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- Music Quest
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- Diagnostics and Utilities
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- User's Guide
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- Copyright (c) 1991 by Music Quest, Inc.
-
- All rights reserved. No part of this program or User's Guide may be
- reproduced, or distributed in any form, or distributed by any means, or
- stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written
- permission of Music Quest, Inc.
-
- Software License
-
- You may use the software on any computer you own. The general rule is to
- treat the software like a book. Only one person can read a book at one
- time. You may copy the program diskette for back up purposes. You may not
- provide copies of the manual or software for any multiple user arrangement.
-
- Warranty/Disclaimer
-
- Music Quest warrants the program diskette to be free from defects in
- materials and workmanship, under normal use, for a period of ninety (90)
- days. If during this 90 day period a defect should occur, the defective
- diskette may be returned for repair or replacement. This program is
- supplied on an "as is" basis, without any warranty of any kind, either
- expressed or implied. No claim is made for merchantability or fitness for
- any purpose. The author does not warrant that this product will meet your
- requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free.
- The entire risk as to quality and performance of this product is with you.
- Since some states do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, the
- above exclusion may not apply. This warranty gives you specific legal
- rights, and you may have other legal rights which may vary from state to
- state.
-
- Music Quest assumes no liability to you, any other person, or entity for
- any damage or loss of any kind caused by this product, either directly or
- indirectly. Some states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of
- liability for consequential or incidental damages. Therefore, the above
- limitation may not apply to you.
-
- Trademarks and Acknowledgements
-
- PC MIDI Card, MQX-16 and MQX-32 are trademarks of Music Quest, Inc. All
- other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.
-
- Inquiries
-
- Music Quest, Inc.
- PO Box 260963
- Plano, TX 75026-0963
- (214) 881-7408
-
-
- Rev 2.31 91.002
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- Music Quest Diagnostics and Utilities
-
-
-
-
- Contents
-
-
-
-
- Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
- Starting MQDIAG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
-
- Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
- Start Up Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
- Diagnostic Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
- Determining Firmware Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
-
- Trace Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
-
- Basic Sequencer Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
- Record and Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
- Sequencer Set Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
-
- Chase Lock Sync Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
- How to Verify a CLS Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
- Writing a Chase Lock Sync Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
- Transferring (Writing) a Chase Lock Sync Track . . . . . . . . . . 8
-
- SMPTE Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
- Verifying a SMPTE Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
- Writing a SMPTE Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
- Controlling MIDI Time Code Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
- Activating SMPTE to MIDI Sync Conversion Mode . . . . . . . . . . 9
-
- Using the Channel Remapping Facility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
-
- Controlling the Programmable Metronome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
- Using MQDIAG to Change the Programmable Metronome . . . . . . . . 11
- Setting the Programmable Metronome through Your AUTOEXEC.BAT
- File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
-
- Channel Splitting Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
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- 3
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- Music Quest Diagnostics and Utilities
-
- Overview
-
- The Diagnostics and Utilities program (MQDIAG) is design to meet several
- goals. First, it is designed to enable owners of Music Quest MIDI
- interfaces to access features which are not available through your
- software. A good example is the MQX-32M's SMPTE feature. MQDIAG can set up
- the MQX-32M so that you can use SMPTE as a basic sync source with any
- sequencer that supports ordinary MIDI sync.
-
- Second, the Diagnostics and Utilities program provides many utility
- functions that are not found in ordinary MIDI products. For example,
- MQDIAG can show you a trace of all MIDI data being received. The trace
- utility can be used to locate problems in your MIDI set-up, or it can be
- used to learn about one of your MIDI devices.
-
- Finally, the Diagnostics and Utilities program provides a way for you to
- check out the operation of your Music Quest product. In this capacity,
- MQDIAG serves as a diagnostic tool so that Music Quest technical support
- personnel can provide you with better service.
-
- The capabilities of MQDIAG can be broken down into the following
- categories:
-
- 1. Basic sequencer utilities for record and playback using various
- different sync modes.
-
- 2. Trace utilities to examine incoming MIDI data.
-
- 3. Chase Lock Sync utilities to allow you to verify correct
- operation of the MQX-32M and MQX-16(S) CLS feature. These
- utilities include a unique function which enables you to write a
- Chase Lock Sync track under control of another MIDI device. One
- application of this function is to transfer a Chase Lock Sync
- track from one tape to another.
-
- 4. SMPTE utilities to allow you to gain limited access to the MQX-32M
- and MQX-16S's SMPTE facility without special software. With
- these utilities you can do things like read or write a SMPTE
- track or activate the MQX-16S and MQX-32M's SMPTE to MIDI sync
- conversion feature.
-
- 5. Set Up options to control MIDI channel remapping and the
- programmable metronome.
-
-
- Starting MQDIAG
-
- To start MQDIAG type the following command at the DOS prompt:
-
- MQDIAG [/Aport_address] [/Iirq_number] [/S]
-
- MQDIAG recognizes two command line options that you can use to specifically
- identify the I/O port address and IRQ number of your interface. If you
- installed your MIDI interface at the factory default I/O address (330),
- then you can omit the port address. If you changed the base I/O address,
- be sure to include the port address as a command option. For example:
-
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- Music Quest Diagnostics and Utilities
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- MQDIAG /A300
-
- would start MQDIAG for an interface installed at I/O address 300.
-
- In most PCs, MQDIAG can automatically determine which interrupt your
- interface is using. However, some devices like mice, interfere with
- MQDIAGs ability to find the correct IRQ. As a result, you can tell MQDIAG
- to look at a specific IRQ number by specifying it on the command line. For
- example:
-
- MQDIAG /I7
-
- would tell MQDIAG to look for the interface at IRQ 7. You can specify both
- address and IRQ options, so:
-
- MQDIAG /A330 /I2
-
- would be a valid set of options specifying port address 0x330 and IRQ 2.
-
- Additionally, the /S option can be used to allow MQDIAG to search all
- possible addresses for the MIDI interface, instead of only searching 330
- and 300. This may be useful with the MQX-32 or MQX-32M.
-
- Diagnostics
-
- Start Up Diagnostics
-
- When you start MQDIAG, it runs through a set of diagnostic routines. These
- routines perform the following actions.
-
- 1. Attempt to locate and identify your MIDI interface. The goal is
- to determine the I/O address, interrupt level and interface type.
-
- 2. Determine if interrupt conflicts exist. One of the most
- frequently encountered problems is the interrupt conflict.
-
- After these diagnostics complete, MQDIAG will display a screen showing you
- the results of its analysis. The results include the interface type,
- firmware revision, IRQ level, I/O address, potential interrupt conflict
- status, and interrupt level use status.
-
- The "IRQ Summary" reflects how MQDIAG sees IRQ utilization (it does not
- identify specific I/O devices). For each IRQ, MQDIAG will report:
-
- AVAIL This IRQ is not currently in use. This does not imply the
- absence of a card that may be using the IRQ.
- It merely reports that at this instant the given IRQ is not
- enabled for interrupts. For example, if you have a printer
- port (LPT1), you might expect IRQ 7 to be in use. However,
- very few if any programs use interrupts with printers.
- Therefore, you are apt to always see IRQ 7 marked
- "AVAIL", even if you have a printer port. This situation
- also applies to COM ports (COM1 and COM2). Unless you have
- a resident communication program, such as a mouse driver,
- the IRQ(s) for COM ports will always appear "AVAIL", even
- though the COM ports are installed.
-
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- Music Quest Diagnostics and Utilities
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- In Use The IRQ is currently enabled. This means that the IRQ is
- being used by the basic machine or by an adapter card.
- IRQs marked as "In Use" are not available for use by your
- MIDI interface.
-
- MQX-32 An MQX-32 interface card was found to be using this IRQ.
-
- MQX-32M An MQX-32M interface card was found to be using this IRQ.
-
- MQX-16 An MQX-16 interface card was found to be using this IRQ.
-
- MQX-16S An MQX-16S interface card was found to be using this IRQ.
-
- MCC A MIDI Coprocessor Card was found to be using this IRQ.
-
- PCMIDI A PC MIDI Card was found to be using this IRQ.
-
-
- Diagnostic Messages
-
- The diagnostic routines may report one of several outcomes. Here are the
- different messages and how to interpret each message.
-
- "MQX-32M found at IRQ n, I/O address xxx"
-
- This message indicates that the diagnostics found your interface and that
- communication with the interface was successful. If you do not see this
- message, there may be a problem. The MQX-32M designator shown above will be
- replaced by the type of card that you have installed, such as a PCMIDI or
- MQX-16.
-
- "Interface found, but unable to determine IRQ level"
- "Interrupt levels checked: 2, 3, 5, 7"
- "I/O address checked: 330"
-
- This set of messages informs you that the interface was found, but that
- full communication could not be established. The most likely cause of this
- situation is an interrupt conflict. That is, you have another card in your
- system that is using the same interrupt level as your MIDI interface. The
- corrective action is to change the interface card to another interrupt
- level and rerun MQDIAG. The best way to approach this problem is to try
- IRQ 2 first, then IRQ 7, IRQ 3, and finally, IRQ 5. Before trying a
- different IRQ, consult the "IRQ Summary". The IRQ must be marked
- "AVAIL" or else it is not available for use.
-
- "No interface found"
- "Interrupt levels checked: 2, 3, 5, 7"
- "I/O address checked: 330"
-
- This set of messages tells you that the diagnostic routines could not
- locate your MIDI interface. The most probable cause of this error is that
- you installed your interface at an alternate I/O address. MQDIAG only
- checks for your interface at address 330 and 300, unless you start MQDIAG
- with the /S command. Try running the program again with the /S command.
-
- "Installed MIDI interface is not a Music Quest product"
-
- This message indicates that MQDIAG has found a MIDI interface, but it is
- not a Music Quest product. MQDIAG only works with Music Quest interface
- cards.
-
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- 6
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- Music Quest Diagnostics and Utilities
-
-
- Determining Firmware Level
-
- If you need to know the firmware revision level of your MIDI interface,
- there are two ways to obtain it. First, the start up diagnostics show the
- firmware level as part of the diagnostic summary (see above). Second, you
- can use the Program EPROM Level function at any time.
-
-
- Trace Utilities
-
- Three different trace functions are provided. The interpreted trace
- displays incoming MIDI data in "English". The hex trace displays incoming
- MIDI data in "raw" hexadecimal notation. The hex trace + pass through
- function not only shows data in hexadecimal notation, it passes the data
- "thru" to MIDI-out. This gives the capability of placing your computer in
- the middle of a MIDI cable where it can act as a data analyzer.
-
-
- Basic Sequencer Functions
-
-
- Record and Playback
-
- MQDIAG includes a very basic one track sequencer which is capable of
- recording and playing back MIDI data. These basic functions are intended to
- verify that your interface's sequencing features are operational. The basic
- record/play capability can be used with all of the MQX-16 and MQX-32M's sync
- facilities (internal sync, Chase Lock/MIDI sync, and SMPTE). For example,
- you can record under internal sync and play back your recording using Chase
- Lock sync.
-
- Please note that these basic functions ARE NOT intended to be used in place
- of a separate sequencer.
-
-
- Sequencer Set Up
-
- The Sequencer menu contains a Set Up item. The Set Up window gives you the
- capability to adjust tempo, set the metronome meter (beats/measure),
- enable/disable the metronome, enable/disable the MIDI Thru feature, and
- enable/disable the sending of MIDI Time Code messages.
-
-
- Chase Lock Sync Utilities
-
-
- How to Verify a CLS Track
-
- The Chase Lock SPP Trace menu item gives you a way to quickly verify a CLS
- track. After calling up the SPP Trace function, shuttle the tape to
- different points and let it play. When play starts, display should reflect
- a new Song Position Pointer followed by a MIDI Continue. When you stop the
- tape, you should see a MIDI Stop. If you start the tape from the
- beginning, you will see a MIDI Start instead of a MIDI Continue.
-
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- Music Quest Diagnostics and Utilities
-
- This type of test verifies that the sync track is in fact Chase Lock that
- the MQX-16 or MQX-32M can lock on to.
-
-
- Writing a Chase Lock Sync Track
-
- If you need to stripe a tape with Chase Lock sync, you can use the Write
- Tape function on the ChaseLock menu. Be sure to use the Set Up function to
- establish the tempo you want.
-
-
- Transferring (Writing) a Chase Lock Sync Track
-
- If you have an external sync box such as an Roland SBX-80, J.L. Cooper PPS-
- 1, or Synhance MTS, you might want to "transfer" the sync information from
- the external box to the MQX-16 or MQX-32M. In essence, you want to
- translate a tape from one sync format to another:
-
- Tape (Sync Box format) --> Sync Box --> MQX-32M --> Tape (CLS format)
- MQX-16
-
- You can accomplish this by using the ChaseLock Transfer CLS function.
- Follow these steps.
-
- 1. Call up the Transfer CLS function.
- 2. Start the "output" tape (the one receiving the CLS track)
- recording.
- 3. Start the "input" tape and associated sync box playing.
- 4. As sync track transfer proceeds, the beat counter will advance
- one beat for every 24 MIDI clocks transferred.
-
-
- SMPTE Utilities
-
-
- Verifying a SMPTE Track
-
- There are two functions on the SMPTE menu that you can use to check a SMPTE
- track.
-
- The Frame Trace function reads a SMPTE track, displaying the format and
- current location. As the tape spins, so does the location (frame address).
- You can use this function to verify the format and determine the address
- range.
-
- The Cue Point function is similar to the Frame Trace. It allows you to
- look for a specific frame address. If the target cue point is hit, the
- program gives you an audible notification.
-
-
- Writing a SMPTE Track
-
- The SMPTE Write Tape function provides a simple way for you to stripe a
- tape with SMPTE. You can specify the origin address (sometimes referred to
- as the SMPTE offset), frame format, and duration of the sync track. For
-
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- Music Quest Diagnostics and Utilities
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- routine audio work an origin address of 00:00:00:00 and 30 frame non-drop
- format will work nicely.
-
-
- Controlling MIDI Time Code Messages
-
- MIDI Time Code Messages are produced when SMPTE is written or read.
- Typically, these messages are transmitted to MIDI-out so that other devices
- in a MIDI system can use them as a synchronization source.
-
- Unfortunately, MIDI Time Code is a more recent addition to the MIDI
- Specification. As a result, there are a number of MIDI devices that do not
- recognize the MTC messages. Some will not tolerate MTC messages, meaning
- that they can go into various "undefined" states. If you suspect that your
- MIDI device does not correctly handle MTC messages, be sure to consult the
- synthesizer manufacturer.
-
- If you suspect that you have such a problem, you can disable the sending of
- MTC messages. Select the "Set Up" menu item on the SMPTE menu. Find the
- "MTC messages to MIDI-out" switch and set if to Off. Press ENTER to
- disable further sending of MTC messages.
-
-
- Activating SMPTE to MIDI Sync Conversion Mode
-
- The MQX's SMPTE facility was designed to encourage a wide range of SMPTE
- based applications. Thus, without an application the SMPTE feature can not
- be used. However, the MQX-16S and MQX-32M include a special SMPTE mode that
- allows you to use SMPTE with an sequencer that supports MIDI sync.
-
- This special mode is called "SMPTE to MIDI sync conversion". If you are
- familiar with the Roland SBX-80, you might call this mode of operation
- "SBX-80 emulation" mode.
-
- To use SMPTE to MIDI sync conversion, you need to stripe a tape with SMPTE.
- Then, call up the SMPTE to MIDI function under the SMPTE menu. The program
- will ask you for a cue point. This cue point represents where you want
- your sequencer to begin operation. If you are doing routine audio work,
- and you have striped a tape starting at 00:00:00:00, it is suggested that
- you use 00:00:03:00 as the starting cue point. This means that your
- sequencer will start at 3 seconds into the SMPTE track.
-
- After you set the cue point and activate conversion mode, run your
- sequencer. Put it into MIDI sync mode and prepare it for record/play.
- Then, rewind the tape to the beginning of the sync track and start the
- tape. When the tape reaches the cue point, it will send your sequencer a
- MIDI Start command, which in turn causes your sequencer to run. You can
- stop your sequencer by stopping the tape or by sequencer command.
-
- In summary, SMPTE to MIDI sync conversion mode allows you to use SMPTE as a
- clock source, while your sequencer thinks it is being driven by an external
- MIDI device.
-
- NOTE: When SMPTE to MIDI sync conversion mode is active, all other SMPTE
- capabilities of the MQX-16S and MQX-32M are disabled. If you want to
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- Music Quest Diagnostics and Utilities
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- deactivate the conversion mode, use the utilities program's SMPTE to MIDI
- function.
-
-
- Using the Channel Remapping Facility
-
- MQDIAG gives you the capability to set up the MIDI Channel Remapping
- feature of the PC MIDI Card, MQX-16(S) and MQX-32M. The remapping feature
- performs a "channel transposition" of MIDI-in messages.
-
- An example will illustrate the function. Suppose you have a keyboard that
- only produces messages for MIDI channel 1. You have a multi-timbral sound
- module that supports multiple channels, and you would like to have your
- keyboard drive MIDI channel 4. Pull down the Program menu and and select
- Channel Remap. For MIDI-in channel 1, set the remap value to 4 and press
- ENTER. From now on, all channel 1 messages will be changed into channel 4
- messages. This includes messages that go "thru" your interface as well as
- those that you record.
-
- Channel Remap Feature (MCC/PC MIDI/MQX-16/MQX-32M)
- ┌───────────────────┐
- Channel 1 │ Change channel │
- message │ number according │ Channel 4 message
- ──────────────>│ to channel remap ├──────────┬────────────> PC
- MIDI-in │ table │ │
- │ │ │
- └───────────────────┘ │
- │
- │
- <─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
- MIDI-out
-
-
- Controlling the Programmable Metronome
-
- The Music Quest PCMIDI and MQX-32M interfaces feature a unique programmable
- metronome. The programmable metronome triggers an external MIDI device by
- sending it an appropriate note-on/note-off message when the metronome is
- supposed to sound. This feature allows you to have a metronome whose sound
- is totally under your control. The power-on state of the interface card
- provides for two separate metronome sounds (MIDI messages). One message is
- sent for the downbeat, while the second is sent for all other beats. The
- default messages are:
-
- Downbeat - channel 10, note number 36, with a velocity of 64. This
- corresponds to a bass drum in the Roland percussion assignments found
- on products such as the MT-32.
-
- Other beats - channel 10, note number 56, with a velocity of 64. This
- corresponds to a cowbell in the Roland percussion assignments found on
- products such as the MT-32.
-
- If you want to change the metronome messages after installation, you can do
- so by using the MQDIAG program.
-
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- Music Quest Diagnostics and Utilities
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- NOTE: If you did not install your interface by using the INSTALL batch
- file, you must do so before using MQDIAG to modify the metronome. Be sure
- to consult the Installation Guide for instructions.
-
-
- Using MQDIAG to Change the Programmable Metronome
-
- The programmable metronome is changed through the Options Metronome menu
- item. When you select the Options Metronome function, MQDIAG shows you a
- window containing all of the metronome parameters. After adjusting the
- parameters, press ENTER to audition the changes. When you are finished,
- press ESC or CTRL-D to pull down the Done menu. Press ENTER to select the
- "Done with metronome" action.
-
-
- Setting the Programmable Metronome through Your AUTOEXEC.BAT File
-
- When you turn your computer off, any changes you made to the metronome
- parameters will be lost (remember, they were saved in the metronome
- control file). When you turn your computer on, you can easily return the
- metronome parameters to your preferences. This is done by running the
- MQSETUP program from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
-
- The MQSETUP program requires one argument, the name of the metronome
- control file (MQSETUP.PRO) For example, if you add the following line to
- your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, it will set up the metronome according to the
- parameters saved in the file MQSETUP.PRO.
-
- MQSETUP MQSETUP.PRO
-
- If the file is in a subdirectory, be sure to include the full path so that
- MQSETUP knows where to look for the file.
-
- NOTE: The INSTALL batch file will set up all of this for you. Be sure to
- consult your Installation Guide.
-
-
- Channel Splitting Feature
-
- Newer and upgraded versions of the MQX-32M provide a unique MIDI-out channel
- splitting feature. This feature is designed to maximize the value of the
- MQX-32M's two MIDI-out ports when used with software that does not have
- specific support for the MQX-32M.
-
- This feature allows you to designate which MIDI-out port(s) you want
- messages to be routed through. For example, you might want to have all
- channel 1-8 messages routed to MIDI-out port 1, while all channel 9-16
- messages are routed to MIDI-out port 2.
-
- The channel split feature can be customized during installation or through
- MQDIAG (Options menu, Channel split item).
-
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