Roland EM-55 - Manual (Page 38)

Recorder functions
38
The EM-55 OR comes with a 16-track Recorder that can be used in several ways. On p. 22 we showed you
the most straightforward way of using the Recorder. Here, you will get to know nuts and bolts.
About the recording modes
Modes
The EM-55 OR provides two modes for
recording new music, and two for adding
parts or correcting passages of existing
music:
Note: Every time you select the ALL or KEYBOARD
mode, anything you may have recorded previously
will be erased.
What are tracks?
The term “track” is used only for your con-
venience. We borrowed it from tape record-
ers that allow for recording several musical
parts by the same person (one part after the
other).
In the case of the EM-55 OR, the term is
only used to indicate that we are dealing
with separate musical parts. Here indeed
(like with computer-based sequencers)
what really counts are the MIDI channels.
Why are we telling you this? Just to suggest
that you could also use external MIDI con-
trollers (drum pads, etc.) for recording cer-
tain parts – you do not need to use the
EM-55 OR’s keyboard all the time (and you
could also transmit certain parts from a
computer). The MIDI channels correspond
to the track numbers.
Recorder memory
The EM-55 OR provides one Song memory,
which means that it can contain one Song.
After completing a Song, you must save it
to floppy disk (see p. 54).
To keep you from accidentally erasing the
Song in the EM-55 OR’s internal memory,
the EM-55 OR automatically selects SINGLE
mode after your first recording. Bear in
mind that selecting ALL or KEYBOARD
will erase the Song currently in the
EM-55 OR’s memory. Do not select ALL or
KEYBOARD for adding parts to an existing
Song – use SINGLE or PUNCH I/O instead.
Conversely, it is impossible to select SINGLE
or PUNCH I/O if the Song memory doesn’t
yet contain data.
And finally: playing back a Standard MIDI
File erases the Song in the EM-55 OR’s
memory. In return, the SMF data will be
available (and can be supplemented with
your own renditions in SINGLE or PUNCH I/
O mode).
13. Recorder functions
Recording a new song:
ALL In this mode, you can record every-
thing you and the EM-55 OR can
play simultaneously:
• Arranger (accompaniment),
• Keyboard parts (Upper 1/2, Lower,
M.Bass – or M.Drums)
• Style Pad performance (DJ PAD
performance is also possible, but
then the Arranger will not be
available)
• D Beam performance.
Keyboard In this mode, you can record using
the Keyboard parts
• Upper 1/2, Lower, M.Bass – or
M.Drums.
Adding parts to an existing song
Single In this mode you can record onto
one track at a time. The track can be
freely selected (unlike for the pre-
ceding modes).
Punch I/O This mode allows you to re-record a
short section of an otherwise per-
fect part.
EM-55OR_UK Page 38 Wednesday, July 10, 2002 3:32 PM