Kurzweil RE-220, Owner'S Manual, Page: 41 / 52

40 MIDI Channels
Another application of MIDI is in using a sequencer to record and play back your
performance. The Recorder on the RE-220 is actually a sequencer, but some advanced users
may wish to connect an external sequencer as well, to make use of features that go beyond
what the built-in Recorder provides. An external sequencer can be a special hardware unit
designed for that purpose, or it can be a PC running special sequencing software. In either use,
the MIDI connections are the same - Out to In, In to Out.
MIDI Channels
For MIDI to control several instruments, each playing a different part at the same time, it relies
on different
channels
. MIDI channels are like TV channels: an instrument has to be "tuned" to
the correct one or it won't receive what is being transmitted. There are 16 channels available,
and each one can transmit any number of notes to any number of instruments, over the same
MIDI cable.
The RE-220 can transmit messages on any MIDI channel, which can be set in the MIDI/Pref
menu. And, it can receive MIDI message on any MIDI channel between 1 and 16, if the
channel is not "Disabled", which can be changed in the MIDI/Pref menu.