SCI 6 Trak and Midi

Hello, I'd much appreciate some help with MIDI implemenatation for the SCI 6 track. The extent of my knowledge of Midi is selecting the appropriate channel and assigning cc's and dumping patch parameters to Cubase. I fear midi-ing up the Six Trak will involve sending binary messages etc. I've downloaded a librarian - editor for the six track (kindly provided by M Bareille free of charge on web). I've tried to open this application on a PC without the Six Trac connected and a warning window appears stating 'no device ID' - click ok and the program closes. I presume the program is waiting for a sysex dump from the synth. Below is a list of Midi commands:

CONTROL RECORD + 0- dump current sequences and stacks

CONTROL RECORD + 1- enable/disable program change

CONTROL RECORD + 2- dump current program (sysex)

CONTROL RECORD + 3- center pitch wheel (for service use only)

CONTROL RECORD + 4- enable/disable wheels and parameters

CONTROL RECORD + 5- unknown

CONTROL RECORD + 6- manual tune

CONTROL RECORD + 7- zero DAC (for service use only)

CONTROL RECORD + 8- basic/raw patch

CONTROL RECORD + 9- tune test toggle (for service use only)

TRACK RECORD + 0- unknown

TRACK RECORD + 1- Mode 1, Omni on/mono off

TRACK RECORD + 2- Mode 2, "Double Mode"

TRACK RECORD + 3- Mode 3, Omni off/mono off

TRACK RECORD + 4- Mode 4, Omni off/mono on

TRACK RECORD + 5- Shows software version

TRACK RECORD + 6- save the base channel

TRACK RECORD + 7- local on (enable keyboard, etc.,..)

TRACK RECORD + 8- local off (disable keyboard, etc.,..)

TRACK RECORD + 9- dump 100 programs

CONTROL RECORD + 2 is the only command with sysex labelled next to it, but doesn't every dump contain a device ID number? If I begin with TRACK RECORD + 9- dump 100 programs would that send the device ID number to the editor? Any help with this and any tips about the six trak in general would be greatly appreciated. I've only had it a couple of days and what with it being a vintage, I'm slightly apprehensive about frying its chips with erroneous Midi commands. May be with a couple of sentances someone can save me an evening of trial and error.

Can you explain exactly what it is you want to do with the SixTrak by involving MIDI (control parameters? do patch bank dumps? etc.). That way it would be easier to focus on a certain area of MIDI control, to better help you.

Thanks for your reply. a) I want to sequence the six track from Cubase b) store patches in the librarian c) Send cc's from midi controller (this bit shouldn't be a prob).

Okay, let me address one step at a time:

(a) This should be a no-brainer. SixTrak accepts MIDI note on/off data from your software sequencer. No sysex involved here at all. Make sure software and SixTrak are set to same MIDI channel for both record and playback.

(b) Okay, you have to somehow get the SixTrak to surrender its patchbank via sysex. I don't know this synth too well as far as sysex abilities, but it should be able to do it: either from a librarian that automatically talks to the synth, or by initiating a dump from the synth front panel, or by sending a special sysex string to the synth to trigger it to surrender patchbank. You have to do a little homework here to figure out how the SixTrak dumps its patchbank. If you have the manual, all the better.

© Now here you could have problems, it depends on what kind of MIDI messages your controller sends. If it sends only MIDI CC's, then forget it. The SixTrak and all synths from the early MIDI period only have their parameters controlled via sysex, not CC. There are a few higher quality controllers that send sysex: Behringer BCR2000, Peavey PC1600, Kenton Control Freak and Spin Doctor. A few others. All the cheaper/common ones (Evolution UC series, etc.) only support CC.

aargh its been awhile since ive had my 6trak hooked up...

the six trak can be set to either unison mode (just set to appropriate channel) or to receive on 6 channels for 6 monophonic voices (whatever channel you set it to, it will receive on the next 5 channels)

i use unisyn, its quite simple; iirc send a retrieve command from unisyn then dump from the 6trak using the "TRACK RECORD + 9- dump 100 programs " command

pleasant surprise: the 6trak responds to cc's nicely...you just have to add 2 to whatever parameter you want to control; say you want to sweep filter cutoff which is parameter 19, send cc#21 from your controller. take care not to overload it, it tends to hang when too much is thrown at it

Even the Prohpet 600 responds to many standard CCs (it's the very first synth to do so). SCI invented MIDI, afterall.

Click Here and scroll down to Six-Trak and read up on the synth.

oops, sorry I didn't know that.

Many thanks for your replies. 6 trak is now responding to program changes and cc's . I was afraid I might have to manually enter sysex request commands into midi ox... something very time consuming like that. Didn't get around to dumping the 99programs in synth to the editor .... got carried away with cc automation... will try 2nite. This synth has got real character....with the stacks and cc automation its also pretty versatile. Oh no, I'm now coveting the Pro One. Then again, six trak is probably quite different - don't think the Pro has stack mode which is a great feature. The mod on Notelt's site (replace noise with sub osc) sounds very tempting - beef up single voice sounds. Thanks again, it's great to know there's people out there ready to help if I get stuck with this beauty

Still haven't managed to dump patches to M. Bareille's library/editor - http://m.bareille.free.fr/synlib6trak/synlib6trak.htm

The program seems to recognise the correct midi ports. CONTROL RECORD + 9 is working - Cubase receives data. I don't want to try to dump a bank from the editor to the synth because I don't want to lose the patches in the synth If anybody has successfully used this program, tips would be much appreciated.

2) When I last turned on the synth with midi connected, the display counts from 1 to 6 then stops. Is this the synth automatically assigning midi channels, or is it a low battery warning? Nothing about this in the manual.

3) Has anybody managed to control the sequencer and overdub different voices via midi? As far as I understand, the synth can only play more than one voice at a time either in sequence mode or stack mode.

I like this synth alot and want to get the most out of it - and save more than 100 patches! Please help!

I want to bump this because I'm having the same trouble with my Six-Trak;

I can't dump all the patches onto my computer (using Elektron TM-1 + C6)

Ok, so I got this awesome SysEx librarian for mac os X, called "SysEx Librarian"

(Here's the link: http://snoize.textdriven.com/SysExLibrarian/ )

And I sent all 100 patches over to my computer,

but just to make sure they were sent, I decided to edit patch number 01 (put a lot of Noise on it and saved it)

and then (as I understood it at Note-It's Six-Trak site) I just sent the whole SysEx batch/message back to the Six-Trak and nothing happened..

On the Monomachine and Machinedrum, I have to enter "SysEx Receive" in the setup/global to actually start receiving messages.. I find it pretty odd (well, it is one of the first MIDI equipped synths) that you're just supposed to send the SysEx messages straight to the Six-Trak without entering SysEx-Receive (like on the Elektrons)..

Is it always open to receive SysEx messages?

Anyways, it didn't work..