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Chapter 3: MIDI Functions
58 DG8 REFERENCE MANUAL
MIDI AND THE DG8
With the previous description of MIDI basics in mind, let’s continue with a few more
details concerning the MIDI functions that are present in the DG8. A
MIDI
Implementation Chart
is provided in Appendix C that lists the MIDI functions
supported by the DG8.
CHANNEL MESSAGES
As we mentioned in the “Voice Messages” section of this Chapter, certain
instruments are designed such that you can set a voice or group of voices to MIDI
Channels other than the Basic Channel the instrument has been set to. This is an
important concept to understand when setting up the DG8 as a master (transmitting
MIDI to other instruments) or as a slave (receiving MIDI from other instruments) in a
MIDI music system.
In the case of the DG8, a “group of voices” would be the two Programs in a Layer, as
one example – the Primary Sound plus the Layer sound. Some of the DG8’s voices
are allocated to the Primary Sound and some to the Layer sound. For a Split, voices
are grouped for the Bass Program played from the lower range of the keyboard and
the Primary Sound played from the upper range, as another example of voice
grouping.
A key point to consider when using MIDI on the DG8 is that three successive MIDI
Channels are designated to transmit and/or receive data: the Primary Sound and
Layer transmit and receive on the Basic Channel with one exception which is
Program Change commands for the Layer which happens on the next higher
Channel (Basic Channel + 1). A Split transmits and receives on the next higher
Channel (Basic Channel + 2). Note that Program Change commands for the Bass
Program only occur on the Basic Channel +2.
Therefore, if you set the DG8’s Basic MIDI Channel to, say, Channel 6, the Primary
Sound and Layer transmit and receive on Channel 6 (the Basic Channel), Program
Change commands for the Layer occur on Channel 7 (Basic Channel + 1) and the
Split transmits and receives on Channel 8 (Basic Channel + 2).
When you first power on the DG8, it defaults to the following MIDI settings:
MIDI Basic Channel: Channel 1
Receive – Mode 3: OMNI Mode off/Poly.
MIDI Channel 1 Primary Sound all supported Channel Messages
Layer all supported Channel Messages except Program
Change commands
MIDI Channel 2 Program Change commands (only) for the Layer sound
MIDI Channel 3 Split all supported Channel Messages
Program Change commands only affect the
Bass Program.