Hi Larry (Beaky),

Anxious to hear news about the HDM 110 voltage compatibility. Until at least this is resolved, I (personally) wouldn't risk it. Please keep us updated. - Scotty

For Jos Maas
I downloaded your ONE MAN BAND program, and it seems nice. Perhaps I will buy it.

You said it will sound best if the sound device is a XG (Yamaha) compatible device. If we have a PSR, no problem, it is a XG. If we have only a simple midi keyboard, we need to have a softsynth YXG50 or better YXG100 loaded into PC.

But, if we have a Roland, Korg, etc. arranger keyboard with a not XG sound module built in, what do you think will be the best way to work?:
1. To download YXG100 or something like that, and use it for both arrangement and right hand melody, not using the keyboard sound module.
2. Use sound module built in the keyboard, because it will have probably better sounds.

In both cases, how we must adjust midi-in and midi-out settings?

Regards, and congratulations. Your OMD is a great idea, but perhaps YAMAHA doesn't like it!!!

Hi,

If you have a Korg or Roland or whatever with good sounds and enough polyphony, then I would use that. I didn't try the Yamaha software synths but I have read at their website that they have a delay between the time you press the key and the time you hear the sound. That doesn't work in a live performance.

Any style or midifile will always sound best with the original instruments that it was made with. But even within XG you will have small difference if you play a style made on a PSR2000, on a PSR640. I wouldn't worry much about that. I get quite a nice result if I use the simple PCI64 card in my PC. The instruments don't sound like much if you play them individualy, but orchestrated together in the accompaniment and layered melody voices it is acceptable.

If you use one keyboard connected with midi-in and midi-out to the PC, then you just have to select the midi-in and midi-out port in the settings menu and that's it.

If you have an old vintage synth that has some great sounds you can throw that in as an extra. I would use channel 5 and 6 for extra devices in the melody multivoices. The channel for each voice can be specified in the voices window. If you are going to make styles in OMB than channel 7 and 8 would be best suitable for instruments on extra devices.

To direct the channels to the different devices there are several ways. If the extra device is a soundcard or software synth then use the midi mapper (windows configuration / multimedia) to specify which channel should be hooked to which device. If you have multiple midi-out ports, then you can also use the midi mapper. Otherwise you should connect your synths in a chain via midi-in and midi-through. Each synth must be programmed to receive only the channels that where meant for it. The keyboard you're playing on must be connected with midi-out to the PC midi-in.

If you encounter any problems or have any suggestions for improvement, please let me know.

Regards,

Jos