Emu Command Stations Tips and Tricks

E-MU Command Stations
Tips and Tricks
Ver 1.02

PRESET TIPS AND TRICKS

Using the XX-7 filters as EQ's

The XX-7's don't have EQ per se, but because an EQ is really nothing more than a filter, you can approximate the same effect via the filter for each Preset (Patch in XL-7 speak). So if you wanted to remove some of the lowend for a sound, you could use a high-pass filter,
etc. Just think of the filter cutoff as the EQ frequency, and the resonance as the amount of boost. Roughly speaking of course.

- rEalm

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Faking PWM

A good way to get PWM with static sampled waves is to sum a saw and an inverted detuned copy of itself...change the detune and you will change the PWM rate.

- Aeon

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Preset Navigator

The preset navigator finds caps before lower case letters-- Arp:xxxx before Xrp:xxxx, aRp:xxxx before arp:xxxx. Useful for locating high use presets.

- Dr. Steve the Composer

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Permanently Erasing Note Layers

To permanently "erase" layers, set their Instrument (pressing Trigger 1 twice in Preset Edit mode) to be None.

- Aaron Eppolito

It's quicker to do this by changing the bank from XX-7 to User or vice versa than by scrolling thorugh all 128 presets to get to None. Just a time saving FYI.

- rEalm

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Getting Phatter Drum Sounds

The key is to work on layering the BD and Snare presets. I go into the Save menu, and copy the Layer and Cords from Layer 1 to Layer 2 on both the BD and Snare Presets, then Save them. Next I'll start playing with the Transpose settings of Layer 2 in both Presets, which effectively changes the sample used on that layer since I'm using a prc Preset dedicated to those type of sounds. I'll keep playing with this, changing the Amp Vol between the two layers until I get something full and clear sounding that fits what I'm trying to do, then I save.

- rEalm

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Weird Preset Ideas:

The Preset Patchcord Destination "Sloop" offsets the instrument loop points. The loop length stays the same. Interestingly, with the Gain4x cord, you can actually push the loop points *into the next sample* making for VERY weird and somtimes cool sounds.

MidiX -> Gain4x 100%
Gain4x -> SLoop 100%

- Aaron Eppolito

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More Human Sounding Drums.

If you go into the Preset Edit menu, and then the Patchcords screen, there's a simple way to make your songs sound more human, and less robot like. Create the following patchcord:

KeyRand1(or KeyRand2) ---> AmpVel = X

Where X is the value that provides the best amount of randomization for your needs (typically I use somewhere between 1 and 10). Now, each time you press a key or the sequencer plays a recorded note, the velocity of that note will be modified randomly. Works great on HH's!

- rEalm

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Patchcord Order Matters

In general, cords that modify the amount of another cord should be placed in an earlier slot than the cord they're modifying. This is because the cords (unlike an analog synth) run sequentially instead of simultaneously. Because cords run sequentially, you can create "filters" with the patch bay with multiple cords, using the order of the cords as a delay element. You can also create "latching" cords to perform effects like sostenuto with the
patchbay too.

- Aaron Eppolito

Sequencer Tips and Tricks

Sub Outs and Effects Send Clarification

When you insert a plug into a Sub Out jack, only the DRY signal is removed from the Main Outs. The WET signal will still be present at the Main Outs, but the send amount can be set to 0% for that send to prevent this.

- Aaron Eppolito

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Finding Notes In Grid Edit

Here's one solution to the problem of FINDING your drums in Grid Edit mode (if you're performing you don't want to be wasting time frantically scrolling the note field):

Make custom presets for each of your patterns. If you assign your drum sounds to different tracks (T1 is kick, T2 is snare, etc.) you're probably only using one or maybe two notes on each track. So once you've picked the sound, go into the Preset and transpose the layer up or down so that the sound you're using is always on the same note. You can either put ALL drum sounds on the same note (like Middle C), or use a different key within the same octave for each type of drum (C is kick, D is snare, etc.) The important thing is that you're consistent. Then when you jump into Grid Edit mode and are looking for a particular drum you no longer have to wonder which octave and key it's on. Voila.

- Robotchas

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Trigger Mode Direct Pattern Access In Song Mode

This does work in song mode and is an easy way to try out how another pattern would fit in a Song. It works in the following way: If you use the Direct Pattern Access function it overrides the pattern at the step, but it uses the mute configuration that is stored in the song. This may lead to the fact that tracks appear activated even if they do not contain any MIDI data. The track led lights up anyway. One thing doesn´t work in song mode, it is not possible to use the play+stop shortcut to fire the pattern instantly. It just stops the sequencer.

- Alexander Ruesberg

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Recording Arp and RIFF Patterns to a Track

Connect a midi cable from the midi out to the midi on of the MP-7, and make sure MIDI Thru is off. You may need to manually erase the 'trigger' note, as well as shift the start times of the arp notes too if they are delayed slightly. Very easy to do with OS 2.0 BTW.

- rEalm

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Recording Triggers

To record into the internal sequencer, set the TRIGGERS destination to be "seq" instead of "int" or "ext" This way, the triggers will be routed to the sequencer, which will then decide where to route it based on the track settings (provided you have Rechannelize on).

- Aaron Eppolito

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Odd Time Signatures In Grid Mode

In order to get to the second half of a measure in grid mode using odd time signatures, you sometimes have to hit play and then stop to advance the grid to the second half of the "bar".

-Nodal Terror

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Using Arps to create polyrhythms

The obvious method, of running tracks of different lengths or time signatures in parallel, is not possible on the XL7. You can cheat by using longer sequences - for instance, a 12-bar pattern with tracks in 3/4 and 4/4 - but this is clumsy and won't work in many instances. You're in luck, though: what will work is to use the arpeggiators. They'll loop at whatever length you determine, so you can easily play different time signatures against each other. If the note or notes triggering the arp are recorded into the pattern (instead of played live), the arp will be retriggered each time the pattern loops, which will throw this off. To avoid this, add a "sustain pedal=on" event (CC #64 of >63) to your pattern so the note is held across the pattern loop rather than retriggered. Now the polyrhythm will last until you change patterns.

- Robotchas

Miscellaneous Tips And Tricks

Some Organization Tips

- Always save your Presets independently for each Pattern. That way you avoid accidentally erasing or overwriting a Preset that may be in use in another Pattern.

- Save your Presets with a name that reflects the Pattern name too. Ie, if you Pattern is called "Composite Blue" (hehehe), call your Presets Blue Bass, Blue BD, Blue Snare, etc. Don't just use names like "Preset 1", or something too vague to know what it is later on.

- Overwrite the factory Presets that are doubled in the User banks with the Default Preset (usually the last one in each ROM). That way, it's very easy to see where your next free User Preset when you're working and want to save a Preset. These are the same as the Presets in the non-User banks, so you're not losing anything.

- Back up daily. The last thing I do each day after working on the XL-7, is to E-load all of my Patterns to the computer. Use a separate folder for each day, and name it with the date. That way if you accidentally change something and save it to the PC by mistake, you can always go back and get it from an earlier date. MIDI data is tiny compared to today's
huge harddrives, so it's not about saving space anymore.

- The above is also true for Presets. If I've made changes to a Preset bank by saving new Presets, or tweaking old ones, I'll do a Preset Bank dump into SX. I use a seperate track for each day, and name it according to the bank, ie "05-28-03 BankA". Don't forget to burn yourself a back up CDR of this and the Patterns once in awhile too, hard drives DO fail.

- Unless it's critical to your Pattern, use the Erase Events function to strip away Aftertouch data in your patterns on all tracks. It just takes up space, and is one more thing trying to compete for transfer space in your midi setup. Again, this only applies if you don't use AT as a controller for something. Alternately, just turn Off Aftertouch completely in the Controllers menu.

- The same can be said of controller data, thin it out or erase it if it's not needed, or if you plan on tweaking manually live.

- Save often. No, seriously, save often. Did you get that? SAVE OFTEN! As you work, it's easy to forget to save, and then you accidentally tweak something beyond repair and you have to start over. If you're really anal, you can even save to a new location everytime, so that you have a chronological record of your work for the day. You can tweak with impunity then, and always know you can go back to an earlier version of your Pattern/Song. At the end of the day, just pick the one Pattern that you feel is the best of the day (usually this is the last one), and delete the rest.

- rEalm

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Downloading Patterns To Different Locations Using E-Loader

You can change the Pattern location and the order of your Patterns from within E-Loader itself. Select the Patterns you wish to wish to download (and in the order you want then to appear in the XX-7) in the E-Loader download screen. Press CRTL+A to select them all, then CTRL+I to open the a new screen from which you can change the Type of Download (Song/Pattern), the Download Bank Location, and the Pattern Number you wish the download to start at. All of the Patterns will now be renumbered and have their Pattern destinations changed automatically before they start to download.

- rEalm

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Using The Quick Edit Knobs To Control Effects Parameters

This is possible because you can save FX per preset, though the FX engine of the command station can only process one FX preset at a time, so in a typical pattern with 16 presets, only one Preset can be actively set to control the effect at a time. This can cause problems. I've come to the conclusion that my 16B midi channel will be my "master" FX channel in each pattern i have. I just save a separate preset w/ FX settings per pattern and use those FX on a global level. This way I can just flip over to channel 16B and use the Quick Edit knobs to do FX control in realtime since the Knobs are assigned to control these parameters in the Patchcords section.

- Joe Sapo

Advanced Tips And Tricks

Recalling Multisetups From Within a Pattern or Song.

In pattern edit go to Event and enter program change data and Bank select change data. For Multisetups : MSB=80, LSB=00 and then the Program change = the Multisetup number.
You have to make shure that program change is enabled for that particular midi channel and you have to set the Track Destination "Both".

- HonkeyHindu

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Changing MIDI Channel Effect Sends From Within A Pattern

Sends are saved on a per-track basis based on a simple cc event. Insert a cc:79 event for whichever track you want to change the Send for. Use the following values dependant on which Send you want to use for that channel:

v:0 = use preset
v:1 = send1
v:2 = send2
v:3 = send3
v:4 = send4

- Joe Sapo

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Automate Restoring More Than One Multi

CAUTION: If you create a midi sysex file to automatically restore Multi's, the restored Multi's will replace ones currently in the E-Mu memory. You will not be asked, "Are you sure?"

The bottom line: Backup, backup, backup before attempting this!

OS2.0 allows you to transmit the current Multisetup as sysex data. You can then save each multi on the storage device of your choice. You can restore each multi by (1) sending the sysex data to the E-Mu's edit buffer and (2) saving the multi in any user location.

Automatic restore:

The E-Mu sysex specification has a copy function which will allow you (with 11 bytes of data) to copy the edit buffer to a specific memory location.

Example: F0 18 0F 00 55 2C 7F 7F 01 00 F7
F0 18 0F ID 55 2C ss ss dd dd F7

F0 18 0F 00 55 2C = E-Mu sysex command to copy Multi (ID=00)

ss ss = source 7F 7F = edit buffer
dd dd = destination 01 00 = multi 001
F7 = EOX (end of midi sysex transmission

For each multi you wish to restore with this command, you will need a different sysex command. Change dd dd for other destinations-00 -> 3E for locations 000 -> 062. [sysex digits are in hex, base 16]. You can append a copy-edit-buffer-to-memory sysex command to a single Multi sysex. As soon as you send the multi + copy command back to the E-Mu, it will overwrite whatever is in the specified location with the multi you want to restore.

If you have 8 Multi's in locations 000-003 and 010-013, you can create a *.mid file to automatically restore those 8. You can then create new Multi's in other locations and update your master multi file (or create separate files for different multi banks). I f you want more than 1 bank load of Multi's, you can have several banks. Perhaps you consistently use locations 30-60 for performance specific Multi's. You can automate a bank to restore just those. Allow enough time between "playing" sysex dumps from a sequencer (if that's your storage device of choice) so the E-Mu doesn't choke on the data.

Note 1: This is just one of many possible solutions. It is based on Multi's having been stored from the front panel. It may also be possible using sysex to save and restore subsets of the Multi data.

Note 2: In my tests, viewing angle did not appeared to be transmitted via the sysex dump. It does appear to be saved and restored with internal/front panel storage.

- Dr. Steve The Composer

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Turning Rechannelize On Via Sysex

Parameter Value Edit Command:
{F0h, 18h, 0Fh, dd, 55h, 01h, 02h, xx, xx, vv, vv, F7h}

dd = Device ID (probably 0)
xx, xx = Parameter Number, {LSB, MSB} <- so for 420, {24h, 03h}
vv, vv = Value, {LSB, MSB} <- so for 1, {01h, 00h}

- Aaron Eppolito

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Click and Pops While Using The SPDIF Output

I too was having problems with my SPDIF output. In fact it did not work at all. It was a grounding issue. Here is how I fixed it.

For this fix you will need: about 4 inches of speaker wire. a screwdriver. about ten minutes.

1. Open the case up like you would to replace a ROM.

2. Wrap some of the bare speaker wire around one of the chassis screws, between the two case panels (a wire sandwich).

3. Reassemble the unit.

4. Take the (bare) loose end of the wire and wrap it around the SPDIF jack.

5. Plug in your spdif cable tight enough that it holds this wire on. (you could probably solder it with no concern).

6. You're done!

I havent had so much as a hiccup since doing this. You must ground the wire to the Chassis, the various screws on the back face of the unit did not work for me.

- n6i6s6

Feel free to contact me if you see any errors and/or omissions in this Tips and Tricks document, or if you have any additional questions about specific Command Station features. Please, do not contact me asking me to compare the Command Station’s to other gear, or for advice on how to make music. I do not work for E-Mu and only have time available to answer those questions directly related to this Tips and Tricks document. This document may be copied and distributed freely, provided proper credit and notice of use is given to the author.

Peace and beats,
rEalm
http://rEalm.iuma.com
rEalm619@Hotmail.com