Software Forge Sysex Manager 0.9 Beta 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 굇 ��� Program and documentation (C)1994 Samuel Marshall � 굇 � � ��� Contact me by email c/o � � ��� petermarshall@cix.compulink.co.uk 굇 � 굇 ��� Please spread this program everywhere! 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 THiS PRoGRaM iS SHaReWaRe 갚껑� PLeaSe ReGiSTeR iF You uSe iT 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 1� WHaT THe PRoGRaM DoeS The program is a general sysex manager. You can store the setup of your MIDI keyboard by transferring the information to your computer's MIDI interface. This program will save the transferred information to disk so that you can send it back to the keyboard at a later data. For example, if your synthesizer allows sounds to be altered, you may wish to store the original sounds. Rather than pay for a memory card for the synthesizer, you can save them onto your computer. You can then edit the sounds as you like and restore the originals if you need to. You could also create several sets of your own sounds for different occasions, and load on the appropriate one for each task you are doing. 2� WHaT THe PRoGRaM DoeSN'T Do The program is not an editor. Although it can store the settings from the keyboard or module, it cannot change them: you will have to use the MIDI unit's edit facilities to do this. This is because each make of MIDI device has a different format and different method of editing its settings. This program works with all MIDI devices, so cannot deal in specifics. 3� SYSTeM ReQuiReMeNTS You need: Windows 3.1 or above A suitable multimedia driver for your MIDI interface installed in Control Panel A MIDI device to save the settings from (!) 4� HoW To uSe THe PRoGRaM Run the program file (sysex.exe) from File Manager. Or create a program icon for it in Program Manager using File, New, Icon, and then browsing for sysex.exe. Once the program is running, you should see a screen with two windows. The left-hand window is headed: `Input Sysex Messages'. The right-hand window is headed 'Stored Sysex Messages'. Let's try out the program. ### NOTE: At this point, you may prefer to ensure any settings you need on ### your MIDI device have been saved into another program - just to ### make sure. This is a beta version, after all. ### If you don't have another suitable program, cross your fingers... ### it works for me... The first thing you need to do is set up the MIDI ports. The input port is the left-hand side combo box on the screen. Use the box to choose your MIDI input device. For example, `Ultrasound MIDI Input'. The right-hand combo box selects your output device. Take care to select the MIDI port here, not your computer's internal synthesizer. For example, I select `Ultrasound MIDI Output', not `Ultra Wave and Midi Synth'. From your MIDI device, send a SYSEX dump. Your device's manual should tell you how to get it to send its settings through MIDI. (The manual may well phrase it in terms of `to send your settings to another of the instruments', but it will work fine sending it to the computer). | For example, on a Korg M1, press Global, 7, and the message `Midi Data | Dump' will appear. Choose the information you want to dump, then press | the G key under the `Dump' option to send it. When you have managed to send a dump, it will appear in the left-hand window of the computer screen, looking like `52113 bytes' or similar. Some devices send lots of little messages as you navigate their menu systems. If you like, you can clear these from the computer just before you make the real dump, by clicking the `Clear' button. The `Clear' button clears all received information. You will now want to save your dump. Click the `Save' button. Type in a name, which can be up to 100 letters and include spaces if you like, and then choose OK. The dump size messages should disappear from the left-hand side of the screen, and the name you typed should appear in the right-hand box. This box shows all the files you have saved. At the MIDI device, alter one of the settings you have just saved on the computer. This is so you'll know if things are working. For example, change a sound name in some way. It's advisable to then change to a different sound. Now, select the filename to send from the right-hand window. Click `Send' and wait until the cursor changes from the hourglass into the arrow again. Back at the MIDI device, you should change to the sound you edited. The parameter should have changed back to the state it was in when you saved the settings. If it didn't work, check: * that you have the correct output device chosen (right-hand combo box) * that your device is set up correctly to receive MIDI system exclusive messages. You probably get the general idea of the program now. Just to let you know briefly how to: * delete files - select it in right-hand list box and choose `Delete', then `OK' * rename files - select it in right-hand list box and choose `Rename'. Type in the new name and choose OK. * change directory - select `Change Dir' and then navigate through the directories until the directory named at the top of the dialog is the one you want to use. Click OK and the file list in the right-hand list box will update. 5� STaNDaRD .SYX FoRMaT There is a sort-of standard format for sysex files, which tend to be given the extension .SYX (but not always). If you have a file that you suspect is a standard sysex file (from a bbs, for example), rename it .syx. Change into the directory containing it using Sysex Manager. It should appear on the list as `Standard File: .syx'. Choose and send it as normal. It might work, or not! (the `standard' format seems to have several interpretations, it's not a formal standard). If it does work, you can convert it into Sysex Manager's format, to get a long filename, by using the `Rename' button, selecting `Sysex Manager' format radio button, and typing in the new name, then OK. You can also use rename to convert a Sysex Manager file to a standard sysex file, in a similar way. Remember to limit the name to 8 letters and no spaces, followed by .SYX. 6� BeTa VeRSioN NoTeS The beta version has been tested on a Korg M1, using the MIDI interface of a Gravis Ultrasound sound card. I'm not too sure about standard format files, or renaming in general. Otherwise, though, I think it all works. However, please note: if your MIDI device sends ten or more very short messages in a row, the program will not keep up and will lose some. This shouldn't happen with most MIDI devices. Any bugs you find, please send email to the address at top of this file, or snail mail to the address at the bottom. Note: if you want to know the DOS filename of a long-filename file, go onto it and press `Delete'. You can choose `No', but before you do so, you'll see the DOS filename in addition to the long name of the file. 7� ReGiSTRaTioN If you use this program, please register it. This program is not free, it took me a while to write, and you have a moral duty to register the program if you use it. Because no features are disabled, you don't get anything extra for registering, except my thanks and a knowledge that you did the right thing. To offer additional encouragement, the price of registration is only �5 (cash) or $10 (cash). If you really have to, you can send a �5 cheque, but this must be drawn on a UK bank account or I can't cash it. Send your registrations to: Samuel Marshall 31 Budebury Road Staines Middx TW18 2AZ UK 8� oTHeR PRoDuCTS If you thought this was reasonably well-written, you might like to download the shareware game Netris, also by me, from CIX, various BBSes, and hopefully CompuServe. It's the best Tetris game available for the PC and features WAV, MIDI, and BMP support, up to 20 players on a network or 2 on one computer, the `smooth drop feature' from Game Boy that seemed to get left off every other version, and the ultimate in playability! The relevant files are: netris11.zip latest version of program and help file. netrisgx.zip 256-colour graphic backgrounds; get these unless you run 16-colour netrisfx.zip sound effects; you may want to get these, but you'll probably prefer to configure it with your own. In addition, I'm currently writing a sequencer program, but you won't see this 'til Jan 95 at best.