DX7 to MOD7

[aron]

What is the format that MOD7 takes to import a DX7 program? Does it also accept DX7II programs?

I have a number of libraries I'd like to try, but it will be a challenge to get them to work since they are in my old Galaxy librarian format!

[danatkorg]

What is the format that MOD7 takes to import a DX7 program? Does it also accept DX7II programs?

I have a number of libraries I'd like to try, but it will be a challenge to get them to work since they are in my old Galaxy librarian format!

Some excerpts from the manual:

The MOD‐7 can load sounds created for the vintage DX7. There are thousands of these sounds available on the internet, providing a massive pre‐existing library of timbres (in addition to the many sounds created exclusively for the MOD‐7!). Try searching for “DX7 SysEx download.”

Once loaded, you can bring these vintage sounds up to date using all of the MOD‐7’s unique features, layer them with other EXi, and process them with KARMA and the KRONOS effects.

The conversion works by reading .SYX format System Exclusive files. This format is supported by programs on all major computer operating systems.

Supported file types

In order to load a file, it must meet the following requirements:

• The file may contain multiple System Exclusive messages, but only if the main DX7 bank dump is the first of these messages. All subsequent messages in the file will be ignored.

Note: some instruments, such as the DX7II, may transmit multiple System Exclusive messages when doing their program data dump, with the main DX7 bank dump coming last. If this set of messages is stored into a single .SYX file, the KRONOS will not be able to load the file.

• The System Exclusive must be in the original, first‐ generation DX7 format, which was supported by all of the classic 6‐operator FM synths as well as the DX9. System Exclusive files from later‐generation FM instruments, such as 4‐operator “baby DX” synths and the TX81Z, SY77, etc., cannot be loaded.

Hope this helps!

- Dan

[StephenKay]

What is the format that MOD7 takes to import a DX7 program? Does it also accept DX7II programs?

I have a number of libraries I'd like to try, but it will be a challenge to get them to work since they are in my old Galaxy librarian format!

Practically speaking, that may be a problem unless you have a DX7II.

When I was working on my Challenger Tribute project, I was able to import some of my DX7II sounds into Mod-7 and I got the whole process to work. I was searching for my notes and couldn't find them yet, I may have backed them up onto the back-up DVDs of the whole project. But I remember I had to do some "work" to make it work.

I think what I did was:

1. Bulk Dump the data from the DX7II into the SNoize SysEx Librarian on Mac (free utility), which allows you to save it as a .SYX file.
2. The tricky part was, I had to open the resulting dump in a hex editor, and edit out part of the data, resaving it before the Kronos would read it (after I moved it there on a USB stick). I think there was some header information that needed to be removed. After that, though, it did work perfectly.

EDIT: oh, and then, if you want, you will have to tweak some of the velocity response settings in each of the 6 operators, because the DX7 series had a max high velocity of 96 I believe, whereas when you play it from the Kronos, you'll be whacking it with higher velocities, and the sounds will be "overdriven". Alternately, you can record a MIDI track and then scale all of the velocities down so that the highest is 96...

[iixorbiusii]

I think what I did was:

1. Bulk Dump the data from the DX7II into the SNoize SysEx Librarian on Mac (free utility), which allows you to save it as a .SYX file.
2. The tricky part was, I had to open the resulting dump in a hex editor, and edit out part of the data, resaving it before the OASYS would read it

PC users should be able to use Midiox to edit HEX data from .syx patches (www.midiox.com)


I own a site called The DX7 Resource Centre... Lots of DX7 patches can be found there.

[aron]

I see. Well, I remember I wrote the .syx part of Galaxy a long time ago, but I forget how it worked.

Thanks for the help!

[danatkorg]

EDIT: oh, and then, if you want, you will have to tweak some of the velocity response settings in each of the 6 operators, because the DX7 series had a max high velocity of 96 I believe, whereas when you play it from the Kronos, you'll be whacking it with higher velocities, and the sounds will be "overdriven". Alternately, you can record a MIDI track and then scale all of the velocities down so that the highest is 96...

Yes, the conversion is designed to preserve the MIDI velocity response of the original DX/TX sounds, so that a velocity value of (for instance) 80 will produce the same timbre on both the original instrument and the MOD-7.

When we worked on this conversion, we had to choose between preserving the sound as played via MIDI, or trying to duplicate the response from the local, velocity-challenged DX keyboard. We chose the former, since it is/was fairly common to control the DX from an external keyboard (and is the only way to play the TX modules, of course - personally, I only used the modules, so this is the sound I'm used to!).

This is an issue when controlling actual DX series instruments from an external controller as well; for instance, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_DX7:

"Additionally, the maximum MIDI velocity value that the DX7 will transmit is 100 (of the 127 maximum value defined by the standard). The DX7 will, however, respond to the full range of velocity values when sent from an outside MIDI source. This means that when using the DX7 as a MIDI controller to play external sound modules, the patches on these modules will have to be adjusted to be more sensitive to velocity. It also means that when playing the DX7's own sounds using an external MIDI controller or sequencer, the velocity values will have to be rescaled before input to the DX7, or the DX7 patches would have to be adjusted to be less sensitive to velocity."

A tip: if you feel that the response is too bright, you can use the Macro Edit "Brightness Vel Sens" parameter to reduce the velocity sensitivity to taste.

Hope this helps,

Dan

[danatkorg]

I see. Well, I remember I wrote the .syx part of Galaxy a long time ago, but I forget how it worked.

Thanks for the help!

Aron Nelson, perchance?

[aron]

Yes Dan. I'm looking forward to this keyboard!

Aron

[Kevin Nolan]

Note I have an archive of 200,000 SYX format DX/FM programs I posted free for download for OASYS before and I'll place back up on the web in a week or so (just revamping that particular web page as it was a bit sloppy). So that'll be essentially every DX/FM program ever programmed available for MOD-7. I accumulated them free so they'll be free to all. I'll post separately when the file is back up for download - give me another week or two.

Kevin.

[Jon Lord]

Note I have an archive of 200,000 SYX format DX/FM programs I posted free for download for OASYS before and I'll place back up on the web in a week or so (just revamping that particular web page as it was a bit sloppy). So that'll be essentially every DX/FM program ever programmed available for MOD-7. I accumulated them free so they'll be free to all. I'll post separately when the file is back up for download - give me another week or two.

Kevin.

With these amount of patches i don't see where i will have time to play the actual machine Do you perhaps have any page where you list your favorite sounds, there is noway a normal person will have time to go throught them all to look for the golden ones

[CfNorENa]

So that'll be essentially every DX/FM program ever programmed available for MOD-7.

You should make that your signature!

[BillW]

Note I have an archive of 200,000 SYX format DX/FM programs I posted free for download for OASYS before and I'll place back up on the web in a week or so (just revamping that particular web page as it was a bit sloppy). So that'll be essentially every DX/FM program ever programmed available for MOD-7. I accumulated them free so they'll be free to all. I'll post separately when the file is back up for download - give me another week or two.

Kevin.

That would be awesome, thank you!

[aron]

Yes, thank you for uploading those files soon. I will be looking forward to them.

[EXer]

Note I have an archive of 200,000 SYX format DX/FM programs I posted free for download for OASYS

If it takes you 5 seconds to load a sound into your Oasys or Kronos, to call it up and to play it, it would take you 35 days, 8 hours a day, to listen to all these sounds

[mymusic42]

I understand that MOD7 only reads 6 operator DX sysex

FM8 will read 4 operator sys, but won't export sysex

I had a Yamaha V50 with lots of patches I created and would love to have in the Kronos. I have the sysex.

Is there any way to convert 4operator sysex into something the Kronos will read?