Using DP to do sysex dump/backup of a MIDI module

[sampolfonz]

Greetings, folks.

I am planning an update to my TD12 Roland V-Drum module. Before I do this, I would like to do a backup or sysex dump of everything on the module now. I guess I have been fortunate, but I haven't really ever done this before, having saved all my patches and whatnot in the old days to Unisyn, so that was always safe, but now, before I mess up everything totally I want to back it up.

Is it possible to use a sequencing program like DP or others to "record" this backup? I'm really in uncharted waters here so I would like some comments if any of you have been through this process.

Thanks,

Sam

[cuttime]

Just make it easy on yourself:

http://www.snoize.com/SysExLibrarian/

[Shooshie]

No need for a librarian. DP will record it effortlessly. The only thing you really need to do is check your Input Filter and make sure that SysEx is turned on. It's off by default.

The result of your recording will be a little SysEx icon. Double click it and the SysEx editor will open with your data stored inside.

It's best to store something like that in its own sequence. If it serves a purpose in the music, it's certainly all right to record it in a musical sequence, but just a large bulk dump has no place in music, and the size of it could slow down DP to allow for MIDI transmission, so put it in its own sequence. The sort of thing you'd use in music (patch upload, MIDI Show Control cues, etc.) would be small, and not a problem for transmission during playback. I'm understanding you to be wanting to do a complete bulk dump. That will take a moment or two.

A bulk dump should not contain channel information, so there is no need to worry about the MIDI channel. Some SysEx transmissions may be targeted to a specific channel, but not a bulk backup.

Put DP in record with the "Wait" command on (or not; that's optional) and hit transmit on your hardware device. DP will do the rest, assuming they're connected!

Shooshie

[frankf]

I've used SysexLibrarian with success in the past, never tried it with DP. Thanks Shooshie, learn something new all the time around here!

[Shooshie]

Yeah, I used to do MIDI Show Control in DP, right in the song sequences. After figuring it out the first time, it was easy. I used it to call light cues in touring shows. The lighting guys weren't too fond of that, but it enabled some amazing light plots with intricate stuff, always perfectly timed. The first place I tried it was about February, 1992, at the shop at Sunbelt Scenic in Phoenix, and nobody there had ever seen it done. A crowd of employees gathered as we got our first cues written, and when I hit Play, an Intellibeam started moving and changing. Everyone cheered, and many thought I was some kind of computer wizard. Nope. Just a DP user. But it was a proof of concept, so we were able to go forward with our plans.

Shoosh

[sampolfonz]

Thanks, guys. I will give it a try.

Sam

[monkey man]

Shooshie's spot on.

I use a separate chunk to store all song-setup dumps of my MIDI gear.

Sam, I hope you're not upgrading to the TD-30 brain. If you are, I'm afraid your sysex dumps will be worthless.

I learned the hard way. I've pestered Roland but no OS update (formerly administered via, you guessed it, sysex dump and now through USB flash drive) has ensued. It's ridiculous that every song I do (in theory; not actually working yet) should require futzing around with USB sticks when for every other Roland drum module in history (since MIDI's inception, at least), a simple sysex dump took care of everything.

Just a heads up is all.

[sampolfonz]

I have my TD-12 unit, and my goal is to use it for the input into the computer to trigger Superior Drummer, or Steven Slate Drums, but I wanted to update the unit as in its current state when I turn it on, it causes all the lights on my MIDI Timepiece AV to flash green on output channels. And, it is solid red on the input of that channel.

I did record the backup MIDI sysex dump into dp? And I put all the new MIDI files from Roland Update into one track on dp. There were 64 files, I put them end to end and attempted to play them into the Roland unit. The Roland unit said it was receiving the MIDI files just fine but at the end of playing all the files the Roland did nothing. I didnt know what to do to to make the unit update after the files were installed, so fortunately Roland had a little utility to install the MIDI files and at the end of the install it must have had a command written into the program, as it updated the unit.

It did not change the flashing issues and I have looked for MIDI information that could be being transmitted constantly, bit I have not been able to find anything.

Where I am now is, I would like to know if my backups are are accurate and I would also like to know why the playing back of the MIDI files did not cause the Roland to accept the update.

If you have any suggestions, I would welcome them.

Thanks,

Sam

[monkey man]

The obvious first point of call is that you somehow missed one of the segments when placing them successively into that track. I'd unzip them again and re-drag, being super-careful. Could well be that the final one instructs the unit to update; with many products you may be prompted to reboot at this point. A checksum of the dump is made / included in the file too, so if the unit still expects more data, it won't do a thing.

This has happened to me in the past with, I think, an old JV-2080 OS update. It'd be helpful if they just provided it as a single file.

Lastly, it's probably not a bad idea to first try dumping the file from DP again, only this time using a speed (in DP) of 80bpm or less. Mind you, now that you've done the update anyway the unit may not accept / respond to it as there'd be no need, so I don't know how you could verify that you'd dragged the segments into DP correctly.

[Shooshie]

I have my TD-12 unit, and my goal is to use it for the input into the computer to trigger Superior Drummer, or Steven Slate Drums, but I wanted to update the unit as in its current state when I turn it on, it causes all the lights on my MIDI Timepiece AV to flash green on output channels. And, it is solid red on the input of that channel.

I did record the backup MIDI sysex dump into dp? And I put all the new MIDI files from Roland Update into one track on dp. There were 64 files, I put them end to end and attempted to play them into the Roland unit. The Roland unit said it was receiving the MIDI files just fine but at the end of playing all the files the Roland did nothing. I didnt know what to do to to make the unit update after the files were installed, so fortunately Roland had a little utility to install the MIDI files and at the end of the install it must have had a command written into the program, as it updated the unit.

It did not change the flashing issues and I have looked for MIDI information that could be being transmitted constantly, bit I have not been able to find anything.

Where I am now is, I would like to know if my backups are are accurate and I would also like to know why the playing back of the MIDI files did not cause the Roland to accept the update.

If you have any suggestions, I would welcome them.

Thanks,

Sam

Did you open the SysEx editor once you had downloaded your data to DP? In the editor, you can at least determine that your data is there. Also, in that editor there is a "Transmit" button, and while I'm not sure that I remember how dumps are restored to units, I think you have to click Transmit, which sends a request to the hardware device. Once the hardware device accepts the request, DP begins the upload back to the unit. At least I THINK that's how it works. (it's been a long, long time) I know there has to be some hand-shaking going on, not just playing it in DP and expecting it to go there. You may have to originate the upload at the hardware unit and then hit "Transmit."

I would read the SysEx dump and restore section of your device manual, and the SysEx dump chapter/subheads in the DP manual. One of the problems is that there may be differences between brands of hardware devices when it comes to initiating a SysEx restore. You probably have to unlock the hardware, or change the safety flag to "no" or something like that, before it will accept a SysEx upload.

If you did a SysEx dump into DP, I'm pretty sure your data is safe. The only problem is determining the procedure and protocol for initiating that restore. The manuals should be pretty clear on that. It's very much a cut-&-dry set of steps; we're talking about very low-level code.

Shooshie