Yamaha-MIDI module Messages

Thanks for the video Andy!

I am interested in the Log section of companion and how it is getting its data. The strings don’t look dissimilar to SCP commands, except of course in this example they are MIDI.

Is Companion intercepting the MIDI messages before being encoded to TCP? Also is the string that Companion prints the direct data from the editor or is Companion receiving the MIDI message and then decoding that into strings?

Finally on the flip of that, is Companion just storing this string command data and then sending it back to the Editor which you click on the SD button, or does Companion encode this string into a MIDI command that the Editor/Desk can understand?

I just bought a SD and very keen to try out some commands!

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They are MIDI Sysex-Formatted messages. They aren’t using the MIDI communication protocols to get to and from the console or Editor, just straight across TCP. Those same messages could be sent via MIDI to the MIDI connections on a console, but you’d have to convert the TCP to MIDI first. (and back again)

Finally on the flip of that, is Companion just storing this string command data and then sending it back to the Editor which you click on the SD button, or does Companion encode this string into a MIDI command that the Editor/Desk can understand?
Something like that. There’s a giant table of commands (2 actually) that it uses to decode the messages.

I just bought a SD and very keen to try out some commands!

Great! Do you have access to a CL or QL console?

Ah okay i see, i figured they would have to be using Sysex messages for that larger data transfer!

Could you point me in the direction of the (2) giant table of commands you mention? I have got companion and my SD talking to the desk/editor (very cool that you can use it with the editor!) which is awesome, but am curious about the how these sysex messages look, and wondering if i could just send specific commands, would be helpful for control programming in Qsys maybe!

Also yes, i have a QL1 generously on loan to me for the duration of lockdown, so i’m taking the opportunity to learn a bit about how they work!

Easiest to read is Yamaha’s XL spreadsheet.
Look for the MIDI Paramete {sic} Change List.

If you have a QL1 available to you, I would appreciate it if you can help me figure out what’s up with the feedback.