Can Unisyn be used to view/edit params from SysEx files?

[mhschmieder]

I have read the descriptions of UniSyn over and over again every half year or so for several years, and still don't have a clue what it does.

The descriptions are baffling, inferring that it only serves as a live editor hooked up to a specific synth.

What I need it for is off-line editing, for converting synth patches from one synth to another.

I have other uses for it as well, but my current goal is to recapture all but the three permanently-lost custom patches from my Nord Lead 3.

I simply cannot afford to replace that synth (it was stolen at the end of July). But I have hundreds of hours invested in custom patches.

What I do have is a combination of SysEx files and additional hand-written parameter values for modifications to other patches.

My feeling is that UniSyn might be able to load the SysEx files from the Nord Lead 3 Program Banks and maybe even the 4-slot Performance Banks (I may have that terminology backwards).

Can UniSyn do this? or can it ONLY send and load patches directly from the hardware synth itself, vs. working with a SysEx file or in some cases maybe a synth-specific data format, as would a dedicated synth editor for a specific synth device?

Also, does it expose all of the parameters of each synth, much as SoundDiver did (I sure wish that product would become savailable again; especially as it covers a LOT more of my synths that UniSyn does)?

Or is it purely generic, covering lowest common denominator with a common interface and then mappint those parameters to each synth, leaving holes in each synth's patches where there are unique parameters to that synth and/or defaulting them?

I sure can't tell this from the product writeup! It's a lot of money to spend if it's just for integrating with DP (which I have no interest in, as I don't work that way) or as a patch librarian for moving patches around within a particular sound bank.

Also, I'm wondering why Sweetwater lists it as $295 list price on sale for $189 at version 2.0, while Sam Ash lists it as $395 list on sale for $149 at version 2.1!

And what's with the "upgrade" license that is associated with DP? Does my DP 5.0 upgrade purchase qualify me for the upgrade price vs. full price on UniSyn 2.1?

I'm less concerned about whether this is an orphaned product than about the issues listed above, as it is a product that covers mostly out of production synths anyway. Too bad so many are missing though.

And I suppose lack of Universal Binary will eventually become an issue should I ever upgrade to a Wintel Mac.

[mhschmieder]

Oops, I meant to post awhile ago that Sweetwater answered my questions after talking to MOTU at a sales meeting, and all of the answers were affirmative. I also found a little bit more documentation on this product, with some screen shots, and am convinced that it would be a worthwhile addition to the collection, even if just for a few otherwise orphaned synths.

It will still be a few weeks before I can afford to buy a copy, and I suppose there's some risk as it isn't clear if the product will move to UB or not (and I will likely EVENTUALLY make the switch miyself, even if not until late 2007). But it's now at a better price point for what it delivers so is worth it.

Not the greatest interface as compared to Sound Diver and some of the others (none of which are really available to OS X users), but it presents the information in an intelligible way and can serve as a bridging technology when a dedicated editor is not available.