Upgrade from SC-8550 to Fantom-XR - Compatibility problems

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Timpel
Posts: 3
Joined: 10:10, 27 July 2005

Upgrade from SC-8550 to Fantom-XR - Compatibility problems

Post by Timpel »

Hi all,

I decided to upgrade from my old, but well-working Roland/Edirol SC-8850 to the Fantom-XR. And I'm very impressed about the sounds and the possibilies of the Fantom. I'm very working with MIDI-Files.

My problem (as forseen) concerns the compatibility between the SC-8850 and the Fantom-XR. MIDI-Files with GM/GM2 characteristics seem to work perfectly, but SC-88/SC-8850 characteristics are making problems. Yes, the Fantom doesn't support the SC-8850. I'm not able to create to new patch which would be besides a too huge effort. I'm especially interested in a way to play drum tracks in SC-8850 on a Fantom. Does anybody know a way? I'm working with Cakewalk Pro Audio 9, an expensive update to Sonar 1/2/3/4 isn't needed because I hardly use audio features.

Thank you all!
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V-CeeOh
Posts: 3956
Joined: 18:13, 28 September 2004
Location: Portugal

Re: Upgrade from SC-8550 to Fantom-XR - Compatibility proble

Post by V-CeeOh »

Hi Timpel

Welcome to Fantomized.

As you know, The SC88 is a GM/GS sound module. Any file that uses the GM sound set will be playable on the XR (altough some editing will be needed in the end). The files that uses GS soundset wont play the right way on the XR due to the diferences on the sound mapping.

You don't need any Sonar to do what you want. But you do need to some work to match sounds, speciallly on drums.
Try to transpose a single drum instrument (meaning a single note) in the MIDI file to other that sounds similar on the XR. You can do that perfectly with CW9

Regards


o - ...just could not afford the 8
(
\_/
Timpel
Posts: 3
Joined: 10:10, 27 July 2005

Re: Upgrade from SC-8550 to Fantom-XR - Compatibility proble

Post by Timpel »

Thank you very much for your quick help. After some trial&error and some good ideas I'm now getting along witch the patches and performances. But I'm strugglling somehow with sysex-commands and controllers. I've already found the demo-files provided by Artemio but as long Roland doesn't provide a real comprehensive documentation, I feel like a complete idiot. If Roland would only simply have printed some real example... *grrr* I'll better ask Artemio. Do you or anybody else know some wikis/docus/examples etc. for this kind of MIDI-programming, perhaps with the Fantom(-XR)?

Again, thank you very much!
DataJohan
Posts: 3
Joined: 19:37, 6 April 2016

Re: Upgrade from SC-8550 to Fantom-XR - Compatibility proble

Post by DataJohan »

Hi fellow 8850 owners.

I bought a SC-8850 Second hand about 7 years ago. It is doing excellent service together with a Yamaha KX-88 keyboard as a practice piano for my daughters.

Just found out that there exists a GS Advanced Editor to it! Does any of you happen to have a copy of that?

A ZIP file of the content could easily be transferred over Internet in some way.

I would be happy to pay you something for the effort!

Best Regards from Sweden

/Johan
bluesplayer
Posts: 136
Joined: 00:40, 4 October 2004
Location: Rio Rancho NM

Re: Upgrade from SC-8550 to Fantom-XR - Compatibility proble

Post by bluesplayer »

try here, 3rd post down

http://www.synthforum.nl/forums/showthread.php?t=45118

There is a link to GSAE401.exe, a self extracting zip file. I just tested it it unzips to the same 17 files (@ 1.74MB total) as my GSAE401 install set (BTW I have mine installed and working a Win 7 64)

good luck
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