Problem understanding Jv-1080 & MIDI

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Hello,
I am trying to play 8 simultaneous tracks on a recently bought JV-1080 using a computer together with a sequencer - MusE.
It is not a problem as long as I use the GM mode, but then I am limited to too few sounds.
Unfortunatlely, as soon as I leave the GM mode to get advantage of the many patches available through presets A to C and USER, only one track is played - the one that is selected on the unit.
I have read the manual as many times as I could, but I could not manage to get what I am looking for. Whatever the settings I tried.
There is something that I do not understand, for sure, but I cannot see what.
Pointing me to what I am doing wrong would be much apreciated.
Regards,
 

happyrat1

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First of all, the Software only works with GM because you haven't configured it yet with the necessary patch and bank info.

In cakewalk this is done with an INS file.

I have no idea how Muse does it.

Unless you get lucky and google some ready made file for your sequencer, chances are you'll have to dig into your manuals and input the patch names, numbers, bank select info, etc. manually.

There may be other MIDI device settings in your software that need tweaking as well.

Fry one fish at a time brother. Deal with each problem as it arises :)

Gary ;)
 
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Hello,
As far as I undestand, the presets are accessed by sending the JV a bank L/H followed by a PC, which MusE lets me do.
It can handle all five (USER + A to D) presets. And it works, because I can access whatever patch but on 1 part only.
The problem is not to play a patch, but rather to play multiple parts together outisde the GM mode.
Once again : if I depress Patch then Preset and finally GM on the front pannel, then MusE can play the whole song.
But so far as I select anything else, it only plays one part among those in the song.
So... what is the trouble ?
 
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a jv-1080 is nearly 30 years old. It may be MIDI capable, but to what extent, who knows....
Maybe, but the SC-88Pro is as old and though does its job flawlessly : the whole sets of patches are available at any time with no restriction, the Pro's ones, thoses of the classic 88, those of the 55 and even those of the MT-32.
All the embedded patches can be selected and played in a song. And the JV-1080 is supposed to be much more powerful.
OTOH, what the interest to make an expander with hundredth of patches, if one can only use one at a time ?
 

happyrat1

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Hello,
As far as I undestand, the presets are accessed by sending the JV a bank L/H followed by a PC, which MusE lets me do.
It can handle all five (USER + A to D) presets. And it works, because I can access whatever patch but on 1 part only.
The problem is not to play a patch, but rather to play multiple parts together outisde the GM mode.
Once again : if I depress Patch then Preset and finally GM on the front pannel, then MusE can play the whole song.
But so far as I select anything else, it only plays one part among those in the song.
So... what is the trouble ?

It could be a limitation of the Roland's design, OR it could be a misconfiguration with the software.

Either way you'er going to have to dig deeper and hack some sort of solution.

What happens if you try with different software?

It could eliminate one or the other as the cause.

Gary ;)
 
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Well, the problem is I have no other software. Just MusE, which I have begun learning.
Maybe a skilled JV-1080 user could enlighten me ?
 

happyrat1

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Google "DAW Software Free Download" and you'll quickly find a few dozen likely candidates.

I AM actually trying to help, but you at least have to do some homework yourself and meet me halfway.

Gary
 

happyrat1

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BTW, that thing is only capable of GM1 and GM2 and GS sounds.

It may only be able to play GM1 from what you're sending because those files lack any sysex commands to enable GS.

And incidentally, what MIDI channels are you sending the different parts on?

GM mode may be the only option on the Roland because a) you've failed to program the individual MIDI channels for the required voices, OR b) the Roland may lack that ability completely.

As has been mentioned, it IS 30 year old hardware and MIDI wasn't nearly as faithfully implemented in something that was basically marketed as a glorified game card.

Gary ;)
 
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Hello Gary,
I admit the title may be quite confusing. My problem is not with the software, nor with midi itself, but with this peculiar expander - the so-named JV-1080.
As far as I know, it is only capable of GM, no GS. This is for the hardware expander, not the software version.
I appreciate much the effort you do trying to help me, but I am sure you did not understand my problem, so you ask me to do useless things.
Once again : I have no problem with MusE (4, btw), which does correctly what I tell it to do.
If I connect my SC-88Pro and ask MusE to play a song with four parts, one from SC-88Pro bank, one from SC-55mkII bank, one from SC-55 bank, and the last from MT32 bank, the song will be rendered exactly as asked.
If I play the song in GM mode, it will be executed playing the GM parts.
If I play the song in GM mode on the JV-1080, it will be played playing the GM parts.
But, if I select the JV-1080 mode and try to play a song (arrangement ?) with, for example, eight non GM parts selected among presets, two cases may arise :
1- I have seledted GM from the JV front panel : then the song will play the eight parts using the nearest corresponding GM parts, ie the ones corresponding to the program change, ignoring the bank select, or
2- I have selected anything else on the front panel, then only the first part over the eight will be played, with the exact bank select and program change as sent with the software. All other sevent parts will be ignored.
So, to sum-up : I have a problem understanding how to tell this damned JV-1080 to play what I want the way I want. And, so far, the fine manual that I have read more than I could tell, did not help me - at this point, it has become the fu...ng manual !
There is something that I do not do, which prevents the JV to obei me. But what ? That, I could not find so far, and this is where I need help.
The fact this device is twenty-seven years old is not involved in my problem, as both the SC-55mkII and the SC88Pro are roughly as old as it and do whatever I tell them the way I tell them.
Pfew ! this was a bit long, and I hope it will not have introduced more confusing...
Thanks again.:cool:
 
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Hello,
I am back with news. Thanks to someone who pointed me to the direction where to search for, I could progress significantly.
First, dispites its age, this expander is highly capable, and not only the gadget you pretended. It is way higher in the hierarchy, far too much for the use I have of it.
But it does not behave like other expanders such Sound Canvas SC-55 or 88, where the whole set of sounds can be accessed directly.
In the case of the JV, one first needs to store the instruments (parts) to be used in an user preset (among the 32 available), then select this preset from the pannel so the arrangement can be executed. And it is.
For your information, I tried what you suggested before : using the JV with another midi software (Anvil Studio, on a w10 box) with gave exactly the same result as the one I was currently using on my linux box.
Because the only way to play multitrack with this expander is in GM or Perform mode - not patch -, and then it gets stuck to the preset currently being displayed, whatever CC or PC that can be sent through midi.
So, once again, the only way to use instruments from various presets is to first store them in an user area and only send the PC, no need of CC's.
I better had bought another SC-88 Pro or even 8850.
Hope this could be useful to someone else.
Rgrds,
 
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Hello,
Back again after some deeper digging.
First, I realize that the subject does not really reflect my problem (and I could not find the way to modify it) : I have no problem with MIDI, only with this peculiar expander.
I am using MusE because it is the closest to Cubase, that I started using in the early 90's. My old Ataris are sleeping in boxes for many years. I left steinberg much money, I did not wish to give them more so I looked for something near. This is MusE.
Well, then the expanders : no problem with neither the SC-55mkII nor the SC-88Pro. I can make them sound what I want - not very english, but my natural language is french, and it is not easy to think in another language.
The Jv-1080 - here we are ! it is a professionnal device - unlike the SCs that I could consider as high-end amateur or semi-pro ones.
It has so many possibilities that one has to be fallen into it early. And a bugged english manual. And a worse french one.
I finally found that must be in performance mode to play multiparts - this is explained here and there in the manuals, but needs to read it many times before it can be understood by common people - but this is not enough.
It appears, too, that the previous owner had set it up for his (her ?) needs. Many parameters were turned OFF with no obvious reason else than restricting the use to only 4 channels with all notes reserved to those. Sigh.
I had to set up an user mode in performance, clearing all restrictions and activating reception, then saving - this for each of the 16 parts. Many buttons to depress, having to do it again in case I'd forget something - and it happened more than once before I could understand.
And finally, save the whole setup. It costed me a few setups before I could understand, there again.
As you can see, asking for help does not mean that I stay still and wait for the others to give me the solution as-is. This would not be the right way, as I need to understand and be able to do it myself.
So, unlike what is stated in the manual, there is no need to assign patches/tones/whatever they mean in parts in the user area, then play each part individually and so on for as many as you need over 16. No : just have to select the performance mode and let the sequencer send the data. And, again, unlike what I could read, each part can access any data anywhere in the device.
I was very happy when I discovered that.
Now, as the first post cannot be edited, how do I set this topic to Solved ?
Rgrds,
 
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happyrat1

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No need to "close" the thread really.

In the future you may receive an email reply to it from someone with the same module looking for help.

About 90% of the problems we see in these forums are RTFM types. The answers are already in the manual, but sometimes people can't figure it out on their own and then they reply to older threads about the same model # hoping that some other person will have the answer already.

Gary ;)
 

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