Alesis D4, a Midi Master?

Steve Ross

unread,

Feb 10, 1994, 10:56:45 AM2/10/94

to

I have a question about the D4 that my local music store
salesmen couldn't answer, maybe a D4 owner might know.

Can the D4 be a Midi Master? That is could it trigger sounds
in other Midi modules?

Acording to a review in Electronic Musician Dec. '93 the
answer is no, but it gives few details.

If that is true, does anything go out of the D4's Midi out jack?

-- Steve

Kevin Chu

unread,

Feb 10, 1994, 9:58:42 PM2/10/94

to

>Can the D4 be a Midi Master? That is could it trigger sounds
>in other Midi modules?

>If that is true, does anything go out of the D4's Midi out jack?

I believe it's just a pass-thru jack, so you can chain MIDI devices together.

---
--Kevin Chu k...@Corp.Sun.COM

Jim Benner

unread,

Feb 14, 1994, 2:08:51 PM2/14/94

to

In <2jes92$9...@jethro.Corp.Sun.COM>, k...@pirate.Corp.Sun.COM (Kevin Chu) writes:
>>Can the D4 be a Midi Master? That is could it trigger sounds
>>in other Midi modules?
>
>>If that is true, does anything go out of the D4's Midi out jack?

I own a D4. I don't have it or the manual here with me, so this is an
educated "guess".

I think that the MIDI OUT jack on the D4 is a real MIDI OUT jack. I know
that the last effects sound is SILENCE. This would lead me to believe that
this sound would be used to trigger another MIDI module. I do know that all
sounds in the D4 are associated with a MIDI note number. I don't have any
other MIDI things, so I can't test this theory. Maybe ask that salesman to
set it up for you and see if it does work that way. I will, however, try to
talk to my keyboardist and see if he and I can set it up or I will read it up
in the manual.

Happy MIDI-ing!!

Jim Benner

Alan Kerr

unread,

Feb 14, 1994, 8:54:07 PM2/14/94

to

>>Can the D4 be a Midi Master? That is could it trigger sounds
>>in other Midi modules?

It depends.... It can *trigger* other sounds, from any triggers you
have plugged into it. You program the sound "silence" into the
appropriate slot and the D4 plays nothing but the "note number" get
transmitted down the MIDI chain (or you could also "layer" this way
too).

It can also be a MIDI Thru. That way a sequencer (or some other
device "up-stream") can send info for both the D4 and the "next"
machines on the same cable.... even the same channel if the Note
Numbers don't overlap (or do, if you want some layering).

Hope that helps,

Alan

--
Alan W. Kerr awk...@aoc.nrao.edu
National Radio Astronomy Observatory awk...@nrao.bitnet
Socorro, NM, USA uunet!nrao.edu!awkerr

Fredrik Solenberg

unread,

Feb 15, 1994, 8:26:55 AM2/15/94

to

It's NOT true that it just has a pass-through MIDI jack.

The D4 has 12 trigger inputs (or was it just 8 or 10? Anyway, more than 8!) and
some rather good triggering capabilities. It sends MIDI Note On/Off messages, as
well as some Control Change messages and a lot of others. SYS-EX (drumset bulk-dump
for example).
As far as I know, the first delivered machines had some problems with the trig
stuff, so check the revision of the ROMs before you buy it or anything.. I don't
know the version exactly. Use your intuition...

Ciao!

---

Fredrik Solenberg
d93...@t.hfb.se
-----------------
1945 suicide vivi sect VI

Jason Pitt

unread,

Feb 16, 1994, 2:12:34 AM2/16/94

to

yes it can be used as a controller but it makes a very lousey one..

the d-4 cannot be set to recieve and transmit on different channels
therefore if you are triggering the d-4 with a sequencer you will have to
silence the notes that you trigger the d-4 with on the sound module
otherwise you get note doubling....but the d-4 does send note info from the
triggers so it can be used as a controller

there
jason pitt
bLOOP