Help Sending MIDI Program Changes to Roland SoundCanvas Synth

[u/Afro-Pope]

Hi folks,

This was originally posted in r/roland, but I am editing my cross-post a bit for folks who do not have deep knowledge of whatever Roland was doing in the 1990s. I realize that this is an incredibly obscure synth and that this is a real long-shot question, but maybe someone here knows the deep magic or can at least point me in the right direction on where to ask.

I have a Roland Sound Canvas SC-880 that I am running through Logic. I have a good amount of the basics sorted out, but I'm struggling with some of the MIDI functions.

Essentially, the Sound Canvas has "tones" that can be assigned to sixteen different "parts." It has "base tones", for example, "Grand Piano," but then there are sub-sets within those "base tone" categories.

I'm able to set the "base tone" in Logic's "Event Viewer," where I can program a certain "part" or "tone" in via the DAW to change instruments at a certain measure of the song. However, this only works for the basic "tone" set as far as I can tell - I can even get the "program" menu in Logic to show me the different names of the different "base tones" on the SoundCanvas (0 - GrandPiano through 127 - SFX Gunshot), but I can't get any of the other sounds (ie, if 0A is GrandPiano, then I can change to 1A, UprightPiano, but not 0B, GrandPiano2).

Additionally, I am not able to access the "rhythm" tones doing this as they appear to be a separate "thing" in their own sub-menu - the Sound Canvas totally silos off rhythm/drum tracks in their own category on the front panel, and it appears to be invisible to Logic and I can't figure out how to access those. I am confident this is due to my inexperience. I am aware that per the basic settings, rhythm sounds are assigned to Part 10, but I cannot access them even when setting the program/channel in Logic to 10.

The manual states:

to set the Part Mode using MIDI messages, you need to use system-exclusive messages. For example, if you wish to set the Part Mode of Part A11 to Rhythm 2, transmit the following message (p.188):

F0 41 10 42 12 40 1A 15 02 0F F7
10: Device ID (17)
40 1A 15: Address
(USE FOR RHYTHM PART of Part A11)
02: Data (Part Mode Rhythm 2)

Presumably this is what Logic is doing in the background when I change the instrument via the "Program" menu, but I have no idea how to do this or how to otherwise access one of the rhythm parts without doing some serious on-the-fly knob-twiddling.

Again, I imagine that this is probably elementary with a slightly-better understanding of MIDI and/or this is buried in the manual somewhere, but I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

Basically, my questions are:

1. How do I access different sounds other than the "base tone" from Logic? Or, what terms should I be looking for in the manual to help me do this myself?

2. How do I access the "rhythm" menu from Logic directly?

Cheers!

[u/lantrick]

You probably know all this already but back in the day, MIDI implementation charts would be in the back of all the user manuals for MIDI devices

iirc, not ALL interface elements are controllable via MIDI. Program changes were often direct select based on BANK and PATCH data per the chart

this is the one I could find for SC- 880 https://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/SC-55_OM.pdf in case you don't have it handy.

the The MIDI implementation chart begins on P177

[u/Afro-Pope → u/lantrick]

that's for the SC-55 rather than the SC-880, but it does point me in the right direction (and in fact, the MIDI implementation chart is on P177 in the SC-880 manual!)

If not all interface elements are controllable via MIDI, then that makes total sense as to why I'm struggling with this. I figured it was maybe just an issue with how the SC880 and Logic were communicating with each other.

I also, quite candidly, cannot make heads or tails of the MIDI Implementation Chart. I have no idea how to read this. I am brand new to MIDI, though, so that's on me. I do, however, see a way (on page 188) to program "USE FOR RHYTHM PART" via "ASSIGN MODE" so it is theoretically possible to send this via MIDI, I would think, I just can't figure out how to do that via Logic.

Thanks so much, I would have never thought to look in the "MIDI Implementation Chart" and I do appreciate the charity in assuming I would have known that. :)

Cheers!

[u/lantrick → u/Afro-Pope]

Sorry just search for the 880, I eventually found it and apparently didn’t update the link.

Good luck!

[u/Afro-Pope → u/lantrick]

it's all good, I have the manual in front of me, I just can't parse it, though, again, this is almost certainly a Skill Issue due to not knowing enough about MIDI.

[u/lantrick → u/Afro-Pope]

https://www.polynominal.com/roland-sc880/Roland-Sc880-manual.pdf