MIDI SysEx How-To

Many MIDI-enabled devices can be configured via the MIDI interface. This is typically accomplished via a special type of message called "System Exclusive" or "SysEx."

A device's SysEx message format is specified by the vendor. For Highly Liquid products, please see each product's documentation for SysEx message formats.

SysEx messages are typically stored in one of two file formats:

• A plain text file (.txt)
• A raw hex file (.syx)

Below is a simple 7-byte SysEx message with example file representations.

Message contents (hex): F0 00 01 5D 02 00 F7

Corresponding files:

• sysex-example.txt (plain text)
• sysex-example.syx (raw hex)

Text files can be edited using any basic text editor such as Notepad or vi. Raw hex files require the use of a "hex editor."

A SysEx message can be sent from any computer with an installed MIDI interface.

Many sequencing programs have built-in SysEx functionality. There are also stand-alone SysEx applications available for free download.

Recommended stand-alone SysEx programs:

• SendSX (Windows): Stores & loads SysEx messages as text files. SysEx data can also be manually entered directly into the application.
• SysEx Librarian (Mac): Stores & loads SysEx messages as raw hex (.syx) files. HexEdit can be used to create & modify .syx files.