Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 MIDI Devices And Features Manual

							CUBASE SX/SLMIDI effects 2 – 101
Transformer
The Transformer is a real-time version of the Logical Editor. With this 
you can perform very powerful MIDI processing on the fly, without af-
fecting the actual MIDI events on the track.
The Logical Editor is described starting on page 111. As the parame-
ters and functions are almost identical, the descriptions for the Logical 
Editor also apply to the Transformer. Where there are differences be-
tween the two, this is clearly stated. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL2 – 102 MIDI effects 
						

							3
Working with System Exclusive
messages 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL3 – 104 Working with System Exclusive messages
Introduction
System Exclusive (SysEx) is a special type of MIDI message used to 
send things that only make sense to a unit of a certain make and type. 
Every major MIDI manufacturer has its own SysEx identity code. Sys-
tem Exclusive messages are typically used for transmitting patch data, 
i.e. the numbers that make up the settings of one or more sounds in a 
MIDI instrument.
Cubase SX/SL allows you to record and manipulate System Exclusive 
data in various ways. This chapter points to various features that help 
you manage and create System Exclusive data.
Bulk dumps
Recording a bulk dump in Cubase SX/SL
In any programmable device, all settings are stored as numbers in 
computer memory. Change those numbers, and you will change the 
settings.
Normally, MIDI devices allow you to dump (transmit) all or some set-
tings in the device's memory, in the form of MIDI System Exclusive 
messages. Return these messages, and you get the settings back. 
This is (among other things) a way of making backup copies of the 
settings of any instrument.
If your instrument allows the dumping of a few or all of its settings via 
MIDI by activating some function on the front panel, this dump will 
most probably be recordable in Cubase SX/SL. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLWorking with System Exclusive messages 3 – 105
1.Open the Preferences dialog from the File menu (on the Mac, this is 
located on the Cubase SX/SL menu) and select the MIDI–MIDI Filter 
page.
This allows you to govern which MIDI event types should be recorded and/or thru-put.
2.Deactivate the Sysex checkbox in the Record section, but make sure 
the Sysex checkbox in the Thru section is activated.
With this setting (shown in the figure above) SysEx messages will be recorded but not 
echoed back out to the instrument (which could lead to strange results).
3.Activate recording on a MIDI track and initiate the dump from the front 
panel of the instrument.
4.When done recording, select the new part and open the List Editor 
from the MIDI menu.
This allows you to check that the System Exclusive dump was recorded – there should 
be one or several SysEx events in the part/event list. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL3 – 106 Working with System Exclusive messages
If your MIDI instrument doesn’t offer a way to initiate a dump “by itself”, 
you have to send a Dump Request message from Cubase SX/SL to start 
the dump. You will then have to use the MIDI SysEx Editor (see page 108) 
to insert the specific Dump Request message (see the instrument’s doc-
umentation) at the beginning of a MIDI track. When you activate record-
ing, the Dump Request message will be played back (sent to the instru-
ment), the dump will start and be recorded as above.
Transmitting a bulk dump back to a device
1.Make sure the MIDI track with the System Exclusive data is routed to 
the device.
You may want to check your device’s documentation to find details about which MIDI 
channel should be used, etc.
2.Solo the track.
This might not be necessary, but it is a good safety measure.
3.Make sure the device is set up to receive System Exclusive data (often, 
the reception of SysEx is turned off by default).
4.If necessary, put the device in “Standby to Receive System Exclusive” 
mode.
5.Play back the data.
Some advice
•Don't transmit more data than you need. If all you want is a single program, 
don't send them all, it will only make it harder to find the one you want. Usually, 
you can specify exactly what you want to send.
•If you want the sequencer to dump the pertinent sounds to your instrument 
each time you load a project, put the SysEx data in a silent “count-in” before 
the project itself starts.
•If the dump is very short (for instance, a single sound) you can put it in the 
middle of the project to re-program a device on the fly. However, you can 
achieve the same effect by using Program Change. This is definitely prefera-
ble, since less MIDI data is sent and recorded. Some devices may be set up 
to dump the settings for a sound as soon as you select it on the front panel. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLWorking with System Exclusive messages 3 – 107
•If you create parts with useful “SysEx dumps”, you can put these on a special 
muted track. When you want to use one of them, drag it to an empty unmuted 
track and play it back from there.
•Do not transmit several SysEx dumps to several instruments at the same time.
•Make a note of the current device ID setting of the instrument. If you change 
this, the instrument may refuse to load the dump later.
Recording System Exclusive parameter 
changes
Often you can use System Exclusive to remotely change individual 
settings in a device, open up a filter, select a waveform, change the 
decay of the reverb etc. Many devices are also capable of transmitting 
changes made on the front panel as System Exclusive messages. 
These can be recorded in Cubase SX/SL, and thus incorporated into 
a regular MIDI recording.
Here's how it works: let's say you open up a filter while playing some 
notes. In that case, you will record both the notes and the System Ex-
clusive messages generated by your opening of the filter. When you 
play it back, the sound changes exactly like it did when you recorded it.
1.Open the Preferences dialog from the File menu (on the Mac, this is 
located on the Cubase SX/SL menu), select the MIDI–MIDI Filter 
page and make sure that System Exclusive is recorded.
2.Make sure the instrument is actually set to transmit front panel control 
movements as System Exclusive data.
3.Record normally.
When you’re done, you can check that the events were recorded properly in the List 
Editor. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL3 – 108 Working with System Exclusive messages
Editing System Exclusive messages
While System Exclusive events are shown in the List Editor/Project 
Browser, their entire content is not (only the beginning of the mes-
sage is displayed in the Comment column for the event). Furthermore, 
you cannot edit the event (other than moving it) as you can with other 
event types in the List Editor.
Instead, you use the MIDI SysEx Editor for this.
•To open the MIDI SysEx Editor for an event, click in the Comments 
column for the event in the List Editor/Project Browser.
The display shows the entire message on one or several lines. All Sys-
tem Exclusive messages always begin with F0 and end with F7 with a 
number of arbitrary bytes in between. If the message contains more 
bytes than fit on one line, it continues on the next. The Address indica-
tion to the left helps you find out on which position in the message a 
certain value resides. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SLWorking with System Exclusive messages 3 – 109
Selecting and viewing values
To select a value, either click on it or use the cursor keys. The se-
lected byte is indicated in various formats:
•In the main display, values are shown in hexadecimal format.
•To the right of this, values are shown in ASCII format.
•At the bottom of the dialog, the selected value is shown in binary and decimal 
formats.
Editing a value
The selected value can be edited directly in the main display or in the 
decimal and binary displays. Just click on it and type in the desired 
value as usual.
Adding and deleting bytes
Using the Insert and Delete buttons, or their corresponding computer 
keyboard keys, you can add and delete bytes from the message. In-
serted data will appear before the selection.
Importing and exporting data
The Import and Export buttons allow you to get SysEx data from disk 
and to export the edited data to a file. The file format used is called 
“MIDI SysEx” (.SYX), in which data is saved exactly as is, in a binary 
file. Only the first dump in a .SYX file will be loaded.
This format should not be confused with MIDI files. 
						

							CUBASE SX/SL3 – 110 Working with System Exclusive messages