Copyright: Software Forge Sysex Manager Help


Contents
Software Forge Sysex Manager 1.0

IMPORTANT: IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ THE README.TXT FILE, DO SO NOW!

This program is shareware. You may try it out for 14 days. After this period, if you wish to continue using it, you must register the program.

Software Forge Sysex Manager and its documentation files are copyright © 1995 Samuel Marshall. The author accepts no responsibility for any damage to hardware or software caused directly or indirectly by this program, and you use it at your own risk.

Please choose one of the subjects below for help or information.

Overview

MIDI interface selection

How to receive and save MIDI data

How to send stored MIDI data

File operations

How to register

About the author


Overview

Sysex Manager enables you to store the settings of most MIDI instruments, effects units, and other MIDI devices, if they are connected to your computer using MIDI cables and a MIDI interface or soundcard. You can then save the settings on a computer disk or on your hard disk, to be sent back to the device when needed.

Note: From now on, 'device' will be used to refer to your MIDI device, which may be a synthesizer, sampler, drum machine, effects unit, lighting controller, or anything else that connects to your computer using the MIDI port.

This can be used, for instance, if you'd like to keep the factory preset demo tunes or instrument sounds, but want to use the memory for your own uses. Or if two people will be using the instrument and want their own separate setups. Or if you need a different effects setting for two songs and want to change it quickly, without fiddling with dials. I'm sure you can think of other uses. Anyway, take it from me, it's useful!

To use the program, you first select the appropriate MIDI interface using the two drop-down boxes at the top of the program window.

Then, you need to receive some data from your MIDI device. You can save this using the Save button. For more information on this, see file operations.

When you have some data saved on disk - so that it shows up in the right-hand window - you can send it back to the MIDI device, which will set up the device the way it was when you received the data in the first place.


Selecting a MIDI Interface Device
MIDI Interface Selection

At the top of the Sysex Manager screen are two drop-down boxes. The left-hand one selects the MIDI input interface driver Sysex Manager will use, and the right-hand one selects the output driver.

Input drivers

It will usually be obvious which input driver to choose. If you have several MIDI cards installed, pick the driver for the card you'd like Sysex Manager to use.

To check your input driver is working, receive some data from your MIDI device and see if an item describing the size of the data appears in Sysex Manager's left-hand window.

Output drivers

Typically you will have a choice from several drivers for the output. For instance, we have:

Ultra Wave and Midi Synth

UltraSound Midi Output

NULL Output Device

Microsoft Midi Mapper

The first driver listed is the internal soundcard's synthesizer, which (in most cases) does not use system exclusive data. The third driver does nothing. The fourth is Midi Mapper, which is unreliable and is not recommended, but you could try it if the alternatives don't work.

However, the second driver - 'UltraSound Midi Output' is the correct choice which refers to the external MIDI interface, cables and so on. Look for a driver name similar to this one. (Or if you have a dedicated MIDI interface that doesn't double as a soundcard, look for the 'Roland MPU-401' driver).

If you can't tell which device is the right one, try them all until you find one that works - once you have received some sysex data, you can then alter the settings on your device, and repeat trying to send it back using different devices until you find one that works.

Driver problems

If your drivers are in use by some other program, Sysex Manager will display an error box and go back to the previous drivers that were set before you changed them. If this happens initially, Sysex Manager has nothing to go back to, and will minimise itself.

In these cases, you can get the program to work by closing the program that is using the driver and trying again, or double-clicking on the icon to restore the program.

If you'd like to temporarily run some other program that needs the MIDI drivers, minimising Sysex Manager will release the drivers so that other programs can have access to them, and Sysex Manager will take the drivers back when you restore it to normal size by double-clicking the icon.

When you quit Sysex Manager, the driver settings are saved into an initialisation file, so that next time you load the program up it will be set up the same way.


How to receive and save MIDI data

This procedure is normally very easy.

Look through your device's menus and manuals until you find the key sequence to send a 'MIDI Data Dump', 'MIDI Bulk Dump', or the option that's supposed to copy all the device's settings into another identical device connected through MIDI.

If there is no such option, you have a small problem. You will probably need to create a MIDI message that 'asks' the device to send its settings.

Whichever way you had to activate the sysex dump, do it. When the data has been transmitted, a notification will appear in Sysex Manager's left-hand window looking something like this:

The number represents the amount of data received.

If lots of small items (eg, 10 bytes) appear, your device is probably set up to send sysex data every time you press a button on it. To avoid saving these, get to the point just before where you initialise the sysex data dump, and then click 'Clear' on Sysex Manager's screen.

If you do want to save several sysex messages at once (for instance, save the programs and sequence data in one file) this will work; just send both dumps so that two items appear on the screen.

When what you want to save is displayed in the left-hand window, click Save and fill in the dialog box.

Advice on file operations including save


How to send stored MIDI data

First, select the MIDI data file you'd like to send, from the list on the right-hand screen, by clicking on it so that it's highlighted in black.

If necessary for your device, prepare it to receive the information. (Most devices will receive information in their normal mode, so this is probably not necessary).

Then click the Send button.


File operations

When you save a file, you are prompted for a filename. This filename can be as long as you like (well, there is a limit) but don't make it too long, because you only get to see as much as will fit in the width of  Sysex Manager's right hand window.

You are allowed to use spaces and so on in the filename.

Because the operating system does not support long filenames, the actual operating system filename used will be shorter and limited (i.e. lower case and upper case will be considered the same, and so on). Don't worry about the underlying filename, because Sysex Manager will handle that for you; it ensures that two files are never given the same underlying filename.

You can if you want use the same name for two different files, but this is fairly pointless. I recommend short, descriptive filenames. For instance, if you have a Korg M1 and a Roland D50, you might have files called 'D50 Normal Programs', 'M1 Greensleeves Sequence', or something similar.

If you wish to delete a file, click on it in the right-hand window so that it's selected and then click Delete.

You will be asked to confirm that you want to delete that file (and in the process, shown its full name as well as the DOS filename, so you can use this feature to find out the DOS name of a file if you want!).

You can change the directory if you like. The dialog box works in a fairly standard way.

If you'd like to change the directory the program starts up using, select the program icon in Program Manager. Select 'Properties' from the File menu. Then enter the directory you'd like to start at in the 'Working directory' box, and click OK. When you run Sysex Manager using that icon, you will start from that directory. If you wish, you can set up several different icons for Sysex Manager that start up in different directories, so that for instance you could have each song's required sysex data in a separate directory.

It's possible to rename files. You can choose to rename files normally (just give them another name) or to convert them to a fairly standard .SYX format that may be readable by other sequencers and librarians. The rename facility will also convert standard format files to Sysex Manager's improved format.


Creating your own sysex messages

If your MIDI device does not have front-panel controls to send a sysex dump, or some specific data items you'd like to save are not available individually in this way, you may have to resort to creating a sysex message by hand.

The way this works is you create a message, which appears in the right-hand files window of the Sysex Manager main screen, called a 'request message'. When you use the Send button to send this message to the MIDI device, that's the equivalent of politely requesting that the device transmits its settings back to you.

So the procedure is to create a message and save it. Then, each time you want to save the settings of your MIDI device, you first send this message. Then, the device will send its settings back. And you can then save them as normal.

First clear the input data area, if there is anything in it, by clicking the clear button.

Then, click Create. A simple dialog box appears, telling you to enter a hex (short for hexadecimal, nothing to do with witches) formatted sysex message into the text box.

Hexadecimal is a number system that uses two characters to define one byte of computer data. These characters can be the digits 0-9, or the letters A-F which represent 10-15. For example, one byte of hex data might be 3F, 00, BC, E9, and so on. I have implemented it in the usual way, which means you must include two digits even if the number is, say, 4 or 11: you must type 04 or 0B respectively.

If you enter invalid characters - you are allowed spaces (which are ignored) and the hex characters, and that's all - or if you enter 'half a byte' worth (an odd number of characters), then the program will warn you and you can correct the mistake.

Click Create to finish off the message. It will then be added to the left-hand window of the main screen and you can save it as usual.

Fine, but what do I type?

Yeah. Well, there's the problem. The problem is, you're going to have to scan your manuals carefully, looking for complicated, unreadable tables and charts. Preferably the right unreadable tables.

Whatever you are looking for, there's one thing you can be sure about: the message will always start with F0 and finish with F7. Another hint: if you think you got something but it doesn't work, remember that channel 1 is given as hex 0, not 1 (Channel 16 is given as F). Finally, I hope you know how binary works as many manufacturers use it. Here's a quick example.

Each group of 8 binary digits (which will be either 0 or 1) can be written as 2 hex digits. To do this, divide the 8 into two groups of four. In each group, the right-hand digit is worth 1 if it's 1 or 0 otherwise. The second digit from the right is worth 2 if there's a 1 or 0 otherwise. Digits 3 and 4 (from the right) are worth 4 and 8 respectively.

So: 10110101 can be split into two: 1011 0101. Let's take the first group. We get 1 + 2 + 0 + 8 = 11 which is B in hex. For the second group, 1 + 0 + 4 + 0 = 5, which is 5 in hex as well. So the answer is B5.

Because if you're not a computer programmer like me, you might be a little confused by your manual, I'm going to take you through the procedure with the Korg M1 we have here. I'm going to find out how to request a bulk dump of everything in memory. (And by the way, now's a good time to point out that the black and white graphics used in this helpfile are copyright of Korg. I didn't ask permission, but I don't expect they'll mind.)

Here's the appropriate manual entry. So, what does all this mean? Well, the first line (F0 42 3n 19) looks like hex. Except for the 'n'. So what does that mean? Well, we search the manual some more...

So it appears the 'n' should be set to the channel. With channel 1, that means n should be set to 0, so we have F0 42 30 19.

Most of the other lines in the original table have hex numbers printed (in brackets). The only exception is the third line, with the 'c' and the reference to note 3-1. We find this note:

So 'c' is a binary digit, which will be either 1 or 0 depending on whether we want the contents of the memory card or the internal memory. We'll have the internal memory, giving binary 00000000 which is easily translated to hex 00.

This gives a completed message of:

F0 42 30 19 0F 00 F7


Standard .SYX format

There is a standard .SYX format used by some sequencers and librarians. You can read these files using Sysex Manager (they appear on the right-hand screen as Standard file: filename.syx) and send them as normal.

Should you wish to, you can also convert Sysex Manager format files to this format, and vice versa, using the Rename facility.

However, this facility is not very standard. Several programs produce incompatible versions of these files; on the other hand, some files of sysex information which have other extensions (eg .PRG) may be compatible, if you rename them first to .SYX.

Because all .SYX files are not created equal, Sysex Manager may crash, or cause unexpected things to happen to your MIDI device's setup, or crash your MIDI device, when you attempt to send one. Sysex Manager assumes a standard 'raw' format and other formats will cause unpredictable results.

I didn't use the 'standard' format because it's non-standard, it doesn't support long filenames, and it doesn't cope well with more than one sysex message in a file.


How to register

Sysex Manager is not free software. If you wish to continue using it after the 14 days trial period, you must register.

When you register, you get:

A registration code to personalise your copy of Sysex Manager and remove the nag screens

Information on where to find the latest version of Sysex Manager if there's a new one

Information on other Software Forge products forthcoming

An uplifting sense of moral goodness!

Seriously, please register. It's only a fiver, and I've spent many hours on this program. Your registration will encourage me to write more and better programs (not to mention upgrades of this one). And why not include your comments, suggestions, and (gulp) bug reports with your registration?

Please include the following information with your registration:

email address if you've got one - this will get you a faster response and save me the cost of a stamp!

post address if you're not on email.

source of .ZIP - where you got Sysex Manager. For instance, the name and number of a bulletin board, the Internet address of an FTP site, the name of a shareware library, or the name and publisher of a CD-ROM. This information helps me ensure that future programs reach the people who want them.

If you're in the UK

Send £5 cash (preferably)

or a £5 cheque payable to Samuel Marshall drawn on UK funds

If you're in the US or the rest of the world

Send $10 cash

or £5 UK sterling cash.

I cannot accept credit cards, or cheques drawn on non-UK funds

My address is

Samuel Marshall

Software Forge

31 Budebury Road

Staines

Middx

TW18 2AZ

United Kingdom

This address must be used for registrations, but for other purposes click here for alternative contact methods. Note: please include the 'Software Forge', it's there so my family know you're not sending private mail.

How is it so cheap?

To keep the price down to £5, I don't send out a disk when you register. This would cost me in money but mainly in time. Instead, you're given a special registration code that removes the nag screens. If you haven't registered, please don't bother trying to crack the code. Just register the program.

Why does it cost more in dollars?

I have to charge more, because I have to go down to the bank and change into pounds any money I get in dollars. $10 is also the next convenient denomination that's above £5. If you want to save money and do me a favour, change your dollars into English pounds sterling yourself.


About the author

To get up-to-date information about my software and me, if you have Internet World Wide Web access you can access my home page at http://www.dur.ac.uk/~d405ua. This page is stored on Durham University's computer and I recommend you try it outside UK working hours, or you may well be refused access. (The page is only updated during university terms).

Other released software includes Netris, which is a Tetris game for Windows 3.1. This game supports background graphics and music, configurable sound effects, two players on one computer or up to 20 on a compatible network (including Windows for Workgroups), many levels and options for network and one-player games, and much more! And it only costs £5 or $10 to register as well! Look out for netris11.zip, netrisgx.zip graphics file, and netrisfx.zip sound effects file. (Last two optional).

I have also released a series of programs implementing mathematical algorithms - route-finding (with the London tube system given as an example), critical path analysis, and one that tells you, for instance, how to fit a set of files onto the minimum possible number of floppy disks. This also requires Windows 3.1, and the filename is decision.zip.

Theres also a 4Kb DOS program that zooms realtime (under user control) into the Mandelbrot fractal set. I wrote this for Christmas; the file is 4ge-xmas.zip and minimum system requirements are 486-33, but faster processors are recommended.

Current plans for other programs include various partly-written games for DOS, and a sound editor for the Korg M1 music workstation (which will run under Windows). I dont want to be more specific because only a small percentage of my projects ever get finished. Just look out for me and the Software Forge (or 4ge) name.

You can contact me at this address:

Samuel Marshall

31 Budebury Road

Staines

Middx

TW18 2AZ

United Kingdom

or by email care of Peter Marshall - write to

petermarshall@cix.compulink.co.uk

and start your message with the line 'Sam,' or, 'To Samuel Marshall', or something similar.

During university terms I can be contacted at

Samuel.Marshall@durham.ac.uk

If you don't need to contact me specifically, but would like help with some aspect of your musical equipment, for instance you can't figure out the exact message to create so your device will send bulk dumps [I'm unlikely to know this unless you've got an M1, anyway...], I suggest the Usenet newsgroup comp.music which I read during term times. Announcements of future upgrades to Sysex Manager will also be posted there. The newsgroup is read by a lot of knowledgable people. (and with a bit of luck, by now the off-topic software piracy debate will have finished....)


Shareware is software that's given away free on a trial basis. If you like the software, you register it. This usually enables extra features or removes screens which nag you to register. Sysex Manager uses the nag screen approach.


Registering is the act of paying for the shareware program. If you like this software, you must register it (by sending me some money!) See the appropriate help section for more details. Registering removes the 'nag screens' from the program.