From the SoundonSound review:
Apart from a standard MIDI implementation chart (which tells you very little) Roland have not documented what the Boutique synths do with MIDI CCs or SysEx. So here are some conclusions that I reached through a lot of experimentation, many of which have since been confirmed by Roland Europe.
Perhaps most obviously, none of the front–panel controls on these synths generate or respond to MIDI CCs, which precludes control using the knobs and faders that adorn most modern MIDI controllers. Less obviously, none of their sequencers send MIDI notes or generate MIDI Clock when playing, nor do their sequencers, LFOs or delays synchronise to incoming MIDI Clock. I suspect that the reason behind this is technological; either the ACB sound engine is already stressing the CPU and additional features may not have been possible without cutting corners elsewhere, or the development had reached its limit in terms of time and cost. Nonetheless, there is hope. Apparently, if you switch on Chain Mode, SysEx is sent via the five–pin DIN connector, and SysEx messages should also be received at either the five–pin DIN or the USB sockets, whether Chain Mode is On or Off. In principle, therefore, it should be possible to write editors for each of the synths. This happened when Roland published the SysEx specification for the Aira TB3, converting it from a largely preset bass synth into something much more flexible. So it would be disappointing if something similar didn’t happen in relation to the Boutique synths if and when the next firmware revision comes along. Whether this would also include synchronisation is another question because, if their processors are truly ‘maxed out’, this may not be possible. That would be a shame both for us and for Roland because, without MIDI Sync, the market for the Boutique synths is going to be smaller than the company would otherwise hope. Fingers crossed...
I listened to Hatfield and the North at Rainbow. They were very wonderful and they made my heart a prisoner.
