ALESIS MIXING CONSOLES User Manual

ALESIS

MidiVerb 3

Reference Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION............................................................................................ 2

FEATURES.............................................................................................................2

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL................................................................................3

SECTION 1

MIDIVERB III QUICK START........................................................................ 4

FACTORY PROGRAMS.........................................................................................4

SELECTING PROGRAMS......................................................................................4

EDITING PROGRAMS............................................................................................4

COMPARING AN EDITED TO A STORED PROGRAM..........................................5

SAVING (STORING) EDITED PROGRAMS ...........................................................6

SECTION 2

DESCRIPTION OF CONTROLS.................................................................... 7

FRONT PANEL .......................................................................................................7

INPUT ........................................................................................................ 7

MIX.............................................................................................................7

OUTPUT ....................................................................................................7

CLIP INDICATOR .......................................................................................7

SIGNAL PRESENT LED.............................................................................7

LED DISPLAY ............................................................................................ 7

VALUE .......................................................................................................8

PROGRAM.................................................................................................8

STORE.......................................................................................................8

EDIT........................................................................................................... 8

REVERB/1..................................................................................................8

DELAY/2 ....................................................................................................9

CHORUS/3................................................................................................. 9

EQ/4........................................................................................................... 9

MIX/5..........................................................................................................10

CONFIG/6..................................................................................................10

MOD/7........................................................................................................10

MIDI/8 ........................................................................................................10

MIDI MAPPING..........................................................................................11

MIDI PROG/9.............................................................................................11

INT. PROG/0..............................................................................................11

BYPASS..................................................................................................... 12

REAR PANEL.........................................................................................................12

INPUT JACKS............................................................................................12

OUTPUT JACKS........................................................................................12

MIDI IN JACK.............................................................................................12

MIDI OUT/THRU ........................................................................................12

BYPASS JACK...........................................................................................12

POWER .....................................................................................................12

SECTION 3

INTERFACING MIDIVERB III......................................................................... 14

INSTRUMENTS/MICROPHONES...........................................................................14

MONO OPERATION..................................................................................14

MIXING CONSOLES ..............................................................................................15

INTERFACING VIA AUX SENDS ...............................................................15

INTERFACING VIA INSERT SEND AND RETURNS..................................16

CONNECTION TO THE MAIN OUTPUTS..................................................17

SETUP....................................................................................................................17

SECTION 4

USING MIDIVERB III...................................................................................... 19

PROGRAM MODE..................................................................................................19

SELECTING A PROGRAM.....................................................................................19

WITH VALUE BUTTONS ...........................................................................19

WITH KEYPAD ..........................................................................................20

FROM MIDI................................................................................................20

EDITING A PROGRAM...........................................................................................21

REVERB.................................................................................................................22

REVERB ALGORITHM...............................................................................23

REVERB DECAY .......................................................................................23

DELAY....................................................................................................................24

DELAY TIME..............................................................................................24

DELAY REGENERATION ..........................................................................24

CHORUS................................................................................................................24

CHORUS ALGORITHM..............................................................................24

WHAT IS CHORUS?..................................................................................25

WHAT IS FLANGING?...............................................................................25

CHORUS SPEED.......................................................................................25

EQ..........................................................................................................................26

INPUT EQ..................................................................................................26

EFFECT EQ...............................................................................................26

MIX PARAMETERS................................................................................................27

DELAY OUTPUT........................................................................................27

REVERB OUTPUT.....................................................................................27

MODULATING MIDIVERB III's PARAMETERS.......................................................27

MOD PARAMETERS..................................................................................27

MOD ROUTING.............................................................................27

MOD CONTROLLER SOURCES.......................................27

MOD ROUTING DISPLAY.................................................28

MOD AMPLITUDE.........................................................................30

CONFIGURATIONS................................................................................................30

CONFIGURATION SIGNAL PATHS...........................................................30

INDIVIDUAL CONFIGURATIONS ..............................................................31

SAVING (STORING) EDITED PROGRAMS ...........................................................39

USING MIDIVERB III WITH MIDI............................................................................40

MIDI PARAMETERS ..................................................................................40

MIDI CHANNEL .............................................................................40

TO CHANGE MIDI CHANNELS..................................................................40

MIDI PROGRAM CHANGE............................................................41

SELECTING MIDI PROGRAM CHANGE....................................................41

MIDI ECHO ....................................................................................41

SELECTING MIDI ECHO ...........................................................................42

MIDI SEND....................................................................................42

TRANSMITTING PROGRAMS VIA MIDI....................................................42

RECEIVING PROGRAMS VIA MIDI...........................................................43

MIDI MAPPING..........................................................................................43

MIDI PROG....................................................................................44

INT. PROG ....................................................................................44

HOW TO USE MIDI MAPPING ..................................................................44

MISCELLANEOUS FUNCTIONS............................................................................46

INITIALIZING THE MIDIVERB III................................................................46

BOOKS AND VIDEOS ON MIDI..............................................................................47

SECTION 5

SPECIFICATIONS.......................................................................................... 48

iii

USERS MANUAL

INTRODUCTION

Alesis

16 BIT MULTI-EFFECTS PROCESSOR WITH REAL-TIME MIDI PARAMETER CONTROL

MIDIVERB III

INTRODUCTION

The Alesis MIDIVERB III is a high quality multi-effects unit which features up to 4 simultaneous effects (Delay, Reverb, Chorus, EQ) at a full 15KHz bandwidth and with 16 bit resolution.

Since all features of MIDIVERB III are accessible from the front panel, the operator can set up a wide range of complex effects without a complex user interface.

The MIDIVERB III features 200 on-board memory locations, of which the first 100 (000 to 099) are factory pre-programmed with a variety of programs. Memory locations 100 to 199 contain the same programs as the first 100 so that the user can modify or erase these locations without loosing any of the factory programs. All of the second 100 programs can be edited and stored by the user as desired. The original 100 factory programs (000 to 099) cannot be altered permanently.

The rear panel consists of five 1/4" jacks (left and right inputs and outputs, bypass), MIDI input and output jacks, and a power supply connector. The unit can also be rack mounted in a single 19" rack space.

FEATURES

• Full 15KHz signal bandwidth for greater fidelity

• True 16 bit resolution for quieter performance

• 200 memory locations consisting of 100 factory and 100 user

• Up to 4 simultaneous effects - Delay, Reverb, Chorus, EQ

• Simplified user interface for faster set-up

• Clip and Signal Present LEDs

• Inputs and outputs via 1/4" phone jacks

• +4dBV capable for use in the studio or on stage

• MIDI program MAPPING for programmable program selection

• Programmable levels for Delay and Reverb

INTRODUCTION

Since a musician's time is better spent making music than reading manuals, we've tried to make this manual not only easy to use, but also fast and easy to find things when you need to. Therefore, the manual is broken down to 6 major sections, of which Section 4 will be probably be referred to the most. They are:

This section tells you how to use the most frequently needed operations. If you have to use your MIDIVERB III now but don't have the time to read the entire manual, Section 1 will quickly guide you through.

This section gives a brief explanation of all front panel and rear panel controls and indicators.

Section 3 deals with the interfacing of MIDIVERB III to another MIDI device or into a MIDI system.

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL

SECTION 1 - QUICKSTART

SECTION 2 - DESCRIPTION OF CONTROLS

SECTION 3 - INTERFACING MIDIVERB III

SECTION 4 - USING MIDIVERB III

Section 4 gives an overview of the software functions and pages of MIDIVERB III. This section will probably be the most used part of the manual as it describes how to execute every function in a step by step manner. Actual display readouts of MIDIVERB III are also included.

SECTION 5 - SPECIFICATIONS

Section 5 provides the operational specifications for MIDIVERB III .

SECTION 1

MIDIVERB III QUICK START

FACTORY PROGRAMS

The MIDIVERB III contains 200 factory supplied programs, 100 of which are stored in memory locations 000 to 099 and repeated again in locations 100 to 199.

Only the programs in locations 100 to 199 can be permanently altered and stored as desired by the user.

SELECTING PROGRAMS

1) Press the PROGRAM button. The LED in the middle of the

button will light.

QUICK START

2) Press either

displayed.

2A) Select a 3 digit program number from the numbered function

buttons on the right within 4 seconds.

PLEASE NOTE:

VALUE button until the desired program is

—If only one or two digits are selected within 4 seconds, the display will

revert back to the previous program number.

—When the MIDIVERB III is first powered up, the unit will be in the

PROGRAM mode and will display the last program that was selected before being turned off.

EDITING PROGRAMS

1) Select the EDIT button. The lower of the two LEDs adjacent to

the

EDIT button will light and the PROGRAM LED will turn off.

This indicates that the bottom row of functions of the top row of buttons can be accessed.

SECTION 1

2) Pressing the

indicates that the top row of edit functions on the top row of buttons can be accessed.

3) Select the desired function to be edited. The stored value of

the parameter will appear in the numeric display and the button will light up.

4) Press either

5) Select another function to be edited, if desired.

EDIT button again will select the upper LED which

VALUE button to adjust the desired parameter.

PLEASE NOTE:

— Once a parameter has been edited, the dot to the right of the right-

most numeric digit will light when in PROGRAM mode (program number displayed and PROGRAM LED lit).

— At this point, selecting a new program either by the

the keypad will cause the edited program to be lost. Be sure to save your program first (See Saving Edited Programs)!

VALUE buttons or

—The Edit function has no effect on the bottom row of buttons. They

will operate the same regardless which Edit LED is on.

COMPARING AN EDITED TO A STORED PROGRAM

1) To compare an edited program to the previously stored

program, exit the Edit mode by pressing the The

PROGRAM LED will light and the display will show the

program number with a dot to the lower right.

2) Press the

previously stored program. The dot displayed behind the program will flash.

3) Press the

program again. The dot displayed behind the program will turn solid again. By repeatedly pressing the change back between the edited and stored program.

4) Press the

program (see the next function).

PROGRAM button a second time to hear the

PROGRAM button again to listen to the edited

PROGRAM button, you can quickly

EDIT button to return to editing, or store as a new

PROGRAM button.

QUICK START

SECTION 1

SAVING (STORING) EDITED PROGRAMS

1) Once a program has been edited to your liking, press the

STORE button. The LED in the middle of the button will flash.

2) The numeric display will show the current program number if it

was program 100 through 199, or will display the program number plus 100 if it was 000 to 099, since 000 to 099 cannot be stored to.

3) If another storage location is desired, press either

button until the desired program location is displayed.

4) Press the

STORE button a second time to save the program.

The STORE LED and the Edit dot in the display will both turn off, and the function that was selected before

STORE was

pressed will be reselected.

VALUE

DESCRIPTION OF CONTROLS

SECTION 2

DESCRIPTION OF CONTROLS

FRONT PANEL

The INPUT control is a stereo control that determines the master volume level of the signal being fed into both inputs of the MIDIVERB III.

The MIX control determines the ratio of direct to effect signal. Full counterclockwise (to the left) applies only direct signal to the outputs of MIDIVERB III. Full clockwise (to the right) applies only effect signal to the outputs.

INPUT

MIX

The OUTPUT control determines the output level of the MIDIVERB III's stereo output jacks. Although this control is not programmable, it is

possible to program some of the output levels internally via software (See Editing the Mix Levels).

The red CLIP INDICATOR LED indicates the onset of distortion. This LED should only light occasionally during normal use.

SIGNAL PRESENT LED

The green SIGNAL PRESENT LED indicates that a signal is currently being fed into the MIDIVERB III. This LED should be frequently lit during normal use.

The MIDIVERB III contains an LED display which indicates the current program number or parameter value.

OUTPUT

CLIP INDICATOR

LED DISPLAY

SECTION 2

The VALUE buttons can be used to select the desired number or, once a desired parameter has been selected, edit the parameters value.

The PROGRAM button will display the number of the current program.

A period appearing behind the program number indicates that a parameter or function has been edited and is different from its stored value.

The STORE button allows you to store an edited program into any available program location. By pressing the sired location to be stored to can be accessed by pressing and holding one of the save the program.

VALUE

PROGRAM

STORE

STORE button once, the de-

VALUE buttons. Pressing the STORE button a second time will

Pressing the EDIT button will allow access to various parameters for editing. When the

EDIT button is selected, the lower of the two LEDs

adjacent to the button will light, and indicates that the lower row of parameters of the top row of buttons can be accessed for editing. Pressing the

EDIT button a second time will select the upper row of

parameters of the top row of buttons.

When in the EDIT mode, pressing the REVERB button will access either the REVERB ALGORITHM or REVERB DECAY time for editing, depending which EDIT LED is lit. The ALGORITHM parameter offers selection of any of 20 Reverb Algorithms, each with different reverb characteristics such as frequency response, diffusion, density, etc.(see programming chart). The REVERB DECAY parameter allows the user to adjust the decay of the reverb from very short to very long as required. After pressing the

REVERB button, pressing the VALUE buttons will select

the desired ALGORITHM choices or DECAY levels. When in the PROGRAM mode, this is button 1 of the keypad for

selecting a program by directly entering the desired program number.

EDIT

REVERB/1

DESCRIPTION OF CONTROLS

When in the EDIT mode, pressing the DELAY button will access either the DELAY TIME or DELAY REGENERATION amount for editing, depending which EDIT LED is lit. The DELAY TIME parameter allows the user to adjust the time between repeats as required. The DELAY REGENERATION parameter adjusts the number of repeats. After pressing the

DELAY button, pressing the VALUE buttons will select

the desired DELAY TIME or REGENERATION levels. When in the PROGRAM mode, this is button 2 of the keypad for

selecting a program by directly entering the desired program number.

When in the EDIT mode, pressing the CHORUS button will access either the CHORUS ALGORITHM or CHORUS SPEED for editing, depending which EDIT LED is lit. The ALGORITHM parameter offers selection of a wide variety of chorused effects such as mono and stereo chorus, mono and stereo flanging, variations of these with different depths and feedback, etc.(see programming chart). The SPEED parameter affects the sweep speed of the selected effect as required. After pressing the

CHORUS button, pressing the VALUE buttons will select

the desired ALGORITHM choices or SPEED levels.

DELAY/2

CHORUS/3

When in the PROGRAM mode, this is button 3 of the keypad for selecting a program by directly entering the desired program number.

When in the EDIT mode, pressing the EQ button will access either the INPUT EQ or EFFECT EQ, depending which EDIT LED is lit. The INPUT EQ is a high-cut filter that determines the frequency response of the incoming signal. The EFFECT EQ is a high-cut filter that is part of the currently selected effect. For example, with effects that have reverb, the EFFECT EQ determines the high frequency decay of the reverb. When used with the Delay, the EFFECT EQ determines the high frequency response of the regeneration (number of repeats). After pressing the

EQ button, pressing the VALUE buttons will select the

desired EQ rolloff frequency point. When in the PROGRAM mode, this is button 4 of the keypad for

selecting a program by directly entering the desired program number.

EQ/4

SECTION 2

When in the EDIT mode, pressing the MIX button will adjust the relative level of either the Delay or Reverb, depending on which page the Edit LED is set. The Chorus level is always the same and is either On or Off depending upon the Configuration selected. After pressing the desired levels.

When in the PROGRAM mode, this is button 5 of the keypad for selecting a program by directly entering the desired program number.

MIX/5

MIX button, pressing the VALUE buttons will select the

When in the EDIT mode, the CONFIG button selects the various signal flow possibilities of MIDIVERB III's four Effects. After pressing the

CONFIG button, pressing the VALUE buttons will select the available

choices. When in the PROGRAM mode, this is button 6 of the keypad for

selecting a program by directly entering the desired program number.

When in the EDIT mode, the MOD button lets you control various MIDIVERB III parameters isuch as Reverb Decay Time or Reverb Level in real time from a MIDI controller like the pitchwheel, mod wheel, keyboard aftertouch, keyboard note value, keyboard velocity, sustain pedal, breath controller, or volume control on a synthesizer or other MIDI device. After pressing the selects the available choices.

When in the PROGRAM mode, this is button 7 of the keypad for selecting a program by directly entering the desired program number.

MOD button, pressing the VALUE buttons

CONFIG/6

MOD/7

MIDI/8

DESCRIPTION OF CONTROLS

When in the EDIT mode, the

MIDI button is used to select the send and

receive channel for the MIDIVERB III. The range is channel 01 through

16. Pressing the

MIDI button a second time selects if the MIDIVERB III will

accept MIDI Program Change commands. Pressing the

MIDI button a third time selects the ECHO On or Off

function. This will echo any MIDI information that the MIDIVERB III receives at its MIDI input (except for system exclusive messages that are specifically for the MIDIVERB III) back out its MIDI output.

The

MIDI button can also be used to transmit MIDIVERB III programs 100

through 199 via MIDI system exclusive. Simply hold the press

STORE.

MIDI button and

The MIDI functions are global functions and are not stored with an individual program.

When in the PROGRAM mode, this is button 8 of the keypad for selecting a program by directly entering the desired program number.

The next two buttons control what is known as MIDI program MAPPING, which means that a MIDI program change number can be mapped to select any of the MIDIVERB III's programs. For example, without MIDI program MAPPING, selecting MIDI program 23 from an external MIDI device would select program 23 on the MIDIVERB III. With MIDI MAPPING, selecting MIDI program 23 on an external MIDI device could be set to select any program on the MIDIVERB III.

The MIDI MAPPING functions are global functions and are not stored with an individual program.

Part of the MIDI program MAPPING section when in the EDIT mode, the

MIDI PROGram button selects a MIDI program number from 000 through

127 that will be received by the MIDIVERB III from an external MIDI controller.

When in the PROGRAM mode, this is button 9 of the keypad for selecting a program by directly entering the desired program number.

MIDI MAPPING

MIDI PROG/9

INT. PROG/0

SECTION 2

The other half of the MIDI program MAPPING section when in the EDIT mode, the MIDIVERB III program (from 000 to 199) that will be chosen by the external MIDI program number that is selected by the

When in the PROGRAM mode, this is button 0 of the keypad for selecting a program by directly entering the desired program number.

The BYPASS button bypasses the effects of the MIDIVERB III and supplies only Direct Signal Level to the stereo outputs. When the signal is bypassed, the

BYPASS is also connected to the Bypass Jack on the rear panel and can

be activated by a momentary footswitch.

INT. PROG (Internal Program) button selects the internal

MIDI PROG button.

BYPASS

BYPASS LED will light.

BACKPANEL

Accepts from musical instrument to line level input signals.

Use the Right Input Jack for mono.

Stereo output of the MIDIVERB III.

Use the Right Output Jack for mono.

Receives all MIDI information.

INPUT JACKS

(Left & Right)

OUTPUT JACKS

(Left & Right)

MIDI IN JACK

MIDI OUT/THRU

JACK

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