Future Retro Orb Owner Manual - Manual (Page 23)

MIDI SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE
The Orb supports MIDI System Exclusive messages (SysEx), for
saving and loading your patterns and songs to other Orb units, our
Revolution units, or MIDI SysEx computer programs.
The pattern and song SysEx format used in the Orb is universally
compatible with our Revolution product. In this way, patterns and
songs may be transferred from one unit to the other.
To do a SysEx Dump, you will need to connect the MIDI Out of
the Orb to the MIDI In of the device you are transferring data to,
and the MIDI Out of that device connected to the MIDI In of
the Orb.
Note: Only one MIDI cable is needed to load or save information,
as the Orb does not require a hand shake with the other device. By
using two MIDI cables as mentioned, loading or saving operations
can be done from either machine.
Make sure the Orb’s playback is stopped, then enter Song mode
and press the Glide/SysEx key.
The SysEx key indicator will turn on to show that you are in
SysEx mode. The display will show either “save” or “load.” Using
the Up/Down keys, you can specify whether the Orb will save or
load SysEx data.
If you are loading data into the Orb, you simply need to select
Load and then cue the unit to receive a transfer by pressing the
Play key.
If you are saving data, press the Glide/SysEx key again. The
display will show either “bank” or “song.” Use the Up/Down keys
to select whether the type of transfer will be banks of patterns or
entire songs. Press the SysEx key again and the display will show
which pattern bank or song will be transferred. Use the Up/Down
keys to select 1–16 or “all.” When 1–16 is selected, that bank of
patterns or that song will be transferred. If “all” is selected, you can
transfer all the patterns or songs in one process.
You are now ready to load or save SysEx data with the other
machine.
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If you are saving the SysEx data from the Orb to another
device, you will first need to set that other device to a ready-to-
receive mode. Once this has been done, select “save” in the Orb’s
SysEx mode, and then press the Play key on the Orb to start the
SysEx Dump.
The Play key indicator will turn on and the display will show
the packet number being saved during the SysEx transfer. When
the transfer is complete, the Play key indicator will turn off.
Consecutive saves may be made without entering and exiting SysEx
mode by simply selecting the song or patterns and pressing the
Play key. The receiving device must always be set up and armed to
receive data before the transfer is started.
If you are loading SysEx data into the Orb, first select “load” in the
Orb’s SysEx mode, then press the Play key to initiate the ready-to-
receive mode. The Orb will then be armed and waiting for the
SysEx information to be sent. You may now start sending SysEx
information from the other device. The Play key indicator will turn
off when the transfer is complete. If a checksum error is
encountered during the transfer, the Glide/SysEx key indicator will
blink. If an error does occur, repeat the transfer again or exit the
SysEx mode to clear the error.
When pattern banks or songs are loaded using SysEx, they are
placed in the location they were originally saved from. However,
you may change a pattern bank or song’s location by editing the
sixth byte of the general header, remembering that 0=1, 4=5,
15=16, and so on. The pattern bank or song can then be loaded to
the new location in the Orb.
To exit SysEx mode, press the Glide SysEx key until its
indicator turns off, returning you to Song mode. Always exit
SysEx mode before trying to edit or play patterns and songs.
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