Emax

Okay all you Emax midi boffins, can anybody solve this conundrum...

Using a mixer map in Cubase 3.1, on my Atari, I can remotely control
every parameter of my Emax SE Rack in real time and even record those
tweaks. Obviously all the data required by the Emax is send via midi
as that is the only kind of cabling connecting them.

Working on this principle I thought I might be able to teach my
Behringer BCR2000 midi control surface to do the same thing using its
own control parameter 'learn' function, thus giving me hands-on
'knobby' control of the complete analogue processing of my Emax. I'm
sure you can see where I'm going with this - flexibility way beyond
the limits of the regular realtime controls.

Unfortunately there seems to be some kind of communication breakdown
between the two units and no midi signal is received by the BCR2000
when tweak any of the Emax Analogue processing parameters. Next I
connected the BCR2000 to the Atari and sent it midi signals from the
controls of the Emax midi mixer. The message displayed on the BCR2000
then read 'bAd' which, according to its manual, means data that is
wrong, faulty or too extensive has been received.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? The idea of controlling my Emax like
a hands-on analogue synth is just too exciting a prospect to walk away
from.

Cheers,
Alan

According to the MIDI implementation chart on page 135, the Emax only
sends real-time controller information for mod wheel, pitch bend and
sustain pedal. Editing parameters on the Emax front panel isn't going
to send any controller data.

From the manual: "Emax has 6 realtime sources: left wheel, right
wheel, pressure, pedal, MIDI A and MIDI B. These sources may be the on
board controls or coming in over MIDI, or both. Each realtime control
source can be assigned to any MIDI CC# from 0 to 31. Emax has 9
realtime destinations: pitch, filter, level, LFO->pitch, LFO->filter,
LFO->level, attack, pan and crossfade."

If you want complete control over *every* parameter in the Emax via
MIDI, you'll have to use System Exclusive messages instead of MIDI
continuous controler (CC) messages.

I used to have a copy of the Emax sysex docs, but can no longer find
them. I'm sure they're online somewhere (haven't looked).

Hope that helps,
Dave

On Nov 26, 2007 6:59 AM, alancurrall <alan@...> wrote:
>
> Okay all you Emax midi boffins, can anybody solve this conundrum...
>
>  Using a mixer map in Cubase 3.1, on my Atari, I can remotely control
>  every parameter of my Emax SE Rack in real time and even record those
>  tweaks. Obviously all the data required by the Emax is send via midi
>  as that is the only kind of cabling connecting them.
>
>  Working on this principle I thought I might be able to teach my
>  Behringer BCR2000 midi control surface to do the same thing using its
>  own control parameter 'learn' function, thus giving me hands-on
>  'knobby' control of the complete analogue processing of my Emax. I'm
>  sure you can see where I'm going with this - flexibility way beyond
>  the limits of the regular realtime controls.
>
>  Unfortunately there seems to be some kind of communication breakdown
>  between the two units and no midi signal is received by the BCR2000
>  when tweak any of the Emax Analogue processing parameters. Next I
>  connected the BCR2000 to the Atari and sent it midi signals from the
>  controls of the Emax midi mixer. The message displayed on the BCR2000
>  then read 'bAd' which, according to its manual, means data that is
>  wrong, faulty or too extensive has been received.
>
>  Anyone have any thoughts on this? The idea of controlling my Emax like
>  a hands-on analogue synth is just too exciting a prospect to walk away
>  from.
>
>  Cheers,
>  Alan

Ah! The mysterious SYSEX rears its enigmatic head again.
Thanks Dave,
Alan
On 26 Nov 2007, at 4:37PM, Dave Sotnick wrote:

> According to the MIDI implementation chart on page 135, the Emax only
> sends real-time controller information for mod wheel, pitch bend and
> sustain pedal. Editing parameters on the Emax front panel isn't going
> to send any controller data.
>
> From the manual: "Emax has 6 realtime sources: left wheel, right
> wheel, pressure, pedal, MIDI A and MIDI B. These sources may be the on
> board controls or coming in over MIDI, or both. Each realtime control
> source can be assigned to any MIDI CC# from 0 to 31. Emax has 9
> realtime destinations: pitch, filter, level, LFO->pitch, LFO->filter,
> LFO->level, attack, pan and crossfade."
>
> If you want complete control over *every* parameter in the Emax via
> MIDI, you'll have to use System Exclusive messages instead of MIDI
> continuous controler (CC) messages.
>
> I used to have a copy of the Emax sysex docs, but can no longer find
> them. I'm sure they're online somewhere (haven't looked).
>
> Hope that helps,
> Dave
>
> On Nov 26, 2007 6:59 AM, alancurrall <alan@...>  
> wrote:
> >
> > Okay all you Emax midi boffins, can anybody solve this conundrum...
> >
> > Using a mixer map in Cubase 3.1, on my Atari, I can remotely control
> > every parameter of my Emax SE Rack in real time and even record  
> those
> > tweaks. Obviously all the data required by the Emax is send via midi
> > as that is the only kind of cabling connecting them.
> >
> > Working on this principle I thought I might be able to teach my
> > Behringer BCR2000 midi control surface to do the same thing using  
> its
> > own control parameter 'learn' function, thus giving me hands-on
> > 'knobby' control of the complete analogue processing of my Emax. I'm
> > sure you can see where I'm going with this - flexibility way beyond
> > the limits of the regular realtime controls.
> >
> > Unfortunately there seems to be some kind of communication breakdown
> > between the two units and no midi signal is received by the BCR2000
> > when tweak any of the Emax Analogue processing parameters. Next I
> > connected the BCR2000 to the Atari and sent it midi signals from the
> > controls of the Emax midi mixer. The message displayed on the  
> BCR2000
> > then read 'bAd' which, according to its manual, means data that is
> > wrong, faulty or too extensive has been received.
> >
> > Anyone have any thoughts on this? The idea of controlling my Emax  
> like
> > a hands-on analogue synth is just too exciting a prospect to walk  
> away
> > from.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Alan
>
> 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I use the mod wheel to control filter cutoff. It works pretty well
with the mpc60 sequencer. 6 controllable real time parameters isn't
that bad, especially when you can make copies of presets with
different VCA and filter settings etc and assign them via super mode
to different midi channels.

The way I do it is record something into the sequencer, then if I want
a particular note to sound different, assign that note to a different
midi track with a preset with the same sounds but different settings.
Sort of does the job for me since it's easy to copy and change presets.

To know how controlling everything on sysex works would be nice but it
sounds complicated. Please let us know when you find out more...

hope that helps...

I don't know if this will help any (I haven't dealt with SysEx a lot),
but The Emulator Archive has a manual library for the Emax here:
http://www.emulatorarchive.com/Manuals/ManualsEmax/manualsemax.html
There's a document about Emax SysEx there; maybe you can get something
from it...?
--- In emax@yahoogroups.com, "Dave Sotnick" <sotnickd@...> wrote:
>
> According to the MIDI implementation chart on page 135, the Emax only
> sends real-time controller information for mod wheel, pitch bend and
> sustain pedal. Editing parameters on the Emax front panel isn't going
> to send any controller data.
> 
> From the manual: "Emax has 6 realtime sources: left wheel, right
> wheel, pressure, pedal, MIDI A and MIDI B. These sources may be the on
> board controls or coming in over MIDI, or both. Each realtime control
> source can be assigned to any MIDI CC# from 0 to 31. Emax has 9
> realtime destinations: pitch, filter, level, LFO->pitch, LFO->filter,
> LFO->level, attack, pan and crossfade."
> 
> If you want complete control over *every* parameter in the Emax via
> MIDI, you'll have to use System Exclusive messages instead of MIDI
> continuous controler (CC) messages.
> 
> I used to have a copy of the Emax sysex docs, but can no longer find
> them. I'm sure they're online somewhere (haven't looked).
> 
> Hope that helps,
> Dave
> 
> On Nov 26, 2007 6:59 AM, alancurrall <alan@...> wrote:
> >
> > Okay all you Emax midi boffins, can anybody solve this conundrum...
> >
> >  Using a mixer map in Cubase 3.1, on my Atari, I can remotely control
> >  every parameter of my Emax SE Rack in real time and even record those
> >  tweaks. Obviously all the data required by the Emax is send via midi
> >  as that is the only kind of cabling connecting them.
> >
> >  Working on this principle I thought I might be able to teach my
> >  Behringer BCR2000 midi control surface to do the same thing using its
> >  own control parameter 'learn' function, thus giving me hands-on
> >  'knobby' control of the complete analogue processing of my Emax. I'm
> >  sure you can see where I'm going with this - flexibility way beyond
> >  the limits of the regular realtime controls.
> >
> >  Unfortunately there seems to be some kind of communication breakdown
> >  between the two units and no midi signal is received by the BCR2000
> >  when tweak any of the Emax Analogue processing parameters. Next I
> >  connected the BCR2000 to the Atari and sent it midi signals from the
> >  controls of the Emax midi mixer. The message displayed on the BCR2000
> >  then read 'bAd' which, according to its manual, means data that is
> >  wrong, faulty or too extensive has been received.
> >
> >  Anyone have any thoughts on this? The idea of controlling my Emax
like
> >  a hands-on analogue synth is just too exciting a prospect to walk
away

> >  from.
> >
> >  Cheers,
> >  Alan
>

On 27.11.2007, at 13:42, Pete wrote:
> I don't know if this will help any (I haven't dealt with SysEx a lot),
> but The Emulator Archive has a manual library for the Emax here:
> http://www.emulatorarchive.com/Manuals/ManualsEmax/manualsemax.html
> There's a document about Emax SysEx there; maybe you can get something
> from it...?
>

Stupid question, does the Emax II have a similar Sysex implementation  
as the Emax?

On the link above, I find a sysex manual for Emax I, but not for Emax  
II.

A quick search in the Emax II User Manual yields, that the MIDI  
implemetation chart says that it sends and receives sysex, and it  
says "call for documentation". Does anyone know more?

Thanks,
Peter

-- 
weil, wer nicht tanzt und radfährt,
nicht als Bär infrage kommt!

The Emax II manual is still available from emu's website into the
legacy hardware support, for free off course as a pdf document fyi !

cheers

laurent