MIDI FILES MP3 PLAYER User’s Manual Electronic Sound Solutions s.r.l., via Monviso 54, 46042 Castel Goffredo MN, tel. + 39 0376 780360, fax + 39 0376 778225 www.essound.com e-Mail info@essound.com E.S.S Customer Service, strada Cipata 25, 46100 Loc Frassino, Mantova. Tel + 39 0376 274658, fax + 39 0376 373253 e-Mail assistenza@essound.
INDEX INTRODUCTION....................................................................................... 3 CONNECTION AND COMMANDS....................................................... 4 POWER SUPPLY ................................................................................. 6 AUDIO CONNECTIONS ....................................................................... 6 HOW TO START ...................................................................................... 6 SWITCHING ON ...................
INTRODUCTION First of all, ESS would like to thank you for your purchase of M-Blaster. M-Blaster is a MIDI, Karaoke and MP3 player characterized by a very intuitive user interface. M-Blaster plays: • Standard MIDI files (.mid format 0 and 1) • Karaoke files (.kar format 1) • MP3 files (VBR/CBR, successfully tested up to 256 Kbps (depending on the encoder) M-Blaster utilizes as a data storage unit a Compact Flash Card that can be loaded up to 511 songs. Included in the packaging are: - n.
CONNECTION AND COMMANDS Frontal panel 1 2 10 3 4 5 6 7 11 12 8 9 Fig.
4) Key to access options like: song erasing, adjustment of the TV set if connected, page for the files transfer from the PC and the format of Compact Flash. If the key is pressed while a song is in “play” mode, the screen will display info about the song. It is possible to adjust the display contrast pressing the MENU key (fig 1/4) and rotating the alpha dial knob (fig. 1/1).
7) Port MIDI Out to connect an external Synth generator; 8) USB connector to connect M-Blaster to a PC; 9) Power Switch; 10) Connection to the supplied external power supply adapter; POWER SUPPLY Connect the adapter plug (male) to the PWR IN female connector positioned on the M-Blaster back panel (Fig.2/10). Finally, connect the adapter plug to the main socket. IMPORTANT Please use exclusively the supplied adapter. Otherwise, the equipment can be damaged.
Note: when executing the program, if correctly set, M-Blaster will automatically position on the “USB” page. After having done this, launch the program double clicking on the icon previously created during installation. As for the utilization, please refer to the on-line guide included with the software. SWITCHING ON To switch the M-Blaster on, it is sufficient to insert the supplied adapter connector in the corresponding socket positioned on the back panel and push the ON button.
Insert the Compact Flash in its proper housing (fig1/7) without forcing its introduction. M-Blaster will then display the page Songs. It is possible to adjust the display contrast pressing the MENU key (fig 1/4) and rotating the alpha dial knob (fig. 1/1).
• NORMAL: if this key is lighted M-Blaster will play the MIDI song in its original key; • FEMALE: if this key is lighted M-Blaster will adjust the MIDI song key for a female voice. Note: the tonal transposition of “EASY TUNE” is not automatically saved. In order to do that, the transposition will have to be done (and then saved) in the “TRKCHANG” (track change) page.
In this way the four function keys can always access the “typical” functions of the operational mode running in that moment. SONGS MODE The functions offered by the SONGS mode allow to: • choose via the slider keys a single song to play using the PLAY key; • visualize chords and lyrics (if memorized in the song); • adjust volume, effects, transposition and playing metronomic time of the song (“TRKCHANG”); • exclude instantly from the listening the melody track (if present in the MIDI file).
• “TEXT” (see above); • “TRKCHANG (TRACK CHANGE)”: allows to access the page where to adjust the following parameters: volume, reverberation, chorus, transposition and playing metronomic time of the song being played. Note: the function TRKCHANG is not available when the song is not in “PLAY” because the adjustment values of the single parameters vary depending on the starting value that’s preset on each song.
NOTES: Lyrics and chords, if present in the midi file, are visualized slightly in advance with respect to the part of the song being played, to give the performer the time to change the sentence/chord. The time of advance depends from the setup of the midi file. It is possible to enter the TEXT mode even after having the song in PLAY. It is also possible to enter and to exit the TEXT mode various times during the song performance.
If during the song playback the STOP button is pushed, the song is interrupted. At this point it is possible to use the function key CONTINUE (to restart the song playback from the point where it was halted) or push the PLAY button again to restart the song from the beginning. NOTES: The song that is playing is always the one underlined with the slider key. If during a song another one is underlined and the PLAY button is used, the playback will be halted and the new song will start immediately.
• EASY TUNE: visualizes the value of the transposition applied to the song being played. 2. “OUT EQ” : to adjust the output global equalization. The adjustable parameters are: TREBLE : high frequencies; BASS : low frequencies. 3. “MIC EQ” : to adjust the equalization of the microphone inputs Mic 1 and Mic 2. The adjustable parameters are: HIGH MID F MID LOW : high frequencies; : MID intervention frequency; : medium frequencies; : low frequencies.
Mono/Stereo/Triple; • DELAY LEVEL : quantity of delay effect; • REVERB SEND : quantity of reverberation; • CHORUS SEND : quantity of chorus effect. “EXIT” to leave the page “PARAM.” TRKCHANG (TRACK CHANGE) How to adjust customized parameters of each song (volumes/effects /transposition /time etc).
Once TRKCHANG is activated, the function keys have assigned the following functions: • RESTORE: zeroes all the variations to the parameters done by the user and restores the presets originally memorized in each song; • SAVE: saves the modifications done by the user through the function SAVE; • RELOAD: recalls the last values saved by the user through the function SAVE; • MUTE: it mutes a track (same as zeroing the volume of the corresponding MIDI channel) if on the status bar CHANNEL VOLUME TRKCHANG is unde
Playing the song again the display (in correspondence to the MIDI channel n°2 volume) will read the value “080” until the tenth measure and “90” after that. This means that with the TRKCHANG function it is possible to set variations that will add up (or subtract) the preset parameter values of the songs. Such variations can be saved on the Compact Flash (in a chart paired to the song) and will have effect only when the song is being played not affecting the original parameters that can be recalled any time.
The upper bar reports the name of the instrument assigned to the MIDI channel where the slider key is positioned and the value of the parameter in use, visualized as a variation (-/+) set by the user for that channel.
• RESTORE: “zeroes” all the variations done to the parameters by the user and restores the presets originally memorized in each song; • SAVE: saves the modifications done by the user; • RELOAD: recalls the last values saved by the user with the SAVE function; • MUTE: parameter not usable in this page.
• Choose a group of songs to play through the PLAY button; • Choose whether to play the songs in sequence (one after the other) or if to select and then play one or more songs from the PLAY LIST; • Visualize chords and lyrics (if memorized into a song); • Customize parameters like volumes, effects, transposition and metronomic time of the song playback. To activate the PLAY LIST mode it is necessary to start from the SONGS mode and then push the function key PLAY LIST.
HOW TO CHOOSE A LIST OF SONGS IN PLAY LIST MODE Once accessed the PLAY LIST mode, it is possible to see on the display the group of songs created by the user (they can be setup only through the management software supplied with M-Blaster) To choose a PLAY LIST is enough to underline the one chosen with the slider key. To do that is enough to be positioned on the chosen group with the slider keys (fig. 1/9) or with the alpha dial switch (fig.
LIST Visualize the list of songs in a group To see the songs of a PLAY LIST, it is enough to push the function key LIST. On the display it will be visualized the SONG LIST page with the list of the songs belonging to the selected group. As usual, with the alpha dial switch it is possible to go the next page with the rest of the songs list (if present), for a maximum of 8 pages (each of 6 pages for a total of 48 per list) With the slider keys it is possible to move among the songs that are part of the group.
The functions contained in the MENU section are: SONGS ERASE: to erase a song from the Data Storage Unit (Compact Flash); USB: to access a page where to transfer, thanks to the supplied software, MIDI files and/or MP3 to the Data Storage Unit (Compact Flash); TV SETUP: to access the TV visualization options menu; CLEAR ALL DATA: to cancel the Compact Flash. Moreover, in the lower right part of the page it is possible to find infos related to the single device: • • • • S.N.
On the display it will appear the list of all the songs present in the Flash Card (divided in pages and accessible through the CURSOR button (fig. 1/9) and the alpha dial switch (fig. 1/1) The function keys activated are: • ERASE: delete procedure 1. Choose the song to delet with the CURSOR keys (fig 1/9) (or with the alpha dial knob) (fig. 1/1) then push the function key ERASE; 2. If you wish to leave the ERASE mode without any cancellation, push the EXIT button.
• LIST SONGS ON TV: It allows (or prevents) the visualization of the list of songs on the connected TV screen. If positioned on ENABLED at the end of the song, on the external screen it will be possible to visualize the song titles, just like in the M-Blaster display (6 songs). IF switched to DISABLED the list will not be visualized.
OPERATING SYSTEM The M-Blaster Operating System comprehends all the commands and functions that allow all the operations described in this manual to happen. The Operating System is preloaded by ESS and automatically loaded by the device when switched on. Just like in the Computer it is possible to update the M-Blaster Operating System to add new functions and/or to better the already existing ones. The update procedure is very easy.
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET • ADAPTER : External off-line power supply adapter desktop switching Off Line In .......90/240 Vac Out ....15 v. 2A • CONNECTORS : n.2 Inputs Mic balanced (Jack 6,3mmTSR) n.1 Stereo output (n.2 pin RCA L+R) n.1 Video connector OUT (Pin RCA) cinch n.1 Video connector IN (Pin RCA) n.1 USB Port n.1 Earphones output (mini-jack 3,5mm TSR) n.1 MIDI OUT port (din 5p.
WHAT TO DO IF IF THE MESSAGE “COMPACT FLASH NOT FORMATTED” APPEARS WHILE THE CARD IS IN, PLEASE FORMAT THE CARD ON YOUR PC WITH FILE SYSTEM “FAT” IN SLOW MODE. IF THE MESSAGE “FAT TYPE NOT SUPPORTED” APPEARS WHILE THE CARD IS IN, PLEASE FORMAT THE CARD ON YOUR PC WITH FILE SYSTEM “FAT” IN SLOW MODE. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION: NOT EVERY COMPACT FLASH ARE COMPATIBLE WITH M-BLASTER.
