FA as MIDI-Controller problem

[cobra56]

Hi everybody, I have a big Problem.
If I use the FA as Midi-Controller for an external Expander I'm not able to use Octave+ and Octave- the Keyboard plays the same tone inside the Set-Up.
Of course If I press the Octave Button it works.
Please help me

[Candy]

The Oktave+/Oktave- function in Part View doesn´t work with external devices, they are only for the Sound Modul of the FA. The transpose-buttons on FA should work. I tried to show this in a Drawing:

Configuration.jpg (183.68 KiB) Viewed 3783 times

Candy

[Myrk-]

Yer this was the major blow to my setup which is why I ultimately replaced my FA with almost any other midi controller... For a while I used a Kurzweil PC3LE7 (crazy amount of options, more than any other unit out there, but very menu based and so kills the musical flow if you are jamming), JD-XA which I still use to this day as my main live workhorse controller (pairs fantastically with the FA by the way...), but more recently gone waaaaay back to an Oberheim XK-1 controller as I can achieve what I need to on that thing. A sad reality that midi controllers are going backwards in their options rather than forward - if you don't use a PC then you're best off going back in time to find a more advanced system. Ridiculous right?

If you want to keep your FA as your main controller (which it's not great at because it lacks aftertouch etc), then you'll need a Sipario Midi router unit that can externally correct all the midi issues with the FA keyboard:

https://www.lab4music.it/sipario.php?lang=EN

[RalphArmsby]

Sounds sad but I still want to try using my FA7 as a controller. How should I link it to my Fantom XR? The FA7 USB midi cable goes to my PC for DAW purposes and works fine. Should I just use a normal midi out cable to the XR or will the XR get messages via its own USB MIDI socket if I connect it up? THE FA7 doesn't have MIDI Thru of course...

Second question: How do you stop the FA7 from generating sounds on the channel you are using to your XR or other synth? Trying to save polyphony here!

I take the point about lack of aftertouch and may eventually try using my JV 90 as a controller. Its old but in perfect condition. Worked fine with a Roland C300 sequencer many years ago!

[R.U.Doin]

Second question: How do you stop the FA7 from generating sounds on the channel you are using to your XR or other synth? Trying to save polyphony here!

In this video he explains how he does it to work with the iPad, but with your XR you can do the same. I think it is strange that there is not a “local off” on the FA.
https://youtu.be/mJK_EaWmHc0

[Myrk-]

There is, it just doesn't work. It's one of numerous bugs that I furiously battled with Roland tech support about. Getting them to admit that these were flaws and programming errors was like pulling teeth, and then hearing how they had no intention on fixing them as they "hadn't been raised with the development team" just seemed like a real FU! I swear the testing department of Roland needs sacking, they really are terrible at their jobs... if there even is a testing department!

As I said, if you really wanna use your FA as a controller than get the Sipario, otherwise change for something else. JD-XA is a good controller (I use it live), but again littered with bugs as it's a new gen Roland product, and flagship, which means it gets neglected 10x more than all their other products - such is the way of Roland!

[RoDi]

I use my FA-08 as Masterkeyboard in a setup of 6 synths and soundmodules of different centuries and flavours e.g. XP-30, VolcaFM, Behringer Neutron. A Raspberry-pi serves as MIDI-router and -splitter to USB and additional 5-pin MIDI interfaces. I don't experience major flaws or errors in the FA's MIDI implementation. It is pretty flexible and adaptable in the TX-, RX- section of each part.

It is useless to "battle" about about "flaws" and "errors". Without knowing the exact internals of the firmware it is impossible to judge if something would be easy to implement, because in most cases it is more than just putting another knob on the user screen. If you want a company who spits out updates 2 times a year, ROLAND is definitly the wrong one. But this is well known since ages. If you buy ROLAND you buy 'as is'. Some exceptions to the rule are possible, there was a 2.0 update for the FA!

Regards,
RoDi

[bennyseven]

Second question: How do you stop the FA7 from generating sounds on the channel you are using to your XR or other synth? Trying to save polyphony here!

For some cases I use a 'bogus' TONE with no PARTIALS in it (all disabled). It is a trick but it works fine with external channels with no FA internal voice consumption.

[RalphArmsby]

Hi again. The polyphony fix by in disabling partials is ok - good tip but what a pain!

I can play my Fantom XR with the FA as master and get midi data back and play songs using the FA 7 sequencer. I don't like using that and am trying to get it all to work with Reaper now. There is no midi signal going to the Fantom XR during playback. I have tried using the USB connector and using 2 standard midi cables but neither work. I have tried to download the usb driver for the XR but it doesn't install. So unless I use the FA 7 sequencer I'm stuck. I really want to be able to connect a third synth too so any help really appreciated.

I'm going to re-read the post regarding connecting multiple synths but were you using the FA7 as a master?

Thanks.

[RalphArmsby]

I use my FA-08 as Masterkeyboard in a setup of 6 synths and soundmodules of different centuries and flavours e.g. XP-30, VolcaFM, Behringer Neutron. A Raspberry-pi serves as MIDI-router and -splitter to USB and additional 5-pin MIDI interfaces. I don't experience major flaws or errors in the FA's MIDI implementation. It is pretty flexible and adaptable in the TX-, RX- section of each part.



Regards,
RoDi

Hi

So are you using the FA08 sequencer for this set up? (Guessing it will have midi thru which the FA7 doesn't).
I really want to use Reaper on my PC not the fiddly little screen on the FA7

[R.U.Doin]

Hi

So are you using the FA08 sequencer for this set up? (Guessing it will have midi thru which the FA7 doesn't).
I really want to use Reaper on my PC not the fiddly little screen on the FA7

The FA 08 hasn’t got midi thru either

[RoDi]

So are you using the FA08 sequencer for this set up? (Guessing it will have midi thru which the FA7 doesn't).
I really want to use Reaper on my PC not the fiddly little screen on the FA7

1. Currently the setup is DAWless. I can record 16 MIDI channels in the FAs sequencer, which is OK for short snippets.
2. FA-08 does not have a midi thru. Since I have to split the MIDI to several synths, I use the Raspberry Pi with my own programming. It filters certain channels and routes the data to dedicated interfaces (=outputs). E.g. Neutron is on ch15, VolcaFM on ch16, etc. These channels can be played on the FA08 keys or on the XP-30 keys (with aftertouch). When I use the XP-30 keys, the data is copied to the FA-08 as well, for recording. Using the keygroup feature of the FA, I can even layer or split these external synth sounds. If I don't want to hear the FA part playing in parallel, I press 'Pad Utility'+3 and mute the respective part.

In your case Reaper should be the central part of the setup. If the Fantom USB-driver does not work, buy a USB to MIDI 5-PIN interface to connect it to the PC. If you plan for additional synths, just buy a USB to 2xMIDI or USB-to 4xMIDI interface box. There should be some suitable plugins in Reaper to filter and reroute the MIDI data on per channel bases. May be it can be setup in the track properties as well. You might have to experiment, if it is better to use the FA in DAW-control mode on a single channel with 'local off' and reroute the MIDI via Reaper to the part/synth you want - or- if you run the FA in a 16 part/channel studio set with some muted parts. That depends a on your workflow and your preference in 'tightness' of key action to sound due to different MIDI latencies.

Regards,
RoDi