Connecting The Pa500 To An External Sequencer - Korg pa 500 User Manual

Connecting the Pa500 to an external
sequencer
You can program a new song on an external sequencer, using
Pa500 as a multi-timbral expander.
Connections and settings
In order to connect the Pa500 to a computer, you need to have a
computer with the MIDI interface.
1. In case you will connect the computer and the Pa500 via
the USB port, install the Korg USB MIDI Driver, as
explained in "Installing the Korg USB MIDI Driver" on
page 278.
2. Connect the Pa500 and the computer either via the USB
port, or via the MIDI ports and a MIDI interface, as shown
in the following diagram.
MIDI OUT
MIDI IN
MIDI IN MIDI OUT
3. Activate the "MIDI Thru" function on the external
sequencer.
4. Press GLOBAL, and go to the "MIDI: MIDI Setup / General
Controls" page. uncheck the "Local Control On" parameter
(see page 208). This is called the "Local Off status".
5. Press SEQUENCER to go to the Sequencer mode. Go to the
"Preferences: Sequencer Setup" page (see page 195). Select
the "Extern.Seq." MIDI Setup.
Note: Settings may change when new Global data is loaded
from a card. To protect settings from loading, use the Global
Protect function (see "Global Protect" on page 225).
6. Select the "Write Global-Seq. Setup" command from the
page menu to save the assigned MIDI Setup to the Global.
7. Play the keyboard. Notes played on the keyboard go from
the MIDI OUT of the Pa500 to the MIDI IN of the com-
puter/MIDI interface (or go from the USB port of the
Pa500, to the USB port of the computer).
Notes generated by the computer (i.e. a song played by its
sequencer) are sent through the MIDI OUT of the MIDI
interface to the MIDI IN connector of the Pa500 (or go
from the USB port of the computer, to the USB port of the
Pa500).
USB

Connecting the Pa500 to an external sequencer

The Local Off
When the Pa500 is connected to an external sequencer, we rec-
ommend you to set the Pa500 in Local Off mode (see "Local
Control On" on page 208) to avoid that the notes are simulta-
neously played by the keyboard and by the MIDI events sent by
the external sequencer.
When the Pa500 is in Local Off, the Pa500 keyboard transmits
data to the external sequencer, but not to the internal sound gen-
eration. The sequencer will receive the notes played on the Pa500
keyboard and send them to the selected track of the song. The
track will transmit the data to the internal sound generation of
the Pa500.
Note: In order to send data to the Pa500 sound generation, the
"MIDI Thru" function must be activated in the external sequencer
(normally active; the name may be different according to the type
of sequencer). For more information refer to the instructions man-
ual of the sequencer.
The Sounds
The song that is played back by the computer sequencer can
select Pa500 Sounds through the MIDI messages Bank Select
MSB, Bank Select LSB (bank selection, two messages), and Pro-
gram Change (Sound selection). For a list of Sounds and MIDI
values, see "Sounds (Program Change order)" on page 248.
A suggestion for those who program songs on computer: Even
though it is not essential, you usually set the bass on channel 2,
melody on channel 4, drum kit on channel 10, control of a voice
harmonizer on channel 5.
MIDI 233