Newbie MS-2000B owner on a mac!

[esivertsen]

Hi guys,
just got an MS-200B off eBay and figured I need to join a club... 8-]

I've noticed the Windows-only PCG tools seems to be the most current librarian available.
But I'm on a mac and so I wonder if I've got any other options than a PCG tools + win emulator?

The synth that I got seems to no longer have the original patches installed. For example, there's only ONE vocoder patch (shame, shame...). So I'd appreciate if anybody know the online whereabouts of the original patches for the MS-2000B. Or, if someone's willing to share their own, of course In general; ARE THERE still any online resources with patches alive? What I've found so far have been dead ends...

Cheers+thanks!
E.

[OpAmp]

Hi,

The MS2000B is a slighlty improved version of the MS2000.
Have a look at the support site of KORG for both models:
MS2000: http://i.korg.com/SupportPage.aspx?productid=478
MS2000B: http://i.korg.com/SupportPage.aspx?productid=476

You can find there some free sounds and the manuals. In the manual you will find out how to restore the MS2000 to its factory state (and thus also the original programs). Bare in mind that you lose the current programs then! You may first backup those to your MAC before doing the factory restore.

For a MAC librarian: http://daz.korgforums.com/

Not sure there is still an active community sharing patches. But some googling gave me this link:
http://alpha-7.org/Audio/Patches/MS2000 ... 20Patches/
I see there about 15 syx files, each holding 128 programs. That should give you a start.

Have fun!

[esivertsen]

Hi OpAmp,
thanks for the reply!

I've actually managed to find quite a few syx files at the MS-2000 user group @ Yahoo!, and alpha7.org (IIRC).

The current problem is, my el cheapo noname USB2MIDI interface apparently won't tx SysEx. At least, that doesn't work.
The MS2K claims to have completed all sends (trying to back up the current patches - should be about 37KB), while Sysex Librarian have received only 69 Bytes. This numbers fluctuates, but is always < 100.
I'll try the same with an M-Audio interface tonight.

In the manual you will find out how to restore the MS2000 to its factory state (and thus also the original programs). Bare in mind that you lose the current programs then! You may first backup those to your MAC before doing the factory restore.

Good idea.
Hoping that will retain the current Firmware version? (1.08 reported).

For a MAC librarian: http://daz.korgforums.com/

Yeah...it's just that it doesn't seem to have been updated since 2009 or 2010?
Or am I wrong?

Beyond these issues; the power socket in the MS2K chassis is a little loose.
So I'm going to have to open the hood one of these days and fasten i somehow. Any tips on that are greatly appreciated.


Cheers!
E

[OpAmp]

Hi,

Getting the sysex issue solved is the first step... When you have that under control, you may try to read the SysEx file with a MS2000 librarian, as a first crosscheck that the dump is received correctly.

Now the MAC librarian. Yeah, too bad that Korg at that time did not have those nice editors yet, as they supply them now for mKXL(+), Radias, R3, ... So the librarian for Mac for which I posted a link, is created on a voluntary basis by Daz. Let's be clear, the MS2k is more than 10 years old, so communities start to become less active, and maybe this librarian is just fine enough?

But hey, this is a problem of all synths that have a software counterpart. PC's and OS evolve and at some point in time, the even very nice editor at that time may even not work anymore...

I think we can safely assume that factory restore only puts back the global settings and the factory programs. It will not downgrade you firmware.

Ciao.

[esivertsen]

Hi OpAmp,

Hi,
Getting the sysex issue solved is the first step... When you have that under control, you may try to read the SysEx file with a MS2000 librarian, as a first crosscheck that the dump is received correctly.

So I tried a few different speed and timeout settings for Sysex Librarian. No luck. Dump was disappointingly short and MIDI monitor dubbed all messages "Invalid".

But with the new interface (M-Audio USB-Uno), I was able to receive a full dump (37KB), that appears OK at a glance. I.e. MIDI monitor says "OK" and afterwards, Daz' app reads the dumped syx file just fine - all patch names and categories (single etc) look OK. So I say I've moved one step further.

BUT I'm still not able to audition with Daz' app, ad the MS2KB does not appear to receive anything.

Q: Is the synth supposed to respond in any particular way when receiving SysEx dumps? Reading the manual, my impression you just press play on the mac, and the dump proceeds. MIDI monitor says OK, displays the correct dump size etc. But the synth responds in no way. No patches have changed. Argh. Have tried all three MIDI clock settings on the synth (int/ext/auto).

Could there be settings in the Audio/MIDI Setup app that I should note?


Cheers + thanks.
E.

[esivertsen]

UPDATE:

Allrighty,
I am currently reviewing with Daz' MS2000 librarian. Patch by patch.
But for some reason, I am not able to dump an entire syx bank.

I suppose that has to be done from the Sysex Librarian GUI.
Select syx, press play.

MIDI monitor displays status "receiving", and when finished, the following lines are found in the log window of MIDI monitor:
*** ZERO *** To USB Uno MIDI Interface SysEx Korg 256 bytes
*** ZERO *** To USB Uno MIDI Interface SysEx Korg 74027 bytes
*** ZERO *** To USB Uno MIDI Interface Invalid 43 bytes


The synth has no new patches stored.
There is something I do not know, that I need to find out

Cheers;
E.

[OpAmp]

Hi E,

First, I don't have a MS2K or a Mac... so I can not try it myself. But the fact that you got a good dump, makes me think that the other direction (to the synth) should work fine as well.
Further, I can only advice you how I think it should work .

The MIDI clock setting has no impact on SysEx dumps. At least, for a dump it is not needed at all.

The audition function will dump the selected program (only 1 out of the 128!) into the edit buffer of the synth. This means that if it is ok, you should at least see the patch name updated on the display. Now to really audition is, you need to play something on the keyboard...
When one program is dumped into the edit buffer of the synth, it is not stored. It is just a working copy in memory. So changing the program on the synth itself will load from its flash a program and overwrite the edit buffer again.

Also make sure that when using the audition function, you selected the right MIDI interface and MIDI channel number.

Now when you send the whole SysEx file with the Sysex Librarian, the complete dump will be stored into the flash of the synth, at least if it's write protection is switched off. I think also that the the midi channel must match.

Good luck.

[esivertsen]

Hey man,
Now a suspicion grows within me that syx files has MIDI channel embedded in it. If so, most likely channel 1. My synth is set to channel 13.

(slight pause)

Ah. Silly me. That was the missing detail
I've successfully made a good dump. What a relief...
Like I said, there was something I didn't know.

Thanks a lot for the help, man - you saved my day.
Best regards;
E.

[OpAmp]

Hi,

Yep, I just cross-checked a SysEx file from Alpha7 and the MIDI spec from the MS2K. SysEx dumps indeed contain a MIDI channel nr and the one I opened uses 1.

Glad to help you out. Time to have fun with that beast

Don't forget to enjoy new years eve.

[esivertsen]

Hi,
Don't forget to enjoy new years eve.

No worries,
just watched the first fireworks @ 7:00PM - WOW!
If that one was just for the kids, I can't wait to see what they've got for the rest of us 8-]

Cheers!
E.