PC88 Made Easy
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This guide walks you step-by-step through a variety of typical programming
applications you might use in the creation of Setups on the PC88.
The first part of this document reviews some of the basic concepts of the PC88 design
and user interface, including editing shortcuts. The second part contains a series of step
by step tutorials, each of which demonstrates a different function.
BASIC CONCEPTS & USER INTERFACE ISSUES
The Two Play Modes
The PC88 has two basic Play Modes - Internal Voices and MIDI Setups. You switch
between these two modes using the Internal Voices and MIDI Setups buttons in the
Sound/Setup Select area.
If you only need to play one Program at a time, use Internal Voices mode. (Typically a
Program will be just one sound, but there are some Programs that have a couple of
sounds layered together, such as Piano & Strings). The PC88 is always in Internal Voices
mode when you first power it up.
If you have a regular PC88, then you have one bank of 64 Programs that you can access.
These are most easily accessed by using the 16 Sound Select Buttons, which are labeled
by Sound Category. Under each category, there are 4 variations, which you can select
using the Next Group and Previous Group buttons.
You can also select a Program by typing its number on the numeric keypad and then
pressing Enter. Appendix A in the manual lists all the Internal Voice programs and their
numbers. In addition, once you are on a program, you can scroll through them in numeric
order by using the alpha wheel or the + and - buttons under the wheel.
If you have a PC88MX, then you have additional banks of sounds. The banks are as
follows:
Bank 0 Internal Voices
Bank 1 General MIDI
Bank 2 Expansion Voices
Bank 3 64 Note Polyphonic
You will need to know the bank numbers if you are sending the bank controller from an
external MIDI device such as a sequencer, or if you switch banks from the numeric
keypad, which we will discuss below. (Note that Bank 0 - the programs in the basic
PC88, is referred to as the Internal Voices bank, which is not to be confused with
Internal Voices mode. You can play programs from the other banks while in Internal
Voices mode. But you are always playing just one program at a time in Internal Voices
mode.)
MIDI Setups mode is used when you want to split or layer two or more Programs. You
would also use it when you want to control any external MIDI modules or keyboards.
MIDI Setups also allow you to program all of the sliders, wheels, pedals, buttons, etc.
for specific applications.
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