Sysex & Roland problem

Testing/Troubleshooting
1

Hi,

the box is working, but I am still not able to put desired Sysex into PIC. VMidibox application doesn’t work at all.

Can anyone tell me how to transfer Sysex file to MIDIbox via Roland Serial MIDI driver? How do I configure this driver? (Flow control settings? Which synth should I choose? Which output ports?). I gave up installing Yamaha driver, because I couldn’t make it work at all.

Now I brought the MIDIbox into the office (collegues are thinking I am some kind of mega-nerd :wink: ) just to be shure this is not the problem with WinXP at home.

I am receiving input in MIDIox, devices are configured properly, delays are like described on Syssex howto page, LEds are flashing when sending data… but I cannot see any changes afterwards. Every pot is still on different channel. I need all pots on same channel, different CC numbers (midibox64_generic.syx).

Can someone give me advice how to do this?

2

you will find an extensive, easy tutorial on sending and receiving sysex using midi ox, on Thorsten’s web page :slight_smile:

3

That’s actually what I’ve done, but no success :frowning:

1 Like
4

Hi Rogic,

you don’t have to configure the driver, it should work without modification. So I think that there are two possible reasons for the problem: either your MIDI-In is not working (I hope that you disconnected the optocoupler when using the MAX232?) or you’ve changed the device ID of your MIDIbox64 by fault.

To check if MIDI-In is working correctly and to find out the selected device ID, you can use MIDI-Ox. Just send the following SysEx commands to the box. One after another:

F0 00 00 7E 43 0F F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 1F F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 2F F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 3F F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 4F F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 5F F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 6F F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 7F F7

MIDIbox64 will response to one of these commands with:

F0 00 00 7E 43 <device-id>F F7

If all 8 commands don’t work, you’ve a hardware problem. Check the connections, …

Best Regards, Thorsten.

5

Hi,

Sure - the optocoupler is removed. My box is made for to-COM option exclusively. Firmware is set like that, and there is no LCD. Input works like a charm, I got 2 joysticks (4 pots) connected, they give ranges from 0-127. I tried different setups of the Roland driver (multiple ports, etc) and when I start Sysex transfer, some settings do not light-up LEDs on LTC at all, some light them, but no data is sent. I only noticed difference for the first pot - it changed CC to Bank_something (I can’t remember now). So, I don’t know how, but the transfer works only for the first pot… :frowning: Is it OK that red & green LED are lighting while transferring Sysex?

I’ll check tonight with these commands, but I’m sure I didn’t change anything in firmware except to-COM option, so I have no idea how device ID could be changed. I already tried manual dump (like described in http://www.ucapps.de/midibox/midibox64_sysex_implementation.txt), but no response.

Thanks Thorsten, I’ll post results tommorrow.

6

Hi,

here are the results of tests:

First I checked firmware, and only change is TO-COM option enabled in a line before last one.

Roland driver default settings - no multiple ports - I got no LEDs lighting on MIDIbox during send Sysex, no response from the box after

[pre]

F0 00 00 7E 43 <ID>F F7[/pre]

But, when I choose ‘use multple ports’ in driver settings, I got LEDs flashing and response from the box is like this (MIDIox dump):

[pre]

TIMESTAMP IN PORT STATUS DATA1 DATA2 CHAN NOTE EVENT            

0000F720  Rol Rol    F0  Buffer:     2 Bytes   System Exclusive  

SYSX: F0 F7

0000F7D6  Rol –     F7  Buffer:     0 Bytes   SysEx End

[/pre]

The response is same for all 8 Sysex requests (ID=0 ..7). When I Send Sysex (midibox_generic.syx), I got the same response like this one, but no change in Input (pots still the same). I tried even another application (Sendsx, http://www.bome.com/midi/sendsx/) and Input just echoes 7 Sysex bytes which are sent (on Roland Out A or Roland Out B set as out port).

In VMidibox, there is no option for multiple output ports, so when I select one of these ports and try to send Sysex, both LEDs flash for a second and then stop. I tried lowering the speed (bytes/sec) but same thing.

Here is the dump from the MIDIox about devices:

[pre]

TIMESTAMP IN PORT STATUS DATA1 DATA2 CHAN NOTE EVENT          

DEVICE INFORMATION

IN:   9) Roland Serial MIDI Input

OUT: 10) Roland Serial MIDI Out A

  In: MIDI-OX Events

    Details/Chan: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,RT,Sx

OUT: 11) Roland Serial MIDI Out B

  In: MIDI-OX Events

    Details/Chan: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,RT,Sx

[/pre]

I assume I can always get a dedicated firmware with to-COM enabled and generic settings, but maybe I will need, for example, button toggle as an option sometimes, so I find this solution not so flexible… :frowning:

If anyone has an idea what to troubleshoot, please help.

7

And yes, I forgot: this second application, Sysx, received 1,334 bytes from midibox after sending midibox_generic.syx. If this is helpful, I can upload it somewhere.

2 Likes
8

Hi Nenad,

thanks for the detailed descriptions, they are very helpful. It’s not clear, why you are not able to use the MIDIbox Editor, but MIDI-Ox possibly fails due to misconfiguration.

What is happening: the integrated MIDI merger of MIDIbox64 is enabled by default. It can only be disabled in the configuration menu (but you don’t own a LCD) or via SysEx (which fails). This explains, why you are receiving all the sent SysEx strings (memo for myself: the ping command should return a different string).

When both virtual MIDI Outs of the roland driver are enabled, and when MIDI-Ox sends the string over both ports, the MIDI protocol will be violated. It seems that the Roland driver is not able to regognize this error and to prevent the violation. However, so it will only work with one enabled port. I cannot say, why MIDI-Ox sends nothing when you are only using one port.

But - a very important input is, that the MIDIbox responses to a different application. This means, that you’ve found a running configuration which will help you to upload the file. The program comes with a send delay - it should be set to a value greater than 10 (or 20) ms. Thereafter load midibox64_generic.syx. Since it’s still not clear, which device ID is currently set, you should modify the generic dump manually:

It begins with: F0 00 00 7E 43 02 …

Now try to send 8 different variations of the whole dump with a modified device ID.

First try the file unchanged, but with different send delays

Change the 6th value (02) to: 12

Send it again

Change the 6th value to 22 and send again

Change the 6th value to 32 and send again

Change the 6th value to 42 and send again

Change the 6th value to 52 and send again

Change the 6th value to 62 and send again

Change the 6th value to 72 and send again

(I love copy & paste ;-))

If your MIDIbox returns: F0 00 00 7E 43 xF F7 (x=device ID) after one of these trys, you’ve found the correct device ID.

If this didn’t help, try a “Read Request”:

F0 00 00 7E 43 01 F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 11 F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 21 F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 31 F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 41 F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 51 F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 61 F7

F0 00 00 7E 43 71 F7

If you receive any data, please post the first 10 bytes here in the forum

Best Regards, Thorsten.

9

Hi & thanks Thorsten for quick reply

I found that this WAS NOT hardware problem at all!

Yesterday late night, I was searching for alternative driver - I digged somewhere KORG serial MIDI Driver! Installed it, started MIDIox, loaded Sysex, transferred and voila! No problems at all! Generic settings are there, pots are working fine in NI Traktor and Propellerheads Reason - I tested it almost the same minute :slight_smile:

This driver is simple, has no additional settings - only one dialog where you choose the com port - no multiple ports option or error control. One input and one output port are available only. The craziest thing is that it is around 15Kb zipped!

I’ll try to find URL from which I downloaded it and send it to you Thorsten because I am sure other people might have problems with Yamaha/Roland driver. Also I can send you a copy which I hope can be hosted somewhere (if there is no some ‘licence agreement’ or similar that claims different). For the record -  systems I tried to use Roland/Yamaha drivers were Windows 2000 Proffessional and Windows XP Proffessional - no luck on both systems.

So, desired Sysex is there :slight_smile: and I am not going to change it unless I need something different!  ;)

Thanks again for the help, I’ll save this thread if I encounter problems. I’ll post a URL for the KORG driver later here.

10

No luck. I browsed all of Opera’s history from last night and I couldn’t find the URL where I downloaded file from. There is .wri document inside the archive, but with japanese (or similar) encoding, so no help in this one. Original archive name was “drvwinnt.zip”, so nothing specific - meaning hard to find via google.

I can send this driver to anyone interested, size is ~12 Kb…

Thorsten can you host this file on ucapps.de?

11

For what it’s worth.

When I first got logic 3 I had a Roland serial midi thing and had nothin but trouble with it.

I too ditched it and had no more probs.

Ian

12

My Midibox is specific: I don’t have a LCD, nor MIDI standard connection - the only connection was through LTC, so this issue was very important to me.

13

Hi Rogic,

sure, I|m interested in the driver. Thanks a lot for your input - a third driver is a great backup solution for people who have the same troubles! :slight_smile:

Best Regards, Thorsten