MIDI & SysEx questions

[JimRayden]

I have a synth that doesn't seem to have a sysex editor for it. Is there a generic editor that I could program to work with my synth (Ensoniq EPS-16+), as far as editing patches is concerned. As far as I've understood, it shouldn't be much harder than just assigning a midi channel to a virtual knob and naming it.

Could anyone tell me more about SysEx in layman's terms, all the info online seems to be really device-specific and technical. What I'd also like to know is that if SysEx allows live editing of synth controls or does it only "dump" full patches.

Then again, I could be way off in my assumptions.

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Jimbo

[aron]

As far as I've understood, it shouldn't be much harder than just assigning a midi channel to a virtual knob and naming it.

Could anyone tell me more about SysEx in layman's terms, all the info online seems to be really device-specific and technical. What I'd also like to know is that if SysEx allows live editing of synth controls or does it only "dump" full patches.

If the EPS can take MIDI controller values, then all you have to do is create a "knob" and send out the MIDI controller on a certain channel. Most modern keyboards can do this. This is usually used for real-time control.

If you really want to write an editor, you will need to understand the sysex spec for that unit. This is very device specific but if your keyboard supports it, it will be possible to change only one parameter - usually in the current playing patch.

If you want to write a complete editor, you will usually have to receive the current patch, break it up so it's parameter-per-data (in your program), then write controls to represent the data. Then after "editing" you repack the data into a patch and send it back.

There is tons of typing involved (waveform names, values, bounds checking etc...)

Aron

[JimRayden]

Thanks Aron. Realtime control is what I'm most interested in. Logically thinking, if I edit some parameters live, I can set the synth up remotely and then save it as a patch using synth controls.


Now, I'm sure there is a program that turns one's computer into a MIDI controller, with custom assignable knobs and such...

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Jimbo

[aron]

>Thanks Aron. Realtime control is what I'm most interested in. Logically thinking, if I edit some parameters live, I can set the synth up remotely and then save it as a patch using synth controls.

That should work. I think there are a bunch of programs around. Wait, most sequencers can do this.

[Austin73]

Hi Jim,

Could you not use a Behringer knob thingy with your PC to give you realtime control of your Synth. How much control do you need? My behringer foot controller can send a few contol messages and variable cc etc.