• Registered: 2011-02-19
  • Posts: 25

Topic: Voice Live 2 and Motif XS 8

I have VL 2 set to receive on Channel 1 Filtered out sysexc and PC.  On Motif XS I have it set to transmit on Channel 1.  Now here is what I find disturbing .  I still get the MIDI LITE coming on even though I am not playing the keyboard.  I have done the following:

I have set the "receive channels" in VL 2 to OFF.  Set the "Transmit Channels" in Motif XS to OFF .....yet....when I play a song from the XS sequencer the MIDI lite comes on and sometimes the "NP" light comes on also.  ("NP" = Note Played.. I think that's what it means.).  Weird?????.  Nothing should be transmiting from the XS, and nothing should be receiving by the VL 2.  Anyone ideas???

  • Mark48
  • VC Top Contributor
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2011-08-09
  • Posts: 46

Re: Voice Live 2 and Motif XS 8

Do you have a way to MIDI connect your XS to your computer and use MidiOx software to monitor the data from the XS? If there's anything being transmitted from the XS MidiOx will display it.

The site was currently down when I tried it, but hopefully it comes back up....
www.midiox.com

  • Registered: 2012-02-08
  • Posts: 13

Re: Voice Live 2 and Motif XS 8

I have the XS8 as well and I think that the MIDI OUT of the Yamaha is sending a system clock/heartbeat signal. I notice it on CUBASE as well and I was told that it doesn't affect anything. BTW I just picked up a VL2 today, but I haven't had a chance to play with it yet

  • Registered: 2011-02-19
  • Posts: 25

Re: Voice Live 2 and Motif XS 8

Mark48.  I just tried that site again and it is still down.  Will keep trying.

  • Registered: 2011-02-19
  • Posts: 25

Re: Voice Live 2 and Motif XS 8

camtah
Great to meet someone on here that owns a Motif XS 8.  And now you've added the VL 2.  I'm sure you will love the VL 2.  Let's keep in touch and maybe we can help each other along the way.  The clock you mentioned is something for me to check out  further, but that shouldn't light up the "NP" lite that I noticed came on a couple of times.  I am not sure but I believe "NP" stands for "Note Played".  It  should only show up when you actually hit a note on the keyboard.  I will investigate further.  Keep in touch.

Best regards

  • Mark48
  • VC Top Contributor
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2011-08-09
  • Posts: 46

Re: Voice Live 2 and Motif XS 8

bullseye101d,

On page 27 of the VL2 manual it refers to NP being "NaturalPlay" indicating that it has recognized a chord from the MIDI data. Possibly the "filtering" is after the block section of the VL2 that would recognize all MIDI data, but still reports/displays that data has been received. The VL2 sees the note NaturalPlay data, but with the filtering it doesn't do anything with it. You may able to prove this by fingering a chord with the filtering on or off and seeing how the the VL2 responds.

  • Registered: 2011-02-19
  • Posts: 25

Re: Voice Live 2 and Motif XS 8

Mark48

Thanks for your comeback.  Ahhhh "Natural Play"  not "Note Played"  Thanks for clearing that up.  What I dont quite get is if I have all transmit channels set to "OFF" on the XS 8 and all the receive channels set to "OFF" on the VL 2 then why does my MIDI light on the VL 2 light up?  Camtah seems to think it is some sort of system clock on the XS 8 being sent... But, again if no MIDI channels are open to send on the  XS 8 and no MIDI channels open to receive on the VL 2 then how is any kind of midi data being received on the VL 2????

Good question I think.  Anyone out there MIDI Experts and care to explain?? I'm always willing to learn.

Best regards

  • Mark48
  • VC Top Contributor
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2011-08-09
  • Posts: 46

Re: Voice Live 2 and Motif XS 8

bullseye101d,

I downloaded the XS8 manual.....(disclaimer-the XS8 is a MIDI monster for control. I may not be interpreting some of the manual correctly or adequately without actually having hands on. I'll try my best.)

Are you turning off the all transmit channels by way of the "MIDI Settings-[SF2] MIDI" system menu page? I believe this only puts the physical keyboard to off and not the the sequencer MIDI output. The keyboard notes will not transmit data, but the sequencer still can, which may account for the "NP" light recognizing a chord received.

On the XS8 there is a "MIDI Filter Setting-[F2]MIDI Filter" that does appear to affect much of the data sent by the sequencer. However it doesn't appear to filter out MIDI note data.

The clock may be received by the VL2, but shouldn't be interpreted as note data. Not sure the VL2 has use for the clock. Maybe a delay tempo(?)

When the VL2 is set with the MIDI receive channels off, is the VL2 able to produce harmonies when the NP light illuminates? If not then the NP light only shows the chord data present, but it is blocked before it gets to the harmony processor.

  • Registered: 2011-02-19
  • Posts: 25

Re: Voice Live 2 and Motif XS 8

I posted my question regards this issue on the Motivator.com forum.  Here is the reply from the "MASTER of Motif......Bad Mister.  I am posting it here for those who just might have experienced wheat I have or just would like to expand their knowledge.. Hope this helps someone:

Question:
Is it possible for the XS 8 to transmit any kind of data to another midi device even when “Transmit Channel” is set to “OFF” ?

Answer:
The Transmit Channel setting as correctly pointed out only applies to the KEYBOARD when you are in a single timbre mode (ie, VOICE or PERFORMANCE)

When you go to SONG or PATTERN mode, your KEYBOARD transmits (internally/externally) through the MIDI Transmit channel of the currently selected TRACK.
From SONG or PATTERN mode:
Light the [TRACK] button
Select a TRACK [1]-[16]
you will be transmitting on the MIDI channel on which that track is set to transmit.

If the Track you select is set to transmit OUT (to an external device) on MIDI channel 1 then the keyboard will trigger that external device on MIDI channel 1.  If the Track is set to Transmit CH = “OFF” then when that TRACK SELECT button is selected you will not be able to transmit from the leyboard at all. If you additionally set the INT or EXT option you can choose where the data from the keybed (and controllers) are sent

If the Track is set to only “INT” then only the internal tone engine will sound when you select that Tracks number
If the Track is set to “EXT” then the keyboard will also trigger an external device connected. Etc.

The [UTILITY] mode “BASIC RECEIVE CHANNEL” and the “KEYBOARD TRANSMIT CHANNEL” parameters should be understood as applying only in the VOICE and PERFORMANCE modes. When you go to the SONG or PATTERN mode, the MOTIF XS is set to receive on a per PART basis. Make sense? Each of the 16 PARTS can be set individually as to what MIDI channel it is going to receive data on.  And likewise, when you select a TRACK you are doing so to communicate with the PART assigned to a specific MIDI channel. It happens to make perfect sense to transmit on the MIDI channel of the TRACK you select to record into.

While the VOICE and PERFORMANCE mode are controlled by the Basic Receive and Keyboard Transmit Channel UTILITY mode settinngs. SONG and PATTERN mode are controlled by the parameters within each SONG and PATTERN setup. Make sense? Here’s how to set the TRANSMIT CHANNEL for each of the TRACK buttons 1-16

From the main SONG or PATTERN screen
Press [F3] TRACK
Press [SF1] OUT

Here you can determine what each TRACK button [1]-[16] will do when you Select it.

You can set a Track to transmit on CHANNEL 1-16 or OFF, you can route it INTERNALLY or EXTERNALLY or both.

As you already know each PART in the MIXING setup can be set to a unique MIDI receive channel
Press [MIXING]
Press [EDIT]
Select the PART [1]-[16]
Press [F1] VOICE
Press [SF1] VOICE
The MIDI RECEIVE CHANNEL is selectable for each PART.

Other MIDI data that is on the wire...
To answer the question about MIDI data - the Motif XS also sends MIDI clock messages (F8) and Active Sensing messages (FE) over its MIDI connector so it is possible that any receiving device will identify these types of messages which are pretty much constant.