MIDI Set-Up Guides

The computer-less Midi studio described here is useful for studios on a budget or for a more hands-on style of playing and controlling your synths, live and in the studio. Although any number of Midi synths could be linked in series using the Midi In, Out and Though ports available on them, we will keep it simple here with just a few Midi and Non-Midi synths. A Midi-to-CV/Gate converter must be included to translate Midi commands into a language that can be understood by your Analog synths such as the Roland SH-101 and SCI Prophet 600 represented above.

The Roland JX-305 above is the Master Keyboard (it can be used to play all the synths shown). It transmits Midi to the Roland MC-303 and can use it as a sound module or to trigger sequences and patterns stored in the MC-303. The JX-305 should be configured to send Midi on all channels. The MC-303 should be configured to receive on one MIDI channel, say channel 2, for example.

Midi from the JX-305 is also transmitted through the MC-303 to the Midi-to-CV/Gate converter. Here the Midi data is converted to CV and Gate voltages which are sent into and out of the Roland SH-101 allowing you to play the SH-101 directly from the JX-305. The converter should be configured to send and receive Midi on channel 3, for example. Kenton Electronics makes several excellent Midi-to-CV/Gate converters, such as the Pro Solo.

The SCI Prophet 600 is a Midi-CV hybird. It offers good Midi implementation for playing and making patch changes. It also features a CV Filter Input allowing you to use CV to externally control the filter cut-off of the Prophet 600. The Prophet 600 should be configured to receive Midi on channel 4, for example.

Now that it's all connected, here's how to use it with the JX-305 as your master controller. Setting the JX-305 to Midi Channel 1 and turning off any local keyboard control (if available on your particular synth) should only result in hearing your JX-305 sounds. Switch it to channel 2 and you'll start playing and controlling the filters and such of the MC-303. You can even trigger it to start or stop using the JX-305's own built-in sequencer.

Moving on, switching the JX-305 to Midi channel 3 will give you control of the SH-101. And switching to channel 4 will give you control of the Prophet 600. Controlling the CV Filter of the Prophet 600 will have to be done from the JX-305 on Midi Channel 3 - the channel which connects the JX-305 to the Midi-to-CV/Gate converter. As you can see, you can use the sequencer of the JX-305 to create elaborate multi-channel sequences that can simultaneously control your Midi and Analog synths from just one master controller and without the need for an expensive computer.