Midi Functions; About Midi - Roland FR-5 Owner's Manual

7. MIDI functions

Your FR-7/FR-5 also transmits and receives MIDI data. In this chapter we'll look at what MIDI is and does and which MIDI
functions are available on the FR-7/FR-5.
IMPORTANT REMARK: To take advantage of the FR-7/FR-5's MIDI functions, you must connect it to the supplied FBC-7,
because the FR-7/FR-5 itself has no MIDI sockets.

About MIDI

Even though your FR-7/FR-5 is already a remarkably
flexible instrument (quite unlike any other accordion
available today), you may also want to use it with other
MIDI-compatible instruments, sequencers and comput-
ers to record your performances in the same way as
keyboard players, drummers, guitarists, etc., have been
doing for a while.
Another important application for the FR-7/FR-5's MIDI
functions is controlling an arranger module that sup-
plies the accompaniment. "Arranger modules" use short
accompaniment patterns that can be selected in real-
time and whose key depends on the note information
they receive. You can select those patterns by assigning
the corresponding MIDI messages to the FBC-7's foot-
switches (see p. 68), so that you do not have to stand or
sit next to your arranger module.
Both module types (and all MIDI-compatible sound
sources) also allow you to use the FR-7/FR-5's Treble
and Bass keyboards for playing sounds the FR-7/FR-5
does not provide.
This is possible thanks to a common language for musi-
cal applications, which is called "Musical Instrument
Digital Interface" or "MIDI" for short. MIDI has a lot in
common with the internet: you can link one or several
instruments to one another via a cable (but you don't
need a telephone line).
You can also use the FR-7/FR-5 as "master keyboard",
i.e. an instrument that transmits MIDI messages to a
device (or software program) that can record MIDI mes-
sages. Such a device or program is called a "sequencer".
To take advantage of the FR-7/FR-5's MIDI functions,
you must connect the FBC-7 as follows:
MIDI OUT
External MIDI device
MIDI OUT: This socket transmits messages describ-
ing actions (such as playing on a keyboard) to the
MIDI IN jack on the external device. The receiving
MIDI device executes the incoming MIDI messages
and plays notes, selects other sounds, etc.
MIDI IN: This socket receives the MIDI messages
transmitted by an external MIDI device.
MIDI THRU: This socket retransmits the MIDI mes-
sages received via the FBC-7's MIDI IN port. You can
connect it to the MIDI IN port of an another MIDI
device.
Note: The MIDI THRU port does not transmit the MIDI mes-
sages generated by the FR-7/FR-5. Those messages are only
sent to the FBC-7's MIDI OUT port.
MIDI can simultaneously transmit and receive messages
on 16 channels, so that up to 16 instruments (or parts
of a module or synthesizer) can be controlled. Nowa-
days, most instruments –like your FR-7/FR-5– are mul-
titimbral, which means that they can play several musi-
cal parts with different sounds. This requires the use of
several MIDI channels. The FR-7/FR-5, for instance, has
several accordion and orchestral sections that can be
played simultaneously. They can transmit and receive
on different channels.
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V-Accordion
MIDI functions
MIDI IN
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