundamental "impedance mismatch" here. What you
think is running status is not what I think is running status.

Your version of running status seems to create more bytes in the midi
stream, where the concept I'm talking about creates fewer bytes. Can
you give me byte values that are sent that would explain what you are
talking about, or point to some documentation?

What I believe is running status I find described in an old document
called usenet midi primer:

http://www.harmony-central.com/MIDI/Doc/primer.txt

Search for running status, the second occurance you find this:

For all of these messages, a convention called the "running status
byte" may be used. If the transmitter wishes to send another message
of the same type on the same channel, thus the same status byte, the
status byte need not be resent.

That's what I'm talking about. It means that the two hex byte
sequences "90 45 40 90 47 42" and "90 45 40 47 42" mean the same thing
(two note on messages); the second string can leave out the second
"90" note-on status byte because it is implied by what's called the
running status byte convention.

--> Steve

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