Electone US-1 MIDI help

[Guest]

Our church inherited this organ and we are trying to set it up to play downloaded MIDI hymns. It seems to play properly when using the keyboard and pedals and the various register changing buttons seem to function.
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We have a couple floppies that came with the organ and they seem to play back fine, but if I download MIDI organ files to a floppy they will not work at all. When I insert the operable floppies in my PC to identify the difference between them and the newly downloaded files that do not work, the PC says the floppies are not formatted and cannot be processed. The newly downloaded floppies are on a formatted disk but do not work. I've used the downloaded formatted floppies in a dealer's Clavinova and they work fine (haven't used the unformatted ones yet with the Clavinova).
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My PDF user manual doesn't address any MIDI use or playback issues so I'm not sure where to check.</p>

Any suggestions?
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Also, when I use the operable but unformatted floppies it sets all the register buttons to a configuration for each recorded song and it sounds fine when playing the recording, but if I immediately use the keyboard with those same preloaded settings the organ sounds different than with the recorded music.</p>

Any more suggestions?
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[andyg]

Re: Electone US-1 MIDI help



Two problems here that you may not be able to solve.</p>

1) Downloaded files from the net will almost certainly be in SMF format. That's Standard MIDI File, and using GM, or General MIDI sounds. This is a pretty much universal format, but I have a feeling that the US1 predates it and is not GM or SMF compatible. This is why your downloaded files work in the Clavinova, which is GM/SMF compatible.
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2) The actual formatting of the disks may be different. Current 3.5" formatting is 1.4MB, or HD (High Density). I think the MDR unit in the US1 uses 720kB (DD or Double Density) or even 360kB SD (Single Density). MDR drives are also nearing the end of their shelf life mechanically and are prone to all sorts of problems. Replacements are being discussed in another thread here, with no positive news so far.
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There may be some Yamaha experts here that know the answers, but I think you may be out of luck. Perhaps you might be able to use a laptop or PC to drive the US1 via MIDI cables, and then edit all the downloaded files and set up suitable registrations in the US1 to make them compatible.</p>

Yamaha gurus, step up and answer please.....</p>

Andy G
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[Guest]

Re: Electone US-1 MIDI help



Not familiar, does it have a midi in? If not maybe out of luck as the floppy disk format is probably not dos compatable. Many early digitals used a non-dos operating system. </P>


You probably have a format routine in the organ that will setup the disk then you can record through the organ. Also you could use a PC to play via midi into the organ.</P>
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[Guest]

Re: Electone US-1 MIDI help

I appreciate the help even though the news is bad.

[Guest]

Re: Electone US-1 MIDI help

Midi requires some study, don't give up. You should also be able to deal with the floppy situation. A techie should be able to come up with a solution. If you can't find midi info for you your model electone, my guess is that it will be the same as other electone products of the same vintage, check the yamaha downloads page and the manuals page. This site may help http://www.electone.com/museum/

[andyg]

Re: Electone US-1 MIDI help



Thanks for the link everiman.</p>

I've looked through the book and confirmed what I thought. The organ is not SMF/GM compatible and the drive requires the now very hard to find double density disks. There is, alas, no solution that a techie could come up with re the organ or the floppies.
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This means that the only way to replay your downloaded hymns is to use a computer or laptop, linked via a MIDI cable of some kind, with some form of playback software. (Windows media player might do this with a push). You'd then have to set up all the 16 registrations in the US as required and edit the downloaded MIDI files so that the appropriate registrations are selected at the right times. Not an easy task</p>

As an organist who has occasionally been 'replaced' by digital and other means, I have to say that an organist would solve all your problems by playing the organ live.[:)]</p>

If you really need all your hymns played digitally, there are digital hymnals designed for the purpose. Not cheap but foolproof and reliable.</p>

Andy G
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[Guest]

Re: Electone US-1 MIDI help

Thanks andyg. The PC procedure would be far too cumbersome. I think you are correct that it would be more cost effective to hire an organist.

[fredy2]

Re: Electone US-1 MIDI help



You might try formatting the floppies as 720 Kb. You would need to cover the one hole in the corner of the floppy, Compare the ones that work to the ones you tried to find which of the two to cover.</P>


Also you should degauss the disks before reformating lest artifacts of the 1.44 Mb remain.</P>


There are other methods to use including finding a floppy to MIDI disk unit. There were a couple available...</P>


All this will still be "canned" music which you could do the same with a CD player and suitable CD's.</P>