User manual ALESIS DATADISK

[. . . ] ALESIS Data Disk Reference Manual TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 FEATURES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 SECTION 1 DATADISK QUICK START. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [. . . ] NOT ENOUGH DISK SPACE MIDI OVERFLOW TRY RECV MULT This display occurs if MIDI data is received while a file is being stored. MIDI OVERFLOW TRY RECV MULT ERROR IN SYSEX ERROR ON DISK These displays occur if data was incorrectly stored onto disk. ERROR IN SYSEX BAD FILE DATA ERROR ON DISK FILE MAY BE BAD REPLACE FILE W/SAME NAME? This display occurs if you attempt to back up a file on a disk that already has the same name. Pressing YES will overwrite the existing file. 24 DATADISK FUNCTIONS REPLACE FILE WITH SAME NAME? 25 SECTION 4 TARGET UNIT NOT RESPONDING This display occurs when the Data Disk sends a file to an instrument that requires handshaking and receives no handshaking response. TARGET UNIT NOT RESPONDING PLEASE NOTE: There are safeguards to prevent against tricking the DATADISK by swapping disks before initiating an operation. 3) When you press DO/YES to initiate an operation, DATADISK will realize that the disk in the drive is different from the original and will just load the new disk's directory and re-enter the Send function. CAUTION: If the user tries to trick DATADISK in Receive mode, DATADISK will not be able to load or read back the data. You're safe as long as you don't swap disks while in Receive mode without pressing the Receive button after inserting a new disk! 26 REAL TIME MIDI SEQUENCING SECTION 5 OPERATION DATADISK is easy to operate. First, the desired function is selected by pressing the appropriate function button; then, if necessary, the desired page is selected by pressing the same function button again. A file or parameter is then selected by pressing the SCROLL UP or SCROLL DOWN buttons. DATADISK will tell you what it is doing and then prompt you when the operation is complete. The following is a complete description of the steps used to achieve each function: TO FORMAT A DISK 1) Insert a disk into the disk drive. The display will then read: ARE YOU SURE? Since formatting erases any information that may have been previously stored on the disk, this page allows you to rethink your decision. Pressing any other function button than DO/YES will exit the Format page or prevent initiating the formatting. DATADISK will begin formatting the disk and the display will read: 27 SECTION 6 ** FORMATTING ** ** TRACK # XX ** The display will read from track 79 to track 00. After DATADISK has formatted all 80 tracks, the display will briefly change to: ** CREATING ** ** DIRECTORY ** and then will temporarily display: FORMAT COMPLETE When formatting is complete, the display will return to the first page and read once again: FORMAT DISK? 5) The disk is now ready for storage. Press the RECEIVE button to begin a storage operation. PLEASE NOTE: The Format operation can be aborted at any time by pressing the SCROLL UP or SCROLL DOWN buttons. If the disk previously was a formatted disk with some data stored on it, some data may be lost depending on how many tracks were reformatted before the operation was aborted. TO RECEIVE A FILE 1) Press the RECEIVE button on the front panel. The display will change to the following: RECV ONE SYSEX: WAITING FOR DATA DATADISK is now awaiting system exclusive information. 2) Send a Sysex dump from the synthesizer, sequencer, effects processor, or other MIDI device. This can be accomplished by sometimes just changing a program on the MIDI device, or by a separate front panel command 28 REAL TIME MIDI SEQUENCING (check your manual for the correct procedure). When system exclusive data is detected, the display will read the following: RECEIVING XXXXXX YYYYYY In this display, XXXXXX is an abbreviation of the manufacturer's name of the device sending the data, and YYYYYY is an abbreviation of the model name. If the data received is a MIDI sample dump, the manufacturer and product name will be displayed as "Sample Dump". [. . . ] The display will read: SEND FILE MIDI Seqnce FILE ZZ ? 4) playback. Use the SCROLL buttons to select the desired sequence to 5) When the desired sequence is found, press the DO/YES button. Once a MIDI Start or Continue command is received, the display will read: SENDING: MIDI Seqnce File ZZ Where File ZZ is a file name (the same as sending any other file). PLEASE NOTE: a) The sequence recorded by the DataDisk MUST be recorded with MIDI clock in order to use the external sync feature. If the file does not contain MIDI clock, then all file data will be sent with the first MIDI CLOCK received. b) DataDisk will assume that the start of the MIDI Sequence file is the start of the song, as far as Start, Continue, and Song Position Pointer commands are concerned. [. . . ]