User manual E-MU ESI-32

WARNING: READ THIS FIRST IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Use in countries other than the U.S.A. may require the use of a different line cord or attachment plug, or both. To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, refer servicing to qualified service personnel. To reduce risk of fire or electric shock do not expose this product to rain or moisture. GROUNDING INSTRUCTIONS This product must be grounded. If it should malfunction or break down, grounding provides a path of least resistance for electric current, reducing the risk of electric shock. This product is equipped with a cord having an equipment-grounding conductor and a grounding plug. The plug must be plugged into an appropriate outlet properly installed and grounded in accordance with all local codes and ordinances. DANGER Improper connection of equipment grounding conductor can result in the risk of electric shock. Check with a qualified electrician or service personnel if you are in doubt as to whether the product is properly grounded. Do not modify the plug provided with this product. If it will not fit the outlet, have a proper outlet installed by a qualified technician. CAUTION This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance. If the 6200, ESI-32 is rack mounted, a standard 19 inch open frame rack must be used. USER-MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS 1. The ESI-32 should be kept clean and dust free. Periodically wipe the unit with a clean, lint free cloth. Do not use solvents or cleaners. 2. There are no user lubrication or adjustment requirements. 3. Refer all other servicing to qualified service personnel. INSTRUCTIONS PERTAINING TO A RISK OF FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK, OR INJURY TO PERSONS WARNING; When using electric products, basic precautions should always be followed, including the following: This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of un-insulated dangerous voltage within the product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons. 1. Read all instructions before using the ESI-32. 2. To reduce the risk of injury, close supervision is necessary when the ESI-32 is used near children. 3. Do not use the ESI-32 near water -- for example near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, in a wet basement, on a wet bar, or near or in a swimming pool. 4. The ESI-32 should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. 5. The ESI-32 should be located away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, fireplaces, stoves, or ovens. Contents i 6. The ESI-32 should only be connected to a power supply of the type described in the operating instructions and as marked on the product. 7. Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure of the ESI-32 through openings. 8. This ESI-32 may be equipped with a polarized line plug (one blade wider that the other). This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert this plug into the outlet, do not defeat the safety purpose of the plug. Contact an electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. 9. The power supply cord of the ESI-32 should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time. 10. This product, in combination with an amplifier and headphones and speakers, may be capable of producing sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. Do not operate for a long period of time at a high volume level or at a level that is uncomfortable. If you experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, consult an audiologist. 11. The product should be serviced by qualified service personnel when: A. The power supply cord has been damaged; or B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the product; or C. The product has been exposed to rain; or D. The product has been dropped or the enclosure damaged; or E. The ESI-32 does not operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance. 12. All servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel. SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL ii ESI-32 Operation Manual RADIO and TELEVISION INTERFERENCE The equipment described in this manual generates and uses radiofrequency energy. If it is not installed and used properly -- that is, in strict accordance with our instructions - it may cause interference with radio and television reception. This equipment has been tested and complies with the limits for a Class A computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of the FCC rules. These rules are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that the interference will not occur in a particular installation, especially if a "rabbit ear" TV antenna is used. If the ESI-32 does cause interference to radio or television reception, you can try to correct the interference by using one or more of the following measures: · Turn the television or radio antenna until the interference stops. · Move the ESI-32 to one side or the other of the television or radio. · Move the ESI-32 farther away from the television or radio. · Plug the ESI-32 into an outlet on a different circuit than the television or radio. · Consider installing a rooftop antenna with a coaxial lead-in between the antenna and television set. Contents iii iv ESI-32 Operation Manual Contents 1 General Instructions Introduction ......................................................................................... 3 The ESI-32............................................................................................ 4 Connection Instructions ....................................................................... 6 Connection Diagram ............................................................................. 7 Connecting to an Unformatted Hard Disk ............................................ 9 Sampling Basics .................................................................................. 10 Definitions .......................................................................................... 11 Additional Definitions......................................................................... 15 2 Controls Master Volume .................................................................................... 21 Data Entry Control ............................................................................. 21 Inc/Dec Buttons .................................................................................. 21 Ten Key Pad ........................................................................................ 21 Escape ................................................................................................ 21 Enter ................................................................................................... 21 Cursor/Page ........................................................................................ 22 Preset Selection ................................................................................... 22 Save Bank ........................................................................................... 23 Load Bank ........................................................................................... 23 Drive Select ......................................................................................... 24 Audition ............................................................................................. 24 Trigger Mode ...................................................................................... 24 Multimode .......................................................................................... 25 Transpose............................................................................................ 25 3 Guided Tours Tour 1: Basics...................................................................................... 29 Tour 2: The Current Sample & Current Zone ..................................... 33 Tour 3: Dynamic Processing................................................................ 35 Tour 4: Realtime Controls ................................................................... 42 Tour 5: Sampling ................................................................................ 45 Tour 6: Digital Processing ................................................................... 47 A Practice Sampling Session ......................................................... 48 Tour 7: Managing the Bank ................................................................. 54 Tour 8: On Your Own ......................................................................... 54 Contents v The Modules 4 Master/Global 1. Master Tune .................................................................................... 57 2. Rename Bank .................................................................................. 57 3. Erase Bank ...................................................................................... 58 4. Dynamic Allocation ........................................................................ 58 5. Save as EIII Bank ............................................................................ 59 6. Memory Available ........................................................................... 60 7. Disk Utilities ................................................................................... 60 0. SCSI Setup ......................................................................... 61 1. Mount Drives ..................................................................... 62 2. Rename Disk Bank ............................................................. 62 3. Erase Disk Bank ................................................................. 63 4. Lock Bank & Drive ............................................................ 63 5. Disk Status ......................................................................... 64 6. Format Disk ....................................................................... 65 7. Backup ............................................................................... 67 8. Floppy Save in Version 1.04 ............................................... 69 8. Special ............................................................................................ 70 1. Recalibrate ......................................................................... 71 2. Contrast ............................................................................. 71 3. Headroom .......................................................................... 72 4. Main Output Format .......................................................... 73 5. Software Version ................................................................ 73 6. View Channels ................................................................... 74 7. Trigger Buttons ................................................................... 74 8. RAM Test............................................................................ 75 9. MIDI .............................................................................................. 76 1. MIDI Mix ........................................................................... 77 2. MIDI Globals ..................................................................... 78 Basic Channel ...................................................................... 78 MIDI Mode .......................................................................... 78 Continuous Controller Assignment ....................................... 79 3. MIDI Load Bank ................................................................. 81 4. MIDI Volume Pedal ............................................................ 81 5. MIDI Volume/Pan ............................................................... 82 6. Multimode Enable .............................................................. 82 0. Import Options ............................................................................... 83 0. Akai Import........................................................................ 83 1. Emax II Import .................................................................. 89 vi ESI-32 Operation Manual 5 Sample Management 0. Select Sample .................................................................................. 95 1. Load Sample ................................................................................... 95 2. Rename Sample .............................................................................. 96 3. Erase Sample .................................................................................. 97 4. Copy Sample .................................................................................. 98 5. Setup .............................................................................................. 99 6. Place Sample ................................................................................. 101 7. Arm Sampling ............................................................................... 102 8. Force Sampling ............................................................................. 102 9. MIDI Sample Dump...................................................................... 103 6 Preset Management 1. Load Preset ................................................................................... 107 2. Rename Preset .............................................................................. 108 3. Erase Preset ................................................................................... 109 4. Copy Preset .................................................................................. 109 5. Create Preset ................................................................................. 110 6. Preset Size ..................................................................................... 111 7. Merge Presets ................................................................................ 111 7 Digital Processing Background ...................................................................................... 115 0. Select Sample ................................................................................ 121 1. Setup ............................................................................................ 121 2. Loop ............................................................................................ 122 3. Truncation .................................................................................... 125 4. Copy Region ................................................................................. 125 5. Cut Region .................................................................................... 127 6. Paste Region ................................................................................. 128 7. Digital Tools I ............................................................................... 131 0. Sample Calculator .............................................................. 131 1. Taper .................................................................................. 132 2. Gain Change ...................................................................... 133 3. Reverse Section .................................................................. 135 4. Stereo <-> Mono ................................................................ 135 5. Left <-> Right ..................................................................... 136 6. DC Filter ............................................................................ 136 7. Sample Integrity ................................................................. 137 8. Digital Tools II .............................................................................. 138 0. Sample Rate Convert .......................................................... 139 1. Digital Tuning .................................................................... 140 2. Compressor ........................................................................ 141 3. Parametric Equalizer .......................................................... 145 4. Time Compression ............................................................. 146 Contents vii 5. Pitch Change ...................................................................... 147 6. Transform Multiplication .................................................... 148 7. Doppler/Pan ....................................................................... 149 9. Undo ............................................................................................ 155 8 Preset Definition 0. Realtime Controls ......................................................................... 159 1. Load Zone..................................................................................... 164 2. Edit Assignment ............................................................................ 167 3. Erase Zone .................................................................................... 170 4. Copy Zone .................................................................................... 171 5. Crossfade/Switch .......................................................................... 174 6. Velocity Switch/Preset Link ........................................................... 177 8. Pitch Bend Range .......................................................................... 177 9. Portamento/Attack ........................................................................ 178 9 Dynamic Processing Background ...................................................................................... 181 0. Select Zone ................................................................................... 183 1. Setup ............................................................................................ 184 2. VCA .............................................................................................. 185 3. VCF .............................................................................................. 187 4. LFO .............................................................................................. 189 5. Auxiliary Envelope ....................................................................... 191 6. Velocity To .................................................................................... 192 7. Keyboard Mode ............................................................................ 195 8. Realtime Control Enable ............................................................... 196 9. Output Channels .......................................................................... 197 10 Appendix Using SCSI ........................................................................................ 201 Disk Drive Compatibility Chart ........................................................ 205 Digital Interface ................................................................................ 206 Keyboard Character Chart ................................................................ 207 ESI-32 Menu Map ............................................................................. 208 MIDI Key Numbers .......................................................................... 209 MIDI Implementation Chart ............................................................. 210 Specifications .................................................................................... 211 Error Codes ...................................................................................... 212 Troubleshooting ................................................................................ 214 Warranty ........................................................................................... 218 Index ................................................................................................ 219 viii ESI-32 Operation Manual 1 General Instructions Introduction ............................. 3 The ESI-32 ............................... 4 Connection Instructions .......... 8 Connection Diagram ................ 7 Connecting to a Hard Disk ...... 9 Sampling Basics ..................... 10 Definitions ............................. 11 Additional Definitions ........... 15 Intro/Basic Setup 1 2 ESI-32 Operation Manual Introduction Welcome to the ESI-32 Digital Sampling System. Congratulations are definitely in order! The many functions of the ESI-32 are detailed in this manual by their module. Screen displays and step-by-step instructions are described for all aspects of use and operation. Sidebars are used to highlight important points or to give useful operational tips which might not be readily apparent. If you are totally unfamiliar with samplers and synthesizers in general, you may need more information than this manual provides. We suggest that you read some of the many books and magazines on the subject of music synthesis. This will help you to get the most out of this extremely powerful instrument. We encourage you to take a moment now to read the E-mu Systems warranty and to fill out and send in your warranty registration card. By doing so, you are assured of receiving news of all updates and manual revisions. Intro/Basic Setup 3 SAMPLE TRANSPOSE MASTER/GLOBAL SAMPLE MANAGEMENT DIGITAL PROCESSING TRIGGERS INC/YES ABC DEF I O PRESET MULTIMODE PRESET MANAGEMENT PRESET DEFINITION DYNAMIC PROCESING MIDI Channel: Volume: | Pan : 000 Synth Flute DRIVE SELECT LOAD SAVE 01 115 +01 1 DEC/NO GHI 2 JKL 3 MNO 4 ENTER PRS 5 TUV 6 WXY VOLUME 7 AUDITION TRIGGER MODE ESCAPE 8 QZ 9 0 MIDI The ESI-32 The ESI-32 is the latest in the long line of high quality and affordable E-mu sampling products. The ESI-32 features 22.05 kHz and 44.1 kHz sampling rates and 16-bit resolution for CD quality sound. Sampling can be performed in either mono or true stereo. A unique feature of the ESI-32 is that full 16 channel polyphony is maintained when stereo samples are utilized. The user-upgradable memory can be expanded to a maximum of 32 Mbytes using standard SIMM modules (Details and installation are available at your E-mu dealer). The ESI-32 has full access to the huge library of sounds available from E-mu and other sources. It is fully compatible with the legendary EIII and EIIIX libraries, and can import Emax II and Akai S1000/S1100 banks. In many cases, the ESI-32 can import and convert programs faster than the source unit! The advanced features of the ESI-32 make sampling easy. Samples can be automatically truncated, normalized and placed on the keyboard as the sample is taken. The ESI-32 contains advanced tools such as Auto Correlation, Loop Compression and Crossfade Looping which allow even the most difficult sounds to be easily looped. Samples can be digitally spliced and mixed with other samples, and dynamically controlled from the keyboard using velocity and positional crossfading and switching functions. Advanced digital processing features such as Sample Rate Conversion, Compressor, Digital Parametric Equalizer and Digital Tuning allow you to shape raw samples more quickly and with greater precision than computer based systems. Additional digital processing functions include: Time Compression and Expansion, which shorten or lengthen the time of samples without changing the pitch; and Doppler/Pan, which allows you to move samples forward and backwards in space as well as from side to side. The ESI-32 contains 32 "analog-sounding" 24 dB/octave lowpass filters with resonance. Modulation sources include three AHDSR envelope generators and a multi-wave LFO per channel, as well as full MIDI modulation control over virtually every parameter. The ESI-32's unique Trigger Mode allows up to ten different samples to be triggered from the front panel without connecting a keyboard, making it an ideal tool for "house" or "hip-hop" music. 4 ESI-32 Operation Manual The ESI-32 is 16 part multi-timbral allowing complex sequencing and sound effects creation. Four polyphonic audio outputs with integral submix returns allow you to separately process certain sounds and return them to the main outputs without using up precious mixer channels. The ESI-32 can access up to 999 samples per bank arranged in up to 256 presets. The integral 3.5" floppy disk drive provides a convenient means of storing and loading banks. A built-in SCSI interface provides access to high density media such as hard disks, magneto-optical disks or CD ROM. A digital interface (S/PDIF) is an available option which facilitates the transfer of stereo digital audio between digital recorders, mixers, etc. In developing the ESI-32, we have retained the logical and easy-to-use interface of the industry-proven EIIIX and enhanced it with our state-ofthe-art G-chip and H-chip hardware. The G-chip allows smooth sample transposition over a ten octave range while the H-chips retain the warm character of analog filters. The ESI-32 is an extremely powerful and reliable, sixth generation instrument. We at E-mu Systems sincerely hope it will help you realize and further your musical dreams. Intro/Basic Setup 5 Connecting to a Mixer Main Outputs: The ESI-32 has provisions for a variety of output connection schemes. The most common hookup will probably be using the main stereo outputs. Output level is -10 dBm (approximately 1-2 volts RMS). Output impedance is 1K ohm. D Tip: Inserting a standard mono plug halfway into either of the sub output jacks allows you to sum into the main outputs without a special cable. This is a handy feature for those times when you run out of mixer channels. Submix Outputs/Mix In: In addition to the main stereo outputs, the ESI-32 has an additional pair of submix outputs which can be used when individual processing on specific instruments is desired. Any combination of channels can be programmed to appear at the submix output pair. Any keyboard zone (key range) can also be assigned to the submix pair using the Output Channel function in the Dynamic Processing module. MIDI channels can be assigned to the submix pair using the Multimode Mix function in the Master/Global module. D Tip: The submix outputs use a "plug sensing" scheme which re-routes the signal to the main outputs if a plug is not inserted. Sub Output Return (To Main Output) Tip To Effect Ring From Effect SEND/RETURN CABLES The Submix Outputs are stereo jacks with -10 dBm outputs on the tip of the jack. Output impedance is 1K ohm. The ring of each submix jack is a return input to the main outputs. By using a special cable shown above, specific presets or MIDI channels can be externally processed and then returned to the main mix. Stereo Headphone Output: The headphone output is located on the left side of the front panel and is capable of driving all types of stereo headphones. The output level is controlled by the master volume control. Sample Inputs The two sample input jacks accept any low to high level input (microphone to line level). Input impedance is 10K. The gain of the sample input preamplifier is controlled from the setup screen in the Sample Management module. When in the Sample Management module the sample inputs can be monitored from the main outputs or the headphone jack. 6 ESI-32 Operation Manual Connection Diagram To Digital Mixer, DAT, etc. Digital Effect Device 60 mS Computer Digital Input Device DAT Recorder, etc. SCSI Device Digital I/O SCSI IN OUT SCSI MIDI In Other Sampler MIDI Out Mains Submix Out/Mix In Power Cord Mic or Line Inputs Mixer Power Amp MIDI Controller (MIDI Keyboard, Sequencer, etc.) MIDI In Additional MIDI Devices Intro/Basic Setup 7 MIDI Connection ESI-32 provides a MIDI IN, a MIDI OUT and a MIDI THRU port. · The MIDI IN port connects to the MIDI OUT port of an external MIDI controller which could be a keyboard, a sequencer, MIDI drum kit or whatever. Note that the ESI-32 can only respond to information that your controller transmits. If your MIDI keyboard does not have velocity and pressure sensitivity, the ESI-32 will not respond to velocity and pressure. MIDI OUT can be connected to another MIDI instrument or computer. The MIDI OUT jack is used to transmit MIDI sample dump information (transfers sample data). MIDI THRU simply re-transmits any information received at the MIDI IN port. Use cords that have been designed specifically for MIDI. While regular 5 pin DIN cords may work, they are not shielded correctly for MIDI use and may cause ground loops between equipment. · · 110V / 220V Operation The ESI-32 may be used in either 110 volt or 220 volt environments at either 50 Hz or 60 Hz. No change of voltage settings is required. The ESI-32 automatically switches itself for 110 or 220 volt operation. Digital I/O The optional digital interface allows the ESI-32 to transfer digital audio back and forth with other digital devices equipped with S/PDIF digital I/O. Keeping the signal in the digital domain is desirable to keep the signal to noise level as high as possible. The digital input allows you to sample directly from a DAT recorder or other digital device. The digital output reflects the data at the stereo outputs of the ESI-32. See the Sample Management module and Main Output Format (located under Special in the Master/Global menu) for more information. SCSI The SCSI connector is a high-speed parallel interface which is used to interface the ESI-32 with internal or external mass storage devices such as hard disks or magneto-optical discs. The SCSI port can also be used to link the ESI-32 with an external computer for extremely fast file transfers. The ESI-32 also supports SMDI (SCSI Musical Data Interchange protocol) which allows transfer of samples over SCSI. If you plan on expanding the memory beyond 2 MB, a mass storage device is almost a necessity. When dealing with large banks of up to 32 MB, a floppy disk drive simply doesn't cut it even for back-up. A hard disk is an absolute must! Furthermore, the extremely useful "Undo" function will not work without a hard drive attached. For more information on SCSI installation, see, "Using SCSI" in the Appendix of this manual. Also refer to the manual that accompanies your external SCSI device. · 8 ESI-32 Operation Manual This initial setup section contains step-by-step instructions on how to connect the ESI-32 to a SCSI device. Connecting the ESI-32 to an External, Unformatted Hard Disk 1. Position the SCSI device and the ESI-32 in a stable location. Hard disk drives are particularly susceptible to shock and vibration. Make sure that you position your hard disk where it won't be bumped or moved while in use. 2. Important: Make sure that all power to the ESI-32 and the SCSI device is turned OFF. 3. Connect the SCSI device to your ESI-32 using a quality SCSI cable. Make sure that the connectors are firmly mated and that the wire "keepers" are locked in place. There are two type of SCSI cables in common use: the 50-pin Centronics type and the 25-pin DB connector type. The ESI-32 uses the Centronics type connector. If your external SCSI device uses the DB connector you can use an adaptor cable to eliminate the mismatch. 4. Set the SCSI ID of your external SCSI device to any number other than 5. (5 is the default ID of the ESI-32). Consult the operation manual of your SCSI device for this procedure. 5. Turn on the external SCSI device. 6. Apply power to the ESI-32. The ESI-32 should power up normally. ! Caution: NEVER connect or disconnect the SCSI cable while power is applied to either the ESI-32 or the SCSI device. Doing so may cause serious damage. D Tip: Use the "Mount Drives" utility (Master/Global, Disk Utilities, 1) whenever an external SCSI device does not appear in the list of available devices. 7. Make sure your hard disk really is unformatted. Formatting a hard disk erases all the data on it. Press the Load button. If the display reads, "No Valid Drives" the drive isn't formatted. Continue on to step eight. 8. Format the hard disk. Press the Master/Global button, then 7, 6 on the numeric keypad. The display should read, "FORMAT DISK". Use the data entry control to select your hard disk, then press ENTER. The display asks, "Are You Sure?" Press the Inc/Yes button to confirm. Formatting takes a few minutes. Time to take a break. Intro/Basic Setup 9 Sampling Basics Percussive Voice Each vertical line represents a sample. Each sample takes a "snapshot" of the instantaneous signal level. 1 second DIGITAL SAMPLING The signal is repeatedly measured at a high rate and the measurements are stored in digital memory. Upon playback, the measurements are converted back into voltages to reconstruct the original waveform. Throughout this manual we will use the terms and concepts described and defined below. Read through this section carefully, even if you don't retain it all. You can refer back periodically as you read through the manual until you understand the basics and definitions. The ESI-32 is conceptually like a tape recorder. However, the recording process is very different since the ESI-32 digitally records into its computer memory. Sounds for the ESI-32 can be loaded via removablemedia hard disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM using the SCSI interface; or through the S/PDIF Digital interface; or even through the MIDI interface using MIDI Sample Dump. Computers can accept information only in the form of numbers, so the ESI-32 accepts audio signals coded into binary numbers. Samplers work by examining (sampling) the incoming signal level at a very high rate (44,100 times a second for compact discs), and sequentially recording these different levels in memory. Once stored, these samples may be played back (in the proper sequence, of course) to reconstruct the original signal. For instance, if a two-second sound was being sampled at 44.1 kHz, it would require (2 X 44,100) or 88,200 samples to be recorded. As you might imagine, shorter sounds require fewer samples. A sound can be manipulated once it has been recorded. Playing back the samples in reverse order from which they were stored plays the sound backwards. Playing back the samples at a faster rate than the rate at which they were stored raises the pitch. Playing back at a slower rate lowers the pitch, much like a tape recorder's variable speed control. 10 ESI-32 Operation Manual How the ESI-32 Organizes Sounds Sure, you're anxious to start coaxing wonderful sounds from the instrument--but the following is a necessary part of learning how to play the ESI-32. It is important to understand how the ESI-32 organizes sounds in order to make best use of the instrument in the shortest possible time. Many terms will be introduced now that show up later in the manual. You can think of the ESI-32 as resembling a collection of sound-organizing modules, all contained within an the ESI-32 bank. Pathways indicate how information flows within the ESI-32. Let's take a closer look at what makes up this information, and how it is transferred from one section of the instrument to another. We'll start with individual samples, then work our way through the system. Definitions The Sample Loading in any sound in mono or stereo creates a sample, the raw material with which the ESI-32 works. The total available sampling time can be divided up any way you like--one long sample, lots of short samples, a few medium samples, or any combination thereof. The term sample commonly means two different things: 1. A digital recording of a complete sound, or 2. Each snapshot of the sound that makes up the complete sample. Confusing? You bet! In this manual, we'll assume sample means the complete recorded sound unless indicated otherwise. You can modify a raw sample in several ways: · Transposition: A sample can be transposed up or down in pitch to cover a particular range of the keyboard. By doing this, it is not necessary to record a sample for every key. Digital Processing: In the ESI-32, Digital Processing might consist of Looping a sample (allowing even short samples to play indefinitely), Truncating (cutting off unneeded parts of a sample, thus saving memory), or any of a number of digital processes that actually change the raw sample data. Dynamic Processing: Just as synthesizers include signal processors (filter, voltage-controlled amplifier, envelope generators, LFO, and so on) to modify the sounds produced by the synth's oscillators, the ESI-32 includes similar modules for modifying the sound of samples or combinations of samples. · · The Preset As mentioned above, a sample can be assigned to a single note on the keyboard, or transposed polyphonically to cover a wider keyboard range. A preset is one entire keyboard setup. The process of assigning, and optionally transposing, samples to specific ranges of the keyboard is called making a preset. Making a preset is a three-step process: Intro/Basic Setup 11 1. Create the preset and give it a number and name. The bank can hold up to 256 Presets (000-255). 2. Place samples to different keyboard ranges. For example, with five samples you could assign each sample to cover one octave of a five octave keyboard. A sample can be assigned more than once within a given preset, and assigned to more than one preset. 3. Choose from a number of available options that further define the preset. Some examples are: assigning samples to partially or fully overlap other samples, thus producing doubling effects, or assigning dynamic control to individual samples in a preset. You can modify zone parameters, and set up MIDI and dynamic processing parameters. The Zone A particular range of the keyboard is called a zone. This zone can include one or more samples and the zone's boundaries need not be the same as the boundaries of the samples contained in the zone. Zones free you from having to think about where the actual samples are assigned. You just select a range of keyboard (a zone) and go! ZONE = (Keyboard Range) Any Range Entire Kybd As an example, suppose you wanted to set the velocity response for the entire keyboard. You would first select the zone range by playing the lowest and highest keys when prompted by the ESI-32. Next you would set the velocity response (in the Dynamic Processing module). Done. Now, suppose you wanted just the lower half of the keyboard to have increased velocity response. You would simply select a zone for the lower half of the keyboard, then change the velocity settings as desired. Primary Samples Secondary Samples Sample 05 Sample 01 Sample 06 Sample 02 Sample 07 Sample 03 Sample 08 Sample 04 = Copied Zone Fc Vel -> Level Tuning Pan 12 ESI-32 Operation Manual When you copy a zone, the appropriate samples will be picked up along with the Dynamic Processing parameters. The Bank The memory bank contains samples, zones and presets. Everything. Consider the bank as the central storehouse for all of the ESI-32's data. Although the memory is volatile, meaning that the data disappears when you turn off power, all bank data can be saved permanently to the hard disk drive or other media to keep a record of your work. THE BANK (Holds up to 256 Presets) Preset 000 All Preset Definition Parameters All Dynamic Processing Parameters (One entire keyboard setup) Preset 255 All Preset Definition Parameters All Dynamic Processing Parameters (One entire keyboard setup) Sample Sound Data Loop Points Sample Sound Data Loop Points Sample Sound Data Loop Points Sample Sound Data Loop Points Sample Sound Data Loop Points Sample Sound Data Loop Points Sample Sound Data Loop Points THE BANK All the data loaded into the ESI-32 is called the Bank. Each individual keyboard setup is called a Preset. Individual Samples can be shared among presets. The Internal Drive A disk drive is a memory storage device that stores banks of data. The standard ESI-32 has a built-in floppy disk drive which can be used to load and store bank data. However, other types of drives, as described later, can connect to the ESI-32 to provide sound storage. · Floppy Disk Drive (Drive 0): The floppy disk drive accommodates 3.5", double-sided, high-density (1.4 MB) floppy disks. The floppy drive on the ESI-32 is used mainly as a convenient way to load and save small sound banks. When a bank size larger than 2 MB is used, (which requires 2 disks) the floppy disk becomes impractical for backing-up sound data. 270 MB Syquest Drive: The ESI-32 is also available with an internal 270 MB Syquest removable hard disk in place of the floppy disk drive. Treat the internal Syquest with care, just as you would any other hard disk drive. To use: simply insert a disk into the drive with the label side up and move the lever all the way to the right. To eject the disk: press the rectangular button on the left. When the lever pops out, move it to the left and the disk will be ejected. · D Tip: Use the "Mount Drives" utility whenever an external SCSI device does not appear in the list of available devices. Intro/Basic Setup 13 External Drives D Tip: The ESI-32 can only load floppy disks which were created on the ESI-32. It can load hard disk data created on the EIII, EIIIX, Emax II or the Akai S1000/S1100. The ESI-32 has a SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) connector on the rear panel. This interface is commonly used in the computer industry, so many devices made to work with computers--particularly mass storage devices--will also work with the ESI-32. Here are some of the types of mass storage devices that can plug into the ESI-32's SCSI connector. · Hard Disk Drive: A hard disk provides the advantages of much higher memory capacity and far faster access time. Transferring data to and from the ESI-32 is quite straightforward. However, you cannot remove a hard disk and replace it with another one--the disk is a permanent part of the drive. There are three main cautions involved with hard disks: 1. Hard disks are sensitive to extreme mechanical shocks. If your hard disk falls off a keyboard stand, chances are the hard disk will be damaged. 2. Make sure power is not interrupted when you write data to the hard disk. 3. Hard disks have reached a very high level of reliability. However, they can fail from time to time (as can any part of a computer), so any data should be backed up periodically and regularly on some other medium. · Removable-media Hard Disk Drives: These are similar to normal hard disk drives except that the disk itself can be removed and replaced with another disk. Disk densities can range from 44 Mbytes to over 270 Mbytes per platter. Removable-media hard disk drives allow you to build a sound library of unlimited size and are quite handy for transferring sounds between machines. They're also perfect for backups. The ESI-32 is available with an internal 270 MB Syquest removable hard disk drive. CD-ROM Drive: A CD-ROM is a playback-only (data cannot be written to it) mass storage memory device whose capacity is approximately 660 Megabytes. Many high-quality and low cost CD-ROM libraries are available from several companies (E-mu Systems, Inc., Northstar, Sound Ideas, Q-Up Arts). These can be loaded into the bank as easily as you would load from a hard disk. D Tip: Use the "Mount Drives" utility whenever an external SCSI device does not appear in the list of available devices. D Tip: Recommended CD-ROM drives include Sony CDU8003A, CDU-6211-10 and the Toshiba XM-3101BME. Currently none of the NEC drives are compatible with the ESI-32. A good rule of thumb is, "Try Before You Buy". · · Magneto-Optical Drive: Basically a read/writable CD, these high speed, high density storage devices are currently the hottest thing around for storing large amounts of sound data. Typically a magneto-optical drive can hold upwards of 300 Mb per side and the removable cartridges can be used over and over. Disk access time is comparable to a normal hard disk, and is sometimes even faster! Advantages: High-speed, high-density, reliable, removable. Disadvantage: High cost (although prices are dropping fast). 14 ESI-32 Operation Manual Additional Definitions The Primary and Secondary Sample An ESI-32 key provides for two channels. These contain the primary and secondary samples. For example, the primary sample might be a guitar note and the secondary sample a detuned version of the same guitar note. When played together, you hear chorusing. Also, a preset contains information about how the keyboard dynamics affect the primary and secondary samples. As an example, the primary sample could be that of a drum hit played softly, and the secondary of a drum hit played loudly. Thus, playing the keyboard softly would play the primary sample, and playing the keyboard more forcefully would play the secondary sample. The Current Preset When you load a bank, a preset will be ready to play and the display will show the preset number. This is the current preset. If you select another preset, or create a preset, that will become the current preset. The Current Sample When a bank is first loaded, the current sample defaults to Sample 001. Whenever you record, load, or select a sample, it becomes the current sample. You can always hear the current sample by pressing the audition button or entering the Digital Processing module. Modules A module controls a particular set of functions in the ESI-32. There are six main modules: Master/Global, Preset Management, Preset Definition, Sample Management, Digital Processing and Dynamic Processing. D Tip: If a module is already active and you are finished with one submodule, you do not need to re-activate the module - just key in the new submodule number. · Activating a Module and the Module Identifier: To work with a module, you must first activate it. Press the button associated with the desired module. The display will then show the Module Identifier and invite you to select a submodule. Submodule: Each module contains several numbered submodules that set controls for additional functions. There are two ways to select a submodule within the module. You can move the data entry control until the display shows the desired submodule, then press ENTER. As you work with the ESI-32, though, you will start to memorize the submodule numbers and will probably find it faster to simply key in the appropriate submodule number using the numeric keypad. When using the keypad, it is not necessary to press ENTER. Pressing either the module button or the Escape button will return you to the preset selection screen. · Intro/Basic Setup 15 Saving The bank only retains data for as long as the ESI-32 is plugged in and turned on. Of course, we don't expect you to leave the thing on all the time, which brings us to the subject of saving data. Pressing the SAVE button on the Control Panel shuttles all the bank data (samples and presets) to the drive of your choice. A hard disk permanently stores data so that even after turning off the ESI-32, the disk will contain a record of your work. IF YOU DO NOT SAVE A BANK, ALL BANK DATA WILL BE LOST WHEN YOU TURN OFF THE MACHINE. Do not wait until the end of a session to save. Save your work periodically in case of power failure or some other unforeseen circumstance that might erase the bank's memory. Floppy disks and hard disks are not infallible. All hard disk banks should be backed up periodically to another hard disk or other media. Should you improve the preset or sample later, you can always replace the original with the revised version. And if something goes wrong, the original will still be available to save you the ordeal of starting from scratch. Whenever you have done enough work that you would hate to lose it, back it up! Since the disk contains a record of the bank data, loading the disk back into the bank transfers all the sample and preset data into the bank. This will replace the existing bank data, if any. Default A default setting is what we've judged to be a useful initial setting, and remains in effect until you change it. For example, if you create a new preset, portamento will default to 0 seconds (off). Had it defaulted to some higher value, all new presets would have portamento applied. The Cursor The cursor is that small flashing line on the display. It sits under the number or letter that will be altered if you enter data. Entering a new value will overwrite the number or letter above the cursor, whereupon the cursor will move on to the next number or letter (if applicable). If the ESI-32 is expecting a two or three-digit number, in most cases you must enter all the required digits even if some of these are zeroes (called leading zeroes). For example, if the ESI-32 is expecting a three-digit number and you want to enter 8, you would enter 008. If it is expecting a single-digit number, entering 8 would be sufficient. Data Entry Control & Increment/Decrement Buttons In virtually all instances where the data entry control selects options, the Increment (Inc/Yes) and Decrement (Dec/No) switches duplicate the data entry control. Press Inc/Yes to increase a value, or Dec/No to decrease. 16 ESI-32 Operation Manual Selecting When the instructions say to select an option, you can use whatever method is most comfortable for you: the data entry control, the Increment/Decrement buttons, the numeric keypad (if applicable) and, when naming, or selecting pitches, the keyboard keys. Some functions do not implement all these options; you can't go wrong by trying, though. If a function doesn't respond to the numeric keypad, for instance, then pressing the keypad will have no effect. Use the data entry control or the Inc/Dec buttons instead. The Big Re-Cap · · A sample is a raw sound that is loaded into the bank. To create a new preset, make sure you have all the samples required for the preset in the bank, number and name a preset, then assign combinations of samples from the bank to specific sections of the keyboard. By specifying one or more of these samples (or portions thereof) as a zone, the zone may then be processed by the ESI-32's dynamic signal processors. After arranging a bank, it can be saved to one or more drives. Since loading from a hard disk fills the bank with samples and presets, you can group these samples into new presets, process the samples contained in particular zones, or alter existing presets. · · Intro/Basic Setup 17 18 ESI-32 Operation Manual 2 Controls Master Volume ....................... 21 Data Entry Control ................ 21 Inc/Dec Buttons ..................... 21 Ten Key Pad ........................... 21 Escape .................................... 21 Enter ...................................... 21 Cursor/Page ............................ 22 Preset Selection ...................... 22 Save Bank ............................... 23 Load Bank .............................. 23 Drive Select ............................ 24 Audition ................................. 24 Trigger Mode .......................... 24 Multimode .............................. 25 Transpose ............................... 25 Controls 19 20 ESI-32 Operation Manual Master Volume Data Entry Control Inc/Dec Buttons Ten Key Pad The Master Volume Knob controls the volume of every audio output on the ESI-32 including the submix and headphone outputs. The master volume knob is a digital control. For maximum dynamic range it should be kept near the maximum position. Using the Data Entry Control is the most common way to change parameter values on the ESI-32. Moving the control changes either the data over the flashing cursor or scrolls through options in the display. In all ESI-32 menus where the data entry control selects options, the Increment (Inc/Yes) and Decrement (Dec/No) Buttons duplicate the function of the Data Entry Control. The increment/decrement buttons can be used when a finer degree of control is required. They can also be used for selecting Yes or No. The Ten Key Pad is used to enter data in precise amounts. For instance, if you wanted to jump to preset 10, enter 010 on the ten key pad and the new preset number will be instantly selected, eliminating the process of finding the number with the data entry control and then pressing Enter. Escape Enter The Escape button lets you back out of a module by one menu each time the button is pressed. It can also be used anytime you do not want to execute a particular function (bail out). In the Sample Management module, pressing the Escape button terminates the sampling process. A flashing Enter LED means that the ESI-32 wants you to do something. Data may need to be entered, or the ESI-32 may be waiting for you to press the Enter button to activate a particular operation. If the Enter LED is lit steadily, pressing Enter is optional. Doing so will exit you from the function and return you to the module identifier. You also have the option of going directly to another function within the module. Controls 21 Cursor/Page The Cursor is a small flashing line that appears in the display window under the data that is currently being edited. The Cursor/Page buttons are used to move the cursor around in the display. The buttons are shaped like arrows which point in the direction of movement. In many cases a particular function will have more options than will fit on a single page of the display. In this case the right and left arrow buttons become the page selects, allowing you to move through the various pages of the display. The Cursor/Page buttons perform the following functions: 1. Moving the cursor. To move the flashing cursor line in a particular direction in order to select a different function, simply press the corresponding cursor key. 2. Selecting the display page. In many submodules, a single screen of the LCD cannot display all the available parameters. Arrows (<- ->) in the display indicate that there are additional screens which may be viewed by pressing the corresponding cursor button. D Tip: The cursor buttons can be used to select presets only when the ESI-32 is in Omni or Poly modes. 3. Selecting presets. When no modules are selected, and the cursor is placed under the preset number, presets may be incremented or decremented by pressing the left and right cursor buttons. This method is useful for live performance - arrange your presets in the desired order, and step through them as needed. 4. Adding or deleting a space when naming. A quick and easy way to add or delete a space when naming samples or presets is to use the left and right cursor keys. The up key adds a space and the down key deletes a space. 5. Selecting zero crossing points when editing samples. When editing samples in the Digital Processing module, the left and right cursor buttons can be used to select points where the waveform crosses the zero axis. Preset Selection Selecting the Current Preset With no modules active, the display will show the Current Preset name and number on line 1 of the display. The blinking cursor will appear under the preset number's first digit. There are five ways to change the current preset: 1. Enter a three-digit number with the keypad. If you enter a number for which there is no preset, the lower display line will show the illegal preset number and say "Empty Preset". Try again. 2. Move the data entry control or the increment buttons. The top display line will continue to show the current preset, but the lower line will scroll through the available presets as you move the data entry control. When the lower line shows the preset that you want as the current preset, press ENTER. 3. Increment or decrement the Current Preset (as displayed in the top line) with the left and right cursor buttons. This method is useful for live performance--arrange your presets in the desired order, and step through them as needed. 22 ESI-32 Operation Manual 4. Use a MIDI footswitch to advance through the presets. 5. Use a MIDI program change command. Presets 000-127 can be accessed via a MIDI program change command. Presets 128-255 can be accessed using a MIDI bank select command, followed by a program change. See the MIDI Implementation Chart in the Appendix. To see the current preset number at any time, de-activate any active module and look at the display. Save Bank A bank consists of presets and samples. The Save function saves this data from the ESI-32's memory bank to the floppy disk, hard disk or other external SCSI device. 1. Press Save. 2. If necessary, select the drive to which the bank will be saved. The ESI-32 will default to the current drive. If you want to choose a different drive, place the cursor under the drive number in line two, select the appropriate drive and press ENTER. SAVE BANK into D1 Internal HD Select a Drive 3. Select the bank number to which the bank will be saved, then press ENTER. The approximate size of the bank will be displayed on line four. Empty banks are indicated as such, along with their bank number on line three. Or, you can overwrite an existing bank. SAVE BANK into D1 Internal HD B00 Stereo Grand 7.8MB in Bank 4. After pressing ENTER the bank will be saved. A bar graph will appear in the display showing the progress of the save operation. The display will revert to the preset selection screen. Load Bank A bank consists of presets and samples. The Load function loads this data into the ESI-32's memory bank from the floppy disk, hard disk or other external SCSI device. 1. Press Load. 2. If necessary, select the drive containing the bank to be loaded. The ESI-32 will default to the current drive. If you want to choose a different drive, place the cursor under the drive number in line two, select the appropriate drive and press ENTER. 23 Controls LOAD BANK from D1 Internal HD Select a Bank 3. Select the bank number that contains the bank to be loaded, then press ENTER. The display will say: Loading Bank. After a few seconds, the bank will be loaded. The display will revert to the preset selection screen. Drive Select ! Caution: All SCSI devices are listed in the drive select screen, such as a computer or another sampler on the SCSI bus. Please note that only SCSI storage devices can be selected. The Drive Select Button selects which storage device will be used when loading or saving. The ESI-32 may have an internal hard disk and/or several external SCSI devices connected. Drive Select allows you to select which storage device will be used. 1. Press Drive Select. The display shows: DRIVE SELECT D1 Sony SMO-C501 Select a Drive 2. Use the Data Entry Control or 10 Key Pad to select the desired drive, then press ENTER. Any subsequent Load or Save operations will now use the selected drive. Audition The Audition button allow you to play the currently selected sample, at its original pitch, directly from the front panel without having to connect a keyboard or other controller. (The current sample is selected in the Digital Processing module.) When you are in the Load Sample submodule, the Audition button allows you to preview samples directly off the hard disk without having to first load them. Note: When a stereo sample is auditioned, the left channel is played from both sides. Trigger Mode When Trigger Mode is activated, the buttons of the ten key pad become sound trigger buttons which can access any ten notes in the current preset. This allows the ESI-32 to be used as a stand-alone sample playback unit .In Trigger Mode, the LED next to the button illuminates and all ESI-32 functions operate normally, except that the ten key pad is now used exclusively for triggering sounds. The Trigger Buttons are programmed in the Master/Global module, Special, 7. Trigger Buttons (8/7). 24 ESI-32 Operation Manual Multimode The Multimode Button puts the ESI-32 into Multimode, where it can receive on up to 16 MIDI channels at once. Multimode is used for multitimbral sequencing and when using a keyboard that can transmit on more than one MIDI channel at a time. The Multimode screen is where you assign presets to MIDI channels for multi-timbral sequencing. You can also set the volume and stereo pan position for each channel's preset. 1. Press Multimode. The display shows: MIDI CHANNEL: 01 Volume: 127 Pan- +00 000 Synth Flute 2. Use the cursor buttons to select one of the following parameters to edit. The volume, pan and preset can be programmed for each of the 16 MIDI channels. Use the data entry control or inc/dec buttons to change the MIDI channel, Volume or Pan setting. If you do not want the ESI-32 to respond to certain MIDI channels, set the preset for those channels to "Unassigned" which is located just below preset 000. D Tip: Setting the preset to "Unassigned" also blocks incoming preset changes on that channel. MIDI CHANNEL: Volume: Pan- Unassigned 02 116 -01 Transpose This function transposes the entire ESI-32 in half-step intervals up to ± one octave. When in multimode, all channels will be transposed. When the ESI-32 is in Transpose mode, the Transpose LED will be lit steadily. A new transposition can be selected at any time, regardless of whether or not the Transpose LED is lit. Some applications are: · Use one key's fingerings in a different key. Modulate to a different key without having to use different fingerings. · Use transpose to easily reach hidden zones that lie beyond the ends of the physical keyboard. 1. Press and hold Transpose. Its LED flashes, and the display shows: TRANSPOSE Play a Key Controls 25 2. While holding Transpose, select the desired transposition interval. All transpositions are referenced to C2, the second C from the left hand side of the keyboard. Some examples are: · To transpose down one octave, press C1. · To transpose up one octave, press C3. · To transpose up a fourth, press F2. Note that pressing keys C#3-C4, C#4-C5, or C#5-C6 will, in each case, produce the same effect as pressing keys C#2-C3. 3. While holding Transpose, check the display to confirm the transposition interval. Upward transpositions are indicated with a + symbol, downward transpositions with a - symbol. For example, if the ESI-32 is transposed up a fifth, the display will show: TRANSPOSE +G Play a Key 4. Release Transpose to retain the transposition. The Transpose LED stays lit to remind you that the ESI-32 is transposed. 5. To cancel the transposition, press and hold Transpose and press C2. Display line three will go blank. Release Transpose and the LED should now be off. 26 ESI-32 Operation Manual 3 Guided Tours 1. Basics ................................. 29 2. Current Sample & Zone .... 33 3. Dynamic Processing ........... 35 4. Realtime Controls .............. 42 5. Sampling ............................ 45 6. Digital Processing .............. 47 7. Managing the Bank ............ 54 8. On Your Own ..................... 54 Guided Tours 27 28 ESI-32 Operation Manual Tour 1 Basics Welcome to the Guided Tours! If you have just met the ESI-32 for the first time, we suggest that you follow these tours until you complete the Guided Tours section. This will get you up and running on the ESI-32 in the fastest possible time. Also, you'll learn some tricks in this section that will come in handy as you play some more with the ESI-32. This tour covers how to: · Load and Save to Floppy Disks · Select Different Presets within the Bank · Tune the ESI-32 to Other Instruments · Transpose the Keyboard Loading a Bank from Floppy Disks 1. Press the Load button. Position the cursor under the drive number in line two. Select the floppy drive using the data entry control. 2. Insert the first floppy disk of the selected bank and press ENTER. The display will say: Loading Bank. Remember that loading in a new bank will erase the currently loaded bank, so always think twice before pressing ENTER to load the bank. (Since ESI-32 banks can be quite large, it may require several floppy disks to hold an entire bank. Multiple floppy disks must be inserted in the proper order. That's why it's a good idea to label them numerically.) Play the sounds from the newly loaded disks. To check out the various presets within the bank, read on. D Tip: ESI-32 banks usually do not fit on a single floppy disk. To load multiple disk banks, insert the first disk, then replace it with the next disk when asked by the ESI-32. Selecting Different Presets The bank you just loaded contains several presets. To call up a new current preset, use the up/down cursor buttons to position the cursor under the preset number, then use the keypad underneath the display. Note that leading zeroes must be entered for preset numbers (i.e. type 0, 0 and 2, not just 2, to call up preset 002). Now type 0, 0, then 2 on the keypad; these will replace the numbers indicated by the flashing cursor. Now call up more presets. If you enter a number for which there is no preset, the display will list the entered preset number and say "Empty Preset". Try again. To scroll through the presets available in the bank, turn the data entry control. The various preset names will scroll on the lower display line. When this line shows the desired preset, press ENTER to make that the current preset. This is an alternative preset selection method. Yet another method is to use the left and right cursor buttons to increment or decrement through the presets. This method allows you to arrange your presets in the proper order, then access them sequentially with a single press of a button. When you're ready to check out some more sounds, proceed. Guided Tours 29 Saving Data to a Floppy Disk The floppy disk drive can be used to make permanent backups of your work, although this can be a time consuming process, especially with large bank sizes. In preparation, you must have at least five doublesided, high-density, 3.5" diskettes on hand. Before a floppy disk can be used by the ESI-32, it must be formatted using the Format Disk function. To Format a Floppy Disk: 1. Activate the Master/Global module. 2. Select 7. Disk Utilities, 7. Format Disk (7/6). 3. Select the floppy using the data entry control and press ENTER. Position the cursor under the drive number in line two. The ESI-32 will normally default to the floppy drive. 4. Insert a floppy disk into the drive and press Yes to format. Formatting a disk will erase all information on the disk. 5. Continue to format at least four more disks. After formatting is complete, the display will ask, "Format Another?" Insert the next disk and press Yes to continue formatting. After formatting the last disk, press No. Saving Data to a Floppy Disk: 1. Press the Save button. Position the cursor under the drive number in line two. Select the floppy drive using the data entry control. 2. Insert the first floppy disk and press ENTER. The display will say, "Saving Bank". After a few seconds, the display will either ask you to insert the next disk or will revert to the main screen. If the save required multiple disks, make sure to label them numerically. Using an External Hard Disk or Syquest 270 MB Drive You may connect an external hard disk to load and save data. Before connecting any SCSI device, always make sure that power to the ESI-32 and the external SCSI device is turned Off. To Connect an External Hard Disk Drive 1. Turn all power Off to the ESI-32 and the external drive. 2. Connect the external drive to the ESI-32 using the proper type of SCSI cable. This will most likely be a 50-pin, male to male Centronics type. (Please read the SCSI section in this manual for important information on SCSI connections.) 3. Turn On the external SCSI device BEFORE the ESI-32. 4. Turn On the ESI-32. 30 ESI-32 Operation Manual To Format a Hard Disk Drive Like a floppy disk, a hard disk must also be formatted before it can be used to store information. 1. Activate the Master/Global module. 2. Select 7. Disk Utilities, 7. Format Disk (7/6). 3. Select the hard disk using the data entry control and press ENTER. Your hard disk should appear in the list of available drives. If the hard disk is not listed, use Disk Utilities, 1 to Mount Drive. After Mounting, the hard disk should appear in the list of available drives. If it does not appear, turn everything Off, then read the SCSI chapter in this manual for possible solutions. 4. Consider the consequences of your action. Formatting the hard disk will erase everything on that disk. The display will inquire if you want to do this. D Tip: See Master/Global, Disk Utilities and the SCSI section of this manual for important information about hard disk drives. 5. Press Yes to continue the formatting procedure or No to cancel the operation and return to the Module Identifier. Formatting a hard disk can take quite some time, depending on the size of the disk. Take a break. Saving Data to a Hard Disk The hard disk drive is used to make permanent backups of your work. The capacity of the floppy drive is too small to make efficient backups, therefore only the hard disk (or its equivalent) should be used for sound storage. To Save a Bank to Disk: 1. Press the Save button. Position the cursor under the drive number in line two. Select the disk drive using the data entry control. Press ENTER. 2. Use the Data entry control to select an Empty Bank. Empty banks are indicated as such, along with their bank number on line three. Saving to a non-empty bank erases the bank that was previously saved there. 3. Press ENTER to save the bank. The display will revert to the preset selection screen. Loading a Bank from a Hard Disk D Tip: Use the "Mount Drives" utility (Master/Global, Disk Utilities, 1) whenever an external SCSI device does not appear in the list of available devices. 1. Press the Load button. The display says: Load Bank, and shows the name and number of the current bank. Use the data entry control to scroll through the available hard disk banks. Stop when you find the bank you want, then press ENTER. · An alternate method of loading a hard disk bank is to press Load, then type in the number of the bank using the numeric keypad. The display will show the current preset number and name. The cursor will flash underneath the first digit. Start playing the keyboard and adjust the master volume data entry control for a comfortable listening level. Guided Tours 31 Tuning the ESI-32 to Other Instruments Refer to the Master/Globals module, 1. Master Tune. This function demonstrates how the ESI-32 uses the data entry control to adjust a parameter. Play the keyboard while adjusting the data entry control to change the overall tuning. Transposing the Keyboard Refer to the Transpose button. While holding the transpose button, play a key on the keyboard in the lower two octaves. The second C from the bottom (C2) corresponds to normal or no transposition. All transpositions are based from this C2 key. For example, pressing the G key above C2 will transpose the keyboard up a perfect fifth. If the keyboard has been transposed, the transpose LED will stay lit. Press and hold the transpose button while pressing C2 to return to normal transposition. 32 ESI-32 Operation Manual Tour 2 The Current Sample & Current Zone The ESI-32 has two modules dedicated exclusively to processing samples within a preset: Sample Management and Digital Processing. Each sample stored in a bank can be processed by the Digital Processing module independently. Therefore, we need a way to specify the current sample, which is the individual sample to be processed. The concept of the current sample is important. To process one sample out of a preset, select one sample to be the current sample, and process it. Zones are sections of the keyboard which can be selected to apply Dynamic Processing parameters or to be copied, erased or loaded from another preset. A copied zone contains samples as well as dynamic parameters. A zone can be one key or the entire keyboard range. To Identify Which Keyboard Keys Belong to Which Sample: 1. Activate the Preset Definition module. 2. Select 2. Edit Assignment. Sample Number & Name EDIT ASSIGNMENT 000 pri D2 001 Sample Name No Secondary Sample 3. Play a key on the keyboard. Line two shows the preset number and the last key pressed. Line three shows the primary sample assigned to the key, and line four shows the secondary sample, if any, assigned to the key. As you run your fingers up and down the keyboard, the primary and or secondary sample numbers will change indicating the keyboard range of those samples. Moving the data entry control will also show you the sample boundaries. 4. Choose a sample and press ENTER. The display now shows the range of the current zone on the upper line of the display. Don't play any keys but press ENTER again. Now the display shows something like this, where XX is the name of the key (such as D2). EDIT ASSIGNMENT Zone: XX to XX Select High Key Guided Tours 33 Specifying the Zone of the Dynamic Processing Module Now that we know how many samples there are in the preset, and the range covered by each sample, let's specify a range of keys to be altered by the Dynamic Processing Module, starting with the lowest key. 1. Activate the Dynamic Processing module. 2. Select 0. Select Zone. 3. Specify the range of the zone. The display instructs you to "Select Low Key". Press the lowest key on the keyboard, then press the ENTER button (whose LED is now flashing). The display then instructs you to "Select High Key". Press a key on the keyboard near the top of the keyboard, then press ENTER. The display now shows the current zone and prompts you to "Select a Submodule". At this point, you can begin modifying the sounds in the bank with the Dynamic Processing module. The assigned current zone will remain as is until you either change the current zone assignment, change presets, or load another bank. If you switch between modules, the current zone remains as assigned (unless you select the Digital Processing Module, which will be a subject of a later tour). Before proceeding, look over Dynamic Processing, 0. Select Zone to help reinforce what you've learned. Now that you know what a zone is and how to specify it, we've reached the end of this tour. Feel free to come back any time to refresh your memory. In the next tour, we'll see how to modify samples with the Dynamic Processing section. 1. Select Low Key, Enter 2. Select High Key, Enter 3. Select a Submodule & Modify Zone Any range of the keyboard can be a zone. Select the low and high keys which define the zone, then select the Dynamic Processing parameter to be modified. 34 ESI-32 Operation Manual Tour 3 Dynamic Processing The Dynamic Processing module consists of several interesting sound processing functions. Let's start with the Filter and VCA sections, as they are among the most important. The VCA function contains a Voltage Controlled Amplifier that controls the amplitude envelope of a sound. The filter function contains a Voltage Controlled Filter that controls the timbre of a sound. (Note: The voltage controlled filters and amplifiers are actually implemented digitally.) Working with the Filter A filter is a device which allows you to remove certain components of a sound depending on its frequency. For example, a Low Pass Filter, like the one in ESI-32, lets the low frequencies pass and removes only the high frequencies. 100 80 Cutoff Frequency Output of Filter Amplitude 60 40 D Tip: When the filter cutoff is set to 0 Hz, the sound will be completely cut off. The initial filter cutoff and all filter Fc modulators ADD algebraically to determine the actual Fc. If you are not getting sound, adjust the initial Fc or reduce the amount of modulation. Careful adjustment of the filter parameters is the secret of getting great sounds. 20 40 80 160 360 720 1440 2880 ... Frequency The point at which the frequencies begin to be cut is called the Cutoff Frequency (or Fc for short). A filter that lets only the high frequencies pass would be called a High Pass filter. Using a filter, we now have a way to control the harmonic content of a sampled sound. As it turns out, a low pass filter can simulate the response of many natural sounds. For example, when a piano string is struck by its hammer, there are initially a lot of high frequencies present. If the same note is played softer, there will be fewer of the high frequencies generated by the string. We can simulate this effect by routing the velocity of the keyboard to control the amount of high frequencies that the low pass filter lets through. The result is expressive, natural control over the sound. The VCF envelope generator is used to control the cutoff frequency of the low pass filter. This allows the frequency content to be varied dynamically over the course of the note. Dynamic filtering coupled with different samples makes for endless possibilities in the final sound. Another control on the low pass filter is called Q or resonance. Turning up the Q of the filter tends to emphasize the frequencies around the cutoff frequency. In terms of sound, frequencies around the cutoff will tend to "ring" with high Q settings. If the filter is swept back and forth slowly with a high Q, various overtones will be "picked out" of the sound and amplified as the resonant peak sweeps over them. Bells and gongs are real world examples of sounds which have a high Q. Amplitude Low Q Med Q High Q Frequency Turning up the "Q" will emphasize the frequencies around the cutoff point. Guided Tours 35 You could activate the Filter Setup function directly by keying in 3. However, let's investigate another way to select the filter function. Move the data entry control to catalog the various Dynamic Processing functions. When the display shows function 3. VCF press ENTER. , To Change the Filter Cutoff Frequency: 1. Activate the Dynamic Processing module, 3. VCF The display . should look something like this: VCF Cutoff: Q: 22049 Hz 0%