From: AS.TLK@forsythe.stanford.edu (Timmer)
Subject: Re: A-80 help
Organization: Stanford University, California, USA
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 17:22:12 GMT

>Bob.Weigel@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Bob Weigel)  writes:
>
>   Howdy,
>
>      I was trying to help a friend with his A-80 controller the other
>night....we didn't get real far.  The instructions are about the poorest
>I've seen in some ways.

Hey, you not joking me in regarding that, Joe.

>We were trying to get it to do one of the most
>rudimentary operations for a controller: sending a program change message.
>We followed the instructions, which led me to believe that one must hit
>"output", "block", "bank", and "number".  Seems like a lot of buttons to
>hit just to send a patch change, but even so, it would not send one.  Any
>clues?

This beast does seem to require excessive button pushes.  You could
be talking about one of two things here:

1) simply sending a program change to a synth on the fly *without*
changing the A-80 patch (i.e.  your zone configuration stays the
same, but you want Zone A to play a different patch on its
respective MIDI channel);

2) editing the A-80 patch to send the proper program changes
automatically on Zones A, B, C & D when you call up the patch.

Without the manual in front of me, here's what you do:

1) This is probably the one you had in mind.  You do indeed need to
hit the Output key--if you don't, then the Patch key is still lit,
and hitting a Bank/Patch# (2 rows of 8 buttons) selection will
select an A-80 patch!  Now selecting a program change will change
the patch on the synth.  You may need to change the channel you're
sending on.  Hit the Channel button; now the Bank/Patch# buttons are
channels 1-16--select one.  Hit the Output button again to get back
the Bank/Patch# function--now select a patch on your synth.

2) Turn the edit key on (you must turn edit enable on if you haven't
already).  Hit the Zone key.  Now you can select a zone by hitting
the A, B, C or D button--but first you have to turn off the Mute
button, or else you'll be muting/de-muting zones.  Select Zone A,
say.  Select the soft key (under display window) for the Program
page, I believe.  Now when you operate the 16 Bank/Patch# keys, you
will see the program selection change in the display.

Let's say you picked program 2-2.  Later, after you have left Edit,
you simply make sure the Patch key is lit (like when you first power
on).  If you were editing the A-80's patch #1-1, you would now
select 1-1.  Then Zone A will pick patch 2-2 on the respective
synth.

Now for my biggest gripe about the A-80.  If you want to mute or
de-mute a zone while holding down some notes, it won't take effect
until you've released all notes.  This is no doubt unavoidable, but
the hellish part is, it will only remember one button press.  If I
want to mute B and de-mute C while holding a chord, I have to hit B,
release the notes, *then* hit C.  For this reason, I've found it
more convenient in live performance to use the four sliders
(controlling volume) and not use the mute buttons.  Unfortunately,
this can steal away a lot of unnecessary notes if you using any
synths multi-timbrally.


     Tim Kaufman
     as.tlk@forsythe.stanford.edu