MIDI channels and sequencers

[enuenu]

I don’t understand the use of channels in MIDI. I have a PC with Reaper sequencing software installed, Tascam US-144 interface and an old Yamaha PSR-140 MIDI capable synth. I looked in the manual for the PSR-140 and it stated the following;

"On the PSR-140 the following channels (8 total) are enabled for MIDI reception: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,10. the MIDI transmit channels are fixed to the following data:
Channel 1 = Keyboard, harmony
Channel 2 = Bass
Channel 3 = Chord
Channel 4 - 7 = Other
Channel 10 = Rhythm"

I have been told that the MIDI channel in which data is sent from the synth is dictated the synth. So if I were to select “record input from all MIDI channels” in Reaper and play a piece with beats, bass and piano, I would expect to see all these notes/ticks on a single track in the Reaper MIDI editor. The only thing distinguishing the different voices would be that they would all be on different MIDI channels.

However all MIDI is being recorded on Channel 1 in Reaper. If I select to record MIDI input from anything but “All Channels” or “Channel 1”, nothing is recorded, regardless of the voice being used.

I thought that MIDI channels within a track were analogous to tracks within a project/song. For example, within a single track you could have three different voices from the synth making sounds on three different channels simultaneously.

Here is an example of something I tried. I select a bass voice on the synth and record a melody (selecting "All Channels" for MIDI input in Reaper.) It is recorded on Channel 1. I thought it would have been recorded on Channel 2 as per the manual info.

If I repeat this, but select "Channel 2" instead of "All Channels" for the MIDI Input to be recorded (thinking this matches with what the manual is saying for bass voices), nothing is recorded.

In fact no matter what voice setting on the PSR-140 I choose before beginning to record, all notes/ticks are recorded on Channel 1 (When All Channels selected for MIDI Input).

When playing these recordings back through the synth (after setting MIDI Hardware Output to Tascam US-144 on the Reaper routing window), I hear the recorded MIDI track played back through the synth using a default piano voice. The voice originally played is not heard.

Here is what I though would happen. Let's say you have a MIDI synth playing looped beats and looped bass melodies simultaneously. Then you improvise a keyboard solo over the top. Reaper would record all this on one track, BUT would put each of the three different components of the "song" on different MIDI channels as dictated by the way the synth outputs its data. When recording you would have to select "All Channels" for “MIDI Input” in Reaper. For example the synth might be sending the drums on channel 10, the looped sound on channel 4 and the solo on channel 1, but it would all be recorded on a single Reaper track. Is this how it works?

Any advice on how channels work appreciated.

[garww]

Look at the channel thing as a signal cord. Your headphones are stereo two channel.

The MIDI interface of the DAW is like patch bay, but it lumps everything together until you start dedicating channels on both ends.

So, work through one channel at a time. Channel 10 being easy : ) New MIDI track in reaper channel 10, ect.. Also !! I don't know that the psr is GM compatible. my yamaha pss-790 isn't. Instruments don't match up to the GM standard.

For starters, you might import a web MIDI file and have it imported as separate/exploded tracks. You can see how the channels are set-up for playback.

[garww]

From what I gather on Harmony Central, this psr is late '90s. So, it should have a GM bank ?

[enuenu]

Thanks for the advice. I will do some experiments based on it.