Sending MIDI commands to PSR-520

[jreynolds]

I am trying to use an Arduino to send MIDI commands to a PSR-520.  The 520 manual says that this 23 year old keyboard supports GM MIDI and also an expanded set called XG MIDI.  I can send NOTE ON and NOTE OFF commands with no problem, and also MASTER TUNING commands, but I cannot figure out how to make some other features work.  I wanted to press a lower key while ONE FINGER MODE was turned on (in order to trigger auto-accompaniment), but with the MIDI NOTE command, I only succeeded in playing the low key note, not in triggering the auto-accompaniment that is triggered when you actually touch a key.  I talked to a Yamaha tech who said my piano was too old to support those types of commands, but newer models would work (he did not say which models.)  Now I am trying to trigger TRANSPOSE commands or COARSE TUNING commands, and again cannot get them to work as I had hoped.

For example, following the 520 manual, I sent the hex string F0 43 10 4C 00 00 06 42.  This is the GM Parameter Change command for TRANSPOSE that Yamaha says they support on P91 of the manual, and did raise the tuning two semitones, but it only affects notes called by MIDI commands, not notes played on the actual keys.  So I worry that, like my failure with auto-accompaniment, perhaps my old piano cannot use the TRANSPOSE or COARSE TUNING commands to accomplish what I want - Arduino-driven transposing of the key notes.  Strange though, since MASTER TUNING does work on the keys, but it does not have enough range to actually transpose very far (limited to + or + 100 cents). Based on posts I found at XG-central.com, I tried resetting the GM package with the hex command F0 7E 7F 09 01 F7, and the XG package with F0 43 10 4C 00 00 7E 00 F7, but this had no effect.  Perhaps the 520 manual is alluding to the problem I am having by this sentence about MASTER TUNING: "This value affects not only MIDI reception part but the entire system of the PSR-520."  (As if maybe the other commands DON'T affect the entire system?)

If anyone has any advice on whether I can resolve this problem with TRANSPOSE, I would appreciate it.  I also would appreciate any advice on a different model keyboard that would definitely support TRANSPOSE of the keys.  Is there an exact feature or specification I should be looking for to be able to access TRANSPOSE through MIDI commands?

Thanks very much,  Jack

[vlbrgt]

Jack,

The PSR520 does not has the possibility to receive chords in Meta or Sy*** commands (at least it is not mentioned in the manual).
Neither there is a channel that is accepting the notes to trigger the auto-accompaniment.

Even in my Genos the transpose sy*** F0 43 10 4C 00 00 06 xx F7 is only working for the midi notes and not for the notes played on the keyboard.

What could you do ?
Set the PSR520 to local Off (page 74) and the notes that you play will be send to the midi OUT connector (they will not play on the keyboard).
You connect this midi OUT to your arduino and after your arduino program has managed the received notes (Transposed, velocity change...) you send them back to your keyboard via connector midi IN.


But your keyboard has the possibility to transpose the keys you play. So why are you trying to transpose externally ?


Download the manuals and the Reference manuals for different keyboards at the yamaha site, and you can find out what are the possibilities of the different keyboards.

Regards
Etienne

[jreynolds]

<<But your keyboard has the possibility to transpose the keys you play. So why are you trying to transpose externally ?>>

Etienne-

Thank you for your response and your valuable information.  I will check the manuals of other models.  (My goal is to have a 12-position rotary switch "key selector" that would be faster and more convenient than the cursor-and-buttons transpose system built into the 520.  I had an old Casio that did this and became used to quickly spinning the dial as I played in C, in order to find the key of a song I was trying to play along with on the radio.  If I were a decent musician, I would be able to play in any key, but C and me are best friends.  The Casio also had a manual knob for instant fine tuning, which allowed me to tune my piano to others in our group, rather than all of them having to tune to me.   So, I have been trying to turn a 23 year old Yamaha into a 30 year old Casio...... )

Jack

[vlbrgt]

Jack,

A keyboard with two buttons 'Transpose +' and 'Transpose -' would that be a solution ?
The transpose goes with steps of -1 or +1 semitones, with maximun -12 or +12.
This gives you a direct access to a immediate transpose

Some higher end keyboards do have these buttons.
Take for example the Yamaha PSR S670 (!!! Attention : has no midi OUT/IN)

Regards
Etienne

[jreynolds]

Thank you for the suggestion.  My 520 takes 2 cursor punches and then the up-down buttons will transpose, not too much extra effort. 

What I have really wanted to do for years is to have MIDI control of auto-accompaniment.  Then I could change 520 chords with a footswitch and play a guitar with both hands.  I have tried everything I can think of to make this happen.  On older pianos I was able to wire directly into the key switches, but then they invented velocity-sensitive sensors and I could not figure out how to mimic them with a simple switch.  I even resorted to the most crude of all solutions - electric solenoids hovering over the keys that control auto-accompaniment (see photo).  It works, but is very clunky and low tech!

Thanks,

Jack

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[Toril S]

Jack! You are most creative. Never seen anything like it!!!