Summary of Contents for MIDI hardware MBBS
- Page 1 USER MANUAL MBBS – MIDI controller firmware version 2.0 www.midi-hardware.com Roman Sowa 2011...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
Table of contents 1 Overview....................4 2 Connections & Power Supply..............4 3 Keyboards.....................5 3.1 Split for special function inputs - #905............6 3.2 Keyboard contacts debouncing - #99............7 4 Potentiometers & Control Voltages............7 4.1 Analog inputs update rate - #98..............8 4.2 Bitwise resolution of analog inputs - #96..........8 5 MIDI settings and special functions............9 5.1 Transposition (starting note)..............10 5.1.1 Middle "C"... - Page 3 5.5 Keyboard split - #5.................17 5.6 Programming Patch Recall Buttons - #6...........18 6 MIDI utilities..................19 6.1 MIDI monitor - #971................19 6.2 Factory defaults - #979................19 7 Scanners.....................20 7.1 PDS - diode matrix pedal scanner............20 7.2 DMS-2K dual keyboard matrix scanner.............20 7.3 BBSP - common ground pedals scanner...........21 7.4 BBS-1K common ground keyboard scanner..........22 7.5 BBS24 little scanner for contacts &...
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Page 4: Overview
Overview This manual describes the use and functionality of MBBS, a small MIDI controller for one 5-octave keyboard, as well as all compatible scanners. The board described here is intended for small 1-keyboard controllers, and smaller organ consoles. Apart from direct inputs for 5-octave keyboard with common bus bar, there are 2 scanner inputs. -
Page 5: Keyboards
Connection between keyboard scanner and MBBS main board is always the same, regardless of the type of scanner. MIDI settings of those keyboards can be changed by the user after all connections are in place. -
Page 6: Split For Special Function Inputs - #905
There can be up to 15 such inputs, and they are always placed at the top of note contacts, in the last, 4th connector (J4) of MBBS. This special mode is available only in MBBS and not in any of connected scanners. -
Page 7: Keyboard Contacts Debouncing - #99
MBBS, and second one is connected to first POT board, etc. If you use 2 inputs of MBBS to connect POT boards, they both will share the same settings. That means it would be like having 2 potentiometers for the same MIDI parameter on the same channel. -
Page 8: Analog Inputs Update Rate - #98
5ms. It means that when you constantly move the pot, MBBS will update the MIDI parameter every 5ms. This is more than enough for most of uses. In some instruments, either hardware, or virtual, some problem may occur when there is heavy MIDI load. -
Page 9: Midi Settings And Special Functions
MBBS board "hi, I'm the last used pot, any setting changes apply to me now!"... -
Page 10: Transposition (Starting Note)
Transposition (starting note) Transposition of any keyboard connected to MBBS is unlimited, that means any key can generate any note from full MIDI range of more than 10 octaves. Each keyboard, or actually each split in every keyboard scanner, can be individually set. -
Page 11: Global Transpose
5.1.4 Global Transpose Apart from methods just described, which are mostly used during initial setup, there's different kind of transposing, more suitable for live playing. Global transpose affects ALL keyboards in the system with the same number of semitones shift from default position. -
Page 12: Program Change - #2129
5.2.3 Program Change - #2129 If assigned to a keyboard, pressing each key will generate MIDI Program Change message with different patch number. Starting number can be adjusted with transposition setting. This is useful for organ emulators, where bank of Program Change buttons can be used to work as pistons (sets of registers). -
Page 13: Cc Keyboard - #2135
5.2.9 CC keyboard - #2135 This feature can be used only with keyboard. In this mode you can use keyboard as toggle switches selecting min/max values in a subset of CCs. All keys have increasing MIDI Continuous Controller assigned. Pressed key sends CC with max value (127), while key release generates the same CC but with minimum value (0). -
Page 14: Native Instruments B4 Chorus/Vibrato - #2140
Turning this pot will be reflected in B4 as "chorus/vibrato" switch move. It has only 6 positions, and appropriate command will be sent from MBBS to B4 every time the potentiometer crosses each threshold representing another vibrato/chorus mode. The circuit on the right shows proper B4 connection. -
Page 15: Bank Selector - #2145
schematics to build appropriate resistor network around the switch. 5.2.19 Bank selector - #2145 This mode works in combination with the one described in 5.2.18. A potentiometer or switch assigned to this mode selects banks of 12 Programs. E.g. if it is in lowest position, you can select any of Program numbers from range 1-12 using Program selector described before. -
Page 16: Single Keyboard Transposition Buttons - #2150 To #2153
used velocity settings in nonvolatile memory. This should be used only during installation, when you want to set default velocity of notes after each power up. For expression and frequent usage, control the velocity by assigning #2139. 5.2.24 Single keyboard transposition buttons - #2150 to #2153 A potentiometer, or special switch input can be assigned as setup buton for keyboard transposition. -
Page 17: Midi Channel - #3
Assuming that all inputs of MBBS are equipped with DMS-2K dual keyboard scanner, it is possible to make a system with 10 splits. To set up the split point, you have to select the... -
Page 18: Programming Patch Recall Buttons - #6
PC recall buttons must not be greater than 64 in entire MBBS system. Also, if 2 or more scanners are used this way, the same input in every scanner will generate the same Program Change,... -
Page 19: Midi Utilities
Factory defaults - #979 MBBS has a lot of features to set and you may sometimes go one step too far, so it may be useful to have last resort in form of factory defaults reset. -
Page 20: Scanners
"diode matrix driver" for 2 keyboards. The layout is shown on the next page. There are two 16-way connectors, used to connect diode-matrix keyboards. Smaller connector is to connect with main controller board - MBBS. The keyboards must have “8x8 scanning diode matrix”, that's very simple circuit, made of diodes forming electric XY matrix. -
Page 21: Bbsp - Common Ground Pedals Scanner
1. play any note on a keyboard connected to DMS-2K 2. enter EDIT mode either by pressing "#" keypad button or by shorting to GND the 64th pin on MBBS board 3. enter "92" from numeric keypad or internal MBBS contact inputs (pin 10th and then 3rd) 4. -
Page 22: Bbs-1K Common Ground Keyboard Scanner
This board is mainly used as a scanner of 5-octave keyboard. It has 64 contact inputs, and daisy-chain input, so you can use 2 such boards connected to 1 MBBS input. All 4 connectors for ribbon cable and the pinout are the same as used in BBSP - see above. -
Page 23: Litsw - Button Scanner With Led Drivers
1. independent registers ("check boxes"), where each button click lights up or darkens the LED, and proper MIDI message is generated according to MBBS setting for that scanner. If this is MIDI note, a note-on is generated at LED turn-on and note-off when LED turns off. -
Page 24: Split Point - #905
In independent mode, all buttons work without interactions to each other. If a button is pressed, associated LED lights, and note-on is sent by MBBS (only if it is configured to send notes on this input - sequence #2131). Another touch of this button and LED turns off and note-off is sent. -
Page 25: Bank/Preset Select - #910
7.6.6 Contact on/off (keyboard scanner) mode - #912 This is normal way of operation for this scanner. When a button is pressed, MBBS can then generate MIDI notes, or any other MIDI event usable with a keyboard scanner. This is the oposite to CC value mode described next. To set this mode on a split, you have to select it first by pressing one of the buttons in that split. -
Page 26: Reset To Defaults - #929
2 small 4-pin sockets, typical for all midi-hardware.com MIDI board. The one indicated "OUT" is used to connect the to the MBBS. The other one can be used to connect another scanner, be it keyboard or another POT board. If you reverse connections between those 2 sockets, the board will not work, and potentiometer movement will not result in any MIDI activity. -
Page 27: Midisp - 2X16 Characters Display
MiDisp - 2x16 characters display MBBS boards have lots of useful features, and all are available to the user without need of any PC or custom programmer. Simply because there are so many parameters, it may sometimes become difficult to follow every setup procedure without any clear indication what is happening. -
Page 28: Device Id Show - #920
Small keypad, resembling the ones used in phone sets, is all you need for changing every setting available in MBBS. When not in edit mode, buttons 0-9 work exactly like any music keyboard, playing notes if default setting was not changed. Button "#"...
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