Roland FR-3sb User Manual download pdf (Page 45)

MIDI parameters

V-Accordion

MIDI parameters

Your FR-3 can also transmit or receive MIDI data. In

this section, we’ll look at what MIDI is and does and

which MIDI functions are available on the FR-3.

IMPORTANT REMARK

: The FR-3 only has one MIDI

socket that can be used to either send (“OUT”) or

receive (“IN”) MIDI data.

Connect the FR-3 as follows to

transmit

MIDI data to

an external device:

Then, set the “MId” parameter (see p. 48) to “Out”.

Connect the FR-3 as follows to

receive

MIDI data from

an external device:

Then, set the “MId” parameter (page 48) to “In”.

Even though your FR-3 is already a remarkably flexible

instrument (quite unlike any other accordion available

today), you may also want to use it with other MIDI-

compatible instruments, sequencers and computers to

record your performances in the same way as keyboard

players, drummers, guitarists, etc., have been doing for

a while.

Another important application for the FR-3’s MIDI

functions is controlling an arranger module that sup-

plies the accompaniment. “Arranger modules” use short

accompaniment patterns that can be selected in real-

time and whose key depends on the note information

they receive.

All MIDI-compatible sound sources allow you to use the

FR-3’s Treble and Bass keyboards for playing sounds the

FR-3 does not provide.

This is possible thanks to a common language for musi-

cal applications, which is called “

Musical Instrument

Digital Interface

”, or “

MIDI

” for short. MIDI has a lot in

common with the internet: you can link one or several

instruments to one another via a cable (but you don’t

need a telephone line).

You can also use the FR-3 as “master keyboard”, i.e. an

instrument that transmits MIDI messages to a device

(or software program) that can record MIDI messages.

Such a device or program is called a “sequencer”.

To take advantage of the FR-3’s MIDI functions, you

must connect it as shown above.

MIDI can simultaneously transmit and receive messages

on 16 channels, so that up to 16 instruments (or parts

of a module or synthesizer) can be controlled. Nowa-

days, most instruments –like your FR-3– are multitim-

bral, which means that they can play several musical

parts with different sounds. This requires the use of

several MIDI channels. The FR-3, for instance, has sev-

eral accordion and orchestral sections that can be

played simultaneously. They can transmit and receive

on different channels.

The FR-3’s sections use the following MIDI channels:

As you see, there are separate channels for the chord

and bass buttons, even though they both belong to the

Bass section. That separation may look distracting at

first, but it actually makes sense. It allows you to use

the bass buttons for controlling an external bass sound,

while the chord buttons could control a piano sound,

for example. If they used the same MIDI channel, the

bass line would have to be played by a piano, or the

chords would be played by a bass sound (unless you

own a MIDI instrument that allows you to program

note ranges for incoming MIDI messages).

The FR-3 can be used as “input device” for recording

your music. In the case of a keyboard instrument, such

a device is usually called a “master keyboard”. For other

kinds of MIDI input sources, the term “controller” is

About MIDI

MIDI OUT MIDI IN

External MIDI device

MIDI OUT MIDI IN

External MIDI device

Part Channel

Treble 1

Bass/Free Bass 2

Chord 3

Orchestra (Treble) 4

Orchestra Bass 5

Orchestra Chord 6

Orchestra Free Bass 7

Basic channel (for selecting Sets) 13

Control channel (for the “SPC” function) 13

Working with a sequencer and other tone

generators

1 2 ... 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 ... 65 66

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Roland FR-3sb User Manual Page 45

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