Posted by Rick Olson on February 28, 2002 at 08:53:48:
Can someone please explain how the midi OUT/THRU port works on a Nanosynth?
I have tried to use MidiQuest v8.0 and SoundDiver 3.0 universal patch editors with the Nanosynth using midi cables (as opposed to a serial cable) without any success. The trouble appears to be that the midi OUT acts only like a midi THRU.
If I hook a serial cable up to the Nanosynth from my PC, set the switch to PC 38.4 and use the Alesis serial driver, the unit responds as expected to a Universal Device Inquiry with . If I hook up midi cables to midi IN and OUT/THRU, set the switch to midi and use my MOTU midi interface, the Universal Device Inquiry results in an echo of this message at the OUT/THRU port, i.e., THRU behavior.
Clearly, if I am using a midi interface and a patch editor on my PC, the OUT/THRU port acting only as a THRU is a real show stopper to editing and management of sounds. How do I coax a data dump from the Nanosynth?
I have read the Nanosynth users manual cover to cover (especially "OUT Jack Pt.1", "OUT Jack Pt. 2", and "The Back") and can find nothing to explain the observed behavior with the midi (as opposed to serial) configuration. I have read the QS6 Manual, which I downloaded from the Alesis site, with particular attention to "Chapter 8 Global Settings" sections "Input/Output (page 15)" and "Midi Out (page 16)". From this I can see that that the QS6 can be programmed from the front panel to control the functionality of the OUT/THRU port to be either an OUT or a THRU if you are using a midi interface. Obviously, with no front panel editing capability on the Nanosynth, the same functionality is not directly available.
Recognizing that most edit functions on keyboards have an underlying data memory location that is manipulated, I began looking at the QS6 Series midi sysex specification which I downloaded from the Alesis site. Unfortunately, I cannot find any reference to a parameter that appears to be equivalent to the Global Settings Midi out parameter - every Global Settings parameter except Input/Output and Midi Out are listed.
My question: Short of using the serial interface, is there any way to make the Nanosynth OUT/THRU act as an OUT so that I can get data dumps from a midi interface?
My MOTU midi interface works flawlessly with my other Korg, Roland and Yamaha sound modules.
I have swapped midi cables with no effect.
I have tried the midi interface on my Turtle Beach Pinnacle sound card and have gotten the same result.
E-mails to SoundQuest, e-magic, and Alesis concerning this problem have resulted in ineffective solutions (SoundQuest), or have apparently gone to electron heaven (e-magic, Alesis).
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Rick Olson