X-Session UC-17 - Audio Equipment M-AUDIO - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	USB MIDI Controller
Brand	M-Audio
Model	X-Session UC-17
Number of Faders	3 (crossfader and two channel faders)
Number of Knobs	9 rotary knobs
Number of Buttons	34 buttons (including transport controls)
Interface	USB 1.1 (class-compliant)
Power Source	USB bus-powered (no external power required)
Dimensions (W x D x H)	320 x 220 x 40 mm
Weight	1.2 kg
Compatibility	Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10, Mac OS X (10.4 or later)
Main Functions	DJ-style mixing, volume control, effects adjustment, transport control for DAWs
Included Accessories	USB cable, user manual, software CD (Ableton Live Lite, etc.)
Cleaning and Maintenance	Wipe with a dry, soft cloth. Do not use solvents or abrasive cleaners.
Safety Precautions	Keep away from liquids and extreme temperatures. Avoid dropping.
Spare Parts and Repairability	Replacement faders and knobs available from M-Audio support. Repair service by authorized centers.
General Information	Designed for DJs and producers; plug-and-play with most music software.

Frequently Asked Questions - X-Session UC-17 M-AUDIO

What is the M-Audio X-Session UC-17?

It is a USB MIDI controller with faders, knobs, and buttons, designed for DJ mixing and controlling music software.

Does it work with Windows 10?

Yes, the X-Session UC-17 is class-compliant and works with Windows 10 without additional drivers.

Can I use it with Mac?

Yes, it is compatible with Mac OS X (10.4 or later) and is plug-and-play.

Does it require external power?

No, it is USB bus-powered. Just connect it to your computer via USB and it will power on.

What software does it work with?

It works with most DAWs and DJ software, including Ableton Live, Traktor, Serato, and more.

How many faders does it have?

It has 3 faders: one crossfader and two channel faders.

How do I clean the X-Session UC-17?

Use a dry, soft cloth to wipe the surface. Avoid liquids or harsh chemicals.

Can I replace a broken fader?

Yes, replacement faders are available from M-Audio. Contact support for repair options.

Does it have a warranty?

Typically, M-Audio offers a 1-year warranty. Check your region for details.

What is the weight of the device?

It weighs approximately 1.2 kg (2.6 lbs).

USER MANUAL X-Session UC-17 M-AUDIO

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

Appendix H - X-Session Preset Chart

Factory Preset

01 MIDI CC's 16-31 *

02 MIDI CC's 32-47 *

03 MIDI CC's 48-63 *

04 MIDI CC's 102-117 *

05 GM Preset

06 Reason native Preset

07 Pro-53 Preset

08 Rebirth Preset

09 Sampletank Preset

10 Sound Blaster Synth Preset

Presets 1 to 4 are designed for software that does not have default MIDI CC's to control it's parameters, and instead uses a MIDI 'learn' mode.

*The Cross Fader will send out CC10 for all presets 1-4. F18 is set to 'OFF', so that only cc10 is sent out when the cross fader is moved. The buttons are assigned MIDI CC's such that their values will not clash with any of the CC's assigned to the controllers in all four of these presets.

EVOLUTION

Advanced User Guide

X-Session

www

evolution.co.uk

About The Advanced Guide

In the X-Session Advanced Guide we have made the assumption that you have been through the X-Session Getting Started Guide which should have been supplied in printed form with your X-Session. If you do not have this guide, please contact your local distributor or download it from our website www.evolution.co.uk

The Getting Started Guide should insure that you are now familiar with the basic operation of the X-Session so that we now can focus on more in-depth features.

First however, we need to explain some terminology we use throughout the guide.

Terminology

Edit Mode:

Edit Mode describes the short period after a function button has been pressed during which the parameters of that function can be altered. The numeric keypad can be used to alter a parameter during this time. No data is sent out of the X-Session when it is in Edit mode except for program and bank changes. LCD symbols shown in Edit mode will flash to show you that a particular parameter can be edited. If a number is part entered, and a new controller turned, that number will become the relevant parameter number for the new controller and the 3 second editing period will re-trigger.

Default mode :

Default Mode describes the state of the X-Session, when no function buttons have been pressed within the last 3 seconds. In Default mode, the LCD will show the controller symbol, and the 2 digit display will show the last selected controller. The 3 digits display the currently assigned MIDI CC number.

Appendix F - Roland GS and Yamaha XG NRPN Support to Roland JV/XP

NRFH	NRFN	Data	Data
MSB	LSB	MSB	LSB
CC99	CC98	CC96	CC98
01	08	08-0-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	Vibrotto Rate (relative change)
01	09	09-0-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	Vibrotto Depth (relative change)
01	08	08-0-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	Vibrotto Delay (relative change)
01	20	06-7-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	Viller Cutoff (Freq. relative change)
01	21	06-7-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	Filler Resonance (relative change)
04	63	06-7-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	DG (LVW@VA) Attack Time (relative change)
04	64	06-7-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	DG (LVW@VA) Decay Time (relative change)
04	66	06-7-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	DG (LVW@VA) Release Time (relative change)
*14	06-7F	06-7-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	Drum Viller Cutoff (Freq. (relative change)
*15	06-7F	06-7-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	Drum Filler Resonance (relative change)
*16	06-7F	06-7-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	Drum BG Attack Rate (relative change)
*17	06-7F	06-7-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	Drum BG Decay Rate (relative change)
*18	06-7F	06-7-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	Drum Instrument Pitch Operate (relative change)
*19	06-7F	06-7-F	n/a	(-64 - 0 - +63)	Drum Instrument Pitch Rate (relative change)
1A	06-7F	06-7-F	n/a	(0 to Max) Drum instrument. Level (absolute change)
1D	06-7F	06-7-F	n/a	(Ranocm, I<>B#) Drum Instrument Perpot (absolute change)
1D	06-7F	06-7-F	n/a	(0 to Max) Drum instrument Reverb Send level (absolute change)
1F	06-7F	06-7-F	n/a	(0 to Max) Drum Instrument Chorus Sand Seal (absolute change)
*1F	06-7F	06-7-F	n/a	(0 to Max) Drum Instrument Variation Sound Level (absolute change)

* - added by Yamaha XC, % changed from Delay to Variation by Yamaha XC

Appendix G - General MIDI Reverb and Chorus Types

Reverb Types

0: Small Room
1: Medium Room
2: Large Room
3: Medium Hall
4: Large Hall
8: Plate

Chorus Types

0: Chorus 1
1: Chorus 2
2: Chorus 3
3: Chorus 4
4: FB Chorus
5: Flanger

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

Appendix E - Standard MIDI Controller numbers (MIDI CC's)

00	Bank	Select	46	Controller	46	92	Tremelo	Depth
01	Modulation		47	Controller	47	93	Chorus	Depth
02	Breath	Control	48	Gen Purpose 1 LSB		94	Celeste (De-tune)
03	Controller	3	49	Gen Purpose 2 LSB		95	Phaser	Depth
04	Foot	Control	50	Gen Purpose 3 LSB		96	Data	Increment
05	Porta	Time	51	Gen Purpose 4 LSB		97	Data	Decrement
06	Data Entry		52	Controller	52	98	Non-Reg	Param	LSB
07	Channel	Volume	53	Controller	53	99	Non-Reg	Param	MSB
08	Balance		54	Controller	54	100	Reg	Param	LSB
09	Controller 9		55	Controller	55	101	Reg	Param	MSB
10	Pan		56	Controller	56	102	Controller	102
11	Expression		57	Controller	57	103	Controller	103
12	Effects Controller 1		58	Controller	58	104	Controller	104
13	Effects Controller 2		59	Controller	59	105	Controller	105
14	Controller	14	60	Controller	60	106	Controller	106
15	Controller	15	61	Controller	61	107	Controller	107
16	Gen Purpose 1		62	Controller	62	108	Controller	108
17	Gen Purpose 2		63	Controller	63	109	Controller	109
18	Gen Purpose 3		64	Sustain	Pedal	110	Controller	110
19	Gen Purpose 4		65	Portamento		111	Controller	111
20	Controller	20	66	Sostenuto		112	Controller	112
21	Controller	21	67	Soft Pedal		113	Controller	113
22	Controller	22	68	Legato	Pedal	114	Controller	114
23	Controller	23	69	Hold	2	115	Controller	115
24	Controller	24	70	Sound	Variation	116	Controller	116
25	Controller	25	71	Resonance		117	Controller	117
26	Controller	26	72	Release	Time	118	Controller	118
27	Controller	27	73	Attack Time		119	Controller	119
28	Controller	28	74	Cut-off	Frequency
29	Controller	29	75	Controller	75	Channel Mode Messages
30	Controller	30	76	Controller	76
31	Controller	31	77	Controller	77	120	All Sound off
32	Bank Select LSB		78	Controller	78	121	Reset all Controllers
33	Modulation LSB		79	Controller	79	122	Local Control
34	Breath	Control	LSB80	Gen Purpose 5		123	All Notes Off
35	Controller	35	81	Gen Purpose 6		124	Omni Off
36	Foot	Control	LSB	82 Gen Purpose 7		125	Omni On
37	Porta Time LSB		83	Gen Purpose 8		126	Mono On (Poly Off)
38	Data Entry LSB		84	Portamento	Control	127	Poly On (Mono Off)
39	Channel Volume LSB		85	Controller	85	Extra RPN Messages
40	Balance	LSB	86	Controller	86
41	Controller	41	87	Controller	87	128	Pitch Band sensitivity
42	Pan	LSB	88	Controller	88	129	Fine Tune
43	Expression	LSB	89	Controller	89	130	Coarse Tune
44	Controller	44	90	Controller	90	131	Channel Pressure
45	Controller	45	91	Reverb	Depth

"On The Fly" Operations

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

Sending Program Changes On The Fly

You can at any one time send out a program change message to you sound card, sound module, instrument or whatever other device will receive this standard MIDI message. The program change will be sent on the global MIDI channel.

1. Press the PROGRAM button.

1. Type in the program number you wish to send, using the numerical keypad or the +/- keys.

Example: The LCD display the PROG symbol in the right hand corner Indicating that the PROGRAM button has been pressed. The program value sent is 00 and its sent on the global MIDI channel 01.

You can also program the assignable buttons to send out fixed program messages to individual MIDI channels. For further information regarding this method, please go to pages 5 to 9.

Global MIDI channel: For more information, please go to page 10.

Sending Bank Changes On The Fly

If your receiving device has more than 128 presets, you may be able to access the additional banks by sending out bank change LSB and MSB messages.

1. Press the DATA LSB or DATA MSB button.

1. Type in the bank number you wish to send, using the numerical keypad or the +/- keys.

Please check the documentation for your receiving device to ensure that it will respond to these messages. For more information about LSB and MSB, please see the chapter "Program and Bank Changes Explained" on page 17 in this manual.

Sending Snap Shot

Press the +/- buttons together to send a SNAP SHOT of the current X-Session controller assignments and their values.

When you send a snapshot, the LCD will display the SNAPSHOT symbol. The data for an individual controller will be sent on which ever channel that controller has been assigned to.

Snap Shot is one way of synchronizing the receiving device with the X-Session and can be used as a creative tool, with interesting and surprising results.

The data sent when SNAP SHOT is pressed, can be viewed in your sequencers list editor. Set your sequencer to record and press SNAP SHOT. Then open the list editor and ensure its set to display controller data.

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

MIDI Note Numbers

Octave (n)	Note Numbers
		Cn			C#n	Dn	D#n	En	Fn	F#n	Gn	G#n	An	A#n	Bn
-1		0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
0		12				13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22
1		24				25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34
2		36				37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46
3		48				49	50	51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58
4		60				61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70
5		72				73	74	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	82
6		84				85	86	87	88	89	90	91	92	93	94
7		96				97	98	99	100	101	102	103	104	105	106
8		108				109	110	111	112	113	114	115	116	117	118
9		120				121	122	123	124	125	126	127

Appendix D - Useful MIDI data

General MIDI Instruments

Piano Bass Reed Synth Effects
0 Acoustic Grand Piano	32 Acoustic Bass	64 Soprano Sax	96 SFX Rain
1 Bright Acoustic Piano	33 Electric Fingered	65 Alto Sax	97 SFX Soundtrack
2 Electric grand Piano	Bass	66 Tenor Sax	98 SFX Crystal
3 Honky Tonk Piano	34 Electric Picked Bass	67 Baritone Sax	99 SFX Atmosphere
4 Electric Piano 1	35 Fretless Bass	68 Oboe	100 SFX Brightness
5 Electric Piano 2	36 Slap Bass 1	69 English Horn	101 SFX Goblins
6 Harpsichord	37 Slap Bass 2	70 Bassoon	102 SFX Echoes
7 Clavlnet	38 Syn Bass 1	71 Clarinet	103 SFX Sci-FI
	39 Syn Bass 2
Chromatic Percussion Strings/Orchestra		Pipe	Ethnic
8 Celesta	40 Violin	72 Piccolo	104 Sitar
9 Glockenspiel	41 Viola	73 Flute	105 Banjo
10 Music Box	42 Cello	74 Recorder	106 Shamisen
11 Vibraphone	43 Contrabass	75 Pan Flute	107 Koto
12 Marimba	44 Tremolo Strings	76 Bottle Blow	108 Kalimba
13 Xylophone	45 Pizzicato Strings	77 Shakuhachi	109 Bag Pipe
14 Tubular bells	46 Orchestral Harp	78 Whistle	110 Fiddle
15 Dulcimer	47 Timpani	79 Ocarina	111 Shanai
Organ Ensemble		Synth Lead	Percussive
16 Drawbar Organ	48 String Ensemble 1	80 Syn Square Wave	112 Tinkle Bell
17 Percussive Organ	49 String Ensemble 2	81 Syn Sawtooth Wave	113 Agogo
18 Rock Organ	(Slow)	82 Syn Calliope	114 Steel Drums
19 Church Organ	50 Syn Strings 1	83 Syn Chiff	115 Woodblock
20 Reed Organ	51 Syn Strings 2	84 Syn Charang	116 Talko Drum
21 Accordion	52 Choir Aahs	85 Syn Voice	117 Melodic Tom
22 Harmonica	53 Voice Oohs	86 Syn Fifths Sawtooth	118 Syn Drum
23 Tango Accordion	54 Syn Choir	Wave	119 Reverse Cymbal
	55 Orchestral Hit	87 Syn Brass & Lead
Guitar Brass Synth Pad Sound Effects
24 Nylon Acoustic	56 Trumpet	88 New Age Syn Pad	120 Guitar Fret Noise
25 Steel Acoustic	57 Trombone	89 Warm Syn Pad	121 Breath Noise
26 Jazz Electric	58 Tuba	90 Polysynth Syn Pad	122 Seashore
27 Clean Electric	59 Muted Trumpet	91 Choir Syn Pad	123 Bird Tweet
28 Muted Electric	60 French Horn	92 Bowed Syn Pad	124 Telephone Ring
29 Overdrive	61 Brass Section	93 Metal Syn Pad	125 Helicopter
30 Distorted	61 Syn Brass 1	94 Halo Syn Pad	126 Applause
31 Harmonics	62 Syn Brass 2	95 Sweep Syn Pad	127 Gun Shot

Muting All Controllers

To Mute all controllers and the cross fader, press the CTRL MUTE buttons.

This allows you to alter the position of the controller without affecting the settings of your software. CTRL MUTE does not affect buttons, and as soon as an assignable button or a function key is pressed, the controllers are turned back on. Alternatively, you can press the CTRL MUTE buttons again to turn the controllers back on.

When you first press the CTR MUTE buttons, you will see the LCD display 'OFF'. Changing the position of a controller with controller mute engaged, the LCD will always display OFF to indicate no data is being sent out by the X-Session. To cancel the controller mute function, simply press a function key (or keys) or one of the assignable buttons.

This is a very useful feature if you are switching between presets on the X-Session with the controllers out of position. You will be able to move the controller to a position relative to the software's controller value, rather than causing the software's controller value to jump.

You can also use this feature for creative mixing and interesting DJ type control. If for instance you use the X-Session as a conventional volume mixer, try engaging the controller mute function, change the volume up or down of various channels and press the SNAP SHOT buttons. This form of mixing is very dynamic and can not be done using a conventional mixer.

About the Cross Fader

The cross Fader can be assigned to two MIDI CC values, by editing F17 and F18. When it is moved, both F17 and F18 will be sent out. F17 will increment from left to right, while F18 will increment from right to left. So, F17 and F18 work against each other.

As an example, this has been put to practice in the Rebirth preset:

F17 controls the volume of the top drum module, while F18 controls the volume of the bottom drum module. This means you can flick between the two modules by flicking the fader far left or right, since when F17 is 0, F18 is 127, and when F18 is 0 F17 is 127.

To select F18 for programming, you need to use the CONTROL SELECT Buttons. F17 can be selected for editing by moving the cross fader.

Appendix C - Hexadecimal Conversion Chart

Hexadecimal to Decimal Conversion Chart

Hexadeci-mal value	Decimal Value	Hexadeci-mal value	Decimal Value	Hexadeci-mal value	Decimal Value
0 0 2B	43 56 86
1 1 2C	44 57 87
2 2 2D	45 58 88
3 3 2E	46 59 89
4 4 2F	47 5A 90
5 5 30	48 5B 91
6 6 31	49 5C 92
7 7 32	50 5D 93
8 8 33	51 5E 94
9 9 34	52 5F 95
0A 10 35	53 60 96
0B 11 36	54 61 97
0C 12 37	55 62 98
0D 13 38	56 63 99
0E 14 39	57 64 100
0F 15 3A	58 65 101
10 16 3B	59 66 102
11 17 3C	60 67 103
12 18 3D	61 68 104
13 19 3E	62 69 105
14 20 3F	63 6A 106
15 21 40	64 6B 107
16 22 41	65 6C 108
17 23 42	66 6D 109
18 24 43	67 6E 110
19 25 44	68 6F 111
1A 26 45	69 70 112
1B 27 46	70 71 113
1C 28 47	71 72 114
1D 29 48	72 73 115
1E 30 49	73 74 116
1F 31 4A	74 75 117
20 32 4B	75 76 118
21 33 4C	76 77 119
22 34 4D	77 78 120
23 35 4E	78 79 121
24 36 4F	79 7A 122
25 37 50	80 7B 123
26 38 51	81 7C 124
27 39 52	82 7D 125
28 40 53	83 7E 126
29 41 54	84 7F 127
2A 42 55	85

B2-The Buttons:

MIDI CC	Description	Program	Data Lsb	Data Msb
		(Press Twice)	(Press Twice)	(Press Twice)
0-119	Standard MIDI CC's	- Toggle Value 2	Toggle Value 1
120-127	Channel Mode Messages	- Toggle Value 2	Toggle Value 1
128	Pitch Bend Range	- Sensitivity value -
129	Channel Fine Tune	- Tuning amount -
130	Channel Coarse Tune-		Tuning amount	-
131	Channel Pressure	-	Pressure amount	-
132	RPN Coarse	Value	RPN LSB	RPN MSB
133	RPN Fine	Value	RPN LSB	RPN MSB
134	NRPN Coarse	Value	NRPN LSB	NRPN MSB
135	NRPN Fine	Value	NRPN LSB	NRPN MSB
136	Master Volume GM*	-	Volume LSB	Volume MSB
137	Master Pan GM*	-	Pan LSB	Pan MSB
138	Master Coarse Tune GM*	- Tuning LSB	Tuning MSB
139	Master Fine Tune GM*	- Tuning LSB	Tuning MSB
140	Chorus Mod rate GM2*	- Mod rate	-
141	Chorus Mod Depth GM2*	- Mod depth	-
142	Feedback GM2*	-	Feedback level	-
143	Send to Reverb GM2*-		Reverb send level	-
144	Pitch Bend	-	Pitch shift LSB	Pitch shift MSB
145	Program/Bank Preset Program		Bank LSB	Bank MSB
146	MIDI CC (on/off)	MIDI CC	Button press value	Button release value
147	Note (on/off)	Note	Velocity off	Velocity on
148	Note (on/off toggle)	Note	Velocity off	Velocity on
149	MMC Command**	-	Command select.	-
150	Reverb type GM2^	-	Type	-
151	Reverb time GM2*	-	Time	-
152	Chorus type GM2*	-	Type	-
255	Controller Off***	- -	-

* Sysex messages - for details please see pages 8 & 18.
** MMC Sysex messages, for details please see page 11.
*** This value cannot be typed in using the numerical keypad. Type in 144 and then press the '+' button to set this value, or 0 and press the '-' button.

Introduction To X-Session Programming Options

Each of the X-Session's 28 controllers can send MIDI CC, RPN/NRPN, GM 1&2 SysEx and even be assigned to individual MIDI channels.

MIDI CC (continuous controller) numbers are part of the standard MIDI specifications and are typically used to control the real-time changing of parameters in musical equipment. For a complete list of standard MIDI controller numbers from 0 to 131, please see Appendix E on page 29.

Any of the 28 real-time controllers on the X-Session can be assigned to a MIDI CC number however the 10 assignable buttons have slightly different options from the cross fader or 16 rotary controllers.

The following 2 charts show all the transmit messages you can program for each of the 18 fader/controllers and 10 assignable MIDI buttons respectively. We show you this already at this stage, so you can follow the principle of programming the X-Session controllers in the following instructions and examples.

Please pay extra attention to the differences between how you program the cross fader or controllers and how you program the buttons.

Cross Fader & Rotary Dials
ASSIGN	Description Data Lsb	(Press Twice)	Data Msb(Press Twice)
0-119	Standard MIDI CC's --
120-127	Channel Mode Messages --
128	Pitch Bend Sensitivity --
129	Channel Fine Tune --
130	Channel Coarse Tune --
131	Channel Pressure --
132	RPN coarse RPN LSB RPN MSB
133	RPN fine RPN LSB RPN MSB
134	NRPN coarse	NRPN LSB	NRPN MSB
135	NRPN fine	NRPN LSB	NRPN MSB
136	Master Volume GM*	-	-
137	Master Pan^	-	-
138	Master Coarse Tune*	-	-
139	Master Fine Tune^	-	-
140	Chorus Mod rate**	-	-
141	Chorus Mod Depth**	--
142	Feedback**	-	-
143	Send to Reverb**	--
144	Pitch Bend	-	-
255	Controller Off****	--

* General MIDI SysEx messages - for details please see pages 8 & 18. ** General MIDI 2 SysEx messages

*** MMC Sysex messages, for details please see page 11.

**** This value cannot be typed in using the numerical keypad. Use '+' or '-'

Appendix B - Assignable MIDI CC's

on the X-Session

B1 - The Cross Fader and rotary Controllers:

MIDI CC	Description	Data Lsb (Press Twice)	Data Msb (Press Twice)
0-119	Standard MIDI CC's	-	-
120-127	Channel Mode Messages	-	-
128	Pitch Bend Sensitivity	-	-
129	Channel Fine Tune -		-
130	Channel Coarse Tune	-	-
131	Channel Pressure	-	-
132	RPN coarse	RPN LSB	RPN MSB
133	RPN fine	RPN LSB	RPN MSB
134	NRPN coarse	NRPN LSB	NRPN MSB
135	NRPN fine	NRPN LSB	NRPN MSB
136	Master Volume GM*	-	-
137	Master Pan GM*	-	-
138	Master Coarse Tune GM*	-	-
139	Master Fine Tune GM*	-	-
140	Chorus Mod rate GM2*	-	-
141	Chorus Mod Depth GM2*	-	-
142	Feedback GM2^	-	-
143	Send to Reverb GM2*	-	-
144	Pitch Bend	-	-
255	Controller Off***	-	-

* Sysex messages - for details please see pages 8 & 18.

** MMC Sysex messages, for details please see page 11.

*** This value cannot be typed in using the numerical keypad. Type in 144 and then press the '+' button to set this value, or 0 and press the '-' button.

Appendix A - MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART

Function Transmitted Received Remarks
Basic :Default Channel:Changed	1-16 1-16	X
:Default Mode :Messages :Altered	X *****	X
Note Number:True Voice	0-127 *****	X
Velocity: Note ON : Note OFF	0 0	X
After :Keys Touch :Ch's	0 0	X
Pitch Bend 0 X
Control Change 0-119 120-127 0 X	0 X
Program Change:True Number	0-127 *****	X
System Exclusive GM, GM2, MMC		Memory Dump
Song Position Common:Song Select	X X	X
System :Clock Exclusive:Commands	X 0	X
Aux Messages :Local ON/OFF :All Notes OFF :Active Sense :Reset	0 0 0 0	X
Notes: 0 = YES X=NO

ASSIGN	Description Program	(Press Twice)	Bank LSB (Press Twice)	Data Msb (Press Twice)
0-119	Standard MIDI CC's	-	Toggle Value 2	Toggle Value 1
120-127	Channel Mode Messages-		Toggle Value 2	Toggle Value 1
128	Pitch Bend Sensitivity	-	Sensitivity value	-
129	Channel Fine Tune	-	Tuning amount	-
130	Channel Coarse Tune	-	Tuning amount	-
131	Channel Pressure	-	Pressure amount	-
132	RPN Coarse	Value	RPN LSB	RPN MSB
133	RPN Fine	Value	RPN LSB	RPN MSB
134	NRPN Coarse	Value	NRPN LSB	NRPN MSB
135	NRPN Fine	Value	NRPN LSB	NRPN MSB
136	Master Volume*	-	Volume LSB	Volume MSB
137	Master Pan*	-	Pan LSB	Pan MSB
138	Master Coarse Tune*	-	Tuning LSB	Tuning MSB
139	Master Fine Tune*	-	Tuning LSB	Tuning MSB
140	Chorus Mod rate**	-	Mod rate	-
141	Chorus Mod Depth**	-	Mod depth	-
142	Feedback**	-	Feedback level	-
143	Send to Reverb**	-	Reverb send level	-
144	Pitch Bend	-	Pitch shift LSB	Pitch shift MSB
145	Program/Bank Preset	Program	Bank LSB	Bank MSB
146	MIDI CC (on/off)	MIDI CC	Button release value	Button press value
147	Note (on/off)	Note	Velocity off	Velocity on
148	Note (on/off toggle)	Note	Velocity off	Velocity on
149	MMC Command***	-	Command select.	-
150	Reverb type **	-	Type	-
151	Reverb time **	-	Time	-
152	Chorus type **	-	Type	-
255	Controller Off****	-	-	-

Selecting A Controller For Editing

Before you can assign a MIDI CC to one of the X-Session's controllers, you will need to select it for editing. There are 2 methods for doing this:

1. Press CONTROL SELECT. The LCD will display the CONTROLLER symbol. The symbol will be flashing to indicate the controller settings can be altered. The 3-digit display will show the number of the currently selected controller, proceeded by a 'C', or an 'F' if the cross fader is selected.

2. Type in the number of the controller using the numeric keypad, or the +/- buttons.

or Move the cross fader/rotary controller. Simply moving a fader/rotary controller will make it the currently selected controller, ready for editing.

To select the second cross fader controller value (F18) please use method 1. It is also not possible to select any of the 10 numerical buttons by pressing them, since during edit mode, they are used to enter numerical values. To program these buttons, please use the first method.

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

Assigning MIDI CC's

Once the controller you want to edit has been selected, you can change the assigned MIDI CC number in the following way:

1. Press ASSIGN. The LCD will flash the CC symbol.

The 3 digit display will indicate the currently assigned MIDI CC number.

1. Type in a new MIDI CC value using the numeric keypad or '+' and '-' buttons. The MIDI controller number you select will be assigned to the currently selected controller, shown by the number on the small, 2-digit display.

Example: After pressing ASSIGN, the display shows the cc symbol and in this case displays that currently the MIDI CC 07 is assigned to controller number 13.

Assigning An Individual MIDI Channel

1. Select the controller you want to edit as described earlier.
2. Press CHANNEL.

The LCD will display the CHAN symbol and the 3-digit display will show the current channel assignment of the selected controller, preceded by a 'c'. The small 2-digit display will show the currently selected controller for assignment

1. Type the MIDI channel number (01-16) you want the controller to send to, using the numeric keypad or the +/- keys.

If the controller is assigned to channel 00, it will transmit on the global channel.

Changing The Global MIDI Channel

The X-Session's global MIDI channel affects only the controllers that have the individual MIDI channel assigned to value 00, as described in the previous section.

Here is how you change the global MIDI channel:

1. Press GLOBAL CHANNEL (ASSIGN and CHANNEL together).
   The LCD will display the KEYBOARD and CHAN symbol. The 3-digit display will show the currently selected global channel, preceded by a 'c'.
2. Type in the MIDI channel number (01-16) using the numeric keypad or the +/- keys.

Example: MIDI channel 01 is assigned as global MIDI channel.

Using a combination of global MIDI channel and individually assigned MIDI channels can be a great way of navigating through your system. With multitimbral instruments such as Reason, it can be easier to just change the global MIDI channel on the X-Session in order to jump to the next device, rather than operating the software.

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

Viewing The Contents Of A Memory

Right-click on a memory to view the contents. Please note that it is not possible to edit the contents of a memory. The Sys Ex librarian will simply allow you to rearrange the order of memories, or copy memories between one memory dump and another.

Saving A Setup

Once you have named all your presets, and organised them in the desired order, click 'save' to save the content.

Alternatively you can click on the File menu and select save to save the file with the previously assigned file name, or save as to assign the memory dump a new file name. The shortcut key to save Bank 1 is CTRL+S.

Make sure you give the file a name which allows you to quickly identify your collection of setups.

Loading A Setup

To load a memory setup file back in to the librarian, click on the 'Load' button and select the required file. The loaded preset setups will appear in the Bank Window. You can then either send it directly to the Evolution device by clicking send, or edit it.

Alternatively, select Open from the File menu.

The shortcut key for loading is CTRL+O

Future Development Of The Librarian

We strongly recommend you register your ownership of the Evolution Librarian if you would like to be kept informed about future development. As you can see from the version number, the software is at an early version 1.1 stage and we will continue to work on enhancements for the software.

To register your copy, please visit www.evolution.co.uk/register

Setting Toggle Values For The Buttons

The 10 assignable buttons can each be assigned to toggle between two values. You may for instance want to send out value 15 when you first press the button followed by value 74 when you press the button for a second time. This is how you do it:

1. Press the Function button labelled DATA MSB 2 times.
2. Type in 15 using the numerical keypad or the +/- keys.
3. Press the Function button labelled DATA LSB 2 times.
4. Type in 74 using the numerical keypad or the +/- keys.

If you want the button to send the same value every time you press it, simply type in the same value both times.

RPN/NRPN, GM 1+2 SysEx & Other Messages

As already described, the standard MIDI controller numbers range from 0 to 131. We have extended the list of MIDI CC's that can be assigned to the controllers of the X-Session to include RPN/NRPN, MMC and General MIDI 1&2 SysEx messages.

These advanced messages are as easy to program as a regular MIDI CC instruction by entering values 132 to 152 when programming MIDI CC's. The charts on page 8 and 9 (or Appendix B) show you what number correspond to each message

To program the values required for these advanced messages, the X-Session requires you to press the PROGRAM, DATA LSB and DATA MSB buttons twice respectively. Pressing only once will send the program and bank change instructions "on the fly" as described earlier.

Lets look at a couple of examples to see how this works. Please refer to the chart in Appendix B so you get to grips with the principle:

Assigning MMC Control To A Button

1. Select the button you want to control the MMC message.
2. Press "ASSIGN" on the X-Session.
3. Type in "149" using the numerical keypad.
   This is the number that corresponds to the MMC instruction, as per the chart on page 8 and 9.
4. Press "Channel" once.
5. Type in "127", using the numerical keypad.
   This ensures that the message is set to all device ID numbers. For more information about this, please read "About SysEx Messages & Device ID" on page 13.
6. Press the "DATA LSB" button twice.
7. Enter a number from the chart on the next page to select the MMC message you want:

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

Number MMC Command
01 STOP
02 PLAY
03 DEFERRED PLAY
04 FAST FORWARD
05 REWIND
06 RECORD STROBE
07 RECORD EXIT
08 RECORD PAUSE
09 PAUSE
10 EJECT
11 CHASE
12 COMMAND ERROR RESET
13 MMC RESET

Assigning RPN/NRPN To A Controller

Note: For a detailed description of RPN/NRPN data see section RPN/NRPN's Explained on page 17.

1. Press Control select, and move the desired controller.
2. Press control assign twice and while the display is flashing, enter controller 132 for RPN coarse, 133 for RPN fine, 134 for NRPN coarse or 135 for NRPN fine.
3. Press DATA MSB twice to assign the number for the RPN/NRPN MSB.
4. Press DATA LSB twice to assign the number for RPN/NRPN LSB.
5. Press CHANNEL ASSIGN to assign the MIDI channel the message should be sent on.

You will find most data sheets for synths that make use of NRPN's will give the MSB and LSB values that you should enter into DATA MSB and DATA LSB banks (also see Appendix F). However, some manuals may only give the hex values. The X-Session requires you to enter the decimal value. You can easily convert hexadecimal values to decimal using the windows calculator. Simply select Scientific mode, select hex and enter the hexadecimal value you need to convert. Press the Dec button to convert it to a decimal value. Enter the decimal value into the X-Session.

Alternatively, use the look up table in Appendix C.

The following shows how to set a button to transmit a note on when pressed, and a note off when released.

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

Setting Up The Librarian Software

Before you start using the Librarian, check that the X-Session has been selected as input and output device.

1. Select MIDI Setup from the Options menu.
2. Ensure the USB driver for your Evolution X-Session - is selected in the "Inputs" Column.

If you are using native drivers this may be named "USB Audio Device".

1. In the "Outputs" column, select the USB driver for your Evolution X-Session. If you are using native drivers this may be named "USB Audio Device".

You should now be ready to use the Librarian software with you Evolution X-Session.

Librarian Overview

As you can see from the screenshot of the Librarian on page 20, you can save, load, receive or send the complete content to and from either Bank columns.

To transmit the complete content of your Evolution X-Session to the librarian, simply press the "Receive" button on the Librarian software.

This process can only be completed successfully if the USB drivers for your X-Session have been selected correctly, as described in the "Setting Up The Librarian Software" section.

Once you have Received data from the X-Session, the memories are displayed in the column.

Organising Presets Received From A Device

You can name the memories as you like. To re-name a memory, double-click on the memory. You can then move memories around by dragging them to a new position, or using the copy buttons between the two windows.

These buttons are defined below:

Will copy the selected memory in Bank 2 to Bank 1.

Will copy the selected memory in Bank 1 to Bank 2.

Will copy all memories in Bank 2 to Bank 1.

Will copy all the memories in Bank 1 to Bank 2.

Will undo the last copy you made. Only the last copy is remembered.

It's a good idea to decide which column is your master column, to avoid confusion and maybe loosing hours of work.

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

About The Evolution Librarian Software

The Evolution Librarian Software is a Windows PC librarian program developed for Evolution products. The program not only works with the MK-425C/449C/461C keyboards but is also compatible with the Evolution X-Session and the Evolution UC-33e USB controllers.

And even better, you can swap patches between Evolution products that are supported by the Librarian so you never have to create the same patch twice.

The librarian itself, allows you to send and receive the 10 patches to and from the X-Session, load and save memory banks, view how individual patches have been programmed and drag and drop patches in order to create new combinations in the 10 memory locations.

Installing The Evolution Librarian Software

1. Insert the X-Session Installer CD-ROM in to your CD-ROM drive.
2. Click on "Librarian Installer"
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process

Once the installation has been completed, launch the program. The following is a screenshot of what you should be seeing on your monitor.

20

Assigning A Note To A Button

1. Press SELECT and press the "0" button. The display will show that you have selected controller 19.
2. Press ASSIGN and enter '147' this is the MIDI CC number that corresponds to Note on/off mode, as shown in Appendix B.
3. Press DATA MSB twice and enter a value of '100'. This means when you press the button, a Note on message will be sent out with a velocity of 100.
4. Press DATA LSB twice, and enter a value of '000'. This means when you release the button, a Note off message will be sent out.
5. Press the PROGRAM button twice and enter '064'. This will mean you are sending out MIDI note 64 or E4, each time you press the button. The MIDI note numbers are given in Appendix D.

This button mode has many uses. You can use this mode to trigger samples, control lighting equipment, play keyboard notes and much more.

Note: When you press the button in note mode, the LCD display will briefly show the note velocity.

About Sys Ex Messages & Device ID

When transmitting Sys Ex messages, the individual control channel number does not define a transmit channel, but a device ID. This is made clear since when you press the CHANNEL button, the CC symbol will not be shown and there is no 'c' in the 3 digit display.

Device ID's range between 00 - 127. In most cases, you should set the device ID as 127. 127 means the SysEx message will be received by all devices.

Please note that the device ID for a Sys Ex message assigned to a controller can not be changed using the Device ID buttons. These buttons are used for varying the device ID of the X-Session it self, not just a separate controller.

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

Non-Volatile Memory

The X-Session uses non-volatile memory so that you can continue where you left off even after powering down and restarting. The current X-Session controller and channel assignments are stored whether you have stored your setup to a memory locations or not. Also stored is MIDI Out from USB on/off, Program, DATA LSB and DATA MSB data, global channel setting and last used memory preset.

Memory Dump

Pressing the MEMORY DUMP buttons will send out a number of Sys Ex data packets that represent the 10 memories you have set up in your X-Session. This is a useful way of storing or backing up the contents of your memory presets externally.

You can record the complete memory dump in to a standard sequencer. To recall the memory dump back to the X-Session, play the MIDI track containing the recorded memory dump to the X-Session, making sure that the X-Session drivers are selected as output for that particular track.

The current controller assignments are not affected by a memory dump, or a memory send to the X-Session. Once a memory dump has been sent to the X-Session, you will need to recall a preset to access the new memory settings.

Assigning A Device ID To The X-Session

Pressing the "DEV. ID" buttons will allow you to assign a Device ID to the X-Session. The default Device ID is 127, which means when a memory dump is performed, that dump can be received by any X-Session, regardless of the Device ID setting.

If a device ID is assigned to any number other than 127, the memory dump performed will be specific to X-Session's with the same device ID. If the device ID of a X-Session differs from the one recorded with the memory dump, the data will be ignored.

The device ID is a handy way of differentiating between multiple X-Session's. Otherwise, we recommend you keep the device ID setting as 127.

When you press the Device ID buttons, you will see the small 2-digit display on LCD display 'id'. The 3-digit display represents the assigned Device ID. You can enter a new device ID using the numeric keypad, or the '+' and '-' buttons.

For more information on Sys Ex messages and device ID, please go to page 18.

Resetting To The Factory Default Setting

The X-Session comes with 10 useful presets stored in it's memory (for complete list, see Appendix H). You can reset the X-Session back to the factory defaults on power-up by holding down the +/- buttons.

Note: Restoring the Factory presets will erase all X-Session setups stored to memory.

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

A list of NRPN's will always be given in the User Manual of a device that receives NRPN messages. It is always necessary that the NRPN MSB and LSB are sent together. Both will be specified in the device's manual. You may find the manufacturer's have only specified the numbers in Hexadecimal format. In this case, use Appendix C to translate the value to Decimal.

The X-Session makes the process of transmitting NRPN's easy. All you need is to enter the appropriate NRPN LSB by pressing the LSB/DATA button twice, enter the NRPN MSB by pressing the MSB/DATA button twice, and as you move the X-Session controller, an appropriate NRPN message will be sent out. Assign NRPN coarse to make big sweeps, or NRPN fine to make slight adjustments.

Sys Ex Explained

System Exclusive (Sys Ex) messages were defined in the MIDI specification to allow individual devices to have individual control via MIDI. The format of Sys Ex messages allows for virtually any function to be performed via MIDI – so long as the receiving device is able to translate the message, and act accordingly. This allows devices to send audio sample memory data, memory dumps, controller settings, and much more. It also allows the controllers of one device to be controlled by another.

It is not possible to program your own specified Sys Ex message into the X-Session. However, there are some useful Sys Ex messages pre-programmed, that can be accessed by assigning the appropriate MIDI cc to a controller (see Appendix B)

It should be noted that a Sys Ex message is not transmitted on any specified channel. All Sys Ex messages contain a device ID, that is used to single out devices to respond to the Sys Ex message. All other devices are ignored. If you are using a Sys Ex message on the X-Session the global channel is ignored. When you press CHANNEL, instead of entering a channel for the controller, you will be enter a device ID instead. This is indicated by the fact that the CC symbol will not be showing.

Device ID's run from 00 to 127. 127 is the default device number setting on the X-Session. This setting transmits the Sys Ex message to all devices.

Although it is not possible to program the controllers of the X-Session with your own Sys Ex messages, there are software applications that can receive a MIDI input signal and transmit a different, user specified message. You can program your Sys Ex messages into the translator software, then translate the incoming data from the X-Session to your Sys Ex, depending on the controller you are using.

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

Evolution X-Session Advanced User Guide

MIDI In & MIDI Out Signal Flow Diagram

The MIDI IN & MIDI OUT ports have different uses depending on how you intend to connect and power the X-Session. The diagram below shows the different routing options.

graph TD
    A["USB MIDI IN"] --> B["MIDI OUT From USB Switch"]
    C["Controllers"] --> B
    D["MIDI IN"] --> B
    B --> E["USB MIDI OUT 1"]
    B --> F["USB MIDI OUT 2"]
    B --> G["MIDI OUT"]

About The MIDI In Port

The MIDI in plug can be used to interface another MIDI device to your PC, via the USB port. Data received from this device will be transmitted via the X-Session to the PC. This is achieved using a second USB MIDI out. So, when you select the MIDI devices section of your sequencer you will see two X-Session USB MIDI Ins. The first of these is used to receive the X-Session controller data, the second is used to receive data from the other device connected to the X-Session's MIDI IN plug. So, the X-Session is acting as a MIDI-to-USB interface for the other MIDI device.

About The MIDI Out Port

The X-Session can of course also interface with other MIDI devices. By default (i.e. when you switch the unit on), all controller data is sent out via the MIDI output as well as the USB out.

If you want the MIDI output to act like a traditional USB-to-MIDI interface, just press the two buttons (SELECT and ASSIGN) that activate the MIDI OUT from USB mode.

If you are using a host application which can pick up multiple input drivers, you will be able to use the X-Session's MIDI input and the X-Session surface to record MIDI data and send the whole lot out of the X-Session's MIDI output.

Important note: The X-Session is not a MIDI THRU device and as such, MIDI data received at the X-Session's MIDI IN plug can never be sent directly to the X-Session's MIDI OUT plug. However, if the X-Session is connected via USB to a computer, data received at the MIDI IN can be transmitted to the MIDI OUT plug, since the data is sent to the computer, and received back from the computer. MIDI OUT FROM USB mode must be engaged for this to occur.

Program & Bank Changes Explained

The original GM MIDI specification catered for only 128 voices, numbered from 0-127. It is possible to access a different voice by sending a program change.

In order to expand on the GM set of voices, Bank changes were devised. Each bank contains 128 patches, that can be accessed using a program change. There are 16,384 banks available, accessible by sending a 14-bit Bank change message. The first 7 bits of this message are sent in a single byte known as the Bank LSB. The last 7 bits are specified by another byte known as the Bank MSB. The BANK LSB is the most commonly used. This allows for 128 bank changes, and often there is no need to send a Bank MSB.

You will find almost all MIDI devices respond to the program change, but some that do not conform to the GM set of voices use the program change message for other purposes. Many VST instruments have adopted this approach, allowing you to use a program change to change the instrument patch. The FM7 by Native Instruments is a good example of this.

Bank changes are more rarely used, although they do exist. Bank changes are useful in manufacturer's extensions to the MIDI specification, such as Roland's GS specification and Yamaha's XG specification. Both of these require you to specify a Bank change, in order to access the extra voices and effects that these specifications provide.

Sending Program, Bank LSB and Bank MSB data is made simple using the X-Session. Simply press the PROGRAM, DATA LSB or DATA MSB button and enter the program or bank change you wish to send.

RPN/NRPN's Explained

Non-registered parameter numbers (NRPN's) are device specific messages that enable the control of synths via MIDI. The MIDI specification defines parameter numbers to allow scope for manufacturers to specify their own controllers. The more common of these have been registered by the MIDI Manufacturer's Association and are part of the MIDI specification (hence the term Registered Parameter Numbers – RPN's). (See Appendix F.)

MIDI controllers 98 and 99 represent the NRPN LSB and MSB respectively, while 100 and 101 represent the RPN LSB and MSB. This can be seen from the MIDI controllers list in Appendix D. To transmit an NRPN/RPN, these two controller messages are sent along with their user-specified values. A further controller message and value needs to be sent to specify the (coarse or fine) value adjustment.

This is specified by controller number 6 (Data entry) for coarse adjustments or number 38 for fine adjustments.