Optimus MD-1200 User manual

Cat. No. 42-4041

OWNER’S MANUAL

Please read before using this equipment.

Electronic Keyboard

MD-1200

42-4041.fm Page 1 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 6:56 AM

2

We recommend you write your MD-

1200’s serial number here. The number

is on the bottom of the MD-1200.

Serial Number _________________

THE FCC WANTS YOU TO

KNOW

This keyboard complies with the limits

for a Class B digital device as specified

in Part 15 of

FCC Rules

. These limits

provide reasonable protection against

radio and TV interference in a residential

area. However, your keyboard might

cause TV or radio interference even

when it is operating properly. To elimi-

nate interference, you can try one or

both of these corrective measures:

• increase the distance between the

keyboard and the radio or TV

• use outlets on different electrical cir-

cuits for the keyboard and the radio

or TV

Consult your local RadioShack store if

the problem still exists.

WARNING:

To reduce the risk of fire or

shock hazard, do not expose this product to rain

or moisture.

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.

DO NOT OPEN.

CAUTION:

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF

ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE

COVER OR BACK. NO USER-SERVICE-

ABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING

TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

This symbol is intended to alert

you to the presence of uninsu-

lated dangerous voltage within

the product’s enclosure that might

be of sufficient magnitude to con-

stitute a risk of electric shock. Do

not open the product’s case.

This symbol is intended to inform

you that important operating and

maintenance instructions are

included in the literature accom-

panying this product.

!

©

1999 Tandy Corporation.

Optimus and RadioShack are registered trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.

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FEATURES

Your Optimus MD-1200 Electronic Key-

board is a state-of-the-art musical instru-

ment that offers you a vast array of

sounds. You can choose from 200 differ-

ent musical instruments or sound effects

and 100 rhythms, as well as automatic

accompaniments and percussion

sounds.

The MD-1200 also includes a MIDI fea-

ture (Musical Instrument Digital Inter-

face), which lets you connect it to other

MIDI-equipped musical instruments or

devices — even your personal comput-

er! This versatile keyboard can provide

hours of fun and is ideal for anyone who

wants to make music, from the beginner

to the experienced musician.

Note:

The MD-1200 conforms to most,

but not all, General MIDI specifications.

Therefore, you might experience some

incompatibility when using the MD-1200

with another General MIDI device. For

more information, see “Using MIDI” on

Page 41.

Your MD-1200’s features include:

61 Full-Size Keys with Touch Re-

sponse

— the keyboard’s volume var-

ies in response to the force of your

touch, just like an acoustic piano or or-

gan, so you can add emotion to your

music.

Backlit Liquid Crystal Display

—

shows the notes and chords as you play

them, along with the current tone,

rhythm, and tempo. The built-in back-

light makes it easy to read the display

even in darkness.

24-Note Polyphonic Sound

— lets you

play and hear up to 24 notes at the

same time, so you can play or create al-

most any type of music.

Memory

— lets you set the MD-1200 to

record up to 2 songs, 6 tracks, and

5,200 notes. The recording remains

stored even while the keyboard is off.

Pitch Bender Wheel

— lets you bend a

note by altering its pitch to create realis-

tic effects for reed instrument or guitar

tones.

200 Tones

— let you set your MD-1200

to sound like anything from a harpsi-

chord to a honky-tonk piano. You can

even create your own tones with the

custom tone synthesizer feature.

100 Auto-Rhythms

— provide a steady

beat for many styles of music, from

rhumba to rock.

Headphones/Output Jack

— lets you

connect headphones so you can play

without disturbing others, or an external

amplifier so you can play for a crowd

(neither supplied).

Assignable Jack

— lets you connect a

sustain pedal (not supplied) to the MD-

1200 so you can sustain or soften your

keyboard’s sound, or start/stop an auto-

rhythm.

100 Free Sessions

— let you set the

MD-1200 to automatically play an ac-

companiment consisting of a prerecord-

ed chord progression with a matching

rhythm.

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4

Synthesizer Function

— lets you cre-

ate up to 32 of your own original tones.

Tune Function

— lets you adjust the

pitch of your keyboard so you can play

in tune with other instruments.

Transpose Function

— lets you in-

stantly change the key of music, even

when you are playing.

Tempo Control

— lets you speed up or

slow down the tempo of any selected

music pattern.

Fill-In Rhythm

— lets you insert a short

variation into any auto-rhythm.

Auto Accompaniment

— lets you auto-

matically play a preset harmonic pattern

to match the selected auto-rhythm.

Reverb

— lets you add depth and space

to the sound.

Layer Function

— lets you set the key-

board to play two different tones at the

same time, giving your music a “layered”

effect.

Split Function

— lets you use different

sounds for the low-end and high-end

keys.

Mixer Function

— lets you make the

MD-1200 sound multiple tones for auto

accompaniment, memory playback, or

to play MIDI data received from another

MIDI device.

Automatic Intro/Ending Rhythm

—

lets you set the MD-1200 to automatical-

ly add a 3- to 8-measure introduction or

3- to 8-measure ending to the selected

auto-rhythm.

Drum Pads

— play drum sounds re-

gardless of the keyboard’s tone setting.

Two Built-In Speakers

— let you hear

the sound you create.

Two Power Options

— let you power

the keyboard from internal batteries (not

supplied) or standard AC power (with an

optional adapter), so you can make mu-

sic almost anywhere.

Notes:

• If the keyboard is left in one place

for a very long time, its feet could

mar your furniture’s finish. We rec-

ommend you place the feet on felt

cloth pads to protect your furniture

or use a keyboard stand, available

at your local RadioShack store.

• This Owner’s Manual explains how

to use this electronic keyboard. It

does not teach music.

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CONTENTS

Preparation .............................................................................................................. 7

Connecting Power .............................................................................................. 7

Using Batteries ............................................................................................ 7

Using AC Power .......................................................................................... 8

Connecting Headphones .................................................................................... 8

Listening Safely ........................................................................................... 8

Connecting an External Amplifier ....................................................................... 9

Using the Music Stand ....................................................................................... 9

Operation ............................................................................................................... 10

Basic Operation ................................................................................................ 10

Playing the Demonstration Tunes .................................................................... 10

Using the Preset Tones .................................................................................... 11

Using the Drum Pads ....................................................................................... 13

Using Reverb .................................................................................................... 13

Using Split ........................................................................................................ 13

Using Layer ...................................................................................................... 14

Using Split and Layer Together ........................................................................ 14

Using the Preset Auto-Rhythms ....................................................................... 15

Selecting/Playing an Auto-Rhythm ............................................................ 15

Using SYNCHRO ....................................................................................... 16

Using INTRO ............................................................................................. 17

Using FILL-IN ............................................................................................. 17

Using VARIATION ...................................................................................... 17

Using ENDING ........................................................................................... 17

Using Auto-Accompaniment ............................................................................. 17

Adjusting the Accompaniment Volume ...................................................... 18

Concert Chord ........................................................................................... 19

Standard Fingering .................................................................................... 20

Full-Range Chords ..................................................................................... 21

Using FREE SESSION .............................................................................. 21

Using the Mixer ................................................................................................ 22

Editing the Status of a Channel ................................................................. 23

Editing the Parameter ................................................................................ 24

Using the Custom Tone Synthesizer ................................................................ 24

Understanding 1DCO and 2DCO Tones .................................................... 25

Creating and Storing a User Tone ............................................................. 25

Hints on Creating a User Tone ................................................................... 28

Deleting a User Tone ................................................................................. 28

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6

Special Features ................................................................................................... 29

Changing Keys ................................................................................................. 29

Tuning the Keyboard ........................................................................................ 29

Using Touch Response ..................................................................................... 30

Changing Auto Power Off ................................................................................. 30

Using Pitch Bend .............................................................................................. 30

Setting the Pitch Bend Range .................................................................... 31

Using a Sustain Pedal ...................................................................................... 31

Using the Memory ................................................................................................. 32

Real-Time Recording ........................................................................................ 32

Playing Back from Memory ............................................................................... 34

Step Recording ................................................................................................. 35

Specifying Chords in the Normal Mode ..................................................... 36

Specifying the Length of a Note ................................................................. 36

Correcting Mistakes ................................................................................... 37

Recording Multiple Tracks ................................................................................ 37

Real-Time Recording ................................................................................. 37

Step Recording .......................................................................................... 38

Changing the Navigation Track .................................................................. 39

Editing Memory Contents ................................................................................. 39

Editing Techniques and Display Contents .................................................. 40

Deleting Individual Data ............................................................................. 40

Deleting All Data in a Specific Track .......................................................... 40

Using MIDI ............................................................................................................. 41

About MIDI ........................................................................................................ 41

Making the MIDI Connections .......................................................................... 41

MIDI Data ......................................................................................................... 42

Changing MIDI Settings .................................................................................... 44

Dumping/Importing Data ................................................................................... 45

Dumping Data ............................................................................................ 45

Importing Data ........................................................................................... 46

Notes About the MIDI Implementation Chart .................................................... 46

Troubleshooting .................................................................................................... 48

Care and Maintenance .......................................................................................... 49

Specifications ........................................................................................................ 50

Appendix ................................................................................................................ 52

Note Table ........................................................................................................ 52

Free Session Chord Progression Chart ............................................................ 54

Drum Assignment List ...................................................................................... 56

Fingered Chord Chart ....................................................................................... 57

MIDI Implementation Chart .................................................................................. 58

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PREPARATION

Note:

To connect a MIDI device, see

“Making the MIDI Connections” on

Page 41. To connect a sustain pedal,

see “Using a Sustain Pedal” on

Page 31.

CONNECTING POWER

You can power your MD-1200 from ei-

ther:

• internal batteries (see “Using Batter-

ies”)

• standard AC power using an

optional AC adapter (see “Using AC

Power” on Page 8)

Notes:

• Connecting an AC adapter automat-

ically disconnects internal batteries.

• Always disconnect the adapter

when you finish using the MD-1200.

• Disconnecting the keyboard’s power

clears the control settings, memory

contents, and user tones (see

“Using the Custom Tone Synthe-

sizer” on Page 24 and “Using the

Memory” on Page 32).

Using Batteries

Your MD-1200 can use six D batteries

(not supplied) for power. For the best

performance and longest life, we recom-

mend RadioShack alkaline batteries.

Cautions:

• Use only fresh batteries of the

required size and recommended

type.

• If you do not plan to use the MD-

1200 with batteries for a week or

more, or if you will be using only AC

power, remove the batteries.

• Do not mix old and new batteries,

different types of batteries (stan-

dard, alkaline, or rechargeable), or

rechargeable batteries of different

capacities.

1. Press the tabs on the battery com-

partment cover, then pull up to

remove the cover.

2. Put the batteries in the compartment

as indicated by the polarity symbols

(+ and –) marked beside the com-

partment.

3. Replace the cover.

If the MD-1200 sounds weak or does not

work properly, replace all six batteries.

Warning:

Dispose of old batteries

promptly and properly. Do not burn or

bury them.

Caution:

Always remove old or weak

batteries; batteries can leak chemicals

that can destroy electronic parts.

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8

Using AC Power

You can power your MD-1200 from

standard AC power using a 9-volt AC

adapter (not supplied) and a Size M

Adaptaplug.

Cautions:

You must use a Class 2

power source that supplies

9 volts DC and delivers at

least 800 mA. Its center tip must be

set to negative and its plug must fit

the MD-1200's

DC 9V

jack. Using an

adapter that does not meet these

specifications could damage the

MD-1200 or the adapter.

• Always press

POWER

to turn off the

keyboard before you connect or dis-

connect the adapter.

• Always plug the AC adapter into the

MD-1200 before you plug it into the

AC outlet. Always unplug the AC

adapter from the AC outlet before

you unplug it from the MD-1200.

Follow these steps to power your MD-

1200 from AC power.

1. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug into

the

DC 9V

jack on the back of the

MD-1200.

2. Plug the adapter into a standard AC

outlet.

CONNECTING

HEADPHONES

To listen to your MD-1200 without dis-

turbing others, you can connect a pair of

1

/

4

-inch (6.35-mm) plug stereo head-

phones (not supplied). Your local Ra-

dioShack store sells a wide selection of

headphones.

To connect a pair of headphones, insert

the headphones’

1

/

4

-inch (6.35-mm) plug

into the

PHONES/OUTPUT

jack on the

back of the keyboard.

Note:

Connecting headphones discon-

nects the MD-1200’s built-in speakers.

Listening Safely

To protect your hearing, follow these

guidelines when you use headphones.

• Set the volume to the lowest setting

before you begin listening. After you

begin listening, adjust the volume to

a comfortable level.

• Do not listen at extremely high vol-

ume levels. Extended high-volume

listening can lead to permanent

hearing loss.

!

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9

• Once you set the volume, do not

increase it. Over time, your ears

adapt to the volume level, so a vol-

ume level that does not cause dis-

comfort might still damage your

hearing.

CONNECTING AN

EXTERNAL AMPLIFIER

To amplify your MD-1200’s sound, you

can connect it to an external amplifier

(not supplied) using an audio cable (not

supplied) with a

1

/

4

-inch (6.35-mm) plug.

To connect an external amplifier to your

keyboard, insert the cable’s

1

/

4

-inch

(6.35-mm) plug into the

PHONES/OUT-

PUT

jack on the back of the keyboard,

and connect the cable’s other end to the

amplifier’s input jack(s) (such as AUX IN

or TAPE IN).

Your local RadioShack store sells a full

line of amplifiers, speakers, and connec-

tion cables.

USING THE MUSIC STAND

To easily view sheet music while playing

your keyboard, insert the supplied music

stand into the slot on the top back panel.

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10

OPERATION

BASIC OPERATION

1. Slide

VOLUME

to

MIN

(minimum).

Important:

To prevent hearing dam-

age, always set the MD-1200’s vol-

ume to

MIN

before you turn it on.

2. To turn on the MD-1200, press

POWER

. The POWER indicator

lights and the display turns on.

Note:

To save power, the keyboard

automatically turns off after about 6

minutes if you do not press a key. To

turn the keyboard on again, press

POWER

. To cancel the auto power

off feature, see “Changing Auto

Power Off” on Page 30.

3. Slide

MODE

to

NORMAL

.

4. Slide

VOLUME

toward

MAX

slightly

and begin playing the keyboard.

Notes:

• The MD-1200 automatically

selects the tone

GND PIANO

(No.

000) when you first turn the power

on. Each time you turn it on after

that, it recalls the last selected

tone. To select a different tone,

see “Using the Preset Tones” on

Page 11.

• To select an auto-rhythm, see

“Using the Preset Auto-Rhythms”

on Page 15.

• To play auto accompaniment, see

“Using Auto-Accompaniment” on

Page 17.

5. Slide

VOLUME

toward

MAX

to

increase the sound level or

MIN

to

decrease it.

6. To turn off the MD-1200, press

POWER

. The red POWER indicator

and the keyboard’s display turn off.

PLAYING THE

DEMONSTRATION TUNES

To showcase its sounds, your MD-1200

can play two pre-programmed demon-

stration tunes. To start the demonstra-

tion, press

DEMO

. The MD-1200 plays

the first demonstration tune (No. 0). To

select the other tune, press

+

or

–

on the

keypad. The selected tune’s number ap-

pears, and the tune plays.

VOLUME

MODE

POWER

VOLUME

DEMO

(Partial Control View)

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11

The

tone number and name

appear at

the top of the display. The middle row

shows the

chord symbol

, the

tempo

in

beats per minute, the

number of the

measure playing

and the

beat count

in

each measure. The

treble and bass

clefs

to the right of the display show the

notes as they play. The bar graph shows

the

sound level

on each of the 16 chan-

nels (see “Using the Mixer” on Page 22).

The

keyboard

at the bottom of the dis-

play shows the location of the keys be-

ing pressed.

USING THE PRESET

TONES

Your MD-1200 can sound like 200 differ-

ent musical instruments or sound ef-

fects. The name and three-digit number

of each preset tone is listed on the MD-

1200’s top panel.

Notes:

• The MD-1200 has 24-note (maxi-

mum) polyphonic sound. This

means that you can play up to 24

different notes at the same time with

most of the keyboard’s preset tones.

Many of the keyboard’s preset

tones, however, are capable of only

12-note polyphony.

• Most tones on this keyboard have

been recorded and processed using

a technique called

digital sampling

.

To ensure a high level of tonal qual-

ity, samples are taken in the low,

mid, and high ranges and then com-

bined. You might notice very slight

differences in volume or sound qual-

ity for some tones when you play

them at different positions on the

keyboard. This is an unavoidable

result of multiple sampling and is

normal.

Follow these steps to select and play a

preset tone.

1. Press

TONE

.

TONE

and the current

tone’s number appear.

Note:

The MD-1200 automatically

selects the tone GRAND PIANO

(No. 000) the first time you turn on

power.

2. To play a different tone, choose a

preset tone from the 200 TONES list

and enter its three-digit number on

the keypad. For example, to select

ELEC PIANO 1, press

0 0 4

. As you

press the keys, the selected digits

appear.

Tone Number/Name

Chord Symbol

Tempo

Keyboard

Treble Clef

Bass Clef

Measure/

Beat Count

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12

Notes:

• You can select the next highest or

lowest numbered tone by simply

pressing

+

or

–

on the keypad.

• The names of tone numbers 000–

127 are marked to the right of the

MD-1200’s display. The names

for tone numbers 128–167

appear in the table below. Mem-

ory locations 168–199 are

reserved for custom tones that

you create (see “Using the Cus-

tom Tone Synthesizer” on

Page 24).

• When you select one of the drum

sets (tone numbers 160–167),

each key plays a different percus-

sion sound. See “Drum Assign-

ment List” on Page 56.

• The drum set sounds change

when you change the rhythm

number, play back data stored in

memory, or receive MIDI program

change data.

• Tone numbers 168–199 are the

user tone area. See “Using the

Custom Tone Synthesizer” on

Page 24.

3. Play the keyboard to hear the

selected tone.

4. Adjust the volume to the desired

level.

To select a different tone, while

TONE

appears, simply enter the desired tone

number.

No. Tone

128 SYNTH PAD 1

129 SYNTH PAD 2

130 TOUCH STRINGS

131 DO AHH

132 STRINGS HIT

133 VIBES PIANO

134 SAW SYNTH

135 TOUCH BASS

136 STRINGS PIANO

137 E. PIANO STRINGS

138 STEREO PIANO

139 12 STR GUITAR

140 BRASS FALL

141 BASS SLIDE

142 FEEDBACK GT

143 PIANO

→

STRINGS

144 ECHO ORGAN

145 ROTARY ORGAN

146 CHORUSED EP

147 STRINGS GT

148 PAD ENS 1

149 PAD ENS 2

150 SEQUENCE 1

151 SEQUENCE 2

152 SYNTH PAD 3

153 SYNTH PAD 4

154 SYNTH PAD 5

155 SYNTH PAD 6

156 SYNTH PAD 7

157 SYNTH PAD 8

158 REVERSE ECHO

159 FAST TREMOLO

160–167 DRUM SET 1–8

No. Tone

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13

USING THE DRUM PADS

The MD-1200 has six drum pads that

you can use to play percussion sounds

independent of the keyboard keys. Sim-

ply tap on a drum pad to play the per-

cussion sound currently assigned to it.

To change the drum pad sounds, use

the mixer function to change the tone

assigned to Channel 10. See “Using the

Mixer” on Page 22.

USING REVERB

The REVERB feature creates ambiance

effects by causing the sound to linger

and reverberate. Press

REVERB

so the

indicator appears next to the type of re-

verb you want.

HALL

— creates a concert hall effect.

STAGE

— creates the acoustics of a

small club.

ROOM

— adds the acoustics of a studio.

To turn off REVERB, press

REVERB

so

no indicator appears on the display.

USING SPLIT

The MD-1200’s SPLIT feature lets you

play two different tones on opposite

ends of the keyboard, so the low-end

keys play one tone, and the high-end

keys play another.

Follow these steps to use SPLIT.

1. Press

TONE

.

2. Enter the three-digit number for the

tone you want the high-end keys to

play.

3. Press

SPLIT

. The SPLIT indicator

appears.

4. Enter the three-digit number for the

tone you want the low-end keys to

play.

5. Hold down

SPLIT

, and press the key

where you want the high-end tones

to begin. The selected key’s name

appears on the display.

REVERB

Drum Pads

LAYER

SPLIT

TONE

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14

For example, if you set the split

point to be F below middle C,

F3

appears.

Note:

You can change the split point

at any time.

6. Play both the low and high-end keys

to hear the selected split tones.

To select a different low-end tone, enter

the three-digit number for the new low-

end tone while the SPLIT indicator is on

the display.

To select a different high-end tone,

press

SPLIT

to turn off its indicator, then

enter the three-digit number for the new

high-end tone. Then press

SPLIT

again

so the SPLIT indicator appears.

To cancel SPLIT play, press

SPLIT

again so its indicator turns off.

Notes:

• If SPLIT is on when you turn off the

keyboard, SPLIT will still be on the

next time you turn on the keyboard.

• When you turn on SPLIT, the last

selected settings appear.

USING LAYER

The MD-1200 lets you set the keyboard

to play two different preset tones at the

same time, creating a “layered effect”

when you press one key.

Note:

The first tone you select when us-

ing LAYER is called the

base tone

and

the second tone is called the

layer tone

.

1. Press

TONE

.

2. Enter the three-digit number for the

base tone.

3. Press

LAYER

. The

LAYER

indicator

appears.

4. Enter the three-digit number for the

layer tone.

5. Play the keyboard to hear the

selected layered tones.

To select a different layer tone, enter the

three-digit number for the new layer tone

while the LAYER indicator is on the dis-

play.

To select a different base tone, press

LAYER

to turn off its indicator, then enter

the three-digit number for the new base

tone. Then press

LAYER

again so the

LAYER indicator appears.

To cancel LAYER, press

LAYER

again

so its indicator turns off.

Notes:

• If LAYER is on when you turn off the

keyboard, LAYER will still be on the

next time you turn on the keyboard.

• When you turn on LAYER, the previ-

ous tone settings appear.

USING SPLIT AND LAYER

TOGETHER

You can combine the SPLIT and LAYER

features, so you can play one layered

combination of tones on the low-end

keys and another on the high-end keys.

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15

1. If the SPLIT or LAYER indicator is

on, press

SPLIT

or

LAYER

to turn it

off.

2. Enter the number for the high-end

base tone on the keypad.

3. Press

SPLIT

so the

SPLIT

indicator

appears.

4. Enter the number for the low-end

base tone.

5. Press

SPLIT

so the

SPLIT

indicator

disappears.

6. Press

LAYER

so the

LAYER

indica-

tor appears.

7. Enter the number of the layered

tone for the high-end keys.

8. Press

SPLIT

. The

SPLIT

indicator

appears.

9. Enter the number of the layered

tone for the low-end keys.

10. If desired, hold down

SPLIT

and

press the key where you want the

high-end tones to begin.

11. Play the keyboard to hear the

selected tones.

To cancel the SPLIT/LAYER combina-

tion, press each button so both the

SPLIT and LAYER indicators disap-

pear.

USING THE PRESET

AUTO-RHYTHMS

Your MD-1200 has 100 preset auto-

rhythms that provide a steady beat for

your music. The name and two-digit

number of each preset auto-rhythm is

marked to the left of the MD-1200’s dis-

play.

You can play a preset auto-rhythm on

the MD-1200 in any of these ways:

• Select and play a rhythm. See

“Selecting/Playing an Auto-

Rhythm.”

• Synchronize the start of a rhythm

with your music. See “Using SYN-

CHRO” on Page 16.

• Start a rhythm with a special intro-

duction. See “Using INTRO” on

Page 17.

• Stop a rhythm with a special ending.

See “Using ENDING” on Page 17.

• Briefly vary the pattern of a rhythm.

See “Using FILL-IN” on Page 17.

• Play an alternate version (variation)

of a rhythm. See “Using VARIA-

TION” on Page 17.

Selecting/Playing an

Auto-Rhythm

1. Press

RHYTHM

. RHYTHM and the

name and number of the current

auto-rhythm appear on the display.

Note:

The MD-1200 automatically

selects the rhythm CLUB POP (No.

00) the first time you turn it on. Each

time you turn it on after that, it

recalls the last selected rhythm.

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16

2. To select a different rhythm, choose

an auto-rhythm from the 100

RHYTHMS list and enter its two-

digit number on the keypad. For

example, to select 8 BEAT BALLAD

2 (No. 05), press

0

then

5

.

Note:

You can select the next high-

est or lowest numbered auto-rhythm

by simply pressing

+

or

–

on the key-

pad.

3. Set

MODE

to

NORMAL

. Then press

START/STOP

to start the selected

auto-rhythm.

4. Adjust the volume to the desired

level.

5. To change the auto-rhythm speed,

press

TEMPO

. or . The current

tempo setting appears on the dis-

play.

Notes:

• You can adjust the tempo to play an

auto-rhythm from 40 to 255 beats

per minute.

• To quickly slow down or speed up

the tempo, hold down

TEMPO

. or

.

• You can also adjust the tempo by

first pressing

TEMPO

. or .,

then entering the desired number of

beats per minute in three digits (040

to 255), or by holding down

+

or

–

on

the keypad.

• To reset the tempo to its default

(original) speed, press

TEMPO

.

or . at the same time.

To select a different rhythm, repeat

Steps 1 and 2.

To stop the auto-rhythm, press

START/

STOP

.

Using SYNCHRO

The MD-1200’s SYNCHRO feature lets

you synchronize the start of an auto-

rhythm with the beginning of your music.

After you select and enter an auto-

rhythm, press

SYNCHRO/ENDING

, then

begin playing the keyboard. The rhythm

automatically starts to play when you

press any key within the first 1

1

/

2

octaves

of the lower end of the keyboard (the

first 18 keys from the left).

TEMPO

INTRO

NORMAL/FILL-IN

SYNCHRO/ENDING

VARIATION/FILL-IN

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17

Using INTRO

The MD-1200’s INTRO feature lets you

start the selected auto-rhythm with a

light, 3- to 8-measure introduction that

blends easily into the selected rhythm.

To start a rhythm with an introduction,

select and enter the rhythm, then press

INTRO

. The introduction plays, then the

selected auto-rhythm automatically

starts.

Using FILL-IN

The FILL-IN feature lets you insert a

short (1- to 2-measure) fill-in segment of

a selected auto-rhythm.

To insert the fill-in segment, press and

release

NORMAL/FILL-IN

while the auto-

rhythm is playing. The MD-1200 inserts

a 1- to 2-measure variation in the

rhythm, then the original rhythm auto-

matically resumes.

Using VARIATION

Each of the MD-1200’s 100 preset auto-

rhythms has a built-in variation (alter-

nate) to its normal beat pattern. The

variation differs slightly from the normal

rhythm, so it is almost like having two

rhythms in one!

To play the alternate rhythm, press

VARIATION/FILL-IN

. The variation plays

continuously at the selected tempo.

To insert the fill-in segment in the alter-

nate rhythm, press

VARIATION/FILL-IN

.

The keyboard adds a 1- to 2-measure

variation in the rhythm.

To return to the normal rhythm, press

NORMAL/FILL-IN

.

To stop the auto-rhythm, press

START/

STOP

.

Using ENDING

To end the selected rhythm with a spe-

cial 3- to 8-measure flourish, press

SYN-

CHRO/ENDING

while the auto-rhythm is

playing, about 3–8 measures before you

want the rhythm to end. The MD-1200

plays a special ending, then automati-

cally stops the rhythm.

USING

AUTO-ACCOMPANIMENT

The 18 keys on the left side of the key-

board with note labels above them are

called

accompaniment keys

.

You can set the MD-1200 to play three

different types of auto accompaniment.

Concert Chord

— lets you play chords

on the accompaniment keys using chord

formations of from one to four notes.

The number of keys you press deter-

mines the type of chord that plays.

Standard Fingering

— lets you play

chords on the accompaniment keys us-

ing standard chord formations of three

or four notes (see “Standard Fingering”

on Page 20).

42-4041.fm Page 17 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 6:56 AM

18

Free Session

— lets you play the melo-

dy using the entire keyboard while the

MD-1200 plays accompaniment based

on your auto-rhythm selection (see “Us-

ing FREE SESSION” on Page 21).

Notes:

• After you press the auto accompani-

ment keys when using concert

chord or standard fingering, the MD-

1200 plays the same chord until you

press other accompaniment keys to

play a different chord or you press

START/ STOP

.

• You can use the MD-1200’s rhythm

controls (

INTRO

,

NORMAL/FILL-IN

,

VARIATION/FILL-IN

, and

SYNCHRO/

ENDING

) with all three types of auto

accompaniment.

Adjusting the Accompaniment

Volume

The MD-1200 lets you adjust the volume

of your accompaniment separately from

the overall volume of the keyboard.

1. Press

ACCOMP VOLUME

. The three-

digit number of the last selected

accompaniment volume appears on

the display.

2. Within 5 seconds, enter a number

from

0 0 0

(softest) to

1 2 7

(loudest)

on the keypad. The numbers appear

on the display as you press the

keys.

To select the next highest or lowest

accompaniment volume number,

you can also press

+

or

–

after

pressing

ACCOMP VOLUME

. Hold

down

+

or

–

to quickly increase or

decrease the accompaniment vol-

ume.

To reset the accompaniment volume to

its default value of 87, press

ACCOMP

VOLUME

then press

+

and

–

at the same

time.

Note:

The auto-accompaniment pat-

terns consist of four parts: chord 1,

chord 2, bass, and rhythm. You can de-

lete any of the parts by using the mixer

function. See “Using the Mixer” on

Page 22.

ACCOMP

VOLUME

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19

Concert Chord

The concert chord method lets begin-

ning keyboard players easily select and

play a chord.

The number of accompaniment keys

you press determines the type of chord

that plays. This table shows the type of

chord that plays when you press one,

two, three, or four accompaniment keys

at the same time.

The lowest note you play determines the

key of the chord. For example, if the low-

est note is C, the keyboard plays a C

chord.

Note:

You can play any labeled note(s)

to the right of the lowest note in the

chord to produce a minor, a dominant

seventh, or minor seventh chord.

Follow these steps to start concert chord

auto accompaniment.

1. Set

MODE

to

CONCERT CHORD

.

2. Select and enter an auto-rhythm.

3. To start the auto-rhythm before the

auto accompaniment, press

START/

STOP

or

INTRO

.

To synchronize the start of the

selected auto-rhythm with your

accompaniment, press

SYNCHRO/

ENDING

.

4. Begin the accompaniment by press-

ing the desired accompaniment

key(s).

To play a melody along with the

accompaniment, press any key(s) to

the right of the accompaniment

keys.

5. To change chords without interrupt-

ing the rhythm, simply press the

auto accompaniment key(s)

required to form the new chord.

6. To stop accompaniment and the

auto-rhythm, press

START/STOP

.

Number of Keys

Pressed

Chord Type

Major

Minor (m)

Dominant

Seventh (7)

Minor

Seventh (m7)

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20

Standard Fingering

The standard fingering method uses standard formations of three or four notes, and

lets the experienced musician play a wider variety of accompaniment chords. You

can play these 15 chord types on your MD-1200, in any key, using the standard fin-

gering method.

Notes:

• To produce a simple variation of a 7, m7, M7, mM7, add9, or madd9 chord, you

can omit the finger positions shown in parentheses (on the keys).

• When producing an aug, 7-5, or dim7 chord, the lowest note you play determines

the root of the chord. Be sure that your fingering correctly defines the root you

want.

• The diagrams above show only one possible fingering position for each chord. It

is possible to play a chord using several different positions. For example, these

three fingering positions produce the same C chord.

Major (M) Minor (m) Augmented

(aug)

Suspended 4th

(sus4)

Dominant 7th (7)

Minor 7th (m7) Major 7th (M7) Minor Half-

Diminished

(m7

-5

)

Major Half

Diminished (7

-5

)

Dominant

Suspended 4th

(7sus4)

Major 9th (add9) Minor 9th

(madd9)

Minor/Major 7th

(mM7)

Diminished Diminished 7th

(dim7)

42-4041.fm Page 20 Tuesday, August 3, 1999 6:56 AM

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