Kurzweil PC2MADEEASY User Manual

THE PC2 MADE EASY

A Step by Step Guide

For PC2 Keyboard Models

Includes 34 Different Tutorials Designed For Specific Applications

Plus Programming Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts

by David Fox

Rev. B - 11/09/01

PC2 Made Easy

Young Chang Distributors

Young Chang America, Inc. Young Chang Canada Corp. PO Box 99995 3650 Victoria Park Ave. #105 Lakewood, WA 98499-0995 Toronto, ONT Tel: (253) 589-3200 Canada M2H 3P7 Fax: (253) 984-0245 Tel: (416) 492-9899 support@kurzweilmusicsystems.com Fax: (416) 492-9299 www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com

Young Chang Akki, Co. Ltd. 16th Floor Dongwoo-Bldg No. 708-1 Yoksam-Dong, Kangnam-Gu Seoul, Korea 135-080 Tel: 2-3451-3500 Fax: 2-3451-3596

PC2 Made Easy

BASIC CONCEPTS & USER INTERFACE ISSUES 1

The Three Play Modes 1 User Interface Basics 4 Sound/Setup Select 4 Data Entry 6 Zone Parameters 6 Zone Select Buttons 7 Sliders and Assignable Controller Buttons (SW1-SW5) 9

In Internal Voices Mode 10 In MIDI Setups Mode 10 In KB 3 Mode 10

Other Buttons in the Zone Select & Assignable Controllers Section 11 Sound Parameters 11 Effects 11 System 12 Functions 12 Editing Shortcuts 13

Setting Note Values: 13 Turning a parameter Off or setting it to None: 13 To quickly edit a specific controller: 13 Jumping to a specific channel in the MIDI Receive menu: 13 Switching Banks when calling up a Program (in Internal Voices mode or in the Program Menu when editing a Setup): 13 Using the Copy Function 13

TUTORIALS 15 Intro 15

1. Layering Two or More Programs 17

2. Splitting Two or More Programs 20

3. Assigning Sliders for Volume in Different Zones 22

4. Setting Initial Volume Levels for Different Zones 23

5. Returning Volume Levels to Full Values when Exiting a Setup 24

6. Adjusting Relative Volumes with One Slider 25

7. Crossfading Zones 27

8. Velocity Switching 29

9. Switching from One Setup to Another With a Pedal 30

10. Switching from One Program to Another with a Pedal 32

11. Switching Banks & Programs with a Pedal 33

12. Transposing a Zone with a Button 35

13. Panning Zones Hard Left & Right 37

14. Playing KB3 Programs 39

15. Using KB3 Programs in a Setup 41

Drawbar Issues 41 Button Issues 42

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Effects Issues 42

16. Program Editing – Internal Voices 44

17. Program Editing – KB3 Programs 49

18. Effects Editing 53

19. Using the Arpeggiator 55

20. Using the Various Arpeggiator Latch Modes 59

21. Assigning a Slider to Arpeggiator Velocities 61

22. Using the Arpeggiator with a Sequencer or External Controller 62

23. Using the PC2 to Control External Slaves 63

24. Bank Controller Issues for External Slaves 64

25. Switching Programs on External Slaves without Playing Them 66

26. Playing Programs on External Slaves without sending Program Changes 68

27. Using MIDI Receive Mode 69

28. Working With an External Sequencer 71

Setting Up for sequencing 71 Calling up Programs and sending initial setup info to each track. 72

29. Recording Setups to a Sequencer 73

30. Using Effects when Sequencing 74

31. Selecting Setups from an External Controller 76

32. Customizing the Internal Voices Mode 77

33. Using SysEx to Store Your Setups 78

To dump the entire memory: 78 To dump individual Setups or Programs: 78 To load a dump back into the PC2: 78

34. Trouble Shooting 80

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 81

A Note About the Physical Controllers 81 Some info on the Global Parameters 81 Using the Copy Function 84

To copy all the parameters from one zone to another: 84 To copy all the parameters from one zone to a zone in a different Setup: 84 To copy all the controller parameters from one controller to another: 85 To copy all the Arpeggiator parameters from one Setup to another: 85 To copy the Effects configuration from one Setup to another or one Program to another: 86

Special characters for naming Setups and Programs 86 Updating your Operating System 86

PC2 Made Easy

This document is intended for use with the PC2 and PC2X keyboard models. Although the PC2 rack is very similar, there are some differences with the keyboard version. A separate version for the PC2R is available.

This guide walks you step-by-step through a variety of typical programming applications you might use in the creation of Setups and Programs on the PC2.

The first part of this document reviews some of the basic concepts of the PC2 design and user interface, including editing shortcuts. The second part contains a series of step by step tutorials, each of which demonstrates a different function.

BASI C CONCEPTS & USER INTERFACE ISSUES

The Three Play Modes

The PC2 has three basic Play Modes - Internal Voices, KB3, and MIDI Setups. You switch between these three modes using the Internal Voices, KB3, and MIDI Setups buttons in the Sound/Setup Select area.

Internal Voices Mode

If you only need to play one regular Program at a time, use Internal Voices mode. (Typically a Program will be just one sound, but there are some Programs that have a couple of sounds layered together, such as Piano & Strings). The PC2 is always in Internal Voices mode when you first power it up. (Also, you should be aware that while the keyboard is only playing one program at atime in Internal Voices Mode, the instrument is still multi-timbral and can receive on all 16 MIDI channels from the MIDI In port).

If you have a PC2 without any additional Expansion Voices options, then you have two banks of 128 Programs per bank that you can access (with version 2.0 or later Ð earlier versions had only a single bank of 128 Programs). These are most easily accessed by using the 16 Sound Select Buttons, which are labeled by Sound Category. For each bank, under each category, there are 8 variations that you can select, using the Next Group and Previous Group buttons. When you first power up the PC2, you will be in Bank 0, which is the first bank of regular programs. You will notice that the Internal button in the Sound Source section is lit. To switch to Bank 6, which is the second bank of preset programs, press Internal and User at the same time. Both buttons will be lit and the display will show that you are in Bank 6. You can now use the Sound Select Category and Previous/Next Group buttons to select the sounds from that bank.

Notice that when in Internal Voices Mode, the Bank number and name are shown on the top line of the display, and the Program number and name are shown on the lower line. In addition, the Current Sound Select Category (1-16 to match the Sound Select Buttons) and Group (A-H) are shown in the upper right.

If you have one or both of the optional Expansion Voices cards installed in your PC2, then you can press the Exp1 or Exp2 buttons in the Sound Source section to select the programs in those banks. Obviously the names above the Sound Select buttons will not apply at this point, but you can still use the Sound Select and Previous/Next Group buttons to select a specific numbered program.

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You can also select a Program by typing its number on the numeric keypad and then pressing Enter. Appendix C in the original manual and pages 13 & 14 in the version 2 supplement manual list all the Internal Voice programs and their numbers. In addition, once you are on a program, you can scroll through them in numeric order by using the alpha wheel or the + and - buttons under the wheel.

You can also switch between programs in two different banks using the numeric keypad. To do this you type the bank number, then the Ò+/-Ò button, then the program number. For example, if you are in Bank 0 and you want to go to program 52 in Bank 6, you type 6, +/-, 5, 2, and Enter.

The bank assignments in the PC2 for regular programs are as follows:

Bank 0 Internal Voices 1 Bank 1 User Created Voices Bank 2 Expansion Block 1 Voices Bank 3 Expansion Block 2 Voices Bank 6 Internal Voices 2 Bank 7 General MIDI Drum Voices (added when you add the Expansion Block 1)

You will need to know the bank numbers if you are sending the bank controller from an external MIDI device such as a sequencer, or if you switch banks from the numeric keypad, as discussed above. (Note that Bank 0 and Bank 6, the programs in the basic PC2, are referred to as the Internal Voices banks, which is not to be confused with Internal Voices mode. You can play programs from the other banks while in Internal Voices mode. But you are always playing just one program at a time in Internal Voices mode.)

If you edit a sound in any of the preset banks and save it, it will always be stored in the User Bank.

If you are in a different mode (MIDI Setups or KB3) and press the Internal Voices button, it will blink. At that point, you can use one of the methods described above to select a sound. Or, if you press the Internal Voices button again, the PC2 will select the program you were previously playing the last time you were in Internal Voice mode.

KB3 Mode

KB3 mode is a special mode for playing KB3 programs. These programs are physical models of a classic tone wheel organ (the Hammond B3). There are two banks for KB3 programs Ð Internal Preset and User Created. There are only 16 preset KB3 programs, therefore the 16 Sound Select buttons can be used to select them, but the Previous Group and Next Group buttons wonÕt function while you are in the Preset bank. However, there are 128 slots in the KB3 User bank, so they can be used in that bank. Again, obviously, the sound category names above the Sound Select buttons donÕt apply when selecting a KB3 program.

As in Internal Voices Mode, the Bank number is shown in the top left of the display, but instead of the bank name, the display then shows the program number and name. This is because the bottom line is used to convey other information, including the settings of the nine drawbars and the Chorus/Vibrato setting.

The bank assignments in the PC2 for KB3 programs are as follows:

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Bank 4 KB3 Voices Bank 5 User Created KB3 Voices

Because of the special needs of KB3 programs, buttons and sliders have specific functions while in this mode. KB3 Mode will be discussed in more detail later.

If you are in a different mode (MIDI Setups or Internal Voices) and press KB3 button, it will blink. At that point, you can use one of the methods described above to select a sound. Or, if you press the KB3 button again, the PC2 will select the program you were previously playing the last time you were in KB3 mode.

KB3 programs can only be played on a single MIDI channel. By default, this is channel 1. It can be changed to a different channel by setting the KB3 Channel parameter in the Global menu. But this will cause another change you need to be aware of. If you are in Internal Voices Mode or KB3 Mode, the Keyboard always transmits on a single MIDI channel. In Internal Voices Mode this is channel 1 by default (it can be changed by altering the Internal Voices Setup, which is discussed in tutorial #32). But with KB3 Mode, in order to make sure that you will always be able to play a KB3 program, the MIDI channel will change to whatever channel is selected as the KB3 Channel. If you are just playing the Kurzweil by itself, you will never notice this change. But if you are playing and external MIDI module along with the Kurzweil, then you could get unexpected results when the Kurzweil switches from sending MIDI data on channel 1 to sending on a different channel as soon as you enter KB3 Mode. For this reason, it is generally best to leave the KB3 Channel at the default value of channel 1 unless you have a specific reason to set it to a different channel.

The KB3 Channel will also be an issue if you are sequencing and want to use a KB3 program Ð you will need to make sure to assign the correct channel to the track you are going to use for playing the KB3 program

MIDI Setups Mode

MIDI Setups mode is used when you want to split or layer two or more Programs. You would also use it when you want to control any external MIDI modules or keyboards. MIDI Setups also allow you to program all of the sliders, wheels, pedals, buttons, etc. for specific applications.

MIDI Setups mode allows you to have up to 4 zones, with a different program on each zone. Therefore, the maximum number of programs you can split or layer from the keyboard is four. (But the instrument can still respond on all 16 MIDI channels from an external MIDI controller or sequencer.)

MIDI Setups mode and Internal Voices mode function identically, with only a few exceptions. You will always only have one zone in Internal Voices mode, since you are playing a single Program. (It is possible to start in Internal Voices mode and add zones, but when you go to save what you have done, you will have to save it as a Setup.)

As in Internal Voices Mode, the Sound Source buttons function while you are in MIDI Setups mode, allowing you to call up the preset Internal Setups, or Setups using the Expansion Voices, or User created Setups.

The display differs in MIDI Setups mode. Instead of Bank numbers, the Setups are simply numbered, with the numbers increasing past 128, which would be the limit of

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MIDI. So the first User Created Setup will be #129. You canÕt enter the bank number to select a Setup from the front panel, you just enter the Setup number.

However, if you want to call up Setups from another controller that sends MIDI messages, then the PC2 does respond to the bank controller followed by a program change number. Details on how to do this are covered in tutorial #31.

The bank assignments in the PC2 for Setups are as follows:

Bank 0 Internal Setups (1-32, plus 125-128) Bank 1 User Created Setups (129-256) Bank 2 Expansion Block 1 Setups (257-?) Bank 3 Expansion Block 2 Setups (385-?)

If you are in a different mode (Internal Voices or KB3) and press the MIDI Setups button, it will blink. At that point, you can use one of the methods described above to select a Setup. Or, if you press the MIDI Setups button again, the PC2 will select the setup you were previously playing the last time you were in MIDI Setups mode.

User Interface Basics

The following is a review of some of the information covered in chapter 3 of the manual. If you read nothing else in the manual, you should go back and read that chapter.

The buttons on the front panel are divided into sections.

Sound/Setup Select

We already mentioned how you can use these buttons to call up programs when in Internal Voices mode, but you can also use them for calling up Setups when in MIDI Setups mode. Notice that the 16 buttons are labeled with the numbers 1-16. By using these buttons along with the Previous Group and Next Group buttons, you have access to 16 different Setups at a time with only one button press. The 16 buttons can then be used to access the Setups as follows:

Group A Setups 1-16 Group B Setups 17-32 Group C Setups 33-48 etc.

There are only 36 Presets in the Internal Bank, which are number 1-32 (Groups A & B) and 125-128 (Group H, Sound Select Buttons 13-16). ). But when you create and save your own Setups to the User bank, you will have a total of 128 locations, in 8 possible groups (A-H).

1. Press the MIDI Setups button.

2. Press the #1 Sound Select button (also labeled Acoustic Piano 1). If you have just

turned on the instrument, the top line of the display should say S001 Dance C7. If it doesnÕt, press the Previous Group button repeatedly until it does. You have now called up Setup #1. Notice that the bottom line says A01, showing you that you are in Group

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A on the #1 Sound Select button. Following the A01, it will show a number and a Program name. This shows you the name of the Program in the currently selected Zone (more on this later).

3. Press the Next Group button. The top line of the display now shows S017 Touch Orch

(Setup #17) and the bottom line shows B01. This tells you that you have moved to Group B but you are still on the #1 Sound Select button.

4. Press the #2 Sound Select button (also labeled Acoustic Piano 2). Now the display

shows S018 One Man Trio on the top line and B02 on the bottom line. Notice that you have stayed in the same group - you are still in Group B but are now on the #2 Sound Select button.

So whatÕs so great about all of this anyway? LetÕs say that you are creating your own Setups and you need to switch between them quickly in a performance. Maybe you have two different sets you are performing. You can save the Setups for a specific set all within the same group. You save the Setups for the first set between Setups #1-16 in the User bank. Then you save the setups for the second set inn #17-32. Once you go to MIDI Setups mode and press the User button, you can use the Next Group buttons to get to Group A (for the first set) or B (for the second set). Now you can switch between any of your Setups (up to 16) with just a single button press by using the Sound Select buttons!

There is an IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE between MIDI Setups mode and Internal Voices mode. When you are in MIDI Setups mode, pressing the Sound Select buttons will always call up the appropriate Setup within the currently Selected Group - the group wonÕt change unless you press the Previous or Next Group buttons, or use the Data Entry section to go to a Setup in a different Group. But when you are in Internal Voices mode, each Sound Select Button remembers whichever group it was last on.

1. Press the Internal Voices button.

2. Press the Sound Select #1 Button. Press the Previous Group button until the top line

of the display says Bank:0 Internal 1A.

3. Press the Sound Select #2 Button. Press the Previous or Next Group Button until the

display says Bank:0 Internal 2B.

4. Press the Sound Select #1 Button again. Notice that it goes back to Group A. If you go

back to Sound Select #2, you will see it jumps back to Group B.

This feature is useful because it allows you to choose your favorite program out of a group and be able to call it up with a single button press when in Internal Voices mode. This is remembered even after you turn the PC2 off.

There is another difference to be aware of. As mentioned before, in Setups Mode, the numbers increment by one as you move through the Sound Select Buttons, so:

Group A Setups 1-16 Group B Setups 17-32 Group C Setups 33-48 etc.

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This means that if you are on Sound Select button #1, and press the Next Group button repeatedly, the Setup numbers will increment by 16 Ð starting with 1, then 17, then 33, etc.

But in Internal Voices Mode, it works exactly the opposite. If you press the Sound Select #1 button, and then press the Next Group button repeatedly the program numbers will increment by 1, starting with 0, then 1, then 2 etc. There is an obvious reason for this difference Ð it allows us to group similar programs with consecutive numbers. In other words: Acoustic Piano 1 programs 0-7 Acoustic Piano 2 programs 8-15 Electric Piano 1 programs 16-23 etc.

Although this is not normally something you would normally think of when playing the presets, it IS something you want to be aware of when creating User programs. If you want to be able to call up your User programs with a single button press using the Sound Select buttons, then you will want to save them using an appropriate ID number. For instance, if you want to be able to call up one of your programs with the Sound Select #1 button, you would need to save the program as ID# 0-7. If you want to call it up programs with the Sound Select #2 button, you would need to save the program as ID#8-15, etc.

If you are in KB3 Mode, it works the same way as in Internal Voices Mode. Although you wonÕt see a group letter displayed (A-H), each Sound Select button will remember which of the eight possible programs for that button was selected with the Previous/Next Group buttons. In the case of the Internal Bank, there are only 16 preset programs, so the Group Buttons have no effect. But if you are storing your own KB3 programs in the User Bank, then there are 128 available IDs to store the programs and the Group buttons will function.

Data Entry

This section is very simple and should be familiar to anyone who has used other electronic instruments as well as automated teller machines (ATMs). The alpha wheel allows you to scroll through values quickly. The Ò+Ó and Ò-Ó buttons let you increment or decrement by single values, and the numeric keypad lets you enter a specific value. It is also used for naming Setups and Programs. You always need to press the Enter button when using the numeric keypad to register the value (except when using the naming function, as described in tutorial #1).

Zone Parameters

Almost all of the Setup editing features of the PC2 are accessed through this section. Under each button is a series of parameters, which you access using the << and >> buttons under the display. You then use the Data Entry section to change the value of the currently displayed parameter.

1. Press the MIDI Setups button twice. Type, 1, 2, 8, then Enter on the numeric keypad.

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2. Press the MIDI Transmit Button. The display shows that you are on the MIDI Channel

parameter.

3. Press the >> button. You are now on the Destination parameter, which by default is

set to Local+MIDI.

4. Press the Ò-Ó button under the alpha wheel. The value changes to MIDI. Rotate the

wheel clockwise. It changes back to Local+MIDI.

Notice that there is an underscore below the letter L in the display. This shows that the parameter is highlighted. Usually there is only one parameter in the display at a time, but sometimes there are two or three.

5. Press the KeyRange button. There are two parameters in the display - Low Note and

High Note. Notice the underscore under the C. Press the >> button and you will see the underscore move under the G.

Zone Select Buttons

The four zone select buttons have several different functions, depending on what mode you are in.

In MIDI Setups Mode

When playing a Setup, they allow you to mute and unmute zones. When you are editing a Setup, they allow you to switch between zones for editing. Since the display has only two lines, there is only enough room to show the value of 1 zone at a time.

1. Press the MIDI Setups button, then press 1 on the numeric keypad, then 5, then press

Enter. You have called up Setup 015 Piano Trio. On the bottom line of the display, after A15, it should say 1:Upright Bass 2. If it doesnÕt, press the Zone 1 button once and you will see this info. This shows you the Program that is on zone 1.

2. Notice that the Zone 1 and Zone 2 buttons are green and the Zone 3 and Zone 4

buttons are orange. This tells you the Setup has 4 zones, but 2 of the zones are muted. If you play the keyboard, you will hear Piano on the right side and Bass+Ride Cymbal on the left.

3. Press the Zone 1 button. It now turns orange. This means that zone is muted. If you

play the keyboard, the left side makes no sound. Press Zone 1 and the button turns green again and you will hear the bass.

4. Press the Zone 2 button. The bottom line of the display now says A15 2:Grand Piano

44, showing you the Program in zone 2.

5. Press the Zone 3 button. The bottom line of the display now says A15 3:Trombones,

showing you the Program in zone 3. Press Zone 3 again and the button turns Green. Play the keyboard and you will now hear Trombones layered with the Piano on the right side of the keyboard, and the Bass+Ride still on the left.

An important point that can lead to confusion: If a specific zone is NOT currently in the display, pressing that Zone Select button will bring up that zone in the display. But if

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the Zone is already in the display, then pressing the same numbered Zone Select button will mute it (or unmute it if the zone is already muted). As this Setup demonstrates, you can save a Setup with a zone muted, allowing you to call up the Setup and have certain sounds layered or split, and then bring in another zone while you are playing, by pressing the appropriate zone button.

6. Press the MIDI Transmit button. The top line now shows Zone 3 0:060. When you are

editing any parameter the top line always shows you the current zone, as well as the bank and program number of the program assigned to that zone (in this case, it is the Internal Voices bank 0, Program 60 - Trombones. The bottom line says MIDI Channel:03. showing you that zone 3 is assigned to channel 3.

7. Press the Zone 1 button. It shows you that zone 1 has program 111 from the Internal

Voices bank and is assigned to channel 1.

8. Press the Zone 1 button again. Notice that the Zone 1 button turns orange - the zone is

muted. The display also shows a Ò-Ó after the zone number in the display, to indicate that it is muted. The mute function works both when playing and editing a Setup. This can be useful when you are creating your Setups - you can temporarily mute a zone to hear the others. Press the Zone 1 button again to unmute the zone.

9. Press the Solo button. The Zone 1 button turns red, showing that zone is soloed. If you

play the keyboard you will only hear the bass. Press the Zone 2 button. It switches to red and the Zone 1 button to green, soloing the piano.

10. Press the Zone 3 button. Now press the Ò-Ò button or turn the wheel counter-

clockwise until the MIDI Channel says Off. The Zone 3 button is now not lit at all, showing you this zone has been turned off. All of the zone 3 parameter values are still remembered Ð the zone has simply been turned off.

In Internal Voices Mode

When you are Internal Voices mode, the zone buttons access the AutoSplit functions (labeled above the buttons), giving you a fast and simple way of creating a basic setup. In Internal Voices mode, you can play one program at a time, since Internal Voices mode is based on the internal setup, which contains a single zone. If you wanted to create a multi-zone setup with different programs in each zone, you could go to MIDI Setups mode, then start programming (editing): assigning MIDI channels and programs to zones, assigning physical controllers, and so on. This gives you a great deal of control and flexibility, but it takes a bit of time.

If youÕre on stage and you suddenly decide that your solo needs two sounds instead of one, you donÕt want to take the time to edit a setup; you just want to add another sound as quickly as possible. Fortunately, the PC2 makes it easy to do this kind of thing without doing any actual editing. In this case the 4 zone buttons are used to add a Layer sound to the main sound, add a split sound on the left side of the keyboard, and add a layered sound for the split sound.

As an example, weÕre going to start with piano, layer it with strings, add a split with bass, then layer the bass with clavinet.

1. Press Internal Voices (in the Sound/Setup Select region), then Internal (in the Sound

Source region), then the Acoustic Piano 1 Sound Select.

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2. Press Layer (the Zone 2 button). Notice that the Mode buttons change and MIDI

Setups is now lit instead of Internal Voices (since we now have 2 zones). Also notice that the top of the display says Zone:2 auto, indicating that AutoSplit is turned on.

3. Press the Strings Sound Select button. Now you have piano and strings layered across

the entire keyboard.

4. Press Split (the Zone 3 button).

5. Press the Bass Sound Select button. Now you have a bass from the bottom of the

keyboard up to G#3, and layered piano and strings from A 3 up.

6. Press Split Layer (the Zone 4 button).

7. Press the Clavier Sound Select button. ThatÕs it: bass layered with clavinet in the

lower part of the keyboard, and piano layered with strings in the upper part. Remember that each sound select button remembers the last program that was chosen for that sound category. If you want a different option, you can simply use the Next and previous Group buttons to choose a different program. If you want to change one of the sounds, simply press the appropriate zone button (Main, Layer, Split, or Split Layer) then select the sound you want.

8. If you would like to change where the keyboard is split, you can easily do this. Press

the Split and Split Layer buttons simultaneously. The display changes to show you the AutoSplit Key, which is currently G#3. The easiest way to change the key is to hold the Enter button and strike the note that you want on the keyboard. This will be the top note of the left side of the keyboard. You can also use the wheel or + and Ð buttons to change the value. Press the Split and Split Layer buttons simultaneously again to return to performance mode.

We will cover more on the AutoSplit feature in tutorials 1 & 2.

In KB3 Mode

When you are in KB3 Mode, these buttons have special functions, which control the Percussion feature in a KB3 program. Percussion is a an extra tone added on top of the regular drawbar pitches, which has a short envelope, adding a little ÒpopÓ to the note. The labels below the buttons show the functions, turning Percussion On or Off, and controlling the Volume (Soft or Loud), Decay Rate (Slow or Fast), and Pitch (Low or High harmonic).

Sliders and Assignable Controller Buttons (SW1-SW5)

The PC2 has 4 sliders and 5 switch buttons which can be assigned to send any MIDI controller message, and can be used to modify the sound of Programs and Setups in a variety of ways. (And of course, there are also 3 switch pedal and 2 continuous controller jacks, plus jacks for a breath controller and option ribbon. Again, these can be assigned to send any MIDI controller message). All these physical controllers are independent for each zone in a MIDI Setup, so that for instance, one slider can send a single message on one or more MIDI channels, or completely different messages for each channel in used in the Setup.

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The five Switch buttons (Sw1-SW5) section change function depending on whether you are in Internal Voices, MIDI Setups Mode or KB3 Mode.

In Internal Voices Mode

While you are in Internal Voices Mode, the default Internal Voices Setup has the controllers in zone 1 assigned to default values. Although you can customize the Internal Voices Setup (see tutorial #32) and change what messages are sent by the sliders, buttons, etc., you should be aware of the original defaults, since they are already set to give you control over your sound. Appendix C contains a list of all the presets and the specific controller assignments for each program. However, some general rules apply:

Slider A (Controller #93) controls the Wet/Dry Mix for FX-A Slider B (#91) controls the Wet/Dry Mix for FX-B Slider C (#6) varies for each program, but is typically some type of timbre change Slider D (#13) varies for each program, but is often some type of rate control (for vibrato, tremolo, etc.) It is also often used to control the amount of resonance, when Slider C is used to open and close a Low Pass filter. It may be also used for Envelope control (changing the Attack and/or release times).

SW1 (labeled Octave Shift) transposes down one octave. SW2 (#9) varies for each program SW3 (#12) varies for each program SW4 (#116) turns the arpeggiator on and off. SW5 (#29) varies for each program, but is often used for Layer Enable/Disable, or switching Layers. It can also be used to add Impact (a very brief amplitude boost, especially effective in percussive sounds).

An important note about the Octave Shift (SW1) button. This will shift the keyboard down one octave in Internal Voices Mode and in many Setups. But it is important to understand that this button is NOT specifically dedicated to doing an octave shift. It can, in fact, be programmed to send any MIDI controller you want Ð we have merely programmed it to do an octave shift as a default. In fact, if you use the Auto Split/Layer function to create a Setup from internal voices mode, you will find that while the button shifts zones 1 & 2 Down one octave, it shifts Zones 3 & 4 UP one octave.

In MIDI Setups Mode

The Sliders and buttons have a variety of different functions in the preset Setups. Appendix C documents the various controls. As mentioned above, you may find that moving a slider or pressing a button will change just a single zone or several of them.

We will be covering many examples of how you program the various physical controllers in the tutorials that follow.

In KB 3 Mode

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In KB3 Mode, the sliders function as the drawbars found on a standard tone wheel organ. The bottom SW1-SW3 buttons control the Rotary and Chorus/Vibrato effects. This is covered in detail in tutorial #14.

Other Buttons in the Zone Select & Assignable Controllers Section

There are two additional buttons in this section. One of these buttons is dedicated to selecting the Global EQ feature. This button will always call up the EQ display no matter what mode you are in. The EQ will affect all Programs and Setups, on all MIDI channels.

Press the EQ button. The display has three parameters that can be adjusted with the first three sliders. Or, you can select the parameters with the left and right arrow buttons and use regular data entry methods to change the values. Each of the three bands can be adjusted plus or minus 12dB. Press EQ again to return to the previous mode you were in. The EQ settings are remembered as long as the PC2 is powered up. Each time you turn the PC2 on, the EQ settings return to 0 dB for each band (Flat EQ).

The final button in this section change function depending on which mode you are in.

In KB3 Mode, this button switches the four sliders to control either the first 4 or second 4 drawbars of the standard 9 drawbars in a tonewheel organ. (The ninth drawbar is controlled by the Mod Wheel.)

When you are in MIDI Setups Mode, this button is used to solo a single zone (as shown previously). If you are in Internal Voices Mode, pressing this button triggers the Auto Split/Layer Function, turning the program into aSetup, and soloing zone 1.

If you have started in Internal Voices mode and have gone into the Program Editor (by pressing Timbre, Envelope, or LFO), then this button will solo the current Layer in the program (more on this in tutorial #16).

Sound Parameters

The PC2 offers some basic editing of sounds. The three buttons in this section control Timbre, Envelope, and LFOs. The actual parameters that you see in these menus will change depending on whether you are editing a regular program or a KB3 program. In addition, the parameters in the Timbre menu will change, depending on the program you are editing. We will go through some examples of editing programs in tutorials 16 & 17.

Effects

The PC2 has 2 effects processors, A & B. Only one effects configuration (which includes the setting for both Effects A & B) can be called up at a time. Each Program and Setup can have its own Effects configuration, and when you call up that Program or Setup, its effect configuration is selected. When you are playing a Program or a Setup, it is a simple matter to see the current effect and change it if desired. But if you are sequencing and playing different programs on different channels, then you must choose how you will control the effects, since only one program or master setting can be in control. We will cover how to do this in tutorial #30.

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1. Go to MIDI Setups Mode and call up Setup #5 Synth/E Piano. If the bottom line does

not say 1:Serious Classi, press the Zone 1 button. Notice that the FX-A button is lit, showing you that zone 1 is assigned to FX-A.

2. Now press the Zone 2 button. The FX-B button is lit, showing you that zone 2 is set to

FX-B. If you press FX-A, it now lights and the FX-B button is no longer lit. You have just changed zone 2 to go to FX-A. Press FX-A again, the button light goes out and now this zone is dry (no effects). Press FX-A and FX-B simultaneously to send a zone to both effects processors. Press FX-A again to return zone 2 to its original setting of FX-B.

3. Press the Select buttons for FX-A and FX-B. You will see which effect is chosen for

each effects bus (Dist Cab EPiano for FX-A and Elegant Hall for FX-B). You can change the effect for each bus by using any data entry method.

4. Press the Wet/Dry button. The bottom line shows the wet/dry mix for each effects

bus. Notice that FX-A amount is in parenthesis. This shows you that the current zone (zone 2) is not being sent to FX-A. But there is still an amount that is remembered for each bus. So if you switch zone 2 to use FX-A, it will use the currently set value of 76% wet for the Distorted Cabinet effect.

5. Each zone in a Setup (and each MIDI channel) can have its own separate wet/dry

mix. In zone 2, the wet/dry mix for FX-B is 6%. Press the Zone 3 button. Notice that this zone is set to 8% for the same effects bus. We will show how to set the wet dry mix on a per channel basis in our tutorial on using effects when sequencing.

6. Now look at the top line of the display. It says Global A>B 5%. In addition to having

to separate effects busses, you can feed the output of FX-A into FX-B, and this parameter allows you to choose how much of the signal from FX-A goes into FX-B. The display says Global, because this amount is the same for all zones (and all MIDI channels).

We will cover more details on using effects in tutorials 18 & 30.

System

This section has three buttons, Global, MIDI Receive, and Panic.

Pressing Panic will send the MIDI All Notes Off and MIDI All Controllers reset messages on all channels, which will stop any stuck and return controller values to their defaults. We will cover the Global functions at the end of this document, and The MIDI Receive button is covered in tutorial #27.

Functions

This section has three buttons: Compare, Copy, and Store. We will be covering the use of the Store function in the first tutorial.

Using the Compare function is easy. Press it at any time when you are editing a Program or Setup to compare the currently edited version with the previously stored version. If you are editing a Setup, the Z in the top right hand corner of the display will change to a

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C. If you are editing a Program, Lyr will change to Cmp. The Compare button will also blink. You will hear the previously stored version. Press Compare again to return to your currently edited version.

Details on using the Copy function can be found at the end of this document, after all the tutorials.

Editing Shortcuts

Following are few tricks to speed up editing of various parameters:

Setting Note Values:

For any parameter whose value is a note, hold Enter and strike the note on the keyboard that you want and the parameter will switch to that note.

Turning a parameter Off or setting it to None:

Typing 0 and pressing Enter will change most parameters to a value of Off or None.

To quickly edit a specific controller:

Each physical controller (sliders, wheels, etc.) has a number of parameters, and there are 17 different physical controllers. All of those parameters are under the same menu, so that is a lot of parameters to scroll through!! If you hold the Controllers button and move a specific controller, the PC2 will jump to the first parameter for that controller. For example, hold Controllers and move Slider A. The display jumps to Slider A Ctrl Num.

Pressing the << and >> buttons simultaneously will jump to the same parameter for the next controller in the list. After following the previous example, press both those buttons and you jump to Slider B Ctrl Num.

Jumping to a specific channel in the MIDI Receive menu:

Holding MIDI Receive and pressing one of the 16 Sound Select buttons will jump to that numbered MIDI channel.

Switching Banks when calling up a Program (in Internal Voices mode or in the Program Menu when editing a Setup):

Type the bank number, then the Ò+/-Ó button, then the program number, then press Enter.

Using the Copy Function

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As you go through the tutorials below, you will find examples of many different things you can do on the PC2. When you start to create your own Setups, you may find that you want two or more zones to have the same types of control oriented functions, with each zone playing a different sound. One way to speed up the creation of your Setups is to copy parameters from one zone to another or even from one Setup to another. The PC2 makes it easy to do this.

Details on using the Copy function can be found at the end of this document, after all the tutorials.

PC2 Made Easy

TUTORIALS

Intr o

These tutorials have been designed to start simply and increase in complexity. To avoid a great deal of duplication, later tutorials will refer to steps from previous tutorials.

There are two ways of creating a Setup Ð starting in Internal Voices Mode and (typically) use the AutoSplit function, or starting in MIDI Setups Mode.

Starting in MIDI Setups Mode - Editing from the Default Setup:

All of the tutorials start from the Setup 128, the Default Setup. One thing you want to be careful of - if you start from an existing Setup and make changes, some of the parameters from that original Setup may be set to do specific things, which will affect what you are trying to do.

For this reason, it is usually easier to start with the Default Setup. If you do start with one of the preset Setups, please be sure to look in Appendix E of the manual to see the controller assignments for that Setup.

Another thing to be aware of - whenever you call up a Setup, the PC2 copies all of the parameter values into an edit buffer. Any changes you make are made in that edit buffer, and the changes donÕt go into memory until you Store that Setup. If no Setup exists at a specific location, then nothing is copied into the edit buffer, and so the data in the edit buffer is whatever was there from the last real Setup.

For example, letÕs say you start with a PC2 set to factory defaults (no user Setups saved in memory). Now you call up Setup 1. All the parameters from Setups 1 are placed in the edit buffer. Next you call up Setup #129 in the User bank. But there is no Setup #129 yet in the instrument, so the display says ÒNot FoundÓ. Since nothing existed there, the values from Setup #1 are still in the edit buffer and if you start editing those values will be there unless you change them. As you can imagine, this can lead to confusion.

So again, the best way to create your own Setup is to either start with Setup 128, or start with another existing Setup if you know how its parameters are set and want to make use of those settings.

There are actually four possible ÒtemplateÓ Setups you can start with. Setup 128 Default Setup has some of the controllers set to default settings for all 4 zones. For example, the Switch Pedal 1 is set to Sustain and wheel 1 is set to Pitch Bend. Most other controllers are unassigned. Setup 127 A Clear Setup has ALL of the controllers unassigned. Setup 126 Internal Setup is a copy of the default setting for the Internal Voices Setup, which is a special Setup that is used when in Internal Voices Mode. This Setup has every physical controller set to a specific default value. The Sliders and Switch Buttons are set to controller numbers, which typically are used to modify sound and arpeggiator parameters. Setup 125 PC2R Control is a Setup specifically designed for controlling a PC2R from a PC2. It has a different set of controller numbers assigned, which are used in the remapping function of the PC2R.

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Typically, it is easiest to start with Setup 128, since you will normally want those basic controllers set to their default values, while the sliders, etc. are left unassigned (because we will be assigning them in the tutorials).

The following tutorials assume you have a switch pedal plugged into the Switch Pedal 1 jack (for Sustain). Some of these tutorials also require that you have a second switch pedal plugged in to the Switch Pedal 2 jack. If you donÕt have a second pedal, you can still follow the example, using the Switch 1, 2, & 3 buttons in the Assignable Controllers area to do the same thing.

Starting from Internal Voices Mode

When you start in Internal Voices mode and use the Auto Split/Layer function to begin creating a Setup, you are using a special Setup called the Internal Voices Setup, which already has specific controller values assigned to the various physical controllers. To see what these controller values are, look at the chart on page 59 of the PC2 Version 2 Supplement manual. This shows the values for Setup 126 Internal Setup.

As mentioned above, this setup is a copy of the default Internal Voices Setup. However, it is important to be aware that the two are entirely separate. It is possible to customize the Internal Voices Setup (as shown in tutorial #32). Making changes to the Internal Voices Setup will not affect Setup #126.

Deciding which mode to start from when creating a Setup

In general, starting from Internal Voices mode and using the Auto Split/Layer feature is great for creating Setups Òon the flyÓ in a performance situation. But if you have more detailed needs for your Setups, you should start in MIDI Setups Mode.

Although we will cover starting from Internal Voices Mode in tutorials #1 & 2, all other tutorials assume you have started in MIDI Setups Mode. As mentioned above, the Internal Voices Setup has specific values assigned to the sliders and buttons, and can therefore give you unexpected results. By starting from the Default setup #128, you are starting with a Òblank slateÓ for those controllers, making it easier to understand what is going on.

Also, the Auto Split/Layer function is great for creating a simple 2 zone layered Setup. But if you want to have 3 zones layered together, you are going to need to edit the zone within MIDI setups Mode, since the zone 3 button is set to split instead of layer (and the zone 4 button will layer with the zone 3 sound).

Finally, you should be aware that the Auto Split/Layer function can be turned On or Off on a per setup basis Ð you will find the Auto Split and Auto Split Key parameters in the Key Range menu. So if you have created a Setup by starting Internal Voices Mode, and then later use that Setup as a starting point for creating a new Setup, the Auto Split/Layer function will still be on. You may need to turn it off to create the type of Setup you need (for example, if you needed a 3 way split).

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1. Layering Two or More Program s

To play two or more programs, you must create a Setup with a zone for each program, and each zone set to a different MIDI channel.

As stated in the Tutorials Intro, there are two possible ways to do this Ð From Internal Voices mode, using the Auto Split/Layer function, or from MIDI Setups mode. We covered using the Auto Split/ Layer Function in the Basics section, but we will review it here.

Starting from Internal Voices mode:

1. Press the Internal Voices button. Choose the Program you want for the first zone. You

can select it by using the alpha wheel, the + and - buttons, or the numeric keypad. (The programs and their numbers are listed in Appendices A & B in the manual.) Or you can use the Sound Select and Next/Previous Group buttons, as in the Basics & User Interface section of this document.

2. Press Layer (the Zone 2 button). Notice that the Mode buttons change and MIDI

Setups is now lit instead of Internal Voices (since we now have 2 zones). Also notice that the top of the display says Zone:2 auto, indicating that Auto Split/Layer is turned on. Play the keyboard. You should hear both sounds together. Notice that the sustain pedal works for both layers.

3. ThatÕs it! To save the Setup you have created, see Step 7 in the section below.

Remember that if you want to layer more than 2 zones, you will want to start from MIDI Setups mode. Also remember that the Auto Split/Layer function does not work in KB3 Mode, since the buttons are used for a different purpose.

Star t ing from MIDI Setups mode:

1. Press the MIDI Setups button, then type 128, then press Enter on the numeric keypad.

In order to have different programs layered, each zone must be set to a different MIDI channel. As mentioned in the Intro, Setup 128 is already designed as a good starting point for creating a Setup. Notice that the zone 1 button is green indicating it is active. Zone buttons 2-4 are orange, showing they are muted. The four zones are already assigned to channels 1-4.

2. Press the Program button. Choose the Program you want for the first zone. You can

select it by using the alpha wheel, the + and - buttons, or the numeric keypad. (The programs and their numbers are listed in Appendices A & B in the manual.) Or you can use the Sound Select and Next/Previous Group buttons, as described at the beginning of this document.

3. Step 2 will allow you to choose any program from the Internal Voice bank. But if you

have one of the ROM block options installed and want to choose a program from one of those ROM blocks (or if you want to choose a KB3 program or user created program), then you need to switch banks. There are three ways to do this.

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If you know exactly which program you want, then the fastest way is to type the bank number, followed by the Ò+/-Ó button, followed by the program number, then Enter. (The bank numbers were listed at the beginning of this document.)

If you want to scroll through the programs in a bank, you can press the Internal, User, Exp1, or Exp2 buttons to switch to that bank, then use the alpha wheel to scroll through the programs in that bank. This method canÕt be used to select a KB3 program Ð you must use one of the other two methods if you want to switch from an Internal Voices program to the one of the KB3 banks, or vice versa. (But you could use it to switch between Internal and User KB3 programs.)

Another way to switch banks is to press the << button to get to the Bank parameter. Use the alpha wheel to choose the bank you want. Then press the >> button to get back to the Program parameter.

4. Now that you have chosen your first sound, you will choose your layered sound.

Press the Zone 2 button. The Zone 2 button turns green, showing that it is active.

5. Repeat steps 2 or 3 to assign a program for your second layer. DonÕt try and select a

KB3 program for this zone Ð remember that KB3 program can only be called up on a single MIDI channel, by default channel 1 (and in this Setup zone 1 is assigned to channel 1). Play the keyboard. You should hear both sounds together. Notice that the sustain pedal works for both layers.

6. If you want to add a third or fourth layer, just repeat steps 4 and 5

7. ThatÕs it! Now all you have to do is Name and Store your Setup. Press Store. The

display says ÒSave Setup 129?Ó. (If you had previously created a Setup, it will pick the first empty number above that.) Press the >> button so that the display says ÒRename Setup 129?Ó. Press Enter. Now you are in the naming routine.

You will see an underline cursor under the first character (ÒDÓ). Press the <<< or >>> soft buttons to move the cursor. Press a button on the numeric keypad one or more times to enter a character above the cursor. The characters that correspond to the alphanumeric buttons are labeled under each button. If the character that appears is not the one you want, press the button again. For example, pressing 1 once will choose an ÒAÓ. Pressing it again will choose ÒBÓ, and one more time will choose ÒCÓ. Press the +/button on the alphanumeric pad to switch between upper and lower case characters. Press 0 one or more times to enter the numerals 0 through 9. Press CLEAR (on the alphanumeric keypad) to erase the selected character without moving any other characters. To insert a space, press the ÒSW1Ó button in the Assignable Controllers section. To delete a character press the ÒSW2Ó button, and to move the cursor instantly to the end of the name in the display, press the ÒSW3Ó button.

In addition to letter and number characters there are numerous other characters you can choose. For example, if you layered piano and strings, you might want to name your Setup ÒPiano & StringsÓ. You can choose these characters by scrolling with the alpha wheel or the + and - buttons. At the end of this document is a list of all the characters and the order in which they appear.

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Once you have the name the way you want it, press Enter.

8. The PC2 now jumps back to the Store dialog. The display will read ÒSave Setup

129?Ó. You can save to any number you want, by scrolling with the wheel or + and Ð buttons. If a Setup already exists at a numbered location, the display will change from ÒSaveÓ to ÒReplaceÓ.

Now press Enter. Congratulations - you have created and stored your first Setup!

A programming note: As mentioned above Setup 128 starts with all 4 zones assigned to MIDI channels, and with zones 2-4 muted. This means that if you press a zone button once or twice (depending on whether that zone was already in the display), it will unmute and begin playing. If you have created a 2 zone setup and would like to prevent accidentally playing zones 3 or 4 if you pressed their zone buttons, you can turn those zones off. To do this, press the MIDI Transmit button, then press the zone button for the zone you want to turn off. Next press 0, then Enter.

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2. Splitting Two or More Programs

As with tutorial #1, there are two possible ways to create a Setup with a split Ð from Internal Voices mode, using the Auto Split/Layer function, or from MIDI Setups mode. We covered using the Auto Split/ Layer Function in the Basics section, but we will review it here.

Starting from Internal Voices mode:

1. Press the Internal Voices button. Choose the Program you want for the first zone. You

2. Press Split (the Zone 3 button). Notice that the Mode buttons change and MIDI

Setups is now lit instead of Internal Voices (since we now have 2 zones). Also notice that the top of the display says Zone:3 auto, indicating that Auto Split/Layer is turned on. Play the keyboard. You should hear the two sounds split across the keyboard.

3. Notice that if you press the sustain pedal when playing both sides of the split, both

sides sustain. Although this might be fine in some circumstances, often you wonÕt want this. For example, if you create a piano and bass split, you will probably want the piano part to sustain, but not the bass.

Hold the Controllers button and step on the sustain pedal. The display jumps to show Zone:3 SwitchPdl1, On Ctrl: 64 Sustain. Press 0, then Enter to set it to None. Now play the keyboard and notice how the sound in zone 1 will sustain but the sound in zone 3 does not.

4. If you would like to change where the keyboard is split, you can easily do this. Press

5. Go through steps 7 and 8 in tutorial #1 to name and save your Setup.

Star t ing from MIDI Setups mode:

1. Go through steps 1-3 (in the section on starting from MIDI Setups) in tutorial #1.

2. Press the Key Range button. The display will show the key range for zone 1, from C-1

to G9. (C4 is middle C on the keyboard.) You are going to make zone 1 be the right side of the split, so you need to change the lowest note for this zone. The cursor is already under the Low Note parameter. So, simply press and hold the Enter button, then strike the key on the keyboard that you want to be the lowest note for the right side of the split. The display will change to show that note.

3. Go through steps 4 and 5 in tutorial #1 to create the second part of your split.

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4. Press the Key Range button. Since zone 2 is the left side of your split, you need to

change the high note so that it doesnÕt overlap with zone 1. Press the >> to move the cursor to the High Note parameter. Press and hold the Enter button, then strike the note on the keyboard that is one note lower than the note you chose for the lowest note in zone 1. Play the keyboard. You should hear the two sounds split at the notes you chose.

5. Notice that if you press the sustain pedal when playing both sides of the split, both

Hold the Controllers button and step on the sustain pedal. The display jumps to show Zone:2 SwitchPdl1, Sw Type:Momentary. Press the >> to get to the On Control parameter for Switch Pedal 1. Currently it is set to Sustain. Press 0, then Enter to set it to None. Now play the keyboard and notice how the sound in zone 1 will sustain but the sound in zone 2 does not.

6. Go through steps 7 and 8 in tutorial #1 to name and save your Setup.

You can easily add zones 3 and 4 using the same methods. Each zone can be set to any range of notes, so you can have various zones layered while they are split with other zones. Or create a 3 or 4 way split. Or overlap the zones only partially.

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3. A ssigni ng Sl i der s for Vol um e in D if f er ent Zones

1. Go through steps 1-3 (in the section on starting from MIDI Setups) in tutorial #1.

2. Hold the Controllers button and move Slider A. The display now shows Zone:1 Slider

A, Ctrl Num:None. Press 7, then Enter to assign Slider A to Volume. (Controller #7 is MIDI Volume. For a complete list of all the MIDI controllers, see Appendix F in the manual.)

3. Go through steps 4 and 5 in tutorial #1 to create a second zone. Remember that to

make zone 2 active so you hear it, you may need to press the zone 2 button twice.

4. Hold the Controllers button and move Slider B. The display now shows Zone:2 Slider

B, Ctrl Num:None. Press 7, then Enter to assign Slider B to Volume. Play the keyboard and move the two sliders. You can control the volume of each zone independently.

5. Go through steps 7 and 8 in tutorial #1 to name and save your Setup.

Of course, you can use the C and D sliders to control volumes on the 3rd and 4th zone in a Setup. Or, you could also assign the same slider to volume in more than one zone. We will show an example of this in tutorial #6.

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4. Setting Initial Volume Levels for Different Zones

LetÕs say that you want to create a setup with piano and strings layered but you want the strings to be at much lower volume than the piano, and you need to have the volume levels set to specific amounts when you call up the Setup. You can use entry values to set initial volume levels.

1. Go through steps 1-4 of tutorial #3, assigning a piano program to zone 1 and a string

program to zone 2.

2. Press the >> button four times. Since you are still on zone 2, the display should read

Zone:2 Slider B, Entry Value:None. Set the value to 95.

3. Press the Zone 1 button. Hold the Controllers Button and move Slider A. Press the >>

button four times. The display should now read Zone:1 Slider A, Entry Value:None. Set the value to 127.

4. Go through steps 7 and 8 in tutorial #1 to name and save your Setup.

5. Now go to a different Setup, then call up your saved Setup again. Play the keyboard.

Notice that the strings are quieter than the piano. Since the two sliders are assigned to volume on the two different MIDI channels, they each send a volume message with the Entry value (127 on channel 1 and 95 on channel 2) as soon as you call up the Setup. If you subsequently move the slider, it will send volume messages.

An IMPORTANT point to understand when using Entry values:

Lets say that your B slider happens to be all the way up when you call up the Setup you just made. Volume is now at 95 on channel 2. Now you want to use the slider to fade the strings out. If you move the slider, you wouldnÕt want it to suddenly jump to the current value; since the slider is all the way up (set to 127), it would jump to 126 the moment you moved the slider down and the volume would suddenly get louder!

To avoid this problem, the PC2 is designed so that once you set an Entry value, the slider wonÕt become active until you pass the point of the Entry value. So as you move the slider down, nothing will happen until you reach 95 and at that point, it will follow the slider as you bring it down, thereby creating a smooth fade out.

HereÕs an extra tip - letÕs say that you want to have a piano & strings Setups like the one described above, but you donÕt want to hear the strings when you call up the Setup. Instead, you want to bring them in later with a slider. To do this, you could set the Entry value for zone 2 to 0. Now letÕs assume the slider is all the way down when you first call up the Setup. Remember that the slider must go past the Entry value before it becomes active. So the Entry value is 0 and the current position of the slider is also at 0. When you move the slider up, it goes to 1, not 0, and therefore nothing happens as you move the slider up. So you would have to move the slider up slightly, then back down so that it goes to 0, then the next time you move it up the slider will be active.

To avoid having to move the slider up , down, and up again, set the Entry value to a very low number other than 0, such as 5. The value is so low that you wonÕt hear the strings, but as you push up the slider the first time, it will go past 5 and become active.

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