I apologize in advance, but I've searched and google grouped, and searched and read some more, without finding instructions or answers or a clue... I just got an original DX7 that had been modified with a memory expander: nifty dohickey, two ribbon cables socket into the two onboard RAM sockets, then split that out to an expansion card via a four way switch to four banks of two chips each. I can't get any of the original patches squirted via sysex into any of the four banks. I even removed the expansion, and put two chips back directly onboard, and still couldn't. I've tried two diferent computers, using different MIDI interfaces: my main recording rig with a Delta 1010, and another 'puter with onboard MIDI and one of those awful joystick adapters. I've tried using Sonar 4 producer to send patches, and a freeware app that nicely logs all the incoming midi. No errors, nada - it appears that the data is being sent. The software is happy, the midi light flashes on the 1010, etc. The cables are plugged into the correct jacks on the DX7. Oh, and I've turned write protect OFF on the DX7's internal. The battery reports 2.8, not that that has anything to do with accepting the patch. When I run the DX7 diagnostics, the RAM test flashes WRITE ERROR for just an instant, then reports that the test went OK. I'd be happier if it said WRITE ERROR and left it at that. Can someone with a known working DX7 maybe tell me if that is the expected result when running the onboard RAM test? Has anyone encountered memory expansion kits who might recall if there is a special step required? "Memory Expander" is silkscreened on the add on board, but I don't believe there are any other distingushing characteristics. I don't have ROM carts, so I can't troubleshoot with those. Maybe I should get one? I can use the DX7 is a controller for external modules. Any help will be greatly appreciated... Keith
This may sound obvious, but are you using the correct MIDI channel to send data to the DX7? SysEx banks are channel specific (i.e. whatever MIDI channel a bank is dumped with must also be used to load it). Try dumping the banks on every MIDI channel to see if it works on one. Commercial and factory banks usually use channel 1, but not always.
"unclearguile" <> wrote in message news:... > This may sound obvious, but are you using the correct MIDI channel to > send data to the DX7? SysEx banks are channel specific (i.e. whatever > MIDI channel a bank is dumped with must also be used to load it). Try > dumping the banks on every MIDI channel to see if it works on one. I started trying 1, but have since tried 0 to 16, inclusive. All at once.
"unclearguile" <> wrote in message news:... > This may sound obvious, but are you using the correct MIDI channel to > send data to the DX7? SysEx banks are channel specific (i.e. whatever > MIDI channel a bank is dumped with must also be used to load it). Try > dumping the banks on every MIDI channel to see if it works on one. > Commercial and factory banks usually use channel 1, but not always. Thanks, you answered it for me. I had to set the DX7's midi from "FUNCTIONCONTROL SYS INFO UNAVAIL" to "FUNCTION CONTROL, SYS INFO AVAIL". The channel on the 7 was already set to 1. I found this tidbit on page 56 of the manual. Thanks for the help, I'm taking all this bandwidth so the next person who runs all the news.google searches that I ran may find the answer. Keith Page 56 of the manual discusses connecting two DX7's as master and slave, and says (in part): "Transmitting 32 voices from the Master to the Slave For this discussion, we will assume the simple setup shown with just two DX7 synthesizers. Basically, the same procedure is used when playing more DX7s, or a mixture of other DX synthesizers. 1. Load the 32 voices you wish to transmit into the Masters internal memory 2. Set the Master synthesizer to MIDI channel 1 by pressing [FUNCTION], then press [MIDI] (button 8) until the display shows "FUNCTION CONTROL MIDI CH= ?" where the question mark may be any number from 1 to 16. If its at 1, go on to the next step, if not. Use the [-1] DATA ENTRY button to set the instrument so the LCD displays "FUNCTION CONTROL, MIDI CH= 1." 3. Now press [MIDI] once more and the LCD will probablydisplay "FUNCTIONCONTROL SYS INFO UNAVAIL". This means that the synthesizers MIDI system communication on channel 1 is turned off. Press the [ON] button, and the display will change to "FUNCTION CONTROL, SYS INFO AVAIL". The Master synthesizer is now set to transmit voice data. 4. Now set the Slave to receive on MIDI channel 1 by repeating Steps 2 and 3 above on that instrument. 5. From now on, most changes of the Masters EDIT or FUNCTION mode programming controls will affect the Slave. 6. Press [MIDI] once more on the Master, and its LCD will display "FUNCTION CONTROL, MIDI TRANSMIT?" to which you answer [YES]. In about a second, the 32 voices will be transmitted to the next DX synthesizer (the Slave). When the operation is over, the Slaves LCD will display "FUNCTION CONTROL, MIDI RECEIVED. " yamaha dx7 RAM voice voices memory protect save sysex
