Presets 1 to 4 are designed for software that does not have defaultMIDI CC's to control it's parameters, and instead uses a MIDI 'learn' mode.
*The Cross Fader will send out CC10 for all presets 1-4. F18 is set to'OFF', so that only cc10 is sent out when the cross fader is moved.The buttons are assigned MIDI CC's such that their values will not clash with any of the CC's assigned to the controllers in all four of these presets.
Evolution UC-33 Advanced User Guide
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Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
About The Advanced Guide
In the X-Session Advanced Guide we have made the assumption that you have been
through the X-Session Getting Started Guide which should have been supplied in printed
form with your X-Session. If you do not have this guide, please contact your local distributor or download it from our website www.evolution.co.uk
The Getting Started Guide should insure that you are now familiar with the basic operation of the X-Session so that we now can focus on more in-depth features.
First however, we need to explain some terminology we use throughout the guide.
Terminology
Edit Mode
Edit Mode describes the short period after a function button has been pressed during
which the parameters of that function can be altered. The numeric keypad can be
used to alter a parameter during this time. No data is sent out of the X-Session when it is
in Edit mode except for program and bank changes. LCD symbols shown in Edit mode
will flash to show you that a particular parameter can be edited. If a number is part
entered, and a new controller turned, that number will become the relevant parameter
number for the new controller and the 3 second editing period will re-trigger.
Default mode
Default Mode describes the state of the X-Session, when no function buttons have been
pressed within the last 3 seconds. In Default mode, the LCD will show the controller
symbol, and the 2 digit display will show the last selected controller. The 3 digits
display the currently assigned MIDI CC number.
120 All Sound off
121 Reset all Controllers
122 Local Control
123 All Notes Off
124 Omni Off
125 Omni On
126 Mono On (Poly Off)
127 Poly On (Mono Off)
Extra RPN Messages
128 Pitch Bend sensitivity
129 Fine Tune
130 Coarse Tune
131 Channel Pressure
“On The Fly”
Operations
3
Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Sending Program Changes On The Fly
You can at any one time send out a program change message to you sound card, sound
module, instrument or whatever other device will receive this standard MIDI message.
The program change will be sent on the global MIDI channel.
1. Press the PROGRAM button.
2. Type in the program number you wish to send, using the numerical keypad
or the +/- keys.
You can also program the assignable buttons to send out fixed program messages to
individual MIDI channels. For further information regarding this method, please go to
pages 5 to 9.
Global MIDI channel: For more information, please go to page 10.
Example: The LCD display the PROG symbol in the right hand corner
Indicating that the PROGRAM button has been pressed. The program
value sent is 00 and its sent on the global MIDI channel 01.
Sending Bank Changes On The Fly
If your receiving device has more than 128 presets, you may be able to access the
additional banks by sending out bank change LSB and MSB messages.
1. Press the DATA LSB or DATA MSB button.
2. Type in the bank number you wish to send, using the numerical keypad or
the +/- keys.
Please check the documentation for your receiving device to ensure that it will respond
to these messages. For more information about LSB and MSB, please see the chapter
“Program and Bank Changes Explained” on page 17 in this manual.
Press the +/- buttons together to send a SNAP SHOT of the
current X-Session controller assignments and their values.
When you send a snapshot, the LCD will display the SNAPSHOT symbol.
The data for an individual controller will be sent on which ever channel that
controller has been assigned to.
Snap Shot is one way of synchronizing the receiving device with the X-Session
and can be used as a creative tool, with interesting and surpri sing result s.
The data sent when SNAP SHOT is pressed, can be viewed in your sequencers list
editor. Set your sequencer to record and press SNAP SHOT. Then open the list editor
and ensure its set to display controller data.
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Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Appendix D - Useful MIDI data
General MIDI Instruments
Piano Bass Reed Synth Effects
0 Acoustic Grand Piano
1 Bright Acoustic Piano
2 Electric grand Piano
3 Honky Tonk Piano
4 Electric Piano 1
5 Electric Piano 2
6 Harpsichord
7 Clavinet
To Mute all controllers and the cross fader, press the CTRL MUTE buttons.
This allows you to alter the position of the controller without affecting the settings of your
software. CTRL MUTE does not affect buttons, and as soon as an assignable button or
a function key is pressed, the controllers are turned back on. Alternatively, you can
press the CTRL MUTE buttons again to turn the controllers back on.
When you first press the CTR MUTE buttons, you will see the LCD display ’OFF’. Changing the position of a controller with controller mute engaged, the LCD will always display
OFF to indicate no data is being sent out by the X-Session. To cancel the controller mute
function, simply press a function key (or keys) or one of the assignable buttons.
This is a very useful feature if you are switching between presets on the X-Session with
the controllers out of position. You will be able to move the controller to a position relative
to the software’s controller value, rather than causing the software’s controller value to
jump.
You can also use this feature for creative mixing and interesting DJ type control. If for
instance you use the X-Session as a conventional volume mixer, try engaging the
controller mute function, change the volume up or down of various channels and press
the SNAP SHOT buttons. This form of mixing is very dynamic and can not be done using
a conventional mixer.
About the Cross Fader
The cross Fader can be assigned to two MIDI CC values, by editing F17 and F18.
When it is moved, both F17 and F18 will be sent out. F17 will increment from left to right,
while F18 will increment from right to left. So, F17 and F18 work against each other.
As an example, this has been put to practice in the Rebirth preset:
F17 controls the volume of the top drum module, while F18 controls the volume of the
bottom drum module. This means you can flick between the two modules by flicking
the fader far left or right, since when F17 is 0, F18 is 127, and when F18 is 0 F17 is 127.
To select F18 for programming, you need to use the CONTROL SELECT Buttons.
F17 can be selected for editing by moving the cross fader.
144 Pitch Bend - Pitch shift LSB Pitch shift MSB
145 Program/Bank Preset Program Bank LSB Bank MSB
146 MIDI CC (on/off) MIDI CC Button press
147 Note (on/off) Note Velocity off Velocity on
148 Note (on/off toggle) Note Velocity off Velocity on
149
150
151
152
255
MMC Command** - Command select. Reverb type GM2 * - Type Reverb time GM2 * - Time Chorus type GM2* - Type Controller Off***
- Toggle Value 2 Toggle Value 1
- Tuning LSB Tuning MSB
- Tuning LSB Tuning MSB
- Mod rate -
- Mod depth -
- - -
Data Lsb
(Press Twice)
level
value
Data Msb
(Press Twice)
-
Button release
value
Programming
&
Editing
The X-Session
* Sysex messages - for details please see pages 8 & 18.
** MMC Sysex messages, for details please see page 11.
*** This value cannot be typed in using the numerical keypad. Type in 144 and
then press the '+' button to set this value, or 0 and press the '-' button.
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Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Introduction To X-Session Programming Options
Each of the X-Session’s 28 controllers can send MIDI CC, RPN/NRPN, GM 1&2 SysEx
and even be assigned to individual MIDI channels.
MIDI CC (continuous controller) numbers are part of the standard MIDI specifications and
are typically used to control the real-time changing of parameters in musical equipment.
For a complete list of standard MIDI controller numbers from 0 to 131, please see
Appendix E on page 29.
Any of the 28 real-time controllers on the X-Session can be assigned to a MIDI CC
number however the 10 assignable buttons have slightly different options from the cross
fader or 16 rotary controllers.
The following 2 charts show all the transmit messages you can program for each
of the 18 fader/controllers and 10 assignable MIDI buttons respectively. We show you this
already at this stage, so you can follow the principle of programming the X-Sessioncontrollers in the following instructions and examples.
Please pay extra attention to the differences between how you program the cross fader or
controllers and how you program the buttons.
* General MIDI SysEx messages - for details please see pages 8 & 18.
** General MIDI 2 SysEx messages
*** MMC Sysex messages, for details please see page 11.
**** This value cannot be typed in using the numerical keypad. Use '+' or '-'.
* Sysex messages - for details please see pages 8 & 18.
** MMC Sysex messages, for details please see page 11.
*** This value cannot be typed in using the numerical keypad. Type in 144 and
then press the '+' button to set this value, or 0 and press the '-' button.
Pitch Bend Sensitivity - Channel Fine Tune - Channel Coarse Tune - Channel Pressure - RPN coarse RPN LSB RPN MSB
RPN fine RPN LSB RPN MSB
NRPN coarse NRPN LSB NRPN MSB
NRPN fine NRPN LSB NRPN MSB
Master Volum e GM* - Master Pan GM* - Master Coarse Tune GM* - Master Fine Tune GM* - Chorus Mod rate GM2* - Chorus Mod Depth GM2* - Feedback GM2* - Send to Reverb GM2* - Pitch Bend - -
Controller Off***
- -
Data Msb (Press
Twice)
8
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Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Appendix A - MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART
Function Transmitted Received Remarks
Basic :Default
Channel:Changed
:Default
Mode :Messages
:Altered
Note
Number:True Voice
Velocity: Note ON
: Note OFF
After : Keys
Touch :Ch’s
Pitch Bend 0 X
Control 0-119
Change
120-127 0 X
Program
Change:True Number
System Exclusive GM, GM2, MMC
Song Position
Common:Song Select
System :Clock
Exclusive:Commands
Aux :Local ON/OFF
Messages :All Notes OFF
:Active Sense
:Reset
Notes: 0 = YES X=NO
1-16
1-16
--------X
*********
0-127
*********
0
0
0
0
0 X
0-127
*********
X
X
X
0
0
0
0
0
X
X
X
X
X
X
Memory
Dump
X
X
X
Assignable MIDI Buttons
ASSIGN Description Program
0-119 Standard MIDI CC’s - Toggle Value 2 Toggle Value 1
120-127 Channel Mode Mess ages - Toggle Value 2 Toggle Value 1
128 Pitch Bend Sensitivity - Sensitivity value 129 Channel Fine Tune - Tuning amount 130 Channel Coarse Tune - Tuning amount 131 Channel P ressure - Pressure amount 132 RP N Coarse V al ue RP N LSB RPN MSB
133 RP N F i ne Value RPN LSB RPN MSB
134 NRP N Coars e Value NRPN LSB NRPN MSB
135 NRP N F i ne Value NRPN LSB NRPN MSB
136 Master Volume* - Volume LSB Volume MSB
137 Master Pan* - Pan LSB Pan MSB
138 Master Coarse Tune* - Tuning LSB Tuning MSB
139 Mast er Fi ne Tune* - Tuning LSB Tuning MSB
140 Chorus Mod rat e** - Mod rate 141 Chorus Mod Dept h** - Mod depth 142 Feedbac k ** - Feedback level 143 S end to Reverb** - Reverb send level 144 Pitch Bend - Pitch shift LSB Pitch shift MSB
145 Program/Bank Preset Program Bank LSB Bank MSB
146 MIDI CC (on/off) MIDI CC Button release value Button press value
147 Note (on/off) Note Velocity off Velocity on
148 Note (on/off toggle) Note Velocity off Velocity on
149
150
151
152
255
MMC Command*** - Command select. Reverb type ** - Type Reverb time ** - Time Chorus type ** - Type Controller Off****
Selecting A Controller For Editing
(Press Twice)
- - -
Before you can assign a MIDI CC to one of the X-Session’s controllers, you will need to
select it for editing. There are 2 methods for doing this:
1. Press CONTROL SELECT. The LCD will display the CONTROLLER symbol.
The symbol will be flashing to indicate the controller settings can be altered. The
3-digit display will show the number of the currently selected controller, proceeded
by a 'C', or an 'F' if the cross fader is selected.
2. Type in the number of the controller using the numeric keypad, or the +/buttons.
or
Move the cross fader/rotary controller.
Simply moving a fader/rotary controller will make it the currently selected
controller, ready for editing.
To select the second cross fader controller value (F18) please use method 1.
It is also not possible to select any of the 10 numerical buttons by pressing them,
since during edit mode, they are used to enter numerical values. To program these buttons, please use the first method.
Bank LSB (Press
Twice)
Data Msb (Press
Twice)
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Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Assigning MIDI CC’s
Once the controller you want to edit has been selected, you can change the assigned
MIDI CC number in the following way:
1. Press ASSIGN. The LCD will flash the CC symbol. The 3 digit display will indicate the currently assigned MIDI CC number.
2. Type in a new MIDI CC value using the numeric keypad or ’+’ and ’-’ buttons.
The MIDI controller number you select will be assigned to the currently selected
controller, shown by the number on the small, 2-digit display.
Example: After pressing ASSIGN, the display shows the
cc symbol and in this case displays that currently the MIDI CC 07 is
assigned to controller number 13.
EvolutionX-Session Advanced User Guide
Appendix A–G
&
Assigning An Individual MIDI Channel
1. Select the controller you want to edit as described earlier.
2. Press CHANNEL.
The LCD will display the CHAN symbol and the 3-digit display will show the
current channel assignment of the selected controller, preceded by a ’c’. The
small 2-digit display will show the currently selected controller for assignment.
3. Type the MIDI channel number (01-16) you want the controller to send to,
using the numeric keypad or the +/- keys.
If the controller is assigned to channel 00, it will transmit on the global channel.
Changing The Global MIDI Channel
The X-Session’s global MIDI channel affects only the controllers that have the individual
MIDI channel assigned to value 00, as described in the previous section.
Here is how you change the global MIDI channel:
1. Press GLOBAL CHANNEL (ASSIGN and CHANNEL together).
The LCD will display the KEYBOARD and CHAN symbol. The 3-digit display will show the currently selected global channel, preceeded by a 'c'.
2. Type in the MIDI channel number (01-16) using the numeric keypad or
the +/- keys.
Example: MIDI channel 01 is assigned as global MIDI channel.
Using a combination of global MIDI channel and individually assigned MIDI channels can
be a great way of navigating through your system. With multitimbral instruments such as
Reason, it can be easier to just change the global MIDI channel on the X-Session in order
to jump to the next device, rather than operating the software.
Factory Preset List
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Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Viewing The Contents Of A Memor y
Right-click on a memory to view the contents. Please note that it is not possible to edit
the contents of a memory. The Sys Ex librarian will simply allow you to rearrange the
order of memories, or copy memories between one memory dump and another.
Saving A Setup
Once you have named all your presets, and organised them in the desired order, click
’save’ to save the content.
Alternatively you can click on the File menu and select save to save the file with the
previously assigned file name, or save as to assign the memory dump a new file name.
The shortcut key to save Bank 1 is CTRL+S.
Make sure you give the file a name which allows you to quickly identify your collection of
setups.
Loading A Setup
To load a memory setup file back in to the librarian, click on the ’Load’ button and select
the required file. The loaded preset setups will appear in the Bank Window. You can
then either send it directly to the Evolution device by clicking send, or edit it.
Alternatively, select Open from the File menu.
The shortcut key for loading is CTRL+O
Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Setting Toggle Values For The Buttons
The 10 assignable buttons can each be assigned to toggle between two values. You
may for instance want to send out value 15 when you first press the button followed by
value 74 when you press the button for a second time. This is how you do it:
1. Press the Function button labelled DATA MSB 2 times.
2. Type in 15 using the numerical keypad or the +/- keys.
3. Press the Function button labelled DATA LSB 2 times.
4. Type in 74 using the numerical keypad or the +/- keys.
If you want the button to send the same value every time you press it, simply type in the
same value both times.
RPN/NRPN, GM 1+2 SysEx & Other Messages
As already described, the standard MIDI controller numbers range from 0 to 131. We
have extended the list of MIDI CC’s that can be assigned to the controllers of the
X-Session to include RPN/NRPN, MMC and General MIDI 1&2 SysEx messages.
These advanced messages are as easy to program as a regular MIDI CC instruction by
entering values 132 to 152 when programming MIDI CC’s. The charts on page 8 and 9
(or Appendix B) show you what number correspond to each message
To program the values required for these advanced messages, the X-Session requires
you to press the PROGRAM, DATA LSB and DATA MSB buttons twice respectively.
Pressing only once will send the program and bank change instructions “on the fly” as
described earlier.
Lets look at a couple of examples to see how this works. Please refer to the chart in
Appendix B so you get to grips with the principle:
Future Development Of The Librarian
We strongly recommend you register your ownership of the Evolution Librarian if you
would like to be kept informed about future development. As you can see from the version
number, the software is at an early version 1.1 stage and we will continue to work on
enhancements for the software.
To register your copy, please visit www.evolution.co.uk/register
22
Assigning MMC Control To A Button
1. Select the button you want to control the MMC message.
2. Press “ASSIGN” on the X-Session.
3. Type in “149” using the numerical keypad.
This is the number that corresponds to the MMC instruction, as per the chart on
page 8 and 9.
4. Press “Channel” once.
5. Type in “127”, using the numerical keypad.
This ensures that the message is set to all device ID numbers. For more
information about this, please read “About SysEx Messages & Device ID”
on page 13.
4. Press the “DATA LSB” button twice.
5. Enter a number from the chart on the next page to select the MMC
message you want:
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Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Number MMC Command
01 STOP
02 PLAY
03 DEFERRED PLAY
04 FAST FORWARD
05 REWIND
06 RECORD STROBE
07 RECORD EXIT
08 RECORD PAUSE
09 PAUSE
10 EJECT
11 CHASE
12 COMMAND ERROR RESET
13 MMC RESET
Assigning RPN/NRPN To A Controller
Note: For a detailed description of RPN/NRPN data see section RPN/NRPN’s
Explained on page 17.
1. Press Control select, and move the desired controller.
2. Press control assign twice and while the display is flashing,
enter controller 132 for RPN coarse, 133 for RPN fine, 134
for NRPN coarse or 135 for NRPN fine.
3. Press DATA MSB twice to assign the number for
the RPN/NRPN MSB.
4. Press DATA LSB twice to assign the number for
RPN/NRPN LSB.
5. Press CHANNEL ASSIGN to assign the MIDI channel the
message should be sent on.
You will find most data sheets for synths that make use of NRPN's will give the MSB
and LSB values that you should enter into DATA MSB and DATA LSB banks
Appendix F). However, some manuals may only give the hex values. The X-Session
requires you to enter the decimal value. You can easily convert hexadecimal values to
decimal using the windows calculator. Simply select Scientific mode, select hex and
enter the hexadecimal value you need to convert. Press the Dec button to convert it to
a decimal value. Enter the decimal value into the X-Session.
Alternatively, use the look up table in Appendix C.
The following shows how to set a button to transmit a note on when pressed, and a
note off when released.
(also see
Setting Up The Librarian Software
Before you start using the Librarian, check that the X-Session has been selected as input
and output device.
1. Select MIDI Setup from the Options menu.
2. Ensure the USB driver for you
r Evolution X-Session - is selected in the
“Inputs” Column.
If you are using native drivers this may be named “USB Audio Device”.
1. In the “Outputs” column, select the USB driver for you
r Evolution X-Session
If you are using native drivers this may be named “USB Audio Device”.
You should now be ready to use the Librarian software with you Evolution
X-Session.
Librarian Overview
As you can see from the screenshot of the Librarian on page 20, you can save, load,
receive or send the complete content to and from either Bank column s.
To transmit the complete content of your
Evolution X-Session to the librarian,
simply press the “Receive” button on the Librarian software.
This process can only be completed successfully if the USB drivers for your
X-Session
have been selected correctly, as described in the “Setting Up The Librarian Software”
section.
Once you have Received data from the
X-Session, the memories are displayed in the
column.
Organising Presets Received From A Device
You can name the memories as you like. To re-name a memory, double-click on the
memory. You can then move memories around by dragging them to a new position, or
using the copy buttons between the two windows.
These buttons are defined below:
Will copy the selected memory in Bank 2 to Bank 1.
Will copy the selected memory in Bank 1 to Bank 2.
Will copy all memories in Bank 2 to Bank 1.
Will copy all the memories in Bank 1 to Bank 2.
Will undo the last copy you made. Only the last copy is remembered.
It’s a good idea to decide which column is your master column, to avoid confusion and
maybe loosing hours of work.
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Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
About The Evolution Librarian Software
The Evolution Librarian Software is a Windows PC librarian program developed for
Evolution products. The program not only works with the MK-425C/449C/461C keyboards but is also compatible with the Evolution X-Session and the Evolution UC-33e
USB controllers.
And even better, you can swap patches between Evolution products that are
supported by the Librarian so you never have to create the same patch twice.
The librarian itself, allows you to send and receive the 10 patches to and from the
X-Session, load and save memory banks, view how individual patches have been
programmed and drag and drop patches in order to create new combinations in the
10 memory locations.
Installing The Evolution Librarian Software
1. Insert the X-Session Installer CD-ROM in to your CD-ROM drive.
2. Click on “Librarian Installer”
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process
Once the installation has been completed, launch the program. The following is a
screenshot of what you should be seeing on your monitor.
2
1
Assigning A Note T o A Button
1. Press SELECT and press the “0” button. The display will show that you
have selected controller 19.
2. Press ASSIGN and enter '147' this is the MIDI CCnumber that corresponds to Note on/off mode, as shown in
Appendix B.
3. Press DATA MSB twice and enter a value of '100'. This means
when you press the button, a Note on message will be sent
out with a velocity of 100.
4. Press DATA LSB twice, and enter a value of '000'. This
means when you release the button, a Note off message will
be sent out.
5. Press the PROGRAM button twice and enter '064'. This will
mean you are sending out MIDI note 64 or E4, each time you
press the button. The MIDI note numbers are given in
Appendix D.
This button mode has many uses. You can use this mode to trigger
samples, control lighting equipment, play keyboard notes and much more.
Note: When you press the button in note mode, the LCD display will briefly
show the note velocity.
About Sys Ex Messages & Device ID
When transmitting Sys Ex messages, the individual control channel number does not
define a transmit channel, but a device ID. This is made clear since when you press
the CHANNEL button, the CC symbol will not be shown and there is no ’c’ in the 3
digit display.
Device ID’s range between 00 – 127. In most cases, you should set the device ID as
127. 127 means the SysEx message will be received by all devices.
Please note that the device ID for a Sys Ex message assigned to a controller can not
be changed using the Device ID buttons. These buttons are used for varying the
device ID of the X-Session it self, not just a separate controller.
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Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Non-Volatile Memory
The X-Session uses non-volatile memory so that you can continue where you left off even
after powering down and restarting. The current X-Session controller and channel
assignments are stored whether you have stored your setup to a memory locations or
not. Also stored is MIDI Out from USB on/off, Program, DATA LSB and DATA MSB data,
global channel setting and last used memory preset.
Memory Dump
Pressing the MEMORY DUMP buttons will send out a number of Sys Ex data packets
that represent the 10 memories you have set up in your X-Session. This is a useful way
of storing or backing up the contents of your memory presets externally.
You can record the complete memory dump in to a standard sequencer. To recall the
memory dump back to the X-Session, play the MIDI track containing the recorded memory dump to the X-Session, making sure that the X-Session drivers are selected as
output for that particular track.
The current controller assignments are not affected by a memory dump, or a memory
send to the X-Session. Once a memory dump has been sent to the X-Session, you will
needto recall a preset to access the new memory settings.
Assigning A Device ID To The X-Session
Evolution UC-33 Advanced User Guide
The Evolution
Librarian Software
Pressing the “DEV. ID” buttons will allow you to assign a Device ID to the X-Session.
The default Device ID is 127, which means when a memory dump is performed, that
dump can be received by any X-Session, regardless of the Device ID setting.
If a device ID is assigned to any number other than 127, the memory dump performed
will be specific to X-Session's with the same device ID. If the device ID of a X-Sessiondiffers from the one recorded with the memory dump, the data will be ignored.
The device ID is a handy way of differentiating between multiple X-Session's.
Otherwise, we recommend you keep the device ID setting as 127.
When you press the Device ID buttons, you will see the small 2-digit display on LCD
display 'id'. The 3-digit display represents the assigned Device ID. You can enter a
new device ID using the numeric keypad, or the '+' and '-' buttons.
For more information on Sys Ex messages and device ID, please go to page 18.
Resetting To The Factory Default Setting
The X-Session comes with 10 useful presets stored in it's memory (for complete list,
see Appendix H). You can reset the X-Session back to the factory defaults on
power-up by holding down the +/- buttons.
Note: Restoring the Factory presets will erase all X-Session setups stored to memory.
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Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
A list of NRPN’s will always be given in the User Manual of a device that receives NRPN
messages. It is always necessary that the NRPN MSB and LSB are sent together. Both will
be specified in the device’s manual. You may find the manufacturer’s have only specified
the numbers in Hexadecimal format. In this case, use Appendix C to translate the value to
Decimal.
The X-Session makes the process of transmitting NRPN’s easy. All you need is to enter the
appropriate NRPN LSB by pressing the LSB/DATA button twice, enter the NRPN MSB by
pressing the MSB/DATA button twice, and as you move the X-Session controller, an
appropriate NRPN message will be sent out. Assign NRPN coarse to make big sweeps,
or NRPN fine to make slight adjustments.
Evolution UC-33 Advanced User Guide
MIDI In/Out
Sys Ex Explained
System Exclusive (Sys Ex) messages were defined in the MIDI specification to allow
individual devices to have individual control via MIDI. The format of Sys Ex messages
allows for virtually any function to be performed via MIDI – so long as the receiving device
is able to translate the message, and act accordingly. This allows devices to send audio
sample memory data, memory dumps, controller settings, and much more. It also allows
the controllers of one device to be controlled by another.
It is not possible to program your own specified Sys Ex message into the X-Session.
However, there are some useful Sys Ex messages pre-programmed, that can be accessed
by assigning the appropriate MIDI cc to a controller (see Appendix B)
It should be noted that a Sys Ex message is not transmitted on any specified channel. All
Sys Ex messages contain a device ID, that is used to single out devices to respond to the
Sys Ex message. All other devices are ignored. If you are using a Sys Ex message on the
X-Session the global channel is ignored. When you press CHANNEL, instead of entering a
channel for the controller, you will be enter a device ID instead. This isindicated by the
fact that the CC symbol will not be showing.
Device ID’s run from 00 to 127. 127 is the default device number setting on the X-Session. This setting transmits the Sys Ex message to all devices.
Although it is not possible to program the controllers of the X-Session with your own Sys Ex
messages, there are software applications that can receive a MIDI input signal and transmit
a different, user specified message. You can program your Sys Ex messages into the
translator software, then translate the incoming data from the X-Session to your Sys Ex,
depending on the controller you are using.
&
MIDI Messages
Explained
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Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide
MIDI In & MIDI Out Signal Flow Diagram
The MIDI IN & MIDI OUT ports have different uses depending on how you intend to
connect and power the X-Session. The diagram below shows the different routing
options.
About The MIDI In Port
The MIDI in plug can be used to interface another MIDI device to your PC, via the USB
port. Data received from this device will be transmitted via the X-Session to the PC. This
is achieved using a second USB MIDI out. So, when you select the MIDI devices section
of your sequencer you will see two X-Session USB MIDI Ins. The first of these is used to
receive the X-Session controller data, the second is used to receive data from the other
device connected to the X-Session’s MIDI IN plug. So, the X-Session is acting as a
MIDI-to- USB interface for the other MIDI device.
About The MIDI Out Port
The X-Session can of course also interface with other MIDI devices. By default (I.e. when
you switch the unit on), all controller data is sent out via the MIDI output as well as the
USB out.
If you want the MIDI output to act like a traditional USB-to-MIDI interface, just press the
two buttons (SELECT and ASSIGN) that activate the MIDI OUT from USB mode.
If you are using a host application which can pick up multiple input drivers, you will be
able to use the X-Session’s MIDI input and the X-Session surface to record MIDI data and
send the whole lot out of the X-Session’s MIDI output.
Important note: The X-Session is not a MIDI THRU device and as such, MIDI data received
at the X-Session's MIDI IN plug can never be sent directly to the X-Session's MIDI OUT plug.
However, if the X-Session is connected via USB to a computer, data received at the MIDI IN
can be transmitted to the MIDI OUT plug, since the data is sent to the computer, and
received back from the computer. MIDI OUT FROM USB mode must be engaged for this
to occur.
Program & Bank Changes Explained
The original GM MIDI specification catered for only 128 voices, numbered from 0-127.
It is possible to access a different voice by sending a program change.
In order to expand on the GM set of voices, Bank changes were devised. Each bank
contains 128 patches, that can be accessed using a program change. There are
16,384 banks available, accessible by sending a 14-bit Bank change message. The
first 7 bits of this message are sent in a single byte known as the Bank LSB. The last
7 bits are specified by another byte known as the Bank MSB. The BANK LSB is the
most commonly used This allows for 128 bank changes, and often there is no need
to send a Bank MSB.
You will find almost all MIDI devices respond to the program change, but some that do
not conform to the GM set of voices use the program change message for other
purposes. Many VST instruments have adopted this approach, allowing you to use a
program change to change the instrument patch. The FM7 by Native Instruments is a
good example of this.
Bank changes are more rarely used, although they do exist. Bank changes are useful
in manufacturer's extensions to the MIDI specification, such as Roland's GS
specification and Yamaha's XG specification. Both of these require you to specify a
Bank change, in order to access the extra voices and effects that these specifications
provide.
Sending Program, Bank LSB and Bank MSB data is made simple using the X-Session.
Simply press the PROGRAM, DATA LSB or DATA MSB button and enter the program
or bank change you wish to send.
RPN/NRPN’s Explained
Non-registered parameter numbers (NRPN's) are device specific messages that
enable the control of synths via MIDI. The MIDI specification defines parameter
numbers to allow scope for manufacturers to specify their own controllers. The more
common of these have been registered by the MIDI Manufacturer's Association and
are part of the MIDI specification (hence the term Registered Parameter
Numbers – RPN's). (See Appendix F.)
MIDI controllers 98 and 99 represent the NRPN LSB and MSB respectively, while 100
and 101 represent the RPN LSB and MSB. This can be seen from the MIDI controllers
list in Appendix D. To transmit an NRPN/RPN, these two controller messages are sent
along with their user-specified values. A further controller message and value needs
to be sent to specify the (coarse or fine) value adjustment.
This is specified by controller number 6 (Data entry) for coarse adjustments or number
38 for fine adjustments.
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