Electronic Sound Solutions M-Blaster2 User Manual

MIDI FILES MP3 PLAYER

User’s Manual

Electronic Sound Solutions s.r.l.,

via Parigi, 79, 46042
Castel Goffredo MN,

tel. [phone], fax [phone]

[e-mail] [e-mail]

www.essound.com

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INDEX

INDEX.................................................................................................................................. 2

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 3

CONNECTION AND COMMANDS ................................................................................ 4

POWER SUPPLY.............................................................................................................. 6

AUDIO CONNECTIONS.................................................................................................. 6

HOW TO START ................................................................................................................ 7

SWITCHING ON .............................................................................................................. 7

SONGS.............................................................................................................................. 8

HOW TO PLAY A SONG................................................................................................. 8

EASY TUNE ..................................................................................................................... 9

OPERATIONAL MODE..................................................................................................... 9

FUNCTION KEYS (FIG.1/6)............................................................................................ 10

SONGS MODE ............................................................................................................... 10

CHORDS AND LYRICS VISUALIZATION .................................................................. 11

PLAY/STOP/CONTINUE ............................................................................................... 12

PARAM. (PARAMETERS).................................................................................................. 13

TRKCHANG (TRACK CHANGE) ................................................................................. 15

PARAMETERS FOR MIDI FILES................................................................................ 15

PARAMETERS FOR MP3 FILES................................................................................. 19

PLAY LIST ..................................................................................................................... 20

HOW TO CHOOSE A LIST OF SONGS IN PLAY LIST................................................ 21

HOW TO PLAY SONGS IN PLAY LIST........................................................................ 21

LIST Visualize the list of songs in a group .................................................................... 22

TEXT and TRKCHANG (TRACK CHANGE)................................................................ 22

MENU/INFO...................................................................................................................... 23

DRUMKIT EDITOR .............................................................................................................................................. 24

TV SETUP ............................................................................................................................................................... 26

C.F. UTILITY ......................................................................................................................................................... 26

SONGS ERASE................................................................................................................................................... 27

CLEAR ALL DATA............................................................................................................................................. 28

REBUILT INDEX ............................................................................................................................................... 28

FREE SPACE ..................................................................................................................................................... 28

MAKE A PLAYLIST ............................................................................................................................................. 28

EXPANDER MODE............................................................................................................................................... 29

USB CONNECTION ................................................................................................................................................. 30

OPERATING SYSTEM ............................................................................................................................................ 30

COMPACT FLASH................................................................................................................................................... 31

TECHNICAL DATA SHEET .................................................................................................................................. 31

WHAT TO DO IF: ..................................................................................................................................................... 32

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INTRODUCTION

First of all, ESS would like to thank you for your purchase of M-Blaster2.
M-Blaster2 is a MIDI, Karaoke and MP3 player characterized by a very
intuitive user interface.

M-Blaster2 plays:

• Standard MIDI files (.mid format 0 and 1)

• Karaoke files (.kar format 1)

• MP3 files (VBR/CBR, successfully tested up to 256 Kbps

(depending on the encoder)

M-Blaster2 utilizes as a data storage unit a Compact Flash Card that can
be loaded up to 4095 songs.

Included in the packaging are:

- n.1 Off- Line Switching Power Supply Adapter;

- n.1 CdRom containing the software E-link to transfer,

manage files and Backup;

- n.1 Operating manual;

- n.1 USB cable;

- n.1 Compact Flash card;

- n.1 Audio/Video cable (L+R Red/White / Video Yellow)

- N.1 Cable MIDI in/MIDI out

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CONNECTION AND COMMANDS

Frontal panel

1 10 11 12

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1) Alpha dial encoder, to modify the values of the various parameters
and change the displayed page;

2) Key to use to go back to the page previously displayed;

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3) Key to access the global adjustments on the player, like: global

equalization, effects adjustment on the inputs Mic1/Mic2,global
transposition on MIDI songs;

4) Key to access options like: song erasing, adjustment of the TV set if

connected, page for the files transfer from the PC and the creation of
groups and Index. If the key is pressed while a song is in “play” mode,
the screen will display info about the song. It is possible to adjust the
display contrast pressing the MENU key (fig 1/4) and rotating the alpha
dial knob (fig. 1/1).

5) “Easy Tune” to instantly adapt the tonality key of the song on the
performer peculiarities;

6) Function keys to select different functions; depending on the page
displayed on the screen;

7) Compact Flash Card housing;

8) Play/Stop, to start or stop the song playback;

9) Slider keys, to underline the wanted element among those
visualized on the screen;

10) High brightness backlit display;

11) Individual microphones volume fader;

12) Global volume fader.

Back Panel

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fig.2

1) Stereo mini-jack output for headphones connection;
2 - 3) Microphones input (Jack 6,3 mm TSR);

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4) Audio output (to be connected to the audio system);

5) Video connectors. Output (Video out) / Input (Video in)

6) Connector for video camera power supply (optional) or external
lyrics display (optional);

7) Port MIDI In when M-Blaster22 is an Expander and Port MIDI Out
to connect an external MIDI Synth generator;

8) USB connector to connect M-Blaster2 to a PC;

9) Power Switch;

10) Connection to the supplied external power supply adapter;

POWER SUPPLY

Connect the adapter plug (male) to the PWR IN female connector
positioned on the M-Blaster2 back panel

(Fig.2/10)

.

Finally, connect the adapter plug to the main socket.

IMPORTANT
Please use exclusively the supplied adapter. Otherwise, the
equipment can be damaged.

AUDIO CONNECTIONS

Connect the M-Blaster2 Audio Outputs (fig 2/4) to your audio equipment
(mixer line input or directly to the line inputs of an audio equipment,
inputs AUX or TAPE of your home Hi-Fi or else).

Note: in order not to damage the audio equipment, it is strongly
recommended that M-Blaster2 is turned on before the amplification set­up.

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HOW TO START

M-Blaster2 is supplied with a software E-link for the Personal Computer
that allows the MIDI and MP3 file transfer directly from the PC to the M­Blaster2 data storage unit (Compact Flash Card) and moreover can be
used for backup operations.
First of all install the supplied software on the Personal Computer and,
successively, connect M-Blaster2 through a standard USB cable A/B
(such as the one used for USB printers ) to a properly functioning USB
port on the PC.

Note: when executing the program, if correctly set, M-Blaster2 will
automatically position on the “USB” page.

After having done this, launch the program double clicking on the icon
previously created during installation. As for the utilization, please refer to
the on-line guide included with the software.

SWITCHING ON

To switch the M-Blaster2 on, it is sufficient to insert the supplied adapter
connector in the corresponding socket positioned on the back panel and
push the ON button.
The display will light and after a few seconds wait, the display will read
the following:

READING PROGRAM

Shortly followed by

ESS

M-BLASTER 2

VERSION XXXX

MIDI MP3 PLAYER

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For its correct functioning M-Blaster2 needs the Data storage unit
(Compact Flash Card), to be inserted in its proper housing (fig1/7).
Otherwise, on the display it will appear the following message:

“COMPACT FLASH NOT PRESENT”

note: The Compact Flash Cards are formatted when the product is sold;
However, if necessary, the formatting should be executed with the
following characteristics: FAT 12/16 bit formatting (it will be implemented
to FAT 32).

Insert the Compact Flash in its proper housing (fig1/7) without forcing its
introduction. M-Blaster2 will then display the page Songs. It is possible to
adjust the display contrast pressing the MENU key (fig 1/4) and rotating
the alpha dial knob (fig. 1/1).

SONGS

The page on the display (PAGE xxx) contains the songs list, in MIDI or
MP3 format, in alphabetical order, 6 titles of 26 letters per page where,
the audio songs (MP3) are marked by the “A” letter before the title while
the MIDI files are preceded by the suffix “M” (.mid) or “K” (.kar). Above
left on the display it is displayed the current page number. To visualize
the other pages it is sufficient to rotate the switch (fig. 1/1): at every click
the page will change to a new one containing 6 songs.
It is also possible to move from a song to another one, using the slider
keys; after the last song the next page will be displayed.

HOW TO PLAY A SONG

It is extremely easy to play a song, it is sufficient to select the requested
song on the current page through the slider keys (fig. 1/9), and then push
the PLAY button. To stop the playback, just push the STOP button. It is
also possible to keep playing the song just halted by pushing the
CONTINUE key that appears on the display after having used the STOP
button.

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EASY TUNE

Thanks to this exclusive function it is possible to instantly adjust, before
or while playing a MIDI song, the tonality key depending on the user
needs.
The functioning is extremely intuitive:

• MALE: if this key is lighted M-Blaster2 will adjust the MIDI song key
for a male voice;

• NORMAL: if this key is lighted M-Blaster2 will play the MIDI song in
its original key;

• FEMALE: if this key is lighted M-Blaster2 will adjust the MIDI song
key for a female voice.

Note: the tonal transposition of “EASY TUNE” is not automatically saved.
In order to do that, the transposition will have to be done (and then
saved) in the “TRKCHANG” (track change) page.
Despite the fact that “EASY TUNE” adjusts correctly most of the MIDI
songs and the transposition depending on the performer (male/female), it
is possible that certain songs, with special peculiarities, will not adapt
perfectly to the transposition.
You can find the tonal transposition of “EASY TUNE” on the PARAM­MIDI page.

OPERATIONAL MODE

Before describing the various operational modes, it is necessary a
preliminary remark on the display and on the slider key. The meaning of
the words and the symbols visualized on the display varies depending on
the chosen mode:

• in SONGS mode: name of the songs;

• in PLAYLIST mode: name of the groups;

• in MENU/INFO mode: player managing functions or played song

characteristics;

• in PARAM.mode: MIDI/Audio global adjustments functions, like the
MIDI transposition and equalizations.

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FUNCTION KEYS (fig.1/6)

The use given to the four function keys F1-F2-F3-F4 is variable and
changes from time to time depending on the active operational mode.
Clearly, it is not necessary to remember which function is assigned to
every key as it shows on the last line displayed: in correspondence of
every function key there is a box that displays the possible use of the
below key in that moment.
In this way the four function keys can always access the “typical”
functions of the operational mode running in that moment.

SONGS MODE

The functions offered by the SONGS mode allow to:

• choose via the slider keys a single song to play using the PLAY
key;

• visualize chords and lyrics (if memorized in the song);

• adjust volume, effects, transposition and playing metronomic time

of the song (“TRKCHANG”);

• exclude instantly from the listening the melody track (if present in
the MIDI file).

Authorised function keys:

If in SONGS mode and with no song in PLAY (or if the previous song is
finished), M-Blaster2 is in “stand-by” (the STOP button is lighted while
the PLAY button is off);
In the last line of the display the following function keys are active:

• “TRCK ON” / “TRCK OFF”: it allows halting the melody track from
playing. The factory set MIDI channel is 4, however in “Param.”→
“MIDI” it is possible to assign the value to other channels as well.
Once set, the parameter will remain active until the equipment is
turned off or when the function is disabled;

 “TRCK ON” the melody track (ch4 default) is activated;
 “TRCK OFF” the melody track (ch4 default) is disabled.

• “PLAYLIST”: allows to access the PLAYLIST mode described later;