MOX6/MOX8 Reference Manual
4
Tone Generator Block
The tone generator block is what actually produces sound in response to the MIDI messages received from the
Sequencer block, Controller block, Arpeggio block and from the external MIDI instrument via the MIDI [IN] terminal or
the USB [TO HOST] terminal. The MIDI messages are assigned to sixteen independent channels, and the instrument is
capable of simultaneously playing sixteen separate Parts, via the sixteen MIDI channels. However, the sixteen-channel
limit can be overcome by using separate MIDI “ports,” each supporting sixteen channels. The tone generator block of
this instrument can handle MIDI messages over Port 1. The structure of the tone generator block differs depending on
the mode.
Tone Generator block in the Voice Mode
Only one MIDI channel can be recognized in the Voice mode because only one part is available in this
mode. This status is referred to as a “single timbre” tone generator. A Voice is played from the keyboard,
using a single part. To set the MIDI receive channel for single timbre operation (Voice and Performance
modes), use the “BasicRcvCh” parameter (
) in the Utility MIDI display. In the Voice mode, the
instrument recognizes only data over MIDI Port 1.
NOTE
If you want to play Song data on an external MIDI sequencer or computer consisting of multiple MIDI
channels, make sure to use the Song/Pattern mode (
).
A program that contains the sonic elements for generating a specific musical instrument sound is
referred to as a “Voice.” Internally, there are two Voice types: Normal Voices and Drum Voices. Normal
Voices are mainly pitched musical instrument type sounds that can be played over the range of the
keyboard. Each Voice consists of up to eight Elements (Normal Voice) or up to 73 keys (Drum Voice). An
Element or Drum Key is the basic and the smallest unit for a Voice. This means that only one Element or
key can produce a musical instrument sound. In addition, a Normal Voice can produce even more
realistic sound or various types of sound by combining multiple Elements. Each Voice is created by
editing parameters unique to each Element/Key (Element Edit parameters/Key Edit parameters) and
parameters common to all the Elements/Keys (Common Edit parameters).
NOTE
For instructions on editing a Normal Voice, see
. For instructions on editing a Drum Voice, see
Normal Voices
This is a Voice which is played conventionally from
the keyboard, with standard pitches sounding for
each key. A Normal Voice consists of up to eight
Elements. Depending on the settings in the Voice
Edit mode, these Elements are sounded
simultaneously, or different Elements are sounded
according to the note range, velocity range and
the XA (Expanded Articulation) settings. The illustration is an example of a Normal Voice. Since the six
Elements here are distributed across both the note range of the keyboard and the velocity range, a
different Element sounds depending on which note you play and how strongly you play it. In the velocity
distribution, Elements 1, 3 and 5 sound when playing the keyboard softly, while Elements 2, 4 and 6
sound when playing it strongly. In the note distribution, Elements 1 and 2 sound in the lower range of the
keyboard, Elements 3 and 4 sound in the middle range, and Elements 5 and 6 sound in the higher
range. In the velocity distribution, Elements 1, 3 and 5 sound when playing the keyboard softly, while
Elements 2, 4 and 6 sound when playing it strongly. In a practical example of this in use, a piano Voice
could be composed of six different samples. Elements 1, 3 and 5 would be the sounds of the piano
played softly, over the respective note ranges, while Elements 2, 4 and 6 would be strongly played
sounds, for each respective note range. Actually, the MOX6/MOX8 is even more flexible than this, since
it allows up to eight independent Elements.
Part structure in the Voice mode
Voice
Normal Voices and Drum Voices
Velocity
Element 2
Element 1
Element 4
Element 3
Element 6
Element 5