Can't connect to A-880

By belzrebuth, 25 February, 2020
Forums
A-880

Hi,

I'm trying to configure my A-880 with your editor but I came across some problems.

I have an Elektron TM-1 as my test midi interface.

I connected TM-1's input to A-880 MIDI OUT 1 and A-880 MIDI IN 1 to TM-1's output.

I've configured the editor to enable TM-1 input and output.

I've also powered on the A-880 with INPUT/BANK button number 1 pressed so my Control CH is 1 from what I've read on the manual.

When I'm trying to "read" A-880 from the editor the program stucks at "Request Send".

Any idea of what I might be doing wrong?

Thanks:)

Mark van den Berg

5 years ago

I've also powered on the A-880 with INPUT/BANK button number 1 pressed so my Control CH is 1 from what I've read on the manual.

You're confusing the A-880's "Control IN" and "Control Channel":

  • Control IN determines the MIDI input socket (1-8) from which the A-880 is controlled. As described in section 3 of the A-880 Owner's Manual ("OM") under "Setting a Control IN", you can change Control IN by holding an INPUT/BANK button when powering on the A-880.
  • Control Channel is the MIDI channel (1-16) used for controlling the A-880 (via System Exclusive and Program Change messages); "Off" is also possible. As described in section 5 of the OM under "Setting the Control Channel", you can change Control Channel (when the A-880 is already on) by pressing the Memory and Write buttons simultaneously, releasing them, and then pressing an INPUT/BANK button (for MIDI channels 1-8) or OUTPUT/NUMBER button (for MIDI channels 9-16).

To make A-880 Manager's "Receive" operation work, you first have to set up the A-880 correctly:

  1. As described above, set Control IN to the MIDI input socket (1-8) containing the cable coming from your MIDI interface. (So if the cable is in MIDI input socket 8, hold INPUT/BANK button 8 while powering on the A-880.)
  2. As described above, set Control Channel to any value (1-16) you like; it should not be set to "Off". (Channel 9 and channels 11-16 are usually the best choices, because channels 1-8 are often used for multi-timbral synths etc. and channel 10 is the semi-official rhythm channel.)
  3. Route the A-880's Mix signal to the MIDI output socket (1-8) to which the cable going to your MIDI interface is connected. This is described in section 3 of the OM under "Connecting the MIX inputs": with the A-880 already on, hold down the SCAN/MIX button and press the OUTPUT/NUMBER button corresponding with the correct MIDI output socket. (While you're holding the SCAN/MIX button, in the top row the LED corresponding with Control IN is on; if there is a "Mix Input", its LED is also on; of these two, the input that is the "master" (concerning clock messages) is blinking. However, for A-880 Manager's Receive operation it's irrelevant whether there is a Mix Input, let alone whether Control IN or Mix Input is the master.)

Then start A-880 Manager:

First open the "MIDI devices" dialog box via the main window's Options pull-down menu, and enable the MIDI input and output devices connecting to your A-880 via your MIDI interface. See section 5 of the A-880 Manager manual for further discussion.

Then open an A-880 window (e.g. "A-880 1") and open its "A-880 options" dialog box via its Options pull-down menu.
Set "MIDI input port" and "MIDI output port" to the devices you've enabled in the "MIDI devices" dialog box.
Set "Control Input" to the Control IN you've set on the A-880. (Actually the Receive operation will also work if "Control Input" is set incorrectly, but the A-880 window's connection diagram will be wrong, which will of course be very confusing.)
Set "Control Channel" to the Control Channel you've set on the A-880. (This is essential to the Receive operation!)
Finally press OK: A-880 Manager should automatically retrieve the current setup from the A-880.
See section 7 of the A-880 Manager manual for further discussion.

Hope this helps,
   Mark.

KJHGD

4 years 5 months ago

Hi, 

Thanks for the instructions, I have been trying all day to get this talking to Sounddiver and my Korg 01R/W which is on, In 4/ out 4.  Control IN 1 on the front which goes to Soundcard (Midi out 1 to Soundcard).  Control channel 11 as you said is best. Followed all the instructions as above and the utility gave a green light, which is all good.  Do I also need to press 1 and in my case output 4 and vice verser on the front panel to route it or can I just use the utility for this (which didn't seem to change the LEDS).  When I load up Sounddiver it seems to change the settings on the front panel back to defaults.  Not sure what I am doing wrong here.   Thanks

Mark van den Berg

4 years 5 months ago

Do I also need to press 1 and in my case output 4 and vice verser on the front panel to route it or can I just use the utility for this (which didn't seem to change the LEDS).

No, you don't have to make connection changes on the A-880 itself: the idea is that you make these changes via A-880 Manager:

If "Automatically update A-880" in the "A-880 options" dialog box (accessible from the main window's Options pull-down menu) is enabled, any "A-880 n" window (n=1...5) automatically uploads its full connection setup to the A-880 whenever you change.any connection in the window (i.e. the "Mixed input" value or any of the 8 "Source" values).
If "Automatically update A-880" is disabled, the connection setup is only sent when you execute "Send" from the MIDI pull-down menu or press the "green socket" toolbutton.
[Note: I see now that the description of the "A-880 options" dialog box in the A-880 Manager manual only mentions the effect "Automatically update A-880" has on the "Memory setups" window. I'll add that it also affects the "A-880 n" windows, as described above.]

The A-880 only accepts connection setups sent by A-880 Manager if the following settings in the "A-880 n: options" dialog box are correct:

  • The port selected as "MIDI output port" must lead to the A-880 input socket defined as its "Control IN".
  • The value of "Control Input" must match the A-880's "Control IN".
  • The value of "Control Channel" must match the A-880's "Control Channel".

When I load up Sounddiver it seems to change the settings on the front panel back to defaults.

I don't know anything about Sounddiver, so all I can think of is that Sounddiver sends a Program Change message to the A-880's Control IN on its Control Channel, thereby causing the A-880 to load its corresponding memory setup.
You might be able to test this hypothesis by somehow routing Sounddiver's output back to the "MIDI input messages" window of A-880 Manager (with the "Record" button pressed): see if anything shows up.

Hope this helps,
   Mark.