Session KeyStudio User Guide
Session KeyStudio User Guide Table of Contents Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Session KeyStudio Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Keyboard. . . . . . . . .
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 3 Introduction 1 Congratulations on your purchase of the M-Audio Session KeyStudio: a 49-note full size, velocity sensitive USB keyboard, audio interface, and software package designed for easy integration with your PC computer. Ideal for a multitude of music creation applications, Session KeyStudio provides you with all you and your computer need to compose great music. NOTE: Session KeyStudio is a software and hardware combination designed for Windows XP.
| Session KeyStudio User Guide 4 What’s in the Box? 3 Your M-Audio Session KeyStudio bundle should contain the following items: < M-Audio KeyStudio USB keyboard < M-Audio Micro USB audio interface < M-Audio Session DVD-ROM < USB cable < Printed Session KeyStudio Quick Start Guide If any of the above listed items are missing, please contact the retailer where you purchased the product.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 5 Installation and Setup It is important that installation and setup take place in the following sequence: 6 1. Connect the KeyStudio Keyboard. The KeyStudio USB keyboard is class-compliant. This means that you may simply connect the provided USB cable between KeyStudio and your Windows XP computer and switch the keyboard on. Additional drivers are not mandatory for normal operation.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 6 2. Install the Session Music Creation Software. PLEASE NOTE: Do not connect your M-Audio Micro audio interface to your computer until the Session software has been installed. Leave your Micro disconnected until instructed to connect it. 1. Insert the M-Audio Session DVD-ROM into your computer’s DVD-ROM drive. 2. The computer will automatically display the install screen.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 7 Getting Started Making Music with Session 7 1. Double-click the Session shortcut icon that was placed on your desktop during installation. If this icon does not appear, go to Start > All Programs > M-Audio > Session > Session to open the application. 2. Click the button labeled “New” in the Session Startup window 3. A New Composition dialog box will appear enabling you to choose a Name, Time Signature, Key Root, Key Scale, and Tempo for your composition.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 8 4. The “What would you like to do?” dialog box will now appear. For this example, select Play and Record with Your Keyboard, and click OK. 5. In the “Select Keyboard Sound” dialog box, select the bank of sounds you would like to associate with the first track of your new song, and click OK.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 9 6. The Session window will now appear. You may click the specific instrument you would like to play from the instrument list appearing on the left side of the screen. 7. Go to Options > Audio Hardware and make sure “ASIO: M-Audio USB ASIO” is selected in the Wave Device pull-down menu. Click OK.
| Session KeyStudio User Guide 10 8. Go to Options > MIDI Hardware and make sure “USB Audio Device” or “KeyStudio In” is selected in the Input Port box. KeyStudio will appear as “USB Audio Device” (Figure A) if additional drivers have not been installed. After installing optional drivers, KeyStudio will appear as “KeyStudio In” (Figure B). Figure A Figure A: Session’s MIDI Devices dialog window without optional drivers installed.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 11 The KeyStudio Keyboard Key Names 8 The letters printed above the white keys stand for the names of the musical notes the keys represent. The number next to each letter marks the octave each key belongs to. (More information on octaves can be found in the following section.) Black keys are “semitones” to their adjacent white keys and don’t have a dedicated letter. A semitone represents the distance in pitch from one note to its immediate neighbor.
| Session KeyStudio User Guide 12 Advanced KeyStudio Features in Edit Mode 9 The button to the left of the keys labeled “Edit Mode” is used to access additional advanced functions of the keyboard. When this button is pressed, the keyboard will enter Edit mode and the keys on the keyboard can be used to select functions and enter data. The light above the Edit Mode button indicates whether or not the keyboard is in Edit mode.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 13 Octave Buttons Options The Octave “<” and “>” buttons can be assigned to control one of six possible MIDI functions: < Octave Shift < Transpose < Program Change < Bank LSB < Bank MSB < MIDI Channel Change In the diagram above, the first six black keys are labeled “DATA = OCTAVE, DATA = TRANSPOSE, DATA = PROGRAM, DATA = BANK LSB, DATA = BANK MSB, and DATA = CHANNEL.” These keys are used to select the desired alternate function of the Octave buttons.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 14 Transpose In some cases it is useful to increase or decrease the transmitted pitch by a small number of semitones rather than a whole octave. For example, you may be playing a song with a singer and the singer is having trouble hitting the high notes. In this case, you can try reducing the pitch by one or more semitones. This is achieved using a function called “Transpose.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 15 Program Change Program changes are used to change the instrument or voice you are controlling with your KeyStudio. Program change messages are not needed when working with Session, but can be beneficial when using the KeyStudio keyboard to control MIDI sound modules or synthesizers. For example, let’s change the instrument on a General MIDI sound module to a cello sound.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 16 Other Assignable Controllers on KeyStudio The Modulation Wheel 10 It is possible to assign different MIDI controller numbers to the Modulation wheel. These parameters are called MIDI continuous controllers. There are 132 (counting from and including zero to 131) MIDI continuous controllers (MIDI CC’s). For these controller values to have any effect on the sound, the receiving software or device has to be able to read and respond to these MIDI controller messages.
| Session KeyStudio User Guide 17 MIDI Messages In-Depth 11 Program & Bank Changes When the MIDI standard was first established, it enabled the user to access only 128 different sounds using program change messages (0-127). As MIDI devices grew to be more sophisticated and contain more sounds, bank change messages were included in an updated MIDI specification to allow for more than 128 sounds to be accessed.
| Session KeyStudio User Guide 18 NRPN/RPNs Non-registered parameter numbers (NRPN’s) are device-specific messages that enable you to control synths and sound modules via MIDI. The MIDI specification defines open parameter numbers to allow manufacturers to specify their own controllers. The more common of these are registered by the MIDI Manufacturer’s Association and are now part of the MIDI specification (hence the term Registered Parameter Numbers – RPN’s).
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 19 Problem 4: I am attempting to play back audio from Session, and cannot hear sound from the Micro audio interface. Solution 4: Make sure that your speakers or headphones are properly connected to the Micro, and not to your computer’s built-in soundcard. Check the Micro control panel to make sure the volume is turned up and it is not muted. Open Session’s Audio Hardware configuration dialog by choosing Options>Audio Hardware.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 20 Problem 10: My synthesizer always recalls the sound next to the program number that I have sent to it from the KeyStudio. For example, if I send a program change with the number 40 (Violin), my software loads sound number 41 (Viola). Solution 10: Some General MIDI modules count their sound patches from 1 – 128 instead of 0-127. Both methods are common.
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 21 Useful MIDI-specific Troubleshooting Features 13 Session KeyStudio has been designed to make working with MIDI on your computer as simple as possible. However, sometimes things can go wrong. To counter this, there are two useful MIDI functions. All Notes Off Use this if you find there are sustaining notes that you cannot stop. To send an “All Notes Off” MIDI message: 1. Press the Edit Mode button. 2.
| Session KeyStudio User Guide 22 Technical Info 15 Caution: Electro Static Discharge, Electrical Fast Transient and Conducted RF interference may cause the unit malfunctioning. In such case, unplug the unit and plug it in again to restore normal operation. Note: Your M-Audio product has been tested to comply with FCC Standards FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE. Modifications not authorized by the manufacturer may void user’s authority to operate this device.
| Session KeyStudio User Guide 23 Appendices - Useful MIDI Data 16 Appendix A - General MIDI Instruments PLEASE NOTE: The following table lists all General MIDI patch names using numbers from 0 – 127. Be advised that some GM modules count their sound patches from 1 – 128 instead. Both methods are common. As a result, and depending on the sound module you use, there may be an offset of -1 between the sent program change number and the recalled sound patch.
| Session KeyStudio User Guide Appendix B - Standard MIDI Controller Numbers (MIDI CC’s) 00 Bank Select 38 Data Entry LSB 76 Controller 76 114 Controller 114 01 Modulation 39 Channel Volume LSB 77 Controller 77 115 Controller 115 02 Breath Control 40 Balance LSB 78 Controller 78 116 Controller 116 03 Controller 3 41 Controller 41 79 Controller 79 117 Controller 117 04 Foot Control 42 Pan LSB 80 Gen Purpose 5 118 Controller 118 05 Porta Time 43 Expression LSB 81 Gen Purpose 6 119 Con
Session KeyStudio User Guide | 25 Appendix C - Additional RPN Messages You may have noticed that although we have stated there are 128 MIDI controller messages (0 – 127), Appendix B shows 132 assignable controller messages. This is because messages 128 – 131 are a different type of MIDI message, defined in the MIDI Specification as RPN messages. M-Audio has created four messages that are sent like MIDI CCs, but actually transmit a series of RPN messages.
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