The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, "Timo Sandholm" <timo.sandholm@u...> wrote:
> Aaarrrgghh,
> 
> I'm giving up.

Bummer :-(

Luckily I was able to get backup from my important patches
> during the weekend.

Good news :-)

> But what happened was that I was able succesfully to dump one patch at the
> time to Midi-Ox, but I was able to do it only twice, after that I needed to
> close down and re-start Midi-Ox and then I was able to do sysex dump from
> AN1x twice. The two first times when dumping from An1x the file size was
> 1000 - 3000 bytes and the third dump was always 40960 bytes and it failed to
> save as a file and it also failed when sending it back to An1x.


Timo, didn't you use to own an AN200 or PLG150-AN? 

I've spent some time searching the list archives and found a plethora of posts from 
Gary Gregson of AN1xEdit fame. Gary most eloquently put it as such:

'The problem with the AN1x is that its bulk dumps are very large (by most
synth standards). Doing a full patch dump transmits 128K of data. This
is sent in packets of over 1K with a 5ms gap between each. This stresses
any MIDI interface by driving it at full bandwidth. If there are any
delays in the MIDI path or buffering problems, it is very easy to either
lose packets, bytes or to change the inter packet delay time. The net
result is that the AN1x will not accept the data.

Ideally Yamaha should have used smaller packets (around 256 bytes, which
is what most MIDI interfaces/software seem capable of handling
comfortably) and left a bigger gap between blocks. Unfortunately this
would have also dramatically increased the transmission/receive times
(which I am sure many will testify are long enough already :-)'

There has been much discussion on this list to troubleshoot the very problems you 
have experienced. I would encourage you or anybody else using a low cost USB MIDI 
Interface or SoundCard MIDI I/O to upgrade to a name brand, multi-port MIDI 
Interface - perhaps solicit feedback from this list or other lists/forums on which you 
participate prior to making a purchase. It's no gurantee that *all* you problems will 
be solved but for the most part they are significantly more reliable.

Jon

p.s. - I know how you feel about not wanting to trouble shoot any further - don't feel 
bad :-)