MS2000 Sysex Help

[thehuman]

Hey guys-

I just recently picked up an MS2000, and I have a quick question for anyone who may know more.

I am trying to send some Sysex files to it from MIDI-Ox and PatchBuddy, but nothing I can do can get it to receive them. I enabled the sysex receive in the global menu, and I know it is receiving MIDI, because I can control it from DAW's. But nothing I do can get it to receive these damn Sysex files, and I can't find much info about the process anywhere.

Does anyone have experience with this who might be able to think of something I am overlooking? I am going directly to it from my MIDI interface--no MIDI thru or anything like that which could be causing problems. I have tried multiple ports and MIDI cables, so all of that is pretty much ruled out.

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks guys.

[Dubreak]

When you say you are going straight from your 'midi interface', what interface do you have?

I find I have to use a PCI soundcard with a MIDI breakout cable (M-Audio 2496) to send .syx, OS updates..etc.. to any of my outboard synths.

I have a ESI M8U 8x USB MIDI rack too and sending syx info from that doesn't work for some reason, maybe it's too slow or the buffer stream is not consistant enough. MIDI info is transferred fine, just not syx or OS updates to any of my synths (MS2000 included).

Even an old Soundblaster card would work, if you had one around?

.: Freeware for Korg synths :.

[thehuman]

It's a MOTU Micro Lite. I used to do it straight through the same interface with my MicroKorg, so it seems like it should work.

Unfortunately, I don't have the breakout cable for my Audiophile 2496, so until I get my new interface later this week, I won't be able to try your suggestion, reasonable enough as it sounds.

In the meantime, I am still open to suggestions. Thanks for the input, though, and I will certainly test that theory as soon as I can.

[Dubreak]

Ok. I used to hang around the MS2000 yahoo group for around three years. That was one of the most frequent problems popping up. Also make sure your synth is set to MIDI channel 1, iirc sysex data is channel dependant and is mainly made for Channel 1.

Maybe if there was a way to slow down the transfer of sysex too that would work...? See inside MIDI-ox 'OPTIONS/CONFIGURE BUFFERS/'..? Maybe try changing the size of the 'low level output buffer' to the total 'byte' size of the file you are trying to send and reducing the amount of buffers (Num.) to 1...?

I lost my audiophile midi cable for a while too, the screws that hold it in broke at a gig, but I found it again, stuck down the back of a friends rear car seat.

[DevonB]

I had the same problem, and I have dirt cheap, $3 Hosa cables, and got it to work. Off the top of my head, I believe there are TWO things you need to set up to make sure it can receive MIDI on the MS2000. Read the manual carefully on what you need to set up. I'm 99% certain it goes over EXACTLY what you need set it to receive SysEx. Dont' follow the manual, it won't work, trust me. My problem is, I've now done SysEx dumps to so many other synths and tried to figure those out (MIDI Ox refuses to work with a Casio VZ10m, for example but Bome's SendSX - Bome Software , worked like a champ!)

Is this your first Sysex dump you've done with MIDI Ox? I'd try Send SX instead. It's *SO* much easier to set up than MIDI Ox's bloated feature-set. I think I futz with MIDI Ox for an hour or two before I got it working for most of my studio. Bome's, I turned on, set what MIDI in and out, clicked Send, and it just worked.

If you've seriously read the manual, and really can't figure out it, let me know. I'll go back and read the manual again. Mine just works now, and this was awhile ago when I set it up...

Devon

[DevonB]

Originally Posted by Dubreak

Ok. I used to hang around the MS2000 yahoo group for around three years. That was one of the most frequent problems popping up. Also make sure your synth is set to MIDI channel 1, iirc sysex data is channel dependant and is mainly made for Channel 1.

Maybe if there was a way to slow down the transfer of sysex too that would work...? See inside MIDI-ox 'OPTIONS/CONFIGURE BUFFERS/'..? Maybe try changing the size of the 'low level output buffer' to the total 'byte' size of the file you are trying to send and reducing the amount of buffers (Num.) to 1...?

I lost my audiophile midi cable for a while too, the screws that hold it in broke at a gig, but I found it again, stuck down the back of a friends rear car seat.

It's not the size he needs to modify, but the delay between transfers. It's in the same options window you mention. I think the MS2000 of mine needs like 60 or 75 between transfers, and certainly make sure "pause after F7" is checked below as well. This is in the SysEx window, I believe second from the right under Options. All off the top of my head, sorry guys. I remember if I tried faster than 60, it would screw up for the MS2000. On the Alesis QSR, I could do 3ms dealys, and it was fine. Totally instrument dependent.

Devon

[thehuman]

Originally Posted by DevonB

If you've seriously read the manual,

Devon

Well, I wouldn't say I have seriously read the manual. I perused it in all the obvious sections but didn't have a lot of time to dig in deep--the best I could find was to make sure that SysexRcv is enabled, and it is. But aside from using MIDI-OX, it seems like PatchBuddy should be kind of what you're talking about with SendSX. It's a program designed specifically for the MS2000, and the only options are basically load and send (with a couple more, obviously), and it didn't work either.

I really haven't had much of a chance to troubleshoot it since I originally posted this, so I wish I could report more. I am still planning on testing it with my new interface when I get it Friday. Now that it was mentioned, I have noticed some irregularites with my current MIDI interface, so we'll see. If the new interface doesn't work, I will probably give up, because frankly it's not important enough to me to be digging through MIDI-OX with delay settings and such. Don't get me wrong--I really appreciate all the advice you guys are giving. But that amount of trouble is not worth it to me for a VA synth that could easily be replaced by a good soft synth...

I'll let you know how it turns out when I get another chance to test.

[DevonB]

Originally Posted by thehuman

Well, I wouldn't say I have seriously read the manual. I perused it in all the obvious sections but didn't have a lot of time to dig in deep--the best I could find was to make sure that SysexRcv is enabled, and it is. But aside from using MIDI-OX, it seems like PatchBuddy should be kind of what you're talking about with SendSX. It's a program designed specifically for the MS2000, and the only options are basically load and send (with a couple more, obviously), and it didn't work either.

I really haven't had much of a chance to troubleshoot it since I originally posted this, so I wish I could report more. I am still planning on testing it with my new interface when I get it Friday. Now that it was mentioned, I have noticed some irregularites with my current MIDI interface, so we'll see. If the new interface doesn't work, I will probably give up, because frankly it's not important enough to me to be digging through MIDI-OX with delay settings and such. Don't get me wrong--I really appreciate all the advice you guys are giving. But that amount of trouble is not worth it to me for a VA synth that could easily be replaced by a good soft synth...

I'll let you know how it turns out when I get another chance to test.

I'll bet you a beer you have Memory Protection turned On. Global 2A Memory Protect: ON or OFF. Page 30 of the manual. That was the second setting that would prevent SysEx dumps. That was 100% my problem.

Devon

[thehuman]

Originally Posted by DevonB

I'll bet you a beer you have Memory Protection turned On. Global 2A Memory Protect: ON or OFF. Page 30 of the manual. That was the second setting that would prevent SysEx dumps. That was 100% my problem.

Devon

Awesome! Worked right away. Looks like I owe you a beer. Thanks so much! Now I can try out all these other patches I have.

Much obliged.

[Dubreak]

Ha! sweet.. I hate all that sort of crap happening when all you want to do it get something working. Glad you sorted it easy. I'll remember that tip too, about the 'memory protect'. Sorry I forgot to mention something like that before all that other stuff.