New Tool (2.7 & 2.8): Sysex Librarian

edit: A version has been released which incorporates SysEx Librarian functionality. This can be obtained from the Renoise Tools page here.

This thread originated before the tool was released and will continue with discussion of the MIDI sample transfer functionality.

Original post:

Moving discussion of this tool from Scripting API to Tool Announcements as it is ‘mostly’ complete.

Please find a version for testing purposes here.

I’ve found that there is a simple SysEx request I can send to the AlphaTrack and it will return a SysEx response. This is the only testing I can do. esaruoho has also done some testing with successful results here. Everything appears to work fine.

The menu interface looks similar this:

On Renoise startup (tool startup) it will add menu items for all available MIDI input and outputs. These can be selected from the menu. The currently selected item is indicated with a ‘tick’. Select ‘None’ to disconnect input/output.

If you wish to save default inputs and output click save preferences. Note that they will not be connected on startup (i.e. ‘None’ will be checked, which may appear that it has not worked) unless ‘Automatically connect’ is selected (and saved).

Sending of SysEx files (*.syx) can be done from the menu item (with a file prompt) or from selecting them from the file browser (in ‘Instrument’ mode, but they will appear in all modes).

Recording of SysEx is done as follows:

  • Select ‘Record SysEx’ - it will become checked. This will start recording all SysEx on the selected midi port to memory. Everytime a SysEx message is received it’s size will be displayed in the status bar.
  • When finished, select ‘Record SysEx’ again - it will become unchecked. If any SysEx data was received it will ask you where to save the data to (as a ‘.syx’ file)

The above functionality allows Renoise to work as a very simple SysEx librarian for those of you who use external hardware.

I’ve added (in version 0.92) MIDI sample dump handling. However, note that this part of the code is untested as I do not have any hardware that I can use with it. It has been written based on technical descriptions, so it should work, but things rarely do work first time with no testing.

Please get back to me with how this works as I can only do limited testing.

Enjoy!

mxb, very good work!

I tried single program Send/Recv with Nord Lead 3 and Supernova 2 and it works!!

I will try it more with other Gear i have.

Would be nice in the next versions to save the sysex file routes into a table and remember the port used with each file. With this info you can send all sysex at same time to the correct gear. You can save this in a XML file for example.

Something like Sonar SysexView is desired:
My link

(See the table).

Well, you’ve gone far and beyond what I hoped this sysex tool could do, it reads my stuffs at least.
I hope to one day use this to send a not-used-before .syx program preset to my bits of gear, would be lovely :)

I was looking for something like this :)
I haven’t had the time to be in the studio for a long time.
Hope to find some time to test soon.
Good work!

ku-f’ing-dos

does exactly what it should do with single patch dumps from both the nord lead 2x and waldorf micrwoave xt. firing up the jp-8080 but I think it’s more or less a proven success.

nice work, dude.

next up we need a way to sequence midi dumps within the tracker UI… :panic:

wow. that’s my first use of an emoticon in a web forum… i think… ever. :yeah:

Okay,

It sounds like the librarian functionality generally works, but we’ve not receieved any feedback on the MIDI sample transfer.

I will disable the MIDI Sample dump code due to its lack of testing and upload a plain librarian version to the tools page for general use later today.

However, I will keep a version with Sample dump transfer capabilities in this thread in the forum for testing purposes.

Glad it appears to be working for everyone.

edit: Tool released here(without sample transfer)

Please keep feedback of testing the sample transfer in the ‘older’ development version in this thread.

Mods: Please rename topic title from ‘Tool for Testing’ to ‘New Tool’ to indicate the base functionality tool has been released. Thanks.

I sold my Z-8 sampler after the release of renoise 2.7 beta :)

Hi! :)

Just installed your tool and it works fine for recording and sending single TX patches of the Virus Indigo I. Great work!

Isn’t it possible to store the 257 bytes in the .xrns-file? Maybe as instrument. I mean, i do a renoise module and use external gear. Now i would like to have only 1 file for the song. I know me after years, opening the module: “Doh, where are the corresponding sysex savings???”

Fan-f’ing-tastic! I’ve been waiting for this, now I can work with my lovely old TG300 and S4+ :)

I’ll test 0.92 on my Yamaha A3000 too ;)

p.s. Saving inside the xrns would also be a great time-saver, but this is still more than enough.

I’ve just tested the older 0.92 version for sds, but no dice with it just yet. I’m assuming this is for sending samples and not receiving them?

mxb, can we have receiving of samples via sysex?? :)))

The scripter can save song related document information.
The script could save a few highlights from the song like the song title and the first pattern contents and all current instrument names as a recognition factor so as soon as the new song observable kicks in, the only thing needed are loading these highlights, compare if they are the same and then apply the sysex dumps to the programmed devices (which can also be stored in the document)
More info in the renoise document API.

Yes, the tool could ‘remember’ which sysex files to send against a hash of the song data. However, I feel that it is a bit of hacky work around and thus I’d be reluctant to implement at this stage. i.e.:

  • If the tool is used on another machine (e.g. sent to another user) it won’t know the hash and thus which sysex files to use.
  • You still have to keep the sysex files seperate

Hey mxb, I having trouble getting this to work in Renoise 2.8.
I have selected a device both for in and out sysex, but when I try to send or recieve, dialogue tells me “No MIDI Sysex send/recieve device selected”.
I’ve tried relaunching renoise and gear, saved preferences and everything I can think of.

any ideas what could be wrong? thanks.

It depends, is there some kind of data from the sysex tables that you could not stuff in the song comment section for instance? Or are the sysex files specific to a device? I have no idea how this exactly works and how interchangable sysex data is.

When you are selecting your midi inputs / outputs, are ‘ticks’ appearing adjacent to the selected items. If not, the tool is unable to open the selected devices.

Alternatively, I don’t really know what else it could be. Can you please supply more information? (OS / 32/64bit version, list of midi input/output ports, maybe a screenshot?). Others appear to have the tool working.

SysEx files are highly specific to devices. There is a slight possibility of interference if the wrong sysex is sent to the wrong device. When you factor in different midi port names it can get complicated quickly. Safest to leave it seperate.

Hi, yes both devices are ticked in the items list, everything looks right.
System specs: Win XP SP2 (32-bit, obviously :) running Renoise 2.8 Final.
The device I am trying to connect to is MOTU Traveler, and MIDI works excellent with this device in other scenarios.
Kinda weird, isn’t it?

Ah, seems like I found a half-working way around this, so I’m guessing there might be a bug somewhere:

If I select “none” or pick one of the other devices in the list first, and then switch right back to my MOTU device, then it works - I don’t get the same message, the file window appears and I can transmit sucessfully to my jv-1080.

Recording also works fine.

So, I’m pretty much happy now. Let me know if you want to look further into this possible bug and I can assist you searching.

Thanks for this useful tool

Hello,

I want to download sysex of the Hawk800,

and change parameters of patch.

but guru edit but it doen’t want to load patch that I send him from the hawk800.

then, I want to download patch ,(sysex) of the Hawk800 with “The SysEx Librarian tool”

it’s possible to transmit patch of librarian to guru for edit?

Well I don’t arrive to install "The SysEx Librarian "

the message is:

"incompatible Scripting tools

The following tools have been disabled, because they are not compatible with this

version of Renoise:

com.mxb.SysExLibrarian

Please download the latest version of the tools from http://www.renoise.com/tools

or contact the authors of the tools for assistance."

I just download the version 3.0.1

I have win vista 32b

Well, I tell myself; it is possible to load sysex of the Hawk800 with your soft

and change parameters in a same time.

I hope you understand me, I’m french.

it is possible to modify parameters in Hawk800 guru.perhaps with Renoise Lua Scripting repository

Because; There is an error in

“DCO modulation Group” The “dco-LFO modulation deph” is not the 32extended but 33extended.

and we must create 48exented VCF 12 / 24db

and 18extended, 78extended LFO1 and 4; sync driven reset cycle.

and The FM / Noise Modulation Group.

I didn’t find the way to writing tools, “Renoise Lua Scripting repository” may be because I renoise of the demo version.

I contacted the team to all these questions, they tell me , go to the discussing.

I’m French. I don’t always understand everything in English language, even with translators.

Is someone can enlighten me

thank you

Alex

Hi - It seems this tool is out of date and won’t install on 3.1

Is development active, or will it be resumed on it?

Thanks

I hope this hasn’t been dropped. I so need something like this:-(