Turning off MFX with SysEx (updated jan 17 2017)

Forum for Roland FA-06/08
Post Reply
stevel
Posts: 520
Joined: 07:08, 17 May 2015

Turning off MFX with SysEx (updated jan 17 2017)

Post by stevel »

Well, I figured it out.

I've been able to send a SysEx message to disable the MFX (turn the switch on and off) on Part 1.

Update: Initially I said I couldn't get SN-S to work. It was my fault - I read a wrong line (that happened to be one off from the SN-A values...)

It threw me because the MFX Switch indicator "light" was turning on and off - so i though it SHOULD have been working.

I fixed the message, so now it works on PCM, SN-A and SN-S.

So I can turn MFX on and off for part 1. It takes 3 buttons to do so (because you need a different message for each, SN-S, SN-A, and PCM).

If I wanted to do it on part 2, it would take 2 more buttons...


Now let's see if I can get it to change to Thru...

update: This works too, via SysEx, but it's less practical. Still need 3 messages, one for each type of synth engine type.

So, with various posts, linked together, you can find all of the info.

1. You can "bypass" any MFX that has a "switch" (like Tremolo Switch" parameter on the MFX. You can assign that to S1/S2 or any of the 6 assign knobs, and probably a pedal (haven't tried yet) and a few other things like Mod wheel, etc. You assign these things to send a CC message (I used an undefined one).

Complete instructions (and caveats) are here:

viewtopic.php?f=55&t=53029

I'm sure you can also do it with external controllers, but I just haven't tried yet.

2. You can use SysEx messages to change the MFX switch from any MFX Effect to "Thru" on ANY Part. You can also make a message to turn back to the effect that was the default for the tone.

One issue I discovered is that if you go from say Tremolo to some other effect, the parameters for Trem seem to affect the new effect too in some way - like maybe the depth stays the same or it's the way it was set last time it was used on another part, etc. At any rate, it means that if you're on E Piano and have trem, and switch the trem to Flange, it doesn't seem to sound the same as if you just started with a patch with Flange already on it - sure the settings are different, but I'm not sure if it's going to the "default" effects settings or what.

That thread (with its own caveats) is here:
viewtopic.php?f=55&t=51266&p=298994#p298994

I hope this helps someone.
stevel
Posts: 520
Joined: 07:08, 17 May 2015

Re: Turning off MFX with SysEx (updated jan 17 2017)

Post by stevel »

Here are the SysEx messages for changing the Roland FA-06 MFX Switch on Part 1 On and Off.

PCM Tone:

F0 41 10 00 00 77 12 SS 19 00 30 33 DT S1 F7

SN-A Tone:

F0 41 10 00 00 77 12 SS 19 02 00 1F DT S1 F7

SN-S Tone:

F0 41 10 00 00 77 12 SS 19 01 00 20 DT S1 F7

I'm using the Roland A-800 Pro Controller and Editor software. In the software "SS" and "S1" are used around the message address to automatically calculate the Checksum.

If I get a chance I'll see if I can record these into the sequencer and look at them with microscope and see what the message ultimately looks like in the FA.

"DT" is for data type. I have the software set for "DT0 7 bit" with a minimum value of 0 and max of 1.

The button is set to "latch" which means when it's pressed it lights and turns the effect on, and when pressed again it turns the light and the effect off (sending 0).

The only odd thing is that I have to press it once first which just shows an "edit" - I think because the effect is already on and my button press just "turns it on again" (Genesis?) Anyhoo...

FWIW, here are the message to set the MFX to Thru:

PCM:

F0 41 10 00 00 77 12 SS 19 00 02 00 00 S1 F7

SN-A:

F0 41 10 00 00 77 12 SS 19 02 02 00 00 S1 F7

SN-S:

F0 41 10 00 00 77 12 SS 19 01 02 00 00 S1 F7

The italicized number is for which synth type - 00 for PCM, 02 for SN-A, and 01 for SN-S (note the similarity in the messages above).

The bold number 00 in each simply sets the MFX to "Thru" which is it's "zero" parameter.

You could make it jump to any number by putting it there, say 35 for Mod Delay.

You could also put this message on a rotary encoder and in my case, put DT in place of the bold number and use values of 0 to 68 in the software for whichever effect you wanted.

However, I figured out also how to change the MFX parameters with CC messages. It involves saving tones but you can have much more control over more parameters (have not tried it with a controller yet).

That thread is here:

viewtopic.php?f=55&t=53029

It's not perfect, but both of these methods would allow you with a controller, or in the latter case, on the device itself, with a single button push*, to turn all the MFX off and on (and change other parameters if you have enough knobs/sliders/buttons on your controller) or in the latter case, turn off and on effects that have an "effects switch" on them if you store the settings for a given tone (I'm thinking now if you save the tone with the effect switch off, it might solve the "backwards" issue I encountered explained in the link above).

If you play live, and need to turn an effect on and off (that's not already on S1, as some presets are set up that way) on a Tone in Part 1, but not have an effect affect the remaining parts, this is the only way to do it. SysEx or the "save the tone with the CC Control Source/Destination settings" explained in the link above.

I hope this helps someone.
Post Reply