[SOLVED] SysEx bakup Open Source tool for Linux

The Lounge General Discussion
#1

Hi guys,
i started this thread because I haven’t found anything posted before on this argument but I think that, at least as a best practice, make a backup of our instrument(s) should be performed as a recurrent task… because shit happens.

In my case I’ve an A4 mkI (and also an AR) and I’m planning to sell it in order to take an A4 mkII and I need to save pretty everything for restore my projects/kits later in the new-coming-MKII.

I personally hate close software and I think that any manufacturer of (close) hardware, like Elektron, should give the opportunity to perform basic tasks as FW upgrade, sounds/kits/project upload and vice versa (aka backups) at least with open (and non only free) software. The business may still remains in more complicated and visual tools BUT NOT in very basic tasks (IMHO it is part of customers rights).

I’ve found very useful posts here regarding the possibility to upload something to an Elektron machine some examples:

https://www.elektronauts.com/t/best-resource-for-updating-a4s-os/27954/10
https://www.elektronauts.com/t/fw-upgrade-from-linux/538/2

Using these tips I successfully upgrade FW and upload sounds: PC -> A4

Now, trying to use amidi to perform the other flow direction A4 -> PC, I’m in trouble. As already explained here (sorry for cross posting but I left that thread because I was going OT):
https://www.elektronauts.com/t/fw-upgrade-from-linux/538/2?u=lucaconte

with amidi -p hw:0,0,0 -d or amidi -p hw:0,0,0 -d -r /tmp/bkup1.syx launched before start to send data, the program remains hanged and zero bytes are received.
From A4 side I started to see a blinking “sending” and after a while “COMPLETE!”

Looking around I’ve found a web page that looks promising:
http://www.kasploosh.com/projects/CZ/how_to/amidi-cz101-receive.html

This is for CASIO but I’m supposing that some initialization string should be sent to A4 in order to “sync” or simply start, the “dumping” process.
In the “CASIO” link above the “-S” param.

Here some questions:

  1. Have anyone here done a backup with any (also proprietary) software? If Yes how is the behavior of both, Elektron machine an PC?
  2. Have anyone here done a backup with amidi or any other Open Source sw? If Yes, how?
  3. With reference to “CASIO” post, any Idea regarding the “S” parameter and/or Elektron raw midi protocol? Probably in parallel of this post I’ll ask this directly to Elektron.
  4. Any idea, in general, on how to perform this task? I know, wine exists, but…

many thanks
L.

3 Likes
#2

Have you ever tried to bakup any kind of data from an Elektron to a Linux machine via amidi?

Now I’m trying to bakup data from my A4 (mk I) to my linux laptop but unsuccessfully.
with “amidi -p hw:0,0,0 -d” or “amidi -p hw:0,0,0 -d -r /tmp/bkup1.syx” launched before strat to send data, the program remains hanged and zero bytes are received.

From A4 side I started to see a blinking “sending” and after a while “COMPLETE!”

FW upgrade from Linux
#3

I’ve used Simple Sysexxer for updating A4 firmware with no problems. I have no experience of backings up to Linux with it, though I imagine it should work fine.

#4

i don’t own any Elektron devices yet, so just a speculation.
maybe it needs some SysEx message to start actual dump ?

btw, for those on Linux (and MacOS), i would recommend sendmidi

i found it more convenient than amidi for daily use.

#5

@DoS Tried Simple Sysexxer yesterday after your post but with the same result. I’ll retry with a different linux distro (Debian instead of Arch) ASAP

@chaocrator I’ll try this evening but It looks like a way to only “send” data and not for receive… butt I’ll look documentation later

The strage thing here (in elektronauts) is that someone (more than one guy) used amidi to upgrade FW or to upload sounds/kits/etc. BUT nobody seem to have the problem to perform a bakup of the system.

#6

Good luck. I was using both Mint and a very old installation of Kubuntu on a netbook.

#7

Out of context, I’d love to use my A4 and A4 as an external sound card on Linux!!!
That’d be a game changer, no need for overbridge, just the soundcard.

1 Like
#8

They effectively do though, via MIDI - use any midi tool capable of handling sysex properly

2 Likes
#9

SOLVED: it work out-of-the-box using:
amidi -p hw:1,0,0 -d -r /tmp/bkup1.syx
but
It’s mandatory to check if:

  1. Global -> System -> usb config is set to “USB-MIDI ONLY”
  2. Global -> Midi Config -> Port config -> Output To is set to “MIDI+USB” (or “USB” only)

Thanks to all

5 Likes
Alternative to C6 on Linux
#10

cheers, thanks for all the suggestions. i’ve recently made the switch and slowly finding alternatives and this fits the bill for sysex librarian.