Local control issues with external hardware synths

I use Scaler with an external hardware synth (Korg Kronos). The DAW I am using is Reaper 6.

The problem I have is that the Kronos loves sending sysex messages. Move the vector joystick and it outputs sysex, adjust a filter setting and it emits sysex. The slider controls for drawbar organs send sysex etc.

Reaper itself handles sysex correctly, but Scaler seems to discard incoming sysex and uncommon CC messages.

This problem could be solved, if Scaler instead of discarding incoming sysex and unutilised CC comands it just echoed them back to the sender (the Kronos).

Many high end Korg and Yamaha synths make heavy use of sysex.

Local control must be turned off in the Kronos for operation with Scaler. But it is impossible to adjust timbres and filters and EQs because Scaler is discarding the messages.

With the ability to echo incoming sysex back to the source the problem would be fixed and would make Scaler a formidable compositional tool for working with a Kronos or Oasys synth.

Hi @planigale

it seems doable the same way we have handled the MIDI CC messages for the sustain. This would give the ability to pass-through SysEx messages to the controlled synth.

Thanks for the feedback, I will open a ticket internally.

Cheers,
Ed

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Awesome. Thank you very much.

Great idea, as my Roland JD800 (check it out !) sends sysex from the sliders, but is otherwise pretty MIDI dumb. It’s a really tactile keyboard so I’d like to bring it back into use in my set-up.

Hi @planigale @yorkeman

We checked this and Scaler should already pass the messages correctly when using the VST2 version. Which version are you using? Could you confirm it works on your machine too?

Thanks,
Ed

I think I must have been using the VST3 plugin. I retested with the VST2 plugin and you are right, it passes sysex into the output stream.

I wasn’t aware of the VST3 spec issue.

Thank you very much. I was resigning myself to having to write a Lua filter in Reaper to echo them back!

Scaler is an awesome compositional tool. The Kronos and Scaler are a marriage made in heaven.

Thank you for your diligence in following up.

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