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1. NicEL8000
   Member

   Hi Tony,

   As you can probably tell by the time I'm writing this, I didn't get things tried out until late evening. Tsk! Not to worry, it was very interesting.... Also, in the meantime, the helpful Roland lad, (John) emailed me with a free software download from http://www.midiox.com/ , which enables you to do pretty much the same thing without the need for the box, although, the downside is it has to be plugged into the pc in order to do it. He hasn't given up on trying to find a solution though.....

   When I had it plugged into both, it was interesting to see that exp and pitch bend are both on CH16. To be honest, I'm too tired at the moment to investigate further, but I'll peruse it over the next few days when I get time.

   I see you've made the connection re Mike. He gave me your email add, but I didn't want to contact you without asking permission first.... There's one or two things I would like to consult you about (e.g is my PSR8000 which is linked up in the midi chain likely to affect the box), but I feel it's a bit unfair to the others on this site if I keep droning on about my questions and technical stuff all the time. While I don't want to exclude other people on this thread if it's of interest to them, I don't want to bore everyone with my problems :-)

   I'm calling it a night now. Perhaps we should start an Agony Aunt (or should that be Uncle?) column here!!

   One bit of advice:- Ditch the Lemsips, and pour yourself a large whisky...it does wonders for "Man Flu"!

   Cheers

   Nicola

   Posted 2 years ago #

2. tony400
   Member

   Hi nicola... ok so i spent a while trying to get the drums / rythms to transmit from the HX to the fantom. no joy yet... i notice when i press start on the HX the little green midi lights up now if i reduce the tempo with the wheel the light flashes slower, speed it up and the light gets faster .. so somethings going on .. i went to channel 10 on the fantom and selected a drum kit there to see if it would pick anything up.. .. it might be one for the midi box again .. il try this midiox later see if i can get anywhere with that .....

   besides how exactly have you got your set up linked together ? EL90 midi out to fantom midi in and then using the midi thru on the fantom to keyboard ?? or do you use a midi thru box ? i had a similar set up and when i linked the midi event processor up my other device (keyboard was all over the place) picking things id mapped on the box. i then bought a mid thru box but for some reason linking the thru box to the organ 1st then connecting the midi box and then to the fantom was no there wasnt enough power getting through..i emailed midi solutions about this and he said i would need a midi solutions power supply..never bothered though so its just the organ and the fantom now
   .. anyway i`ll take a look at that software later .. .
   no probs nicola you should have just emailed me on the add mike gave you .... and as for the large whisky .hmmm. last night i could have done with a full bottle .. must have aged 20 years in 3 hours..
   catch up soon ..
   Tony

   Posted 2 years ago #

3. NicEL8000
   Member

   Hi Tony,

   At what unearthly hour did YOU get out of bed this morning???!!!!! .....or did you get to bed at all.....? :-O

   I know what you mean about ageing 20 years....When I eventually got ready to connect it up last night, I found I hadn't installed the Roland drivers.... Where was the CD?.... at my Dads.....grr! My family think I'm losing the plot....

   I did manage to get a bizarre kind of drum loop sounding if I set the control channel to 4 (?!), but nothing that made much sense. It's SO frustrating when one instrument works so well, and another doesn't. I just had Paul Carman on the phone there (he's our artiste for next week), and I told him I may have to "mug" him for his Orla, since it seems to work so well :-)

   I'm using midi OUT from EL to midi IN on 8000, mid THRU on 8000 to midi IN on Fantom. I'm only using it that way as I've been using the 8000 midi setup for years, but, there's nothing to stop me trying it linked up 'back to front' with the Fantom 1st in the queue....

   It's interesting you mention the power 'drop', as that's why I'm currently on this 'mission' to get the Atelier/Fantom working without the need for the box, as it does seem to reduce the volume significantly.... :-(

   I'll just contact you directly Tony, as I'm sure that everyone else on this topic is now totally fed up with my 'ramblings'....

   If we find out anything further re linking the Fantom up, we can keep the others posted. Also, if the Roland lad has any news, I'll let you all know (he's another one on a mission!)

   Regards all,

   Nicola

   Posted 2 years ago #

4. sweentech
   Member

   Hey Nicola and Tony.

   It is impossible to get the drum patterns you program in the HX or EL to transmit the pattern over midi. This is due to a limitation of their design. The pattern controller is not on the midi bus. Newer instruments have this facilty but not the HX or EL.

   When you see the light flashing, you are receiving a midi pulse which is used to synchronise devices to the same tempo. Therefore tempo changes made on the Fantom will ultimately reult in a change of speed in the pulse of the light, as it sends the signal every beat.

   Hope this helps. I fear for how much hair we all have left.

   Regards

   Posted 2 years ago #

5. tony400
   Member

   Nicola you can download the driver here for the fantom ..

   http://www.rolandus.com/support/downloads_updates/eula.php?FileName=FantomXusbdrivers.zip

   unfortunatley im running windows xp 64bit bon this pc and no driver is available yet i have a laptop windows with 32 bit i could use if i needed to .. so cant use the usb port on the back of the fantom .. although i have 2 x 5 pin midi in/out connections on my sound card ..also a usb to midi cable will do it with no driver needed .. i`ll try going round it this way when i have a go with the midiox ..
   no i was very late to bed and early to rise this morning,. seems we all on a mission .. ill keep you posted on how it goes and you do the same.. see you later.. Tony

   Posted 2 years ago #

6. NicEL8000
   Member

   Hi both of you,

   John, thanks for explaining about the pattern controller. What you have just explained, now makes perfect sense, (at last! That little 'niggle' has been bugging me since Tony Stace was here). At least we now have a proper technical answer, and a good reason for it not working. I think you are needing to hold masterclasses in midi problems. You deserve a medal in fact!!! Cheers!

   Tony, you are starting to get as obsessed with this as I am....thanks for the link (which I've saved for future use) , but I did drag myself out in the freezing cold, and horrible rain last night to go and get the Fantom CD from Dad ( that's why they thought I was mad) - and everything has linked up fine. I'm going to peruse things at my leisure now, and try not to hog the computer too much...

   Bye for now!

   Posted 2 years ago #

7. tony400
   Member

   john cheers for the info.. yeah i been messing again for the last hour or so .. well at least i can put that one to rest .. mind you after messing with the fantom for hours ive learnt quite a bit .. theres some good rythm patterns inside the fantom it self and gather you can load new drum patterns .. this isnt a problem controlling them from the HX with the midi event box or save it to user pattern and start the pattern off by pushing the preview botton on the fantom .. but i`ll leave that alone for now,,!!

   yes nicola once i start on something its bugs till i can sort it and glad john came up with the problem here although i half expected there was something not quite right when the midi monitor and also midiox i just tried didnt pick anything up.. explains then why the orla and other organs can pick the drum pattern up..... see you later ..

   Tony

   Posted 2 years ago #

8. Wayne Shepard
   Member

   Tony and Nicola. I am new to all of this and just purchase TOIAB and have the same problem with the expression pedal. I have a Wersi (updated to livestyle),equivalent to a Nova and I ordered the midi event box. In the meantime I talked to the only Wersi dealer here in the states and he said that it would probably not work and that I will have to do the same thing that was on the back of tony's with an exp plug. I hope that he's wrong! Also with all of your information between the two of you, I was wondering how do you get the presets on the organ to work with the fantom. Do you have to program the fantom with the diff. patches. I am new to all of this computor and electronic talk and need some real explaining on how to do some of these programs. Reg advertises that all you have to do is turn on and play, which is wrong, you have to still do the five steps,( list, write,) which I have a problem with. Well anyway enoughs, enoughs and I better stop for now. Wayne

   Posted 2 years ago #

9. NicEL8000
   Member

   Hi Wayne,

   Welcome aboard! While neither Tony nor I would profess to be experts on the Fantom, I reckon between the two of us we can hopefully get you up and running.

   I'm not acquainted with the Wersi Nova, but maybe Tony is....

   Re programming patches, (or peformance section), has Reg shown you how to do this? I'm assuming you have it connected to the Wersi and it has Reg's Theatre card in it? If so, has Reg told you which midi settings to have the Fantom set to?..... Sorry to ask so many questions, but in order to help you we need to know what's happening (or not as the case may be) when both instuments are liked up. Is the Wersi's memory/registration buttons changing the sound patches on the Fantom? If not, that should be easy to rectify.

   If you haven't had any previous experience of expanders or sound modules, I can imagine the Fantom may seem a bit of an endless maze. I always like to look on the bright side though, and maintain something only appears difficult to use because you haven't done it before....once you get into the way of things it becomes a lot clearer.

   If neither instrument appears to be doing what they should, I can give you a list of instructions that should set the Fantom up ready to work, but I'm not sure about the Wersi.

   If you could let us know what's happening with both, we should be able to get a clearer picture of how to help. I think you also have the potential for a super set up......

   Regards,

   Nicola

   Posted 2 years ago #

10. Wayne Shepard
    Member

    Hi Nicola.

    No! Reg has not shown me about re-progaming registrations and which midi sections to set the fantom to. I figured I had it right because I do get the sounds thru midi on my Wersi. Just no preset registrations on the organ or volume.
    I would be very interested for the information and the list of instructions that should setup the fantom ready to work. 'the wersi has all the midi controls on a menu, example---channel 1 upper manual,channel 2 lower manual, channel 3 bass, etc. but as the wersi service man told me there should not be any thing I need to do as it will do it automatic. I still have a problem with the 5 steps you have to do after the card loads. I found out that (list) is the shift key, but the next step I can not get. It says on the instructions that you, (hold down the shift key while pressing another button)to write. but for some reason it never works that way. I just press shift and move the value 2 clicks right to card and then I get the organ sounds from the fantom. Maybe this is one of my problems why the presets do not work. Hope you understand what I just told you and are not to confused. Thank you, Wayne

    Posted 2 years ago #

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