FA Editor

Forum for Roland FA-06/08
LivingEdge
Posts: 31
Joined: 15:17, 1 September 2016

Re: FA Editor

Post by LivingEdge »

BigBANGtheory wrote:
bennyseven wrote: Can somebody check the JP edtor if it has a WRITE button. If so, it would be good to Midi-monitor the sysex commands, so we can check if we can write to the user memory. It is for shure a secret memory location and value.
Benny I'll have a go at monitoring my FA08 to see if I can capture the SysEx command, off the top of my head it would seem to be a little more involved as you surely need to select a User bank / location to do the write which could be different for each owner.

...update...

Though interestingly when I play the SysEx command back after changing a tone parameter it does not appear to write the new settings it reverts to the original settings. Need to give this some more thought but on the face of that experiment it seems to suggest I captured the wrong SysEx command (or it was not transmitted) or simply that you cannot perform a write with SysEx because Roland have blocked it somehow...

Make of that what you will.

Some Roland hardware ignores commands if the checksum is wrong. I know there is also a temporary memory location that is used until that location is written/stored. But that is about all I know... I haven't done any toying around to find anything out. Just some thoughts.
bennyseven
Posts: 699
Joined: 18:01, 19 April 2014
Location: Germany

Re: FA Editor

Post by bennyseven »

Yes, the problem is to know the proper command to initiate a write tone to a user memory location. Everything is at first in the temp memory. But this will be lost after switch off.
Skijumptoes
Posts: 681
Joined: 11:08, 21 June 2010

Re: FA Editor

Post by Skijumptoes »

Ok, here's a panel i've done for SN-S control - never used CTRLR before, but all seems to be working and i can map to cc messages within my daw which is quite handy.

Only an early test but is very promising.

http://www.getpatched.co.uk/downloads/a ... _v1.bpanel
Screen Shot 2016-10-26 at 14.59.40.png
Screen Shot 2016-10-26 at 14.59.40.png (264.77 KiB) Viewed 3821 times
stevel
Posts: 520
Joined: 07:08, 17 May 2015

Re: FA Editor

Post by stevel »

Sorry all, I'm being lazy and haven't read through the entire thread :-)

Is it safe to assume Roland hasn't made an editor for the FA series?

It appears people are maybe working on parts of editors or something? Is there any "FA Editor" that will work on a Mac that someone could install and edit and save patches?
bennyseven
Posts: 699
Joined: 18:01, 19 April 2014
Location: Germany

Re: FA Editor

Post by bennyseven »

Hello SteveL,
yes, skyjumotoes and - longer time ago - myself were working each on an editor. We used the CTRLR framework, whch runs on many operating systems. Because of the LUA programming language it is very hard to program advanced fuctions, but designing panels together with some midi instructions is done easy.

Unfortunately there is no patch editor (so far I know). I did some practice with loading and storing patch data on the FA, but I had no success because saving a patch in the user memory of the FA is not documented. So, on ehas to press WRITE on the FA, when editing is done.

There is also an editor which was designed I think by Candy, on the Mididesigner platform on iOS.
There is no editor from Roland.
neomad
Posts: 157
Joined: 15:06, 26 April 2017

Re: FA Editor

Post by neomad »

Hi guys, trust you are well.

I am a new FA user and I must say I am delighted. I have been using top of the range workstations (Kronos, Motif X, etc.) and this keyboard is the perfect combination: light weight, sounding great and with a very powerful sequencer to take to my fav holidays destination. I am also using FA-06 live, together with an Akai controller. By the way, I was disapointed with pianos till the day I have plugged a 88key controller: is not like Kronos / Krome but A. pianos sound great live.

I was reading everything about editor. I have seen the ipad version which is fine, but I am old school guy, I need controls. So I am ready to program a editor for my novation zero sl mk2. My first intention is to go for organ programming (drawbars, leakage, OD gain, etc.). Another template will be the SN Synth. Later on.

To make it short: where can I get sysex messages for every drawbar and parameter ? I have seen that a SN Organ template is available for ipad, but it is not what I do look for. Furthermore, where can I get the same for SN Synth ?

Thank you very much in advance. Kind regards
Matt
bennyseven
Posts: 699
Joined: 18:01, 19 April 2014
Location: Germany

Re: FA Editor

Post by bennyseven »

Hello neomad,
drawbars are not sysex (midincc) but if you are looking for sysex then have a look on the FA Midi manual, which is on Rolands web site.
Be aware that we have started already PC editors, so maybe you want to start from one of the solutions (ie. CTRLR).
cheers BennySeven
neomad
Posts: 157
Joined: 15:06, 26 April 2017

Re: FA Editor

Post by neomad »

Hi Benny, thank you very much for your answer.

I have tried 'ctrlr' sometime ago to control an old Korg module and my experience was a little bit frustrating.
I would have a look to your work and why not, try to use same platform for Mac/AU based editors (which is my platform). If I can help I would be glad to.

And thanks for letting me know about drawbars. Being the case, it is even easier. I would have a look to manuals and revert back.

Dankechon !
Rgds
Matt
neomad
Posts: 157
Joined: 15:06, 26 April 2017

Re: FA Editor

Post by neomad »

by the way, for those interested in organ programming as myself, our collegue Candy did a great job :

viewtopic.php?f=55&t=49185

Have a good day !
Skijumptoes
Posts: 681
Joined: 11:08, 21 June 2010

Re: FA Editor

Post by Skijumptoes »

Think you're going to find it hard to put the SysEx strings into an SL Mk2 personally, but depends what options you have for SysEx range/scales across a single hardware control. As each manufacturer implements SysEx slightly different, it's hard for companies like Novation to put the different options for scaleable SysEx, and if they don't offer custom calculation which can refer to a previous byte within that same SysEx string you may have a very tough task ahead, particularly with SN-S settings (ouch!) !!

As far as i'm aware, when i made a ctrlr template the drawbars were SysEx, not Midi CC also? Which is why i've mentioned this.

Also, you have to be mindful that each part has a different channel on the FA, so the SysEx values that you use are unique for the different parts (1-16), which brings other pains if you're wanting to use those mappings in studio set/sequencer mode, as you can't just change the channel that the SL transmitting on and the drawbars will affect that channel, your SL will still be controlling Part 1 Drawbars for example.

Maybe not a concern, but worth bearing in mind when/if you start looking into doing this.

If you're working within a DAW environment then you may be better off with the CTRLR route (Or equivalent) and then mapping your SL to that. You'd only have to map the controls once and you could change within CTRLR what they affect much easier and have elements on there which allow you change between the 16 parts also.
RoFa08
Posts: 27
Joined: 13:02, 9 June 2017

Re: FA Editor

Post by RoFa08 »

Hi folks!

If you have an iPad and MidiDesigner app and you like to create and tweak new sounds, I made a couple of editor for FA06/08.
They are two alternative way in editing FA SN-synth engine: you can edit like "JUNO 60" and "JUPITER 8".
Ok, not the same, but you can think about them like a "Boutique" in your FA

FA-JUNO60
http://mididesigner.com/qa/5319/roland- ... o60-layout
Image

FA-JUPITER8
http://mididesigner.com/qa/5998/layout- ... 8-workflow
Image
Image
Gatorjohn
Posts: 96
Joined: 15:39, 3 July 2016
Location: N E Florida

Re: FA Editor

Post by Gatorjohn »

Cool!
JPWC
Posts: 21
Joined: 15:36, 1 December 2015

Re: FA Editor

Post by JPWC »

Wow, nice bright graphics, Mr. RoFa08!
Gatorjohn
Posts: 96
Joined: 15:39, 3 July 2016
Location: N E Florida

Re: FA Editor

Post by Gatorjohn »

So what options are there for connecting an IPad Air (lightning connector). Factor price, convineince & reliability please.
RoFa08
Posts: 27
Joined: 13:02, 9 June 2017

Re: FA Editor

Post by RoFa08 »

I use iPAD AIR 2 + (usb-lightning) camera connection kit + (usb-midi) Roland UM-ONE mkII
About 50/60 euro.
But you have a huge collection of midi app on iPAD that work great with the FA!
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