Ensoniq KT88 set up with Finale???

thpotle · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 1 Location: Oxford, OH

I know this is probably pretty basic, but I could use any help I can get. I just bought a Ensoniq KT88 and am trying to get it to interface with my Finale 2002. The synth is connected to my computer via the Edirol UM-1X USB/MIDI cable, and I selected that as my MIDI IN/OUT under MIDI Set Up in Finale.

It looks like I have the General MIDI figured out...set the different channels and simply change the program. But in terms of using the other sound banks (i.e., 'ROM' and 'INT'), I'm stuck. It basically looks like I need to know which combination of Bank Select 0, Bank Select 32, and Program Change to use with the KT88 in Finale, in order to access ROM and INT. Also, I need the bank numbers. So far, I've done hours of experimenting with no luck. The KT88 manual indicates INT=0 and ROM=1 for the banks, respectively. I've done research about these (CC#0, CC#32, LSB, & MSB), but my education has not paid off!

I've assigned a channel to each instrument in the Instrument Set Up list, then selected Bank Select, Program change (0 and a patch, 15, for instance). However, despite getting Finale to recognize the different banks, both staves still play the same sound (whichever one is currently dialed up on my keyboard). Any help?

Thanks,

Jim

Paulyfonix · Guest

Hi Thpotle,

Somewhere along the line Ensoniq, in all its wisdom, decided not to follow the crowd in the way its patch banks were organized. I don't think your KT 88 is malfunctioning, it's just that (likely, because I never used that specific model) your banks are organized into multiple groups of 64; that is 32 in the A segment and 32 in the B segment.

There were usually 3 banks of 64, so it seems like 128 patches plus an extra bank, but it didn't work like that. The numbering scheme in the MIDI standard didn't allow for a total patch number greater than 128, so rather than doing the logical thing, numbering from 1-190 they would have the three banks each with the only active program change numbers
0 through 64 or 1- 63, I don't recall which--my VFX-Sd has been broken down a LONG time.

Although they mainly were into the ASR and ESR sampler keyboards, I think you might get help or a referral to help on this or other Ensoniq problems from RubberChicken Software (I think they shortened it to just Chicken Software.) They are bound to have some good links at www.chickensoftware.com, or Google "Ensonic" on the Web or Harmony Central. There is a workaround to this, and I don't think you necessarily have to buy a Patch Commander unit, either. If only they had the old enthusiast's magazine Transoniq Hacker available on line, but last I knew, they didn't. Best of luck--wish I was the one with the KT-88 and you had a feather, we'd both be tickled.
Paul Smile

Paulyfonix · Guest

One thing I forgot to add, is the reason that Ensoniq didn't much care about the "real" patch numbers being recieved is that those were thought to be "professional" keyboards, and no pros were thought to be interested in the GM (or GS,etc,) standard. And at first, I'm sure they were right.

Not that we didn't use sequencers, but we had very capable sequencers right on board. (By the way, Chicken Software has a converter program to use Standard MIDI files with the onboard sequencer, or to convert the onboard proprietary code to Standard MIDI, although I'm sure it's a step downward from a desktop's sequencer.)

Have you tried manually setting the right "program bank" just after you start the sequence? If the bank is right, then the patch number will follow and be (more or less) correct, if I recall right.

Good luck again
Paul

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