MBSID - changing bankstick bank through the app

Testing/Troubleshooting
1

Hi again, this post has to do with my earlier, yet unanswered question - how do I upload the preset sounds to MBSID?

Is there a way to change bankstick banks in the MBSID program? I have 2 banksticks connected, have seen the formatting sequence once, get the bootup tune, but that’s about it. Accessing the banks (and uploading the presets to one) is a total mystery. Please, please help!

P.S. I tried looking through the MBSID application files, but I didn’t see (or understand) anything that would suggest the answer lies there.

2

Here’s the answer to your bankstick question:

http://www.midibox.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=concepts;action=display;num=1088622242;start=3#3

You can switch banks by sending a sysex message, or by a program change on channel 16.

If you want a button to change banks, you will need to make some modifications to the ASM code.

Justin

3

how do I upload the preset sounds to MBSID?

Open JSynthLib.

Go to library - open presets_v1_5.patchlib

Right click on the bank and choose send.

You should see messages in the DOS window saying:

Sending Patch #1 …

I hear a clicking sound on each new patch. The LCD should show:

(starting with P  1 and ending with)

P128  C  1    1----

New Patch

This process takes my SID ~1:17

The MbSid ends on patch 128, which is just a default patch, so this may be why you just hear the default sound.

Now send a Program change message (via MIDIOX) to change to program 1 (starting from 0) this is Techno PW.

You should now hear a different sound.

Patch 0 is also a New Patch , so it will also be a default patch.

Justin

4

Thanks, but I don’t think I’m making progress…

I can change the patches with MidiOx, but don’t know if I’m changing banks, as the lcd doesn’t mention banks. I still have the default sound, all others read empty and play default.

Somehow my troubles seem to begin when I start JSynthLib. All actions outside it seem to work.

Observations: JSynthLib doesn’t find my MBSID with the Auto-Scan Function on the Synth Configuration page.

When I use the Get function to load a bank from my MBSID, I get 32777  bytes. After pasting, I choose edit bank, I see the patch names, showing INT Default Patch but all other patch names as rows of squares… Then if I make let’s say patch number 4 as New, and send it, the patch name on the MBSID lcd doesn’t change…

I’m beginning to suspect my banksticks, although their behaviour suggests they are connected ok. (My both bankstick EPROMS have been formatted by MBSID, I get the bootup sound with both EPROMS).

Other than that, JSynthLib crashes shortly in the patch edit screen, so maybe the program isn’t working correctly. Don’t know, I’m beginning to feel really put off bythis…  >:(

Running WIN98SE, SB Audigy Platinum using Midi Port II (front panel box)…

5

Don’t give up!

Ok, I am pretty sure your problem is JSynthLib. One problem I have had in the past is that it wouldn’t work if I had both midi in and midi out connected to the sid. You might try just connecting midi out for now.

Check your configuration inside JSynthLib:

goto config->preferences->midi

Make sure you have wireprovider selected in the MIDI Access

Make sure startup initialization has your midi ports.

Now goto config->synths

Don’t try the auto-scan - I don’t think it works well with this version of JSynthLib

Choose Add Device

Choose MIDIBox SID

Make sure that the Midi In and Out Ports are correct for your SID.

Now make a new library

Now goto Patch -> new

Choose the MIDIBox Sid Device and a single driver

Click Create

Double-click on the Patch Name for the patch you just created - Change the name to Test Patch

With only the Midi-Out connected to the SID,

Right-click on the patch and choose send.

You should see the Name of the patch change to Test Patch. If it does you should be good.

Now right click on the patch and choose edit.

The patch edit screen should open. Try choosing different waveforms for OSC 1. Then click on the Speaker toolbar button. You should hear changes in the sound.

If this works then you should be good.

When you send the patch Library to the MBSid it puts it in the currently selected bank. This is also the bank that it will play from. The bank number is not shown on the LCD. If you are worried about the bank, you might want to only hook up one bankstick until you get it working.

Hope this helps.

Justin

6

Thanks again Justin, I’m really glad you are trying to help me out here!

I took out the bankstick eproms, just to get to see if the basic data transfer works. Observations without Banksticks: I can’t Get a single patch from MBSID, but I can Get the Bank from the MBSID, including just the Internal Patch. But when I go to Patch Edit screen, JSynthLib freezes up in a couple of seconds. All this is similar to what I have experienced with Banksticks connected.

When I change the name of the Internal Patch and Send it, the MBSID doesn’t blink an eye (with or without the Midi Out of MBSID connected).

Another example: With one Bankstick connected, I try to Send a Test patch to let’s say patch 3. Nothing happens. When I choose an empty patch on MBSID, and Send, the MBSID returns to patch 1, nothing else happens.

Is it the JSynthLib that’s acting up on me (I’m beginning to seriously think it is)? Is there any way to make the preset library into a SysEx file that I could upload with MidiOx - I can change the patch number on MBSID lcd by sending commands in MidiOx. My MBSID is going to get the full CS so I don’t really care that much for a PC-based patch editor program, anyway.

Edit: I was able to export the example bank from JSynthLib into a .syx file, but sending it to MBSID with MidiOx doesn’t seem to do anything - I guess the MidiOx would need some kind of a MBSID driver program to accomplish this?

On a brighter note, my Bankstick seems to work ok, as I just fiddled around connecting pins on my DIN boards and ended up saving something to patch number 2, and the patch name stayed there after turning power on and off. So my problems are definitely on the communications side (JSynthLib probably).