DPX-1 and MIDI Sample Dump Standard

[Python Blue]

First of all, I apologize for my hiatus; I felt I didn't have much to contribue until now due to not having the hardware that this forum is about until yesterday.

Yesterday I acquired an Oberheim DPX-1 that came with several floppies. I read up on the manual and am therefore almost certain I have the procedure down for transmitting samples to my computer via MIDI when it comes to the DPX's side, yet it will not work. In the 40% chance that the error light DOESN'T immediately pop up when I begin the transmitting, most of the programs I tested that claim to support SDS (most notably Elektron C6) will not receive the samples. The only two programs that have received anything at all would be the aforementioned C6 and snoize's Sysex Librarian, and both cases entail only a few hundred bytes, at most. Yes, I'm a Mac user, which apparently makes the problem even more complicated.

Any advice? I certainly hope it's not a hardware problem with the DPX, given how much I spent on it...

[Python Blue]

Apologies for the double-post, but I forgot to add some information: my current configuration involves a MIDI-to-USB cable. Oddly enough, the only way I have a chance of receiving anything to my computer is by connecting the "MIDI In" of the adapter to the "MIDI Out" of the DPX, and vice versa. My next attempt will involve connecting the DPX to my Presonus FireStudio Project, thus bypassing the USB conversion.

[gertie]

hey there

firstly you need to have the correct os installed

os 2.1 or os 2.2

then you may need to look here to see how smidi works: pg 13 onwards

http://www.theemus.com/documentation/oberheimdpx1/Oberheim_DPX-1_Users_Guide.pdf

[Python Blue]

First of all, I appreciate the response.

Already checked the OS and confirmed that it's 2.2. Also, already skimmed this, and I read further in-depth the other manual listed there as well.

[Python Blue]

Well, read further in-depth the version of the manual that you linked me to. I've done everything it says...

BUT, reading some of it did convince me of a possible alternative. Apparently, when you select a sample to export, you can play the sample via MIDI at that point in time without ANYTHING other than the necessary digital artifacts resulting from the DPX reproducing the sound (no filters, for instance). Selecting all samples will even permit you to play the samples at their original sample rate!

Therefore, I may be able to just use Autosampler or a recording program like that to record the dry samples coming from the DPX output.

[gertie]

dunno if any of this helps...

two  software programs which seem to work with dpx1 are non mac:(

sample vision http://glenstegner.com/dss1/sv.htm
and sample wrench (info http://www.dissidents.com/frequent.htm)

also sample design seems to work which is mac:
http://archive.is/CvoWE

https://sites.google.com/site/analogvocoderinfo/sampling/oberheim-dpx-1

SDS Implementation.

Only two kinds of MIDI data ever leave the DPX-1's MlDI out port: frontpanel program changes and sam­ple dumps. Oberheim's inclusion of sample dump standard (SDS) implementation adds a substantial amount of power to the unit
The SDS allows you to port in raw samples from any machine that transmits sample data in the standard format, and to send this data to any machine equipped to receive it in this way, the DPX-1 '5 sound library is as large as the combined libraries of all machines capable of speaking in SDS lingo. Originally, the unit could only send and receive bulk sample dumps, but software version 1.3 allows it to deal with samples one at a time via SDS. This makes the DPX-1 a convenient medium for the digital transfer of samples between CD­ROM and samplers that speak SDS but are not equipped with the CD-ROM option.
Interestingly, the standard provides for the transmission of sample data only, and not for the settings of analog devices commonly used to modify sampled sounds. These may include amplifier and filter envelopes, LFO routings and amounts, velocity routings and amounts, and keyboard setups. This definitely limits the usefulness of sample dumps
as far as the DPX-1 is concerned, although it's conceivable that Oberheim might eventually come up with a system-exclusive implemen­tation that would allow you to modify dumped-in samples with the unit's internal filters and amplifers. Given the design of the SDS, the DPX-1 keeps its filters and amplifiers wide open for samples that come via MIDI. Middle C is automatically assigned to play the sample back at Its original rate, and, of course, the sample's pitch is distributed properly over the MIDI note range. (It's also worth noting that the standard allows for only one loop, and that Prophet samples may have two. If so, only the sustain loop is transmitted/received.)

[Elmbeatz]

If you just want to transfer FROM the DPX ( to use its samples on a software sampler or whatever ), I suggest sampling/recording it via it's analogue output anyway, as you benefit from the DPXs SSM filters that way.