Can someone explain how the MP-201 works in this capacity? I have a Moog Voyager OS.
Thanks…
You can send the MP-201 a MIDI signal and it will output CV signals.
For example, you could have a sequence on your computer or MIDI capable sequencer, output that sequence to the MP-201 via MIDI, and then send gate/pitch signals to your Old School.
Alternatively, you could play another keyboard and send MIDI from that to the MP-201 and then output the CV signals to the Old School.
Great…thanks. I figured I would much rather get the 201 than a Kenton converter if I ever needed that.
Even if it didn’t do the MIDI-to-CV stuff, I think it would be a good addition to your Moogerfoogers.
Give me some ideas on how it would be useful with my Moogers, if you wouldn’t mind.
Thanks,
p.
Well you can control 1,2,3,4 CV at once (your foogers rate, sweep, drive, filter, etc…), replacing up to 4 knobs with a single pedal control and while you do that, the MP will send the same equivalent to your midi channels if you like. From the same pedal, control one CV on a fooger and a different one on another fooger. Or you can use a midi sequencer and sequence the input CV of your choice (on your foogers), or all of them. The list of things (and permutations) is endless, really.
I’m convinced…just placed my order.
Along the same lines, here’s another example that I assume the MP-201 can do, but just want to make sure…
If the MP-201 MIDI In receives Note On/Off, Pitchbend, and CC#1, can it be setup to ouput:
Pitch/Pitchbend CV - channel 1
Gate CV derived from Note On/Off - channel 2
CV derived from MIDI CC#1 - channel 3
0-5V CV via Gas Pedal - channel 4
Can the MP-201 do this?
Yes. I have not tried pitch bend (and was uncertain about this one) but new firmware will support it according to MP-201 addendum document.
Yes, if you setup an MP-201 channel as Midi2CV, it will respond to pitch bend. You can set the pitch bend amount 1-12 semitones or 24 semitones.
MIDI Note On/Off and Pitchbend travel on the same MP-201 channel, correct? In other words, only one MIDI2CV MP-201 channel is needed for MIDI notes AND pitchbend. Right?
Please indulge another question on this. 
In the example setup above, can the Gas Pedal transmit CV and MIDI CC at the same time?
If so, then one could not only transmit CV live, but also capture the Pedal moves as CC’s in a sequencer. Then play back the recorded Pedal moves by changing channel 4 to MIDI2CV and thereby convert the CC’s to CV. Yes?
1.) Yes Midi Notes and Pitch Bend are output as voltage on one and the same MIDI2CV channel. You also get with this, several very nice Glide/Portamento options.
2.) Yes you can record a Midi CC from an Expression channel at the same time as you are using it for “live” CV tweaking… and you could play back this recorded MIDI CC to the pedal, to re-play your live tweaks. You would not need to change the channel mode from Expression to Midi2CV for this - keep the channel in Expression mode, it will respond to the incoming CC messages exactly as it responded to the original gaspedal movements.
Cheers,
Amos
Very cool. I really like the capabilities of this gadget. The only drawback I keep imagining is programming it. If it were a desktop objet that would stay put, then tweaking it would be fine. But using the foot pedal would be primary for me so I’d keep it on the floor, and the thought of picking it up off the floor (with a half dozen cables sticking out the back) every time I want to make a tweak doesn’t appeal to me. I realize setups can be stored as programs, so that would help a little. Still, it’s a negative to me. If the MP-201 had a software editor, I’d have no choice but to buy it.
Sorry if it’s a stupid one!
I’ve no experience with CV/Gate, but am interested in the old school. I read in the SOS review that the reviewer had a problem with keyboard tracking as the CV input needs to be calibrated. Is this necessary when using the MP-201?
Basically when you connect the OS to the MP-201 does it just play back the correct midi notes without any complicated adjustment?
Thanks
It’s a legitimate question. Many things have been written, here included, many I find misleading. I have always found my OS finely in tune with two other midi-to-CV I use (and other musical instruments of course). And this question keeps surfacing now and then with often the same vague answers.
You had to ask? I had to check, and put the matter to rest!
I used a Kurzweil 2500x as pitch reference and as midi controller. First thing first : an audio test. The audio of Kurzweil is routed into the OS. OS settings : a single osc, square wave, switch on 16’, no cutoff. Both sounds heard in same headphones. Pressing C4 on Kurzweil, C4 on Voyager. Same pitch. All Voyager’s keyboard range is absolutely tuned to the same range on the Kurwzeil. The OS just passed standard tuning test.
Next, MP-201 is called in. Standard midi-to-cv preset 34 is used, root note 60 (which is C4), CV1 into Pitch, CV2 into gate (no changes or calibration to the preset). I press C4 on the Kurzweil, I hear a C4 Voyager note along with the C4 piano sound, both finely in tune. Then pressing all keys on the Kurzweil all the way up to the last. Voyager responds with the same note, finely tuned in pitch with the Kurzweil. No audible variation over a 4 octave range. Next, I change the root note on the MP-201 24 steps down (2 octaves). Voyager now plays 2 octaves lower and I can detect no difference in pitch over a 5 octave range this time, the full swing of the positive CV pitch range.
One would have thought that the MP-201 could have converted notes lower than the base note to negative voltage CVs, but apparently not. Conversion stops as the base note, keyboard keys (on the remote keyboard) lower than base will only play the base note. That’s a bit peculiar since the pitch input CV of the Voyager is designed to swing -5 to 5 volts. Bipolar mode does applies to midi-to-cv. This is a little shortcoming that I really think should be addressed in a future firmware release. That does not prevent you from playing in lower keys, just press a key on the Voyager (or use the octave switch) to change it’s own internal voltage reference.
But tuning issues ? I can not detect any. As far as I am concerned, the matter is settled.
.. for going to the trouble of conducting that test. It was most helpful, cheers.
The MP-201 has performed midi-to-cv role mainly for me, doing well. In the above tuning test, I had the pedal in unipolar mode and I was looking into the preset settings to switch to bipolar mode, but no such option was available. So the MP-201 was doing 0-5 volt midi-to-cv.
Upon reading the finer print in the manual to make sure I did not miss some essentials (and i did), i came across the bipolar mode as a global unit setting, and not one for each preset. I did not have to use the feature before.. but now…
And as is printed in black and white in the MP-201 addendum, the pedal in bipolar mode will span the whole CV range (-5 to 5) in midi-to-cv mode, which is confirmed by the display set in voltage units, and also by my now full range Voyager, when played from a 88 notes keyboard. That’s quite a glide.
So all is well in the negative CV world afterall. I find that positive
noob question…
i have…
2 freqboxes,
one cp251,
one low pass filter,
one midi controller,
one mp201.
with the recent addition of pitch to cv to the mp201…am i able to create a dual oscillator keyboard set up?
plug a midi controller into the mp201…have the mp201 do some midi to cv converting on 2 channels…then run those cv outs to the frequency expression jacks on my mf107s…run both audio outs to the mixer of the cp251…take the summed signal and put it through the filter.
would that work?
Interesting question for which I don’t have the definitive answer yet. I find the freqbox very intriguing. My next fooger no doubt. I just got the MF-101, I have yet to REALLY learn how to use. I have pretty much the same goal as you regarding the freqbox, except in a one Osc set-up driven by the Etherwave.
As i understand the freqbox, I think your setup should work, except for one thing. The freqbox needs an audio tone to align it’s frequency to. Instead a using a plain midi controller, you would have to use a midi tone generator, such as any entry level Yamaha midi keyboard. Set the keyboard to a rounded, yet steady sound (sharp organ) and play monophonic lines. By setting the Mix on the freqboxes to 0, the audio tone will not be heard, only the osc of the freqbox.
If I were to try a similar setup though, my first try would have the freqboxes daisy chained, with the MF-101 at the end. The first freqbox would receive midi keyboard audio, with Mix to 0, the second freqbox would align on the first one’s audio, with mix to taste. The MP-201 can the be configured with 2 more possible gates channels, one of which will go on MF-101, for sure. Maybe use the fourth channel for an expression pedal. The mixing of both freq audio output being done in the audio chain, that leaves the CP-251 free for other uses : mult and/or mixer for more gates or exp cv (from the MP-201) to the freqboxes. I wonder just how many combinations are possible there.
That’s a plan (the one freqbox version of it) I hope Santa will help me realize