RETROAKTIV MPG-50 USER MANUAL
13
THE MIDI MENUS AND FUNCTIONS
THE MIDI MENUS AND FUNCTIONS
MIDI: UNIT 1 SETTINGS
M IDI : UN IT 1 SETTINGS
The MIDI Settings menu contains all of the parameters that determine which MIDI channels the MPG-50
receives data on, and which channels outgoing data will be transmitted on. This page is also where we
configure program change handling, as well as CC to sysex translation.
The MIDI:Settings Menu
Unit:
Unit: This sets the type of synth being controlled by MPG-50. Use JUNO for Alpha Juno 1 & 2, and MKS-50 for
an MKS-50 rackmount synthesizer.
Input Port:
Input Port: Sets the input ports that MPG-50 will listen for incoming note and controller data on. If port 2 is
not set as an INPUT, then PORT 2 will appear in parentheses to indicate that PORT 2 is currently set as a MIDI
OUT port. The Chan:
Chan: for the input port determines which MIDI channel the MPG-50 will read incoming note
and control data on for the current Unit. For example, if CHAN is set to 1, then incoming notes on channel 1
will be passed to Unit 1 on the Unit 1 OUT channel. (Which does not necessarily have to be channel 1)
Out Port:
Out Port: Sets the output ports that MPG-50 will transmit UNIT 1 controller data on. If port 2 is not set as
an OUTPUT, then PORT 2 will appear in parentheses to indicate that PORT 2 is currently set as a MIDI IN port.
The Chan:
Chan: for the output port determines which MIDI channel the MPG-50 will transmit data received at the
UNIT 1 IN PORT on, as well as any slider data on UNIT 1. For example, if MIDI INPUT PORT is set to CH1, and MIDI
OUTPUT PORT is set to CH2, then incoming notes on CH1 will be transmitted out to UNIT 1 on CH2. The synth
on UNIT 1 must be set to receive on CH2 for this to work. This scheme allows MPG-50 to prevent feedback
loops by reading incoming data on one channel, but transmitting it on a different channel. When this data
comes back to the MPG50, it is not passed through the unit again, because CH2 is not CH1. This effectively
breaks any feedback loop when loop recording. This may be confusing at first, but please make an effort to
make sense of this, as this is a powerful tool when recording slider movements and automating using CCs.
Sysex:
Sysex: To transmit sysex when a slider is moved, select SEND SYSEX. To translate incoming CC messages into
sysex (for CC automation), set this to SEND/TRANSLATE CC. When in TRANSLATE CC mode, incoming CCs on
the INPUT CH will be converted into sysex messages and sent to the synth on the OUT CH. See the CC table at
the end of this manual for a reference.
MIDI Echo:
MIDI Echo: Turn MIDI ECHO on to echo data received at the IN PORT on the OUT PORT. When turned on, this
essentially allows the MPG-50 OUT to behave as a MIDI THRU for any valid data received at the MIDI IN PORT.
Turn OFF to disable this function.
