From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Wed Oct 16 09:55:01 2002
Subject:Re: CX-3 v 2.0 upgrade requirements

Hi Doug,

PLEASE DO NOT USE THE CURRENT UPGRADE SOFTWARE!

If you read through the threads here from a few days back, you will find that there was a bug discovered in the upgrade software. This bug does not happen on every system, but if it does, and the user follows the instructions on the screen to the letter, he/she may end up with a non-functional CX-3.

If you check the Korg site today, you will see that the software has been removed. We have representation from Korg on this list, and as soon as the upgrade is available, we (CWSG) will be among the first to know. I would recommend that you uninstall your current software, and wait for the revised version to come out.

Now, on to your more specific questions:

>I'm a non-proffessional home (mostly) musician. I've never explored
>midi interface with my pc. I do, however, want to upgrade my CX-3 to
>v2.0, and downloaded the upgrade. Not having any midi connections, I
>got a simple midi connector that plugs into the joystick connector on
>my sound card, which I was told would be adequate for an upgrade,
>rather than get a USB 1 x 1 or higher connecter. Obviouly I have no
>pc-midi experience, but feel that I can go through the upgrade, having
>done other pc tasks such as change sound cards, modems, network cards,
>SCSII cards, hard drives, and even motherboards, and I have installed
>Win 95, & Win 98 before.
>
>That stated, after I started the upgrade, and selected the default
>midi drivers, I failed the first basic midi connection test. I played
>with a few variables, even turned the CX-3 off/on (which Global was
>set to CH 1). All connections were in (Midi in & out on my board, and
>the 15-pin on the sound card). I am currently using an Athlon 700
>with Windows ME, although I have access to an 1800xp as well.

The "legacy" (joystick) MIDI adapter support in Windows versions beyond Win98SE is very poor. It hardly works at all in some Win2K and WinXP systems, including mine. This interface was something of an afterthought in the first place -- it uses two pins that are left over in the joystick, and requires some additional electronics in the cable to function at all -- and has not had serious vendor support for several years. It uses a very crude communications interface by modern standards -- effectively, straight RS-232-like communication with no facility for halting or retries. If you are set to Global = 01, and you still fail the first test, accept it at face value: Your MIDI interface and/or its drivers are not working well enough to run the upgrade. :^(

I would personally recommend the Midiman MIDIsport 2x2USB adapter. This is the adapter I have used for the CX-3 upgrades I have done (including the v1 bug fix upgrade that used to be on the Korg Canada site), and it has worked very well for me. If you search the web, or check your local retailer for sale items, you may very well find this adapter for around $60-65US. I realize that it's tempting to go the lowest-cost route possible if you don't use MIDI for anything else, but Korg and others have reported some difficulties with the use of low-end MIDI interfaces with the upgrade software.

>Was I given incorrect info on the sound card connector vs. USB (which
>I understand would be far faster if I were controling midi software on
>the pc?

USB won't be faster, per se -- MIDI always runs at 31.25Kbit/sec. -- but it will be more reliable, and it well tend to get its work done while allowing your PC to do other things. If you buy a 2x2 or higher adapter, you can send on both (or more) streams at once with most sequencer programs, effectively "speeding up MIDI" by doing two things at once. Please take any information that music stores give you about MIDI with a grain of salt. Most of the salespeople I've met understand very little about MIDI and how it interacts with a PC, but that doesn't stop many of them from acting like MIDI experts.

>Do I need some type of software?

You need the drivers for the interface, but they should come with the device. I make it a habit of checking the Web for better drivers on anything I buy these days: Drivers get updated a lot, especially on newer gear, and it takes a couple of months to get new CDs or floppies into a typical manufacturing process. Also, if the older driver works OK, the manufacturer may choose to use up a supply of disks before ordering new ones.

Otherwise, no; you won't need any music software if you are only going to program the CX-3.

>I know that ignorant on midi-pc interfacing, but can certainly learn.
>Should I get it done at a service center and what would be a
>reasonable cost?
>
>Again, I prefer learning to do things myself. Any suggestions or
>comments on where I can find out more?

It's a tough call to say which way you should go. On the positive side, you seem to have performed a lot of PC upgrades, and the CX-3 upgrade is not any harder than some of the items you list (motherboards, SCSI adapters). On the negative side, you are very "green" at MIDI interfaces, and the CX-3 upgrade involves a measure of risk, because if it fails during the programming step, the only way to correct the situation is to swap a large (and expensive) PC board inside the organ.

I don't know what Korg Service Centers are charging for the upgrade, or if they're even ready to do the work. Jerry, can you comment?

If you decide to have a service center or a tech do the upgrade, expect to pay a reasonable rate for it. Yes, the software is free, but the upgrade itself takes about 1/2 hour, if done carefully and tested out afterwards. You're paying for time and expertise. So, at the very least you're paying for 1/2 hour of tech time, plus maybe a little more for the tech assuming the risk of the upgrade. Also, make sure that the tech doing the work understands what the upgrade is doing, and knows a bit about MIDI and System Exclusive (SysEx) communications. And personally, I would want both the PC and the organ on a battery-backed power supply during the upgrade, just in case of a power failure.

If you or anyone else live in the New England area, and can drive the organ to Ashby, MA, contact me offline. I will offer to do the upgrade for list members at a very reasonable rate in my lab.

Regards,

-BW

--
Bruce Wahler
Design Consultant
Ashby Solutions™ http://consult.ashbysolutions.com
CloneWheel Support Group and HiNote moderator
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com