ALESIS MMT-8
Multi track MIDI recorder
Alesis MMT-8 Instruction Manual
Alesis MMT-8 Instruction Manual...i 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.3.1 3.5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.7.1 7.2 7.8.9.1 9.2 9.3 Introduction....1 PART Mode....2 Selecting and Playing a PART...2 PART button....2 Selecting a PART....2 Selecting TRACKs for playback...2 FAST-FORWARD....3 REWIND....3 Recording a PART....4 Selecting the RECORD TRACK....4 Entering RECORD....4 LENGTH....6 ERASE....7 Erasing a PART...7 Erasing a single TRACK....7 Erasing selected information (notes, pitchbend, individual MIDI channel, etc.)..7 Erasing a SONG....8 COPY....9 Copying a PART to itself...9 Copying a PART to another PART...9 Copying a TRACK to itself...9 Copying a TRACK to another TRACK of the same PART.. 10 Copying a TRACK to another TRACK of a different PART.. 10 Copying selected information (notes, pitchbend, individual MIDI channels, etc.).. 10 Copying a SONG to itself... 11 Copying a SONG to another SONG... 11 EDIT..... 12 Editing a PART.... 12 Erasing an event.... 14 Adding an event.... 14 Editing and Creating a SONG... 15 Automatic TRACK selection and muting at each step of a SONG.. 15 SONG Mode.... 16 SONG button.... 16 Selecting a SONG... 16 Manual TRACK selection and muting in SONG mode.. 16 - Page i -
LOOP.... 18 MIDI ECHO... 19 NAME.... 20 MERGE.... 21 MIDI CHANNEL.... 22 QUANTIZE.... 23 TRANSPOSE.... 25 TEMPO.... 26 MIDI FILTER.... 27 CLOCK.... 28 CLICK.... 30 TAPE..... 31 Storing to disk using MIDI system exclusive data dump.. 33
23 Syncing the MMT-8 to tape... 34 23.1 Recording the sync tone... 34 23.2 To clock the MMT-8 from tape sync.. START/STOP footswitch.... 36
25 Memory..... 37 25.1 Remaining memory.... 37 25.2 Clearing memory... Auto Locate.... 38 26.1 Part Mode:.... 38 26.2 Song Mode:.... 28 MIDI Implementation Chart... 39 Troubleshooting Chart... 40

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Introduction
The Alesis MMT-8 Multi-Track MIDI Recorder is a user friendly, yet extremely powerful MIDI sequencer. It is able to record any information received at its MIDI INPUT jack (except poly-pressure and note off velocity), and store it into non-volatile memory for later retrieval. This information can include notes, controllers, pitch bend, after touch, program changes, and system exclusive data. The MMT-8 can play back 8 tracks simultaneously and it functions in many ways like an 8 track tape recorder. The MMT-8's memory capacity is approximately 9,000 to 11,000 notes. Variable MIDI controllers like aftertouch, pitch bend, mod wheel, etc. will take up more memory, so the actual amount of note storage capacity will vary depending on how much these controllers are used. Each set of 8 tracks is called a `part'. There can be up to 100 parts in the MMT-8's memory ( 00-99). These parts can be combined into lists of parts, which are called `songs'. There can be up to 100 songs in the MMT-8's memory, and each can contain a list of parts up to 255 steps long. By constructing songs in this fashion, the MMT-8 makes it very easy to arrange songs by recording one verse into one part, and a chorus into another, and a bridge into another, and then making a list of the parts into a song with as many verses, choruses, and bridges as desired. The MMT-8 has many editing capabilities, which allow the user to alter any data after recording it. Notes can be transposed, timing corrected, copied, and erased. MIDI channels can be reassigned, controllers can be modified, etc. Also, the MMT-8 has an Autolocate feature which will allow you to jump to any desired beat number within a part or song (see auto-locate). Despite this flexibility, the MMT-8 is very easy to use, since these features do not get in the way of the more basic operations, like recording and playing back.

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PART Mode
Selecting and Playing a PART
When power is first turned on, the sequencer will be in SONG or PART mode (SONG or PART LED lit), depending on the mode that was selected before power was turned off. The song or part number will also be the same as when power was turned off.

PART button

Press the PART button to enter PART mode if the sequencer is not currently in this mode. The LED next to the PART button will light and the display will read:

if part 00 exists, or

if part 00 has not yet been created.

Selecting a PART

The 00 is underlined to indicate that it will be changed if a new number is selected with the keypad or +/- buttons. The second line of the display shows the name of the part. If a part is empty, the display reads EMPTY PART. Pressing the +/- buttons immediately selects the next part number, with the numbers looping past 99 to 00 and looping down from 00 to 99. If a single digit on the keypad is pressed (3, for example), the display will change to:

The display is now indicating that the second digit of the part should be entered. After entering the second digit, the new part is selected, and its name is displayed. If the second digit is not entered within 2 seconds, the display will revert back to the previous part number, and no new part will have been selected. This type of keypad entry is consistent with all entries made with the keypad described in this manual. The page up and page down buttons have no function when selecting parts or songs.
Selecting TRACKs for playback
While in PART mode, the eight TRACK SELECT LED will display the tracks that are turned on (not muted) on the selected part. These buttons can be turned on or off to change the selected tracks to be played. Whenever a part is playing, the eight track select LEDs will show which tracks are playing. When a new - Page 2 -
part is selected, all eight tracks are turned on. At any time, the track selection can be changed with the track select buttons. Pressing PLAY will start playing the selected part from its beginning, and the PLAY LED will light. The display will read, for example:
The display is now showing the current beat number and the part number that is being played. As each beat (quarter note) occurs, the display will advance the beat count. While the part is playing, the keypad and +/- buttons can be used to select a new part number, which will then be displayed in the display as follows:
At the end of the current part, the newly selected part number will play, with the beat count starting again at 001. The NEXT part to play can be changed up until the end of the current part is reached, after which the new part will begin playing, and the display will revert back to PLAYING PART. Pressing STOP/CONTINUE will stop playing a part, and the display will return to the select part display. Any notes that were sustaining will turn off. Pressing STOP/CONTINUE again will begin playing a part from the beginning of the beat it was on when it was stopped, replaying all previously sustaining notes. Pressing PLAY will always start a part from the beginning. When a part reaches its end, the PLAY LED will turn off and the part will stop, unless LOOP is on, which will cause the part to continue playing from the beginning.

FAST-FORWARD

The << and >> buttons (rewind and fast-forward) can be used to advance or retreat through the beats of a part. If a part is playing, pressing the fast forward button will cause sustaining notes to stop, and the display to advance quickly one beat at a time until the fast forward button is released, after which the part continues playing from the beginning of the displayed beat.

REWIND

The rewind button works similarly, but in reverse. In either direction, if the end or beginning of a part is reached, the display remains on the last beat, unless loop is on, which results in the beat "wrapping around". When a part is not playing, these buttons can be used for the same function, and by pressing STOP/CONTINUE the song will continue from the last displayed beat. The fast forward and rewind button can be held down simultaneously to "freeze" the display on the current beat. It is also possible to Autolocate with the fast-forward and rewind buttons. This function allows you to go directly to any desired beat (see auto-locate).

The part number is not underlined, indicating that a new part cannot be selected while recording. While recording, the eight tracks can still be turned on or off. Pressing the RECORD button effectively "punches out" the record track, the RECORD LED turns off, and the part continues to play from where it was. - Page 4 -
Pressing the PLAY button is also the same as punching out, except that the part will immediately start playing from the beginning. The rewind and fast forward buttons will also punch out. Pressing STOP/CONTINUE also punches out, but stops the part from playing as well. When recording for the first time on an empty part, the track will continue recording until STOP/CONTINUE, FAST-FORWARD, REWIND, or PLAY is pressed. When one is pressed, this determines the length of the part, rounded to the nearest beat. When recording on any other track, the part will automatically stop when the end of the part (as determined by the first record track) is reached. If LOOP is on, the RECORD LED will turn off ("punch out"), and the part will begin playing from the start. It it possible to set the length before recording the first track, or to change the length after recording the first track (see LENGTH). While holding the RECORD button, pressing and holding the LENGTH button will show on the display the percentage of memory still available to recording.

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LENGTH
The LENGTH button is used to set the length of a part to a specified number of beats. While holding the LENGTH button, the display will show the current length of the current part. If it is an empty part, the display will read:
This indicates that no length has yet been set. If RECORD mode is entered without setting this length, the length of the part will be determined by the number of beats recorded before pressing STOP/CONTINUE, RECORD or PLAY. If it is desired to set the length before recording, the +/- buttons can be used to move the length up or down in single beat increments (000 minimum, 682 maximum), or a three digit number can be entered with the keypad. In either case, the new length is not entered into the part until the RECORD button is pressed. When RECORD is pressed, the display changes to:

This display remains until RECORD is released. If LENGTH is released before RECORD is pressed, no change to the length will be made, regardless of what was pressed on the keypad. If RECORD is pressed after entering a partial length (1 or 2 digits), nothing will happen. When entering in digits, the first digit entered ( 1, for example) results in the following display:
The display is now waiting for the entry of the second digit. If the second digit is not entered within 2 seconds, the display will revert to its previous value. If RECORD is pressed after entering an incomplete length (1 or 2 digits), the display will revert to its previous value. When a new length is entered (RECORD), any information on any track of the selected part that was beyond the new set length will be erased. Any notes sustaining beyond the new end will automatically be given a new duration. If the new length is longer than the previous one, the additional length will be filled with silence. If it is desired to remove or add length to the beginning of a part, first set the desired length (as described above), and then press either page up or page down. The display will change to:
Pressing either page up or page down again will toggle back to the original display. If RECORD is pressed with the above display showing, any additional beats will be placed at the beginning of the part, and any beats removed will be removed from the part top. Notes that were stored in the removed beats will be removed regardless of their duration. The LENGTH button has no effect in song mode, or while a song or part is playing.

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Erasing a PART
The erase button is used to erase a single track, part or song. When in PART mode, pressing and holding the ERASE button causes the following display:
The number 01 would actually be the currently selected part number. All 8 track LEDs will be lit. To erase the selected part, press RECORD. The display will change to:
The display will remain this way until the RECORD button is released, after which the display will return to its previous state.

Erasing a single TRACK

To erase a single track, press and hold the ERASE button (all track LEDs will light), and select the desired track number. The selected track's LED will remain lit, and the other track LEDs will turn off. Additional tracks can be selected, and their LEDs will come on. Pressing RECORD will erase any selected tracks.

Erasing selected information (notes, pitchbend, individual MIDI channel, etc.)
When erasing a track or part, it is possible to erase only selected data from a part or track. While holding the ERASE button, the page up and page down buttons below the LCD display can be used to select specific functions. If the arrow buttons are used, they will scroll through the following choices backwards or forwards depending on which button is pressed:

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This feature makes it possible to erase specific data, such as the after touch on one track, without affecting the other data on that track or part. If erase after touch was selected and RECORD was pressed without selecting a track, all after touch on all eight tracks of the selected part would be erased.

Erasing a SONG

In SONG mode, holding the ERASE button will cause the following display:
Pressing the RECORD button will erase the currently selected song number. The eight track buttons are inactive when erasing songs. The page up and page down buttons are also inactive when erasing songs. In all cases, the erase is not executed until RECORD is pressed. and will be aborted if ERASE is released before pressing RECORD. The ERASE button has no effect while a song or part is playing.

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The copy button is used to copy or append a track, part or song, to another track, part or song. It only functions while the COPY button is held down. If the COPY button is released (either before or after the copy is executed), the previous mode will show up on the display, and copy mode is exited.

Copying a PART to itself

When in PART mode, and COPY is pressed and held, all 8 track LEDs will light, and the display will read:
Both displayed part numbers will actually display the current part number (00- 99). Pressing RECORD completes the operation, and the display reads:
This display remains until the RECORD button is released, which then returns the sequencer to the previous copy display (unless COPY is released as well). The above example demonstrated copying a part (all 8 tracks) to itself, which will double the length of that part.
Copying a PART to another PART
To copy a part to another part, press and hold COPY, then enter the two digit part number with the keypad. The display will show the selected part number. Pressing RECORD initiates the copy, and appends the source part (the current part before COPY was pressed) to the destination part (the part entered with the keypad). Again, all 8 track LEDs are lit, so all 8 tracks are copied. If the destination part was empty, then the destination now contains an exact copy of the source part. If the destination was not empty, then the destination's length is increased by the length of the source part, and the source part is appended to the end of the destination part. Any MIDI assignments made on the source part's tracks will be overridden by the destination part's MIDI assignments.

Copying a TRACK to itself
To copy a single track to itself (useful for erasing all but one type of MIDI information, see below), press and hold the COPY button, select the desired track (its LED will remain lit and the others wil turn off), then press RECORD.

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Copying a TRACK to another TRACK of the same PART
To copy a single track to another track of the same part number, press and hold COPY, and select the source track. The selected track's LED will remain lit, and all the other track LEDs will turn off. Now select the destination track. This track's LED will now flash, indicating that it is the track to be copied to. Pressing the RECORD button initiates the copy, and copies the source track to the destination track. If any information existed in the destination track, it is erased.
Copying a TRACK to another TRACK of a different PART
To copy a single track of one part to a single track of another, press and hold COPY, select the source track, select the destination part number, select the destination track, then press RECORD. If the destination track is the same number as the source track, the destination track button does not have to be selected before pressing RECORD.
Copying selected information (notes, pitchbend, individual MIDI channels, etc.)
In all of the above copy modes, the entire contents of a track of part are copied to the destination. It is possible to copy selected information from one track or part to another by using the page up and page down buttons to select the desired data while holding the COPY button. These buttons can be selected any time during the copy selection before RECORD is pressed. They will scroll backwards and forwards through 22 choices with the following displays:

through

By scrolling through the list, any selected data can be copied from one track or part to another. For example, if a track contained notes on many MIDI channels that had been previously combined together, copying only one MIDI channel to a new track would allow the parts to be separated out again. Also, copying NOTES ONLY from a track to itself will effectively erase all pitchbend, controller, program change, after touch, and system exclusive data from that track. - Page 10 -

Copying a SONG to itself

In SONG mode, pressing and holding the COPY button will result in the following display:
The 01 display will actually show the currently selected song number. Like in PART mode, pressing RECORD will append the current song to itself, making it twice as long.

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Editing and Creating a SONG
When in SONG mode, the EDIT button is used to enter the song edit mode. This mode is used for creating or editing a song, which is a list of parts. The display appears as follows:
The step number can be moved forwards or backwards with the fast forward and rewind buttons. The part number is underlined, indicating that it can be changed with the keypad or +/- buttons. If a song is empty, the first step's part will be blank. The step past the last part of a song will also display a blank part. To change a part, simply type in a new part number. To erase a step, hold ERASE and press RECORD. The displayed step will be erased, and all parts from the steps past the erased step will shift down one step. To insert a part, press and hold COPY. The display will read:
The keypad or +/- buttons can be used to change the part number. Pressing RECORD inserts the part at the displayed step, and moves the previously displayed step and all subsequent steps one step back. When the buttons are released, the display reverts back to the song edit display.
Automatic TRACK selection and muting at each step of a SONG
You can select which tracks will playback at each step of a song by turning off the tracks you don't want to hear (LED's off) and leaving on the tracks you wish to hear (LED's on). The MMT-8 will store in memory which tracks were selected for playback at each step.

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SONG Mode

SONG button

Press the SONG button to enter song mode. The display will read as follows, with the last song entered being indicated in the number portion of the display:

Selecting a SONG

The 00 is underlined to indicate that it will be changed if a new number is selected with the keypad or the +/- buttons. The second line of the display shows the name of the currently selected song (up to 14 characters). If the current song number is empty, the second line will read EMPTY SONG. Pressing the +/- buttons immediately selects the next song number, with the numbers looping past 99 to 00 and looping down from 00 to 99. If a single digit on the keypad is pressed (2, for example), the display will change to:
The display is now indicating that the second digit of the song should be entered. After entering the second digit, the new song is selected, and its name will appear. If the second digit is not entered within 2 seconds, the display will revert back to the previous song number, and no new song will have been selected. The page up and page down buttons have no function when selecting parts or songs. A SONG is a list of parts (sequences) in a specific order, with each entry into the list being a STEP which contains a part number. Each step also contains which of the eight tracks should be on for that step.

Manual TRACK selection and muting in SONG mode
While in SONG mode, the eight TRACK select LEDs will display the tracks that are turned on, on the first part of the selected song. These buttons can be turned on or off to change the selected tracks to be played, although these changes will be temporary and not stored with the song. Pressing PLAY will start playing the selected song from its beginning, and the PLAY LED will light. The display will read, for example:
The first line of the display is now showing the current song number being played, and the current beat number of the part being played. The second line of the display is showing the step number and the part assigned to the step that is playing at the moment. When the song advances to the next step, the display will show the part for step 2, etc. The track select LEDs will change to show which tracks are turned on for the current part. Again, the track selection can be changed by turning on or off the track buttons. - Page 16 -
Pressing STOP/CONTINUE will stop playing the song, and the display will return to the select song display. Pressing STOP/CONTINUE again will begin playing the song from the beat at which it was stopped. Pressing PLAY will always start the song from the beginning of the first step. When a song reaches its end, it will stop and the PLAY LED will turn off, unless LOOP is on, which will cause the song to loop back to step one and continue playing. The << and >> buttons (rewind and fast-forward) can be used to advance or retreat through the beats and steps of a song. If the song is playing, pressing the fast forward button will cause sustaining notes to stop, and the beat display to advance at a gradually increasing rate (up to the maximum possible tempo) until the fast forward button is released, after which the song continues playing from the beginning of the displayed beat. If the end of the current step is reached, the next step is started. The rewind button works similarly, but in reverse. In either direction, if the end or beginning of a song is reached, the display remains on that step, unless loop is on, which results in the step "wrapping around". When a song is not playing, these buttons can be used for the same function, and by pressing STOP/CONTINUE the song will continue from the last displayed beat. The fast forward and rewind button can be held down simultaneously to "freeze" the display on the current beat.

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10 LOOP
The LOOP button is a simple on/off switch with an LED indicator. When LOOP is on, a part or song will loop back to its beginning when it has reached its end, and continue playing indefinitely. If LOOP is off, a part or song will stop when it reaches its end.

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11 MIDI ECHO
The MIDI ECHO button is an on/off switch with an LED indicator. When MIDI ECHO is on, whatever information is present at the MIDI INPUT jack will be sent to the MIDI OUTPUT jack. When not in RECORD or RECORD ready (RECORD LED lit), the MIDI data is transmitted out unchanged. When in RECORD or RECORD ready, and the track selected has been assigned to a specific MIDI channel (see MIDI CHANNEL below), then all MIDI information received will be transmitted out on the selected MIDI channel. This feature allows the user to hear a part playing on the desired synthesiser while it is being recorded. System exclusive information and polyphonic pressure are not echoed, and MIDI clocking information will be echoed only if the MIDI clock is being used for clocking the MMT-8.

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12 NAME
The NAME button is used to change the name of a part or song. The name of a part or song is 14 characters long. An empty part or song will always have the name "EMPTY PART" or "EMPTY SONG", and cannot be changed. When a part or song is first used, its name is changed from "EMPTY PART" or "EMPTY SONG" to "NO PART NAME" or "NO SONG NAME". To change the name of a part or song, press and hold the NAME button. The display will read:
The cursor is now under the first character of the part or song name. Using the +/- buttons, any alphanumeric character can be selected, and the keypad can be used to enter numbers directly. The page up and page down buttons are used to move the cursor left and right on the display. When the desired name has been entered, pressing RECORD stores the name for that part or song. If RECORD is not pressed before releasing the NAME button, any changes to the name will not be saved.

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13 MERGE
The MERGE mode is provided so that two tracks can be merged together (overlapped) onto one track. In part mode, when MERGE is held down, the display reads:
The eight track LEDs will be off. Press the first desired track (it will light solid), followed by the destination track (it will flash), followed by RECORD. The display will read:
This display remains until the RECORD button is released. The first track and the second track are now combined in the second track's location. The first track remains unchanged. The MERGE button has no effect in song mode, or while a part is playing. Note: When two tracks are merged. their MIDI channel assignments (see MIDI CHANNEL) are permanently assigned to the data of each track, and the new track's MIDI channel is assigned to UNCHANGED. This way, tracks assigned to different channels retain their channel independence on the same track.

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14 MIDI CHANNEL
Like the COPY and ERASE buttons, the MIDI CHANNEL button is only active while it is held down. It is used to select the MIDI channel of a track or part (it has no function in SONG mode). When held down, track one's LED will light, and the display will show the MIDI channel selected for that track:
The keypad or +/- buttons can be used to change the selected track's MIDI channel, and other tracks can be displayed or changed by selecting the desired track button (only one track is lit at a time). The selection of the channel can be 0 (UNCHANGED), or 1 through 16. A given track always retains its recorded MIDI channel information, so that if a track contains notes from more than one channel, it can be played back as recorded. In this case, it is desired to assign the track to UNCHANGED, which means that it will output on the same MIDI channels as are recorded. Whenever a new track is recorded, it defaults to UNCHANGED. If a specific MIDI channel is selected (1-16). then the selected track's notes will all be output on the selected channel. However, the actual track information remains unchanged, so that returning a track to UNCHANGED will cause the separate MIDI channels to play back as before. Note: An empty track can be assigned to a MIDI channel before recording onto it, which will cause that channel to be output while recording if MIDI ECHO is on. Also, if a track is copied to an empty track, its MIDI channel setting will be copied as well. If a track or part is erased, its MIDI channel assignment is left as it was.

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15 QUANTIZE
The QUANTIZE button is used to correct the timing of notes to any desired beat value. QUANTIZE only moves note events, and does not alter controllers, pitch bend, after touch, program change, and system exclusive information. While holding down the QUANTIZE button in part mode, the most recently recorded track will be lit, and the display will read:
The 10 quantize choices are 1/2, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/12, 1/16, 1/24, 1/32, 1/48, 1/64. The +/- buttons or the keypad can be used to scroll through the choices. The keypad buttons 0-9 can also be used to select the quantize value directly, with 0=1/2 and 9=1/64. The track select buttons can be used to select the desired track(s) to be quantized. When QUANTIZE is first pressed, all eight track LEDs will be lit, indicating that all tracks will be quantized if RECORD is pressed. If a track button is pressed, all other tracks will turn off, and only that track will be selected. From that point on, each track select button will turn on or off its associated LED, so that any combination of tracks can be selected to be quantized. Pressing the RECORD button initiates the quantizing, and changes the display to:
This display remains until the RECORD button is released, which then returns the sequencer to its previous quantize display. The quantization process changes the start point of each note to the nearest quantize beat, but leaves the note release point where it was, which changes the actual note duration. Other quantizing options can be selected by using the page up and page down buttons. Pressing the page up button scrolls through the following choices:
If RECORD is pressed with QUANTIZE NOTE START & END being displayed, the release times of the notes will also be quantized to the selected quantize beat. If NOTE END is selected, only the release times of the notes will be quantized. If KEEP DURATION is selected, a note's duration will remain constant, i.e., if the start of a note is moved 1/16 note ahead, the release will also move 1/16 ahead. In SONG mode, the QUANTIZE button is used to select an amount of clock offset for each track in a song. These offsets are global settings used by all songs, and do not affect the individual parts directly. The purpose of this feature is to allow the user to compensate for MIDI delays, and sound devices with slow attack times. While holding the QUANTIZE button in SONG mode, the first track LED will light, all others will be off, and the display will read as follows:
The value can be set from -48 to +48 384th notes (+/- 1/2 note) by using the keypad or the +/- buttons. Positive values represent a shift forward in time, and negative values represent a shift backward in time. - Page 23 -
When entering a value with the keypad, the sign remains unchanged (except when entering 00, which is always positive). To change the sign, the +/- keys must be used to "pass through" zero to the other side. Each track can be selected and set independently. Of course, the first beat of the first part of a song cannot be advanced (it can't read minds.).

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16 TRANSPOSE
The TRANSPOSE function allows for a track or part to be transposed by a user specified number of semitones. When TRANSPOSE is held down in part mode, the display reads:
The keypad can be used to enter a two-digit number of semitones to tranpose up from the original pitch (00-99), or the +/- buttons can be used to increment or decrement the amount. Like in ERASE mode, all eight track select LEDs are lit, indicating that the transposition will affect all tracks. If a track select button is pressed, all other track LEDs will turn off, and only the selected track will be lit. Additional tracks can be selected by pressing the select track buttons, which will toggle the LEDs on or off for each track. Pressing the page up or page down button will change the display to:
Now the number entered from the keypad selects the number of semitones to transpose down. For either transpose up or down, pressing the RECORD button executes the transpose command, resulting in the following display:
This display remains until RECORD is released. If a track that is transposed results in an underflow (notes below 0) or an overflow (notes above 127), the track will automatically re-adjust the pitch in octave increments until it is back in legal range. The TRANSPOSE button does not function while playing a part or song.

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17 TEMPO
The TEMPO button is used to change the tempo of a part or song. The tempo is stored with a song, and not with a part. While in part mode, the tempo remains at its previous setting until changed. While in song mode, the tempo changes to the programmed tempo each time a different song is selected. While in either part or song mode, pressing the tempo button results in the following display:
While holding the TEMPO button, the +/- buttons can be used to select a new tempo, or a tempo can be entered directly with three digits on the keypad. Tempo changes are effective as soon as they are entered, and the RECORD button does not have to be pressed. In part mode, the RECORD button has no function for TEMPO. In song mode (while not playing), pressing RECORD stores the selected tempo into the current song. Otherwise, it is a temporary tempo change that will be forgotten once a different song is selected. If RECORD is pressed, the display changes to:

Clock Source

Auto Start

Press Play

Receive Midi Start

Receive Tape Sync

-----------------------------------------------------MIDI & INTERNAL MIDI & INTERNAL INTERNAL ONLY INTERNAL TAPE SYNC TAPE SYNC 1. 2. OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON Do nothing. Start playing from beginning with internal clock. - Page 5

3. 4. 5. 6.

Enter play mode, but don't start playing until tape sync clock occurs. If in play mode, start playing, otherwise ignore sync. Start playing from beginning with tape sync clock. Start playing from beginning with MIDI clock.
If tape sync and auto start are on and a part or song is playing, it will stop playing automatically if the tape sync signal is interrupted for more that 1 second. If auto start is not on, the MMT-8 will wait in play for more sync pulses.

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20 CLICK
The CLICK button is used to set the rhythmic value that the metronome will have. Holding the CLICK button results in the following display:
The 10 click value choices are 1/2, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/12, 1/16, 1/24, 1/32, 1/48, 1/64. The +/- buttons or the keypad can be used to scroll through the choices. The keypad buttons 0-9 can also be used to select the click value directly, with 0=1/2 and 9=1/64. Additional click pages can be accessed with the page up and page down buttons. Pressing the page up button once moves the cursor to the RECORD CLICK function, as follows:
This function determines whether or not the metronome will click while in record mode. The default setting is ON, but it can be changed with the +/- buttons. The next page has two more click parameters which are accessed with the page up and page down buttons. They display as follows:
The top function determines whether or not the metronome will click while in PLAY mode. The +/buttons can be used to change the function on or off, respectively. The default setting is PLAY CLICK OFF. The last function determines the number of clicks that will be counted down when entering record. It can be set from 0 (OFF) to 99. The default is 4.

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21 TAPE
The TAPE button is used to access the tape interface features of the MMT-8. This allows the user to save and retrieve sequence data with an ordinary cassette recorder. Pressing and holding the TAPE button results in the following display:

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27 MIDI Implementation Chart
Channel Mode Note Number Velocity After Touch Pitch Bender Control Change Program Change System Exclusive System Common System Real Time Aux Messages Function Default Changed Default Messages Altered True Voice Note on Note off Key's Chan's 0-63 64-122 124-127 True # Song Pos Song Sel Tune Clock Messages Local Control All Notes Off Active Sense Reset Transmitted 1-16 1-16 X 00-127 O X X O O O O X 0-127 O O X X O O X X X X Recognized 1-16 1-16 X 00-127 O X X O O O O X 0-127 O O X X O O X X X X Remarks User changeable
Mode 1: Omni On, Poly Mode 3: Omni Off, Poly
Mode 2: Omni On, Mono Mode 4: Omni Off, Mono

O : Yes X : No

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28 Troubleshooting Chart

Symptom No sound during playback of recorded parts What's Probably Wrong Didn't record. MIDI channels not properly corresponding with sound sources. Tracks are muted MIDI filters for after touch and system exclusive are enabled Bad connections Bad tape Level of sync tone is too high or low Errors in data Bad connections. Level on tape. What To Do Check MIDI connections. Check MIDI channel assignments. Check track mute selection. In MIDI filters mode, set after touch and sysex record to on Check wiring Use a certified data tape. Try a higher or lower level to tape. Re-save the data. Check cables. Set level at or near 0VU. Turn off noise reduction, if possible.
Won't record after touch or system exclusive data Won't save or load to tape

Won't sync to tape.

If problems aren't solved after troubleshooting and referring to the manual, consult your Alesis dealer for assistance.

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RECEIVING ONE MIDI DATA FILE FOR STORAGE
1) Press the RECEIVE button. The display will read "RECV ONE SYSEX: WAITING FOR DATA". 2) Send the MIDI exclusive file from the sequencer, synthesizer, or sampler. The display will tell you that it's receiving the data. 3) When the transmission is complete, the DATADISK will display that the file has been stored and assign a file number.
RECEIVING MULTIPLE MIDI DATA FILES FOR STORAGE
1) Press the RECEIVE button twice. The display will read "RECV MULT SYSEX: WAITING FOR DATA".

QUICK START

2) Send the MIDI exclusive files from the sequencer, synthesizer, or sampler. The display will tell you that it's receiving the data. 3) At the end of the data transmission, the DATADISK will ask if the file is complete. Send more data or press the YES button to store all of the data received into one file.
SENDING A SINGLE STORED FILE
1) Press the SEND button. The display will show a file. 2) Press SCROLL UP or SCROLL DOWN button until the desired program is displayed. 3) Press the DO/YES button to send the program.
PLEASE NOTE: Files are displayed alphabetically by manufacturer, product, and user name.
SENDING MULTIPLE STORED FILES
1) Press the SEND button twice. The display will ask "SEND ALL FILES?". 2) Press the DO/YES button to begin transmission of the files. The display will show each file as it is sent.

SECTION 2

DESCRIPTION OF CONTROLS FRONT PANEL

3 1/2" DISK DRIVE

The disk drive accepts standard double sided, double density (DD) 3 1/2" floppy diskettes, the same as those used in many synthesizers, samplers, and computers. Each disk will store up to 53 MIDI data files as long as the total size of file data does not exceed a maximum of 800K.

LCD DISPLAY

The LCD Display shows the current DATADISK operating status and allows you to view files stored on the diskette. The display features 2 lines of up to 16 characters each.

SCROLL

The SCROLL buttons are used to view either the files of a diskette, select a file, digit, or character, or abort an operation.
The NAME button is used to enter the character editing mode and allows you to name or rename a file.

RECEIVE

The RECEIVE button is used to enter the Receive MIDI Data mode. In this mode, the DATADISK is able to receive either a single MIDI system exclusive file, multiple system exclusive files (up to the limit of available diskette space), or a MIDI Sample Dump.
The SEND button is used to send data stored on a diskette to either a sequencer, synthesizer, or sampler, through MIDI. Either a single or multiple files can be sent.

DELETE

The DELETE button is used to erase an unwanted file or files from a diskette. CAUTION: Once a file is deleted, it is lost forever!

RECEIVE MIDI DATA FUNCTION
The RECEIVE MIDI Data Function is used to store MIDI system exclusive data received from a synthesizer, sequencer, or effects processor to a floppy disk inside the DATADISK. There are two pages to this function which are:

RECV ONE SYSEX

Receive One Sysex (the display will read "RECV ONE SYSEX:") is used to receive a single system exclusive file over MIDI. One sysex (system exclusive) file may be a single program or a complete dump from a synthesizer, sampler, or sequencer.

RECV MULT SYSEX

In this mode, system exclusive data from multiple products is received by DATADISK and stored as a single file. This makes it fast and easy to locate the file and load the data back into the multiple synthesizers or devices at a later time. The display will read "RECV MULT SYSEX".

SEND MIDI DATA FUNCTIONS

The SEND MIDI Data Function is used to send MIDI system exclusive files to a synthesizer, sequencer, or effects processor. There are two pages to this function which are:
SEND FILE XXXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ
This page is used to send a single system exclusive file over MIDI, where XXXXXX is the manufacturers name of the file stored on disk, YYYYYY is the product model name, and ZZZZZZZZ is the name of the file to send. Files are selected by pressing the SCROLL UP or SCROLL DOWN buttons until the desired file is displayed. The files are viewed alphabetically.

SEND ALL FILES

In this page, all files stored on the disk will be sent over MIDI to their respective instruments. This way, an entire setup of a number of instruments, sequencers, samplers, and processors can quickly be sent from just this one page.
DELETE FILE FROM DISK FUNCTION
This function is used to erase unwanted files from a disk. There are two pages, which are:
DEL NNNK: XXXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ
This page is used to delete (erase) a single file from the disk, where NNN is the size of the selected file in kilobytes (1024 bytes = 1K), XXXXXX is the manufacturers name of the file, YYYYYY is the product name of the file, and ZZZZZZZZ is the name of the file to delete. Files are selected by pressing the SCROLL UP or SCROLL DOWN buttons until the desired file is displayed. The files are viewed alphabetically.

DELETE ALL FILES

This page is used to erase all of the files from the disk. PLEASE NOTE: As an added safety feature, DATADISK will ask "ARE YOU SURE?" before erasing any file from the disk, allowing you to change your mind if necessary by pressing any other function button. CAUTION!!! Once you delete a file it is lost forever!

DISK BACKUP FUNCTIONS

Once DATADISK has stored your files to disk, it's always a wise idea to make a copy of the disk in case it is lost, accidently erased, or in some way made unreadable. This disk copy is called a Backup. DATADISK has a Backup function which is quick and easy, and a lot more practical than restoring all of your data information onto a different disk. There are three pages which are:

BACKUP XXXXXX

YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ This page makes a Backup copy of just a single file, where XXXXXX is the manufacturers name of the file to be backed up, YYYYYY is the product name, and ZZZZZZZZ is the file name. Files are selected by pressing the SCROLL UP or SCROLL DOWN buttons until the desired file is displayed. The files are viewed alphabetically.

BACKUP ALL FILES

This page makes a Backup copy of an entire disk. During the Backup process, DATADISK will prompt the user when to insert either the original or Backup disk, and will indicate when the Backup is complete.

BACKUP TO MIDI

Rather than making a Backup copy of your data to a disk, it's also possible to send all files out via MIDI to another DATADISK. All files are sent out in alphabetical order.

REQUEST FUNCTION

DATADISK can store samples as well as synth programs and se-
quencer data. In most cases, this will be stored by using the RECEIVE function. Certain samplers require a request from the storage unit before they will send the sample dump data. In these cases, the REQUEST function will send the required request to let the sampler know that it is available for a sample dump. There are two pages which are:

REQUEST SAMPLE DUMP XX

This page allows a specific single sample to be requested from the sampler. XX is the sample number between 00 and 99 requested by DATADISK from the sampler connected to the MIDI input. When the DO/YES button is pressed, the transfer is handled as in the RECEIVE MIDI data function.

REQUEST SYSEX FOR YYYYYY

Product specific data dumps can be requested by DATADISK of products that cannot initiate bulk dumps from their front panel. By pressing the REQUEST button a second time, the user can scan the manufacturers (viewed alphabetically) by using the SCROLL UP and SCROLL DOWN buttons. YYYYYY is the manufacturer name. After the desired manufacturer is selected, pressing the DO/YES button will display a model to be requested (also viewed alphabetically). Various products from that manufacturer can be scanned by using the SCROLL UP or SCROLL DOWN buttons. Only products that require a Request are displayed.

DISK INFO FUNCTION

DATADISK is now awaiting system exclusive information.
2) Send a Sysex dump from the synthesizer, sequencer, effects processor, or other MIDI device. This can be accomplished by sometimes just changing a program on the MIDI device, or by a separate front panel command 28
(check your manual for the correct procedure). When system exclusive data is detected, the display will read the following: RECEIVING XXXXXX YYYYYY In this display, XXXXXX is an abbreviation of the manufacturer's name of the device sending the data, and YYYYYY is an abbreviation of the model name. If the data received is a MIDI sample dump, the manufacturer and product name will be displayed as "Sample Dump". After all the data is received (when no MIDI data received for 1/2 second), the display will change to the following: STORED AS XXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ In this display, XXXXXX is an abbreviation of the manufacturer's name of the device sending the data, YYYYYY is an abbreviation of the model name, and ZZZZZZZZ is an automatically assigned file number. If additional sysex messages are now received, the display will automatically revert to the "RECEIVING" message and proceed to store the new sysex into a new file. This allows several sysex files to be saved to multiple disk files without having to re-select the RECV function. 3) Exit the function by pressing another function button.
TO RECEIVE MULTIPLE FILES
Multiple system exclusive files from multiple products can be received and stored as a single file by using a Receive Multiple Files page. In this mode, DATADISK is able to receive as many sysex messages as desired (up to the limit of available disk space), and save them all into one disk file. To enter this function, do the following: 1) Press the RECEIVE button on the front panel twice. The display will change to the following:
RECV MULT SYSEX: WAITING FOR DATA
2) Send a Sysex dump from the synthesizer, sequencer, effects processor, or other MIDI device. This may be called a "Bulk Dump", "File Transfer", or some other indication that multiple files will be transmitted (check your manual for the correct name and procedure). When system exclusive data is detected, the display will read the following: RECEIVING XXXXXX YYYYYY In this display, XXXXXX is an abbreviation of the manufacturer's name of the device sending the data, and YYYYYY is an abbreviation of the model name. If the data received is a MIDI sample dump, the manufacturer and product name will be displayed as "Sample Dump". In the multiple mode, DATADISK is going to receive information until the user decides that all of the data has been loaded. After each sysex is received, the display will change to the following: IS THIS FILE COMPLETE? If no button is pressed, the display will revert to the "RECEIVING XXXXXX YYYYYY" message if additional sysex data is received, and will continue to save the data to the same file. If the DO/YES button is pressed, telling DATADISK that transmission is complete, the file will be stored to disk under the last received message's manufacturer and model names. 3) Exit the function by pressing another function button.

TO REQUEST A DUMP

This function allows the user to request sample dumps from MIDI devices which require a request before sending sample dump data. 30
1) Press the REQUEST button on the front panel. The display will read: REQUEST SAMPLE DUMP XX? XX is the sample number (may be called "Program Number") between 00 and 99 requested by DATADISK from the sampler connected to the MIDI input. 2) Select the correct sample number by using the SCROLL UP or SCROLL DOWN buttons. 3) Press the DO/YES button to transmit a request. The transfer is handled as in the Receive MIDI data function.
PRODUCT SPECIFIC DUMP REQUEST
Product specific dumps for products that can't initiate dumps from their own front panel can be requested by DATADISK. Do the following: 1) Press the REQUEST button on the front panel twice. The display will read: REQUEST SYSEX FOR YYYYYY? 2) Select the desired manufacturer by using the SCROLL UP and SCROLL DOWN buttons. The selections will be viewed alphabetically. 3) Press the DO/YES button. The display will read: REQUEST YYYYYY XXXXXX? 4) Select the desired product by using the SCROLL UP and SCROLL DOWN buttons. Each manufacturer will have its models listed. Press the REQUEST button to return to the manufacturer select page.
5) Press the DO/YES button to transmit a request. The transfer is handled as in the Receive MIDI data function.

TO RENAME A FILE

When a file is received, it is given a name and number in the order that it was received. For instance, the first file is named "File 01", the second "File 02", etc. A file can be renamed with a name up to 8 characters long using the Rename function. To Rename a file, do the following: 1) Press the NAME button on the front panel. The display will then read: RENAME XXXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ? 2) To scan the disk to select the desired file, press the SCROLL UP and SCROLL DOWN buttons until the desired file is found. Files are displayed alphabetically by manufacturer. 3) When the desired file is found, press the DO/YES button. An underline will now appear under the first character of the name as shown below, indicating that it is ready for editing. RENAME XXXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ? 4) Select the desired letter, number, or character from the keypad. Each function key except NAME and DO/YES has the numbers or letters which can be accessed marked directly below it. RECEIVE
ABCDE 4a) Press the function key repeatedly until the desired letter, number, or character appears. Press the FORMAT button for a space (blank character). A space will automatically increment to the next character. 4b) Press the SCROLL UP or SCROLL DOWN buttons to move the cursor to the desired location. This will appear in the display as: 33
RENAME XXXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ?
4c) Repeat steps 4a and 4b until all characters are changed as desired. 5) When the file has been renamed, complete the operation by pressing the DO/YES button. This brings us back to the beginning of the Rename function, allowing other files to be selected to be renamed, if desired. 6) Exit the Rename function by pressing another function button.

TO DELETE (ERASE) A FILE FROM DISK
1) Press the DELETE button on the front panel. The following display will appear. DEL NNNK: XXXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ? In this display, NNN is the size of the selected file in kilobytes, XXXXXX is an abbreviation of the manufacturer's name of the device sending the data, YYYYYY is an abbreviation of the model name, and ZZZZZZZZ is the name of the file to be erased. 2) Select the desired file by pressing the SCROLL UP or SCROLL DOWN buttons until the desired file is displayed (files are viewed alphabetically). 3) Press the DO/YES button. The display will then read: ARE YOU SURE?
If the answer is no, press another function button to exit the Delete function. 36
4) If the answer is yes, press the DO/YES button. The display will show: DELETING.
After the file has been erased, the display will read: FILE DELETED
After deleting is complete, DATADISK will return to the start of the Delete function with the next file ready to be erased. 5) Exit the Delete function by pressing another function button.
PLEASE NOTE: Once a file is deleted, it is lost forever! Deleting all files does not format a disk. Files are only removed
from the disk directory. Use the Format function to properly format a disk.
TO DELETE (ERASE) ALL FILES FROM DISK
1) Press the DELETE button on the front panel. The following display will appear. DEL NNNK: XXXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ? In this display, NNN is the size of the selected file, XXXXXX is an abbreviation of the manufacturer's name of the device sending the data, YYYYYY is an abbreviation of the model name, and ZZZZZZZZ is the name of the file to be erased. 2) Pressing the DELETE button a second time will make the display read:

DELETE ALL FILES?

If the answer is no, press the another function button to exit the Delete function.
After the file has been erased, the display will read: DISK EMPTY
5) Exit the Delete function by pressing another function button.

TO SET MIDI ECHO

1) Press the MIDI button on the front panel. The display will read the following: MIDI ECHO OFF 2) To turn the MIDI Echo to On (or Off if it is already On), press the SCROLL UP and SCROLL DOWN buttons. 38

3) Press another function button to exit the MIDI Echo function.
TO SET UP A MIDI PROGRAM CHANGE
1) Press the MIDI button on the front panel twice. The display will read: RCV PROG CHANGE ON MIDI CH: XXX 2) Press the SCROLL UP and SCROLL DOWN buttons to select the channel number (1 through 16) or Off. 3) Press another function button to exit the MIDI function.
TO DISPLAY AVAILABLE DISK SPACE
1) Press the INFO button on the front panel. The display will read: XX FILES = ZZZ% YYY Kbytes free XX is the number of files stored on the disk, ZZZ is the percentage of space that the files occupy, and YYY is the free space available on the disk. 2) Press another function button to exit the Info function.
TO DISPLAY FILE INFORMATION
1) Press the INFO button on the front panel twice. The display will read: NNNNNNm XXXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ In this display, NNN is the number of bytes in the selected file, XXXXXX is an abbreviation of the manufacturer's name of the device sending the data, YYYYYY is an abbreviation of the model name, and ZZZZZZZZ is the name of the file. An "m" is displayed after the num39
ber of bytes to indicate if the file if the file was received in RECV MULT, otherwise it is blank. 2) Press the SCROLL UP and SCROLL DOWN buttons to view the desired file. Files are arranged alphabetically by manufacturer, with numbers coming before letters, except in the following cases: Unknown manufacturer names (either displayed as "Id xxH" or "xxxxxx") are displayed after known manufacturer names. Unknown product names are displayed as blanks after known product names within each manufacturer. Sample dump files are displayed after all manufacturer specific files. 3) Press another function button to exit the Info function.

TO BACKUP A FILE

1) Press the BACKUP button on the front panel. The display will read: BACKUP XXXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ? In this display, XXXXXX is an abbreviation of the manufacturer's name of the device sending the data, YYYYYY is an abbreviation of the model name, and ZZZZZZZZ is the name of the file to be backed up. 2) Select the desired file by pressing the SCROLL UP or SCROLL DOWN buttons until the desired file is displayed (files are viewed alphabetically). 3) Press the DO/YES button. The display will then read: XX DISK SWAPS REQUIRED. OK? XX is the number of times that the source (the disk currently in DATADISK) and destination disks (the one that 40
you will backup your file to) must be inserted and removed from the disk drive. 4) Press the DO/YES button again. The display will show: PLEASE INSERT BACKUP DISK. OK? 5) Eject the source disk, insert the backup disk, and press the DO/YES button. The display will briefly read: Checking Disk
The display will then show:
XX PLEASE INSERT ORIG DISK. OK? XX denotes the number of disk swaps remaining. 6) After ejecting the backup disk and inserting the source disk, press the DO/YES button again. The display will briefly read: Reading from the Original Disk. Then the display will read: XX PLEASE INSERT BACKUP DISK. OK? 7) After ejecting the backup disk and inserting the source disk, press the DO/YES button again. The display will briefly read: Writing to the Backup Disk. After backup is complete, the following is temporarily displayed before DATADISK returns to the start of the Backup function.

BACKUP COMPLETE 8) Backup another file or exit the Backup function by pressing another function button. 9) Check backup procedure by sending the backed-up file(s) to their appropriate destinations and checking the data.
PLEASE NOTE: If the backup disk contains a file with same name as the file selected to be backed up, the display will prompt: REPLACE FILE WITH SAME NAME? Pressing the DO/YES button will proceed to delete the file on the backup disk, before starting backup. Pressing any other function will exit the backup.
Backup can be aborted at any time by pressing any other function button.

TO BACKUP AN ENTIRE DISK

1) Press the BACKUP button on the front panel. The display will read: BACKUP XXXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ? In this display, XXXXXX is an abbreviation of the manufacturer's name of the device sending the data, YYYYYY is an abbreviation of the model name, and ZZZZZZZZ is the name of the file to be backed up. 2) Press the BACKUP button a second time. The display will read: BACKUP ALL FILES TO DISK? 3) Press the DO/YES button. The display will then read: XX DISK SWAPS REQUIRED. OK? XX is the number of times that the source (the disk currently in DATADISK) and destination disks (the one that you will backup your file to) must be inserted and removed from the disk drive. 4) Follow steps 4 through 9 as in "To Backup A File".
TO BACKUP AN ENTIRE DISK OVER MIDI TO ANOTHER DATADISK
1) Press the BACKUP button 3 times. The display will read: BACKUP ALL FILES TO MIDI? 2) Press the DO/YES button. The display will then read: IS DEST DATADISK IN RECV ONE? "DEST DATADISK" stands for Destination DATADISK, or the DATADISK that you're sending to. 3) Press the DO/YES button. The display will read: THIS WILL ERASE DEST DISK. OK? 4) Press the DO/YES button to initiate the Backup over MIDI. The display will read as in the SEND ALL function: SENDING XXXXXX YYYYYY ZZZZZZZZ 5) When backup is complete, the following is temporarily displayed before returning to the start of the Backup function: BACKUP COMPLETE 6) Check backup procedure by sending ALL files on the backup disk (p.32). If there is a SYS EX error, there may be corrupted data. If this error occurs, delete the file(s), check the original disk, and repeat the entire procedure if necessary. PLEASE NOTE: The destination DATADISK will receive and store data as described in the RECV ONE function.

4) To exit this display, press any function button. PLEASE NOTE: a) The MIDI Echo (MIDI Thru) function is ignored when in the Receive MIDI Sequence mode. b) When recording to a sequencer from the DataDisk, keep in mind that the incoming data is subject to the quantize resolution that the sequencer is currently set at. c) In all circumstances of handshaking, do not echo data being sent from the DataDisk through a sequencer and back into 46
the DataDisk. If this is done, the sequencer will crash and most likely lose all of its data. MONITORING A SEQUENCE BEING SENT TO DATADISK

Out IN

MIDI THRU BOX

TO SEND A MIDI SEQUENCE

1) Press the SEND button. 2) Press one of the SCROLL buttons until the desired sequence is displayed. The display will read: SEND FILE MIDI Seqnce FILE ZZ ? FILE ZZ is the desired MIDI Sequence name. 3) Press the DO/YES button to play back the sequence. The display will read: SENDING : MIDI Seqnce FILE ZZ When playback is complete, the display will return to the start of the send function with the next file ready to be sent. If the sequence sent was the last file, the display will revert to: SEND FILE MIDI Seqnce FILE ZZ ?
The same sequence can be played back again by pressing the DO/YES button, or another sequence or sysex file can be selected by pressing the SCROLL buttons. If, while playing back a sequence, you decide that you wish to abort the operation, press either of the SCROLL buttons. The display will briefly read: OPERATION ABORTED The display will then return to the Send File MIDI Sequence page. If a MIDI Sequence is aborted while being sent or if a MIDI Stop command is received while the file is being sent, the DataDisk will automatically send the following: 1) MIDI Stop Command 2) Controller #64 "sustain pedal" OFF (all 16 channels) 3) Note-offs for all playing notes (all 16 channels) NOTE: The DataDisk will not merge MIDI data being sent with data being received when the MIDI Echo function is enabled.
MONITORING DATA BEING SENT FROM THE DATADISK TO ANOTHER SEQUENCER

Midi Echo On

Note that the MMT-8's countdown should be set to 00 and its MIDI Echo set to ON.
SYNCING DATADISK TO A SEQUENCER
It is possible to have the DataDisk play along in sync with an external sequencer or drum machine. 1) Press the MIDI button three times. The display will read: 48

2) Press the "up" SCROLL button. The display will read:
MIDI CLOCK OUT FILTER: ON This means that when the sequence is sent, MIDI Clock, Song Position Pointer (SPP), Start, Stop, and Continue messages are filtered out (not sent), thereby preventing these messages from interfering with the timing of the sequencer that the DataDisk is syncing to.

APPLICATIONS

To record a MIDI sequence from the DataDisk to the Alesis MMT-8 MIDI Recorder for editing purposes: 1) Connect both units as shown:
a) Place the MMT-8 into MIDI & INTERNAL b) The MMT-8's countdown should be set to 00, and length should be changed either to the highest number available or the known length of the sequence. c) The DataDisk's EXT MIDI SYNC and MIDI Clock Out filter should both be set to OFF 2) Select the MMT-8 track that you wish to record on. Press Record on the MMT-8 3) Enable record without pressing the PLAY button on the MMT-8 (a MIDI Start command at the beginning of the sequence file sent to the MMT-8 will place the MMT-8 into record mode) 4) Press the DataDisk's Send button and use the scroll buttons to select the file that you wish to send 5) Press the DataDisk's Do/Yes button
6) When the DataDisk has finished sending the file, press the Stop button on the MMT-8 to stop recording. 7) Press Edit while in the part that you have just recorded to on the MMT-8, then scroll through the sequence to determine the total number of beats. Change the length of the sequence to equal the number of beats. This will eliminate any empty beats at the end of the sequence. Synchronizing the DataDisk to a Sequencer In a closed loop configuration (see page 13, fig. 4), to prevent timing errors caused by MIDI clock returning to the sequencer, you must either: 1) Set the sequencer's clock source to INTERNAL ONLY (ignore incoming MIDI clock), or 2) Set the DataDisk's MIDI clock filter to ON. NOTE: In either case MIDI echo on the DataDisk should be set to OFF.
STORAGE OF DATADISK MIDI SETUP PER DISK
It is possible to store the DataDisk MIDI parameters (MIDI Echo, MIDI Program Change Channel, MIDI Sync, and MIDI Filter) to disk. When a new disk is loaded, the MIDI setup will be automatically loaded as well. This means that the MIDI setup can be unique per disk.
TO STORE THE DataDisk MIDI PARAMETERS TO DISK
1) Press the MIDI button. The display will read: MIDI ECHO OFF 2) After setting the DataDisk MIDI parameters as desired (see page 35), press the DO/YES button while on any MIDI page to store any MIDI parameters to disk. The display will temporarily read: MIDI Parameters Stored The display will then return to the current MIDI page. PLEASE NOTE: a) If no MIDI setup is stored on the inserted disk, the current MIDI parameter settings in the DataDisk will not be altered. 52

b) If the DataDisk is powered-on with a disk that has no MIDI setup stored on it, all MIDI parameters will default to OFF.

SECTION 7

APPENDIX

TROUBLESHOOTING

The wonderful world of MIDI makes our musical lives much so much easier most of the time. Still, there are those moments when things just won't work. Below are some hints regarding sending and receiving problems and possible solutions. This is just general info since there is no way of knowing each and every instrument, connections, and system setup.
PROBLEM: DATADISK won't save data to disk. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:
1) Make sure that the MIDI In of DATADISK is connected to MIDI Out of the sending instrument (seems so simple, but it happens). 2) Does your synth or MIDI device require handshaking (see Section 3)? Check the manual to be sure. 3) Make sure that System Exclusive is enabled.
PROBLEM: The receiving instrument does not appear to receive data sent to it from DATADISK. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:
1) Make sure that the MIDI Out of DATADISK is connected to the MIDI In of the receiving instrument. 2) Make sure that System Exclusive is enabled on the receiving instrument. 3) Memory Protect on the synthesizer must be off. 4) Some instruments do not show any indication that it is receiving or that it has received a data dump (i.e. Oberheim Matrix-6, Roland R-8). In this case, select the programs to see/hear that the data was received. 54
Some instruments also might receive a dump, not make any indication that it has received a file, and continue playing the same program as before the dump until a new program is selected. 5) Although the MIDI System Exclusive status byte does not specify a channel number, some manufacturers include a channel or device number within the message and will only respond to a sysex message with a matching channel/device number. Check to see if there is a System Exclusive number command (as on the Yamaha DX-7II) that might be different from the stored file.

A FEW RULES:

If in RECV ONE mode and a delay of more than 1/2 second
occurs between individual sysex messages, the messages will be stored in separate DATADISK files. (Please note that some instruments send their bulk data dump as several individual sysex messages, as opposed to a single message. If an instrument places a delay greater than 1/2 second between consecutive messages and it is desired to save these messages in a single file, use the RECV MULT mode.)

DATADISK.places a 25 millisecond delay between each sysex message it sends. If your device requires more than this amount of time to process consecutive messages, then place the sysex messages into separate files (if possible) and send each message with the reqired delay in between. DATADISK implements the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) Sample Dump Standard. Instruments that do not implement the MMA Sample Dump Standard (such a the Akai S900 or Roland S-50) will not work with DATADISK.
If the instrument requires handshaking, it is unlikely that it will
work with DATADISK. Only a few of the more commonly used handshaking schemes are implemented on DATADISK. NOTE: Some instruments give the user an option of sending and receiving in handshaking or non-handshaking mode (Roland does this with some of its instruments; they allow handshaking and one-way transfers). If this is the case, then use the non-handshaking mode with DATADISK.

SPECIFICATIONS

MEMORY IMPLEMENTATION Direct to disk; no RAM buffer. DATA STORAGE COMPATIBILITY Universal; Operates with virtually all manufacturers products which provide MIDI System Exclusive. 3 1/2" Floppy Diskette Double-sided, double density 800 Kilobytes

METHOD

MAXIMUM MEMORY PER DISK
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF DATA FILES 53 (total size of data cannot exceed disk size) FUNCTIONS SEND RECEIVE DELETE BACKUP DISK REQUEST FILE DISPLAY DISK DISPLAY MIDI FUNCTIONS

FORMAT DISK NAME FILE

Single or multiple files Single or multiple files Single or multiple files Single or multiple files Sample dump or device specific File number, manufacturer, model, number of bytes Number of files, storage space available, percentage of disk space used MIDI Echo: On, Off MIDI Program Change Channel: Off, channel 1 through seconds Upper case alphabet, A to Z, 0 to 9, 15 characters, space

FRONT PANEL CONTROLS

Name, Receive, Send , Delete, Backup, Request, Info, MIDI, Format, Do/Yes, Scroll Up, Scroll Down, Power LCD display;16 Character by 2 lines Disk Drive In Operation LED

INDICATORS

REAR PANEL JACKS
MIDI Input and Output Power - 4 pin DIN connector
POWER REQUIREMENTS 9 Volts AC, 5 Volt Amps external Transformer, UL approved and made in USA DIMENSIONS (W x H x D) WEIGHT 19" X 1.75" X 7" 4.5 lbs.

BOOKS ON MIDI

The preceding does not substitute for reading a good book on the subject of MIDI. For further information, refer to the following: MIDI For Musicians and The Electronic Musicians Dictionary by Craig Anderton; AMSCO Publications. The former was written specifically for musicians with no background in MIDI, and the latter defines terms related to musical electronics. Music Through MIDI by Michael Boom; Microsoft Press. An excellent text for those just getting started with MIDI, synthesis, and related topics. The Murphys Law MIDI Book by Jeff Burger; Alexander Publishing. Emphasizes applications and problem-solving. Using MIDI by Helen Casabona and David Frederick; Alfred Publishing. A general guide to MIDI with an emphasis on applications. Understanding MIDI and Understanding MIDI 2 by various authors; Amordian Press. A collection of MIDI-oriented articles from Musician magazine. Descubriendo MIDI by Jos Valenzuela; Alesis Publishing. A thorough overview of MIDI in Spanish, suitable for beginners and/or advanced users.

PLEASE NOTE: a) The MIDI Echo (MIDI Thru) function is ignored when in the Receive MIDI Sequence mode. b) When recording to a sequencer from the DataDisk, keep in mind that the incoming data is subject to the quantize resolution that the sequencer is currently set at. c) In all circumstances of handshaking, do not echo data being sent from the DataDisk through a sequencer and back into the DataDisk. If this is done, the sequencer will crash and most likely lose all of its data.
MONITORING A SEQUENCE BEING SENT TO DATADISK Out IN
1) Press the SEND button. 2) Press one of the SCROLL buttons until the desired sequence is displayed. The display will read: SEND FILE MIDI Seqnce FILE ZZ ? FILE ZZ is the desired MIDI Sequence name. 3) Press the DO/YES button to play back the sequence. The display will read: SENDING : MIDI Seqnce FILE ZZ When playback is complete, the display will return to the start of the send function with the next file ready to be sent. If the sequence sent was the last file, the display will revert to: SEND FILE MIDI Seqnce FILE ZZ ? The same sequence can be played back again by pressing the DO/YES button, or another sequence or sysex file can be selected by pressing the SCROLL buttons.
If, while playing back a sequence, you decide that you wish to abort the operation, press either of the SCROLL buttons. The display will briefly read: OPERATION ABORTED The display will then return to the Send File MIDI Sequence page. If a MIDI Sequence is aborted while being sent or if a MIDI Stop command is received while the file is being sent, the DataDisk will automatically send the following: 1) MIDI Stop Command 2) Controller #64 "sustain pedal" OFF (all 16 channels) 3) Note-offs for all playing notes (all 16 channels) NOTE: The DataDisk will not merge MIDI data being sent with data being received when the MIDI Echo function is enabled.
SYNCING DataDisk TO A SEQUENCER
It is possible to have the DataDisk play along in sync with an external sequencer or drum machine. 1) Press the MIDI button three times. The display will read: EXT MIDI SYNC OFF 2) Press the "up" SCROLL button. The display will now read:

EXT MIDI SYNC ON

Now press the SEND button. The display will read: SEND FILE MIDI Seqnce FILE ZZ ?

4) playback.

Use the SCROLL buttons to select the desired sequence to
5) When the desired sequence is found, press the DO/YES button. The display will then read: Waiting for MIDI Start/Continue.