Generating Sys-Ex Messages

[brad]

This post takes a deep dive into Cantabile's ability to synthesize and send complex MIDI System Exclusive messages from a binding.

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This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.cantabilesoftware.com/blog/generating-sysex-messages/

[dave_dore]

Hey Brad,

Thanks for producing this explanation and the new binding features, I am putting them to use already. I was having a time of it when you stepped in and took a look at it and introduced the latest features. My RD2000 control rack project is working well using these explanations, new features and methods. I am very grateful for the help and response

Dave

[AndyHornBlower]

Does this feature only apply to Cantabile Performer?

[mmichaelc]

This is great. Thanks for taking the time to explain it Brad.
I think this is a typo that might be confusing:

@brad

Next, we see that the “Program Reverb” parameters start at offset 00 60 00 from the program area

Isn’t it 00 06 00?
The line below has it correct:

0x10000000 + 0x00000600 = 0x10000600

[brad]

Hi @AndyHornBlower,

Welcome to the community

@AndyHornBlower

Does this feature only apply to Cantabile Performer?

Unfortunately yes, this requires Cantabile Performer for its support of outgoing bindings. Lite doesn’t support bindings at all, and Solo only supports incoming bindings.

Brad

[brad]

@mmichaelc

Isn’t it 00 06 00?

Thanks for reporting this. Well spotted Fixed.

[terrybritton]

In the discussion above, in the MIDI Implementation Charts section, something didn’t get pasted in following the colons. This happens six times in that section.

@brad

and a little further down it explains the Data Set 1:

and here -

@brad

Starting at the top, we can see that the “Program” parameters start at address 10 00 00 00:

And here -

@brad

Next, we see that the “Program Reverb” parameters start at offset 00 06 00 from the program area:

and here -

@brad

To get the final address for a particular parameter we then need to look further down the document for the individual parameter addresses:

and here -

@brad

Next we need the actual data to be passed for this parameter and that’s shown in the same table:

and here -

@brad

For Room 1/2, Hall 1/2 and Plate reverbs, the parameter map is as follows:

My theory - Brad’s “V” key on his computer keyboard is broken.

Terry

[dave_dore]

@terrybritton

My theory - Brad’s “V” key on his computer keyboard is broken.

That or the Great SysyEx Engine burned them in it’s eternal search for fuel …

[brad]

@terrybritton

My theory - Brad’s “V” key on his computer keyboard is broken.

I’m not following the issue here. Are you saying you’re not seeing the images in the blog post? It should look like this:

If you’re not seeing that, could you post some screen shots and details on what browser/device you’re using?

[dave_dore]

Sorry for my jest Brad, I was just shouting out to @Terry … FWIW I checked on firefox browser and there are proper graphics below each of Terry’s noted areas of interest so I am flummoxed as to what he sees as well.

Dave

[terrybritton]

In Chrome, Firefox and Edge all the images are missing as detailed in my post. This on a Windows machine. Very odd. This is when using the “Show full post” button here in the forum, NOT when accessing the original post at https://www.cantabilesoftware.com/blog/generating-sysex-messages/.

Terry

[cpaolo]

Same here. In Firefox Win/Mac and in Safari, images are missing

[Torsten]

@terrybritton

This is when using the “Show full post” button here in the forum, NOT when accessing the original post

Correct - when using the “show full post” button above, the graphics don’t get displayed. When going directly to the blog, all is good. Looks like some issue between the forum software and the blog.

[Torsten]

Here’s a screenshot of the “show full post” display:

Spots where graphics should be are marked

[brad]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for reporting this and figuring out what the issue is.

Looks like when the forum post for the blog post is imported it doesn’t grab the image URLs so they get dropped. According to Jeff Atwood (one of the devs behind discource forum engine):

It uses the readability algorithm to find the core content on the page. This isn’t an exact science.

(from here: Embeds stripped when "show full post..." button is clicked - wordpress - Discourse Meta)

Best work around at the moment is to click the “original entry” link instead of the “show full post” button.

Update: I think I figured out how to remove the Show Full Post button, so problem should be solved.

Brad

[terrybritton]

@brad

It uses the readability algorithm to find the core content on the page.

In a deep discourse about Sysex messaging, how exactly does “readability” work at ALL???

Glad you are linking to that article, which is excellent, btw.

Terry

[JeffB63]

I’m far too simple to understand any of this!
What I do is open the MIDI monitor on the device input port, change the parameter on the device, copy the resultant sysex string and paste it into a send sysex binding.
What am I missing?

[terrybritton]

All those juicy hidden parameters only ever mentioned in the MIDI implementation section of your manual, that’s all!

The way you are doing it is a great method, though. I usually use that to help me break down understanding how the MIDI implementation guides are working in real life, as it gives me a real example to follow when reading that dense bunch of sections.

Terry

[dave_dore]

Hi Jeff,

That works fine for capturing and re-sending switch values but not for continuous knobs or faders so the sysex filters he described are tools are for that case because the checksum is also variable and the data packing is as well. (at least for Roland gear in this case)

Dave