User Manual

SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE
674
Because System Exclusive messages have no
channel assignment, they are sent to every MIDI
device connected to a port. If you have several
devices of the same model or brand connected to
the same port they may all respond to a message
sent to or from just one of them. Conversely, some
manufacturers encode channel assignments into
the body of the System Exclusive message. Digital
Performer is unable to access or rechannelize such
an assignment.
For example, if the playback assignment for a track
is channel 1, but a System Exclusive message full of
patches intended for that synth includes an
encoded assignment to channel 16, the synth won’t
receive the patches.
Find out if any of your equipment encodes channel
assignments in its System Exclusive messages, and
be careful about changing channel assignments on
equipment to which you intend to send System
Exclusive. If you encounter difficulty when
working with System Exclusive data, try patching
the MIDI device directly to your MIDI interface to
prevent interaction with other equipment.
Note that the Input Filter, found in Digital
Performer’s Setup menu, defaults to System
Exclusive unchecked. Unless you explicitly check
the box next to System Exclusive, you will be
unable to record System Exclusive messages.
VIEWING AND EDITING SYSEX DATA
System Exclusive data can be viewed and edited in
the Event List window for the track on which it is
recorded. In an Event List, a System Exclusive
message will consist of the System Exclusive
symbol and as much data as can fit on one line:
To see the entire message, Option/Alt-click or
double-click on the System Exclusive event. A
window appears:
Figure 54-1: Digital Performer’s system exclusive editor. The Transmit
button transmits the message currently displayed in the upper
portion of the display. Use it to send a SysEx request message to a
device. The SysEx message the device sends in response will appear in
the lower portion of the window.
The window is divided into a top and bottom
portion. The bottom portion displays the system
exclusive data contained in the event. The top
portion is used to type in and transmit short
system exclusive “request” messages, which can be
sent to a synthesizer that requires a short system
exclusive bulk dump request message to initiate a
bulk dump to be recorded into the lower portion of
the window.
The System Exclusive data is displayed in
hexadecimal (base 16) numbering. Each pair of
hexadecimal digits, which include the numerals 0-
9 and the letters A-F, represents a byte of data. Each
line contains eight pairs of digits. To the left of each
line of data is a two-digit hexadecimal number
indicating the position of the first byte of data in
that row. The first row starts at position 00, the next
at 08, the third at 10 (this equals 16 in
hexadecimal), and so forth. To the right of each
row of data is its translation into alphanumeric
Hexadecimal
Position
System Exclusive data
(hexadecimal)
Alphanumeric
Translation
Insertion
Mode
Button
Replacement
Mode Button