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        MIDI-OX >> Questions and Discussion >> Roland PMA-5 Bulk Load
        
(Message started by: auxacct on Jun 27^th, 2013, 8:04pm)

Title: Roland PMA-5 Bulk Load
Post by auxacct on Jun 27^th, 2013, 8:04pm

Hi.

I have a Roland PMA-5 with a generic midi to USB interface. I also have Midi-Ox.

I used to store my PMA-5 files on a Yamaha Midi Filer (MDF3) which wrote the files in a MDR (.B00) format which is very proprietary. The problem is, is that it stores the files on a 3in. floppy disk.

I can bulk dump from my PMA-5 to my computer via Midi-Ox ok, but I cannot bulk load back to my PMA-5. The ID of the PMA-5 is default 17. It can be set between 1-32. (My MDF3 can successfully bulk load my PMA-5 but I don’t know what is different.) When I send the Sysex the midi connector blue light flashes but the PMA-5 should say "Bulk Load" on the screen, but it does not.

The PMA-5 reference manual is:

http://media.rolandus.com/manuals/PMA-5_OM.pdf

If you can help me to either set the MidiOx program or the PMA-5 settings or both to effect a bulk load back to my PMA-5 it would be greatly appreciated.

Mack

Title: Re: Roland PMA-5 Bulk Load
Post by Breath on Jun 27^th, 2013, 9:58pm

Hi Mack

the first thing you might like to do is connect the Yamaha MDF3 to your PC Midi interface and dump the sysex it sends to the PMA-5 to MidiOx instead.

View /Sysex...
On the new window Sysex/ Receive manual dump

Start the MDF3 dump and the MidiOx counter should start displaying bytes received.
When the dump is finished click the 'Done' button and MidiOx will ask for a file name to save the file in sysex form.

Try sending this file to the PMA-5.

Connect MidiOx Event Port to the Midi interface connected to the PMA-5 on the Midi Port Routing window (View/Port Routings..) by left click and dragging.

Open the Sysex window again and File/Send Sysex File

You might like to compare the MDF3 file to the troublesome one you dumped from the PMA-5 in a Hex editor that displays the difference in two files.

All the best
Royce

Title: Re: Roland PMA-5 Bulk Load
Post by auxacct on Jun 28^th, 2013, 12:16am

Thank you for your reply Royce. I tried your suggestion to no avail. I did compare the MDF3 and PMA-5 dumps and they were different but only at the end where the PMA-5 file was truncated a few bytes, the MDF3 ending in F7 and not the PMA-5.

I uploaded from the MDF3 and then tried sending it to the PMA-5 and it seems that either the program, the computer, or the generic midi cable is not able to shake hands with the PMA-5 but only for the bulk load.

Roland suggests that the "two" devices be set at the same Device ID. The PMA-5 is set at 17. The MDF3 is probably 17 because it works with the PMA-5. The question is: Is the pc laptop the other other device that should be set at 17, or is it the generic midi cable or the Midi-Ox program that should be set at 17?

I can, however, set the Device ID of the PMA-5 to any value from 1-32, but I don't know what it should be set at to match Midi-Ox. Any further suggestions? Thanks.

Mack

Title: Re: Roland PMA-5 Bulk Load
Post by auxacct on Jun 28^th, 2013, 12:20am

Sorry, one further thing. When I set the PMA-5 Device ID to *other than* 17, the MDF3 will mimic Midi-Ox and not bulk load.

Title: Re: Roland PMA-5 Bulk Load
Post by Sonus on Jun 28^th, 2013, 6:40am

Generic usb-midi cables often have issues with system exclusive.

Open file in midi-ox command window, click sysex - configure:

Set higher delay between buffers and delay after F7: 100~200 ms.

In a next step, try different buffer size: 128, 256, 512 bytes.

Sonus

Title: Re: Roland PMA-5 Bulk Load
Post by auxacct on Jun 28^th, 2013, 6:11pm

Thank you Royce and Sonar for your attempts to help me. I tried your suggestions and was still unsuccessful. I am going to get my old M-Audio midi to serial out and fire up the old desk top to see if I can get something going there. I will let you know if there's any change. Thanks again.

Title: Re: Roland PMA-5 Bulk Load
Post by Breath on Jun 28^th, 2013, 8:13pm

Just a quick addition.

1) The ID you are talking about (17 is the normal Roland default) is to separate a number of the SAME devices linked in the MIDI chain.

The ID is stored in the sysex message header eg F0 41 10 model_ID.......
F0 = this is a sysex message
41 = for Roland gear only
10 = if your ID is 17 then this might be for you
model_ID = if you are still there and this is your model Id then this message is for you
Note that 10 hex = 16 decimal, but with things Midi, 0 in data = 1 so 16 data = 17

No other gear has to have an ID of 17, just the PMA-5 and the sysex data.

2) The sysex message must start with F0 and finish with F7 otherwise it will be discarded.

3) If sysex message is long Microsoft's XP (no idea about later OS) driver will fail. So if you have a Midi interface that didn't come with a driver CD then you can't pass large sysex messages. Let's hear it for MS. Yea.... well done.

Royce

Title: Re: Roland PMA-5 Bulk Load
Post by lodevo62 on Dec 27^th, 2021, 1:21am

Hi,
Do you know if there is a way to switch the PMA-5 to GM/GS mode , using sysex ? or another way...without accessing the touchscreen
Laurent

Title: Re: Roland PMA-5 Bulk Load
Post by Breath on Dec 29^th, 2021, 8:58pm

Hi
check out the top of page 125 of the owner's manual.
If you need some help let me know.

All the best
Royce