I admit—I hang around a lot on Reddit, particularly in the r/synthesizers subreddit. I see a lot of new synthesizer owners and a lot of really basic questions as they learn how to use their new purchases. This isn’t a complaint—I think it’s great when people step outside their usual comfort zone and try something new and ask for help—publicly, in an online forum. Many questions are about loading new sounds via MIDI System Exclusive, or SysEx, into their new purchase. So, I’ve written the “Getting Started with SysEx” guide.

I’ve been involved in music technology since the 80s, when I worked for Dave Smith writing Motorola 68000 assembly code—the real-time audio stuff—for the Prophet 3000 sampler. I moved on to Peavey, where I was part of the development team for the entire Peavey DPM series of synthesizers, the DPM C8 controller, and the PC1600 MIDI controller. And then there’s Ensoniq—the MR-series, the ASRX, and Fizmo.

I’ve been a member of the MIDI Manufacturers’ Association Technical Board and chaired it for a year. During my time on that board, we added new companies’ System Exclusive IDs and implementations, extended the assignments of “standard controllers,” and worked on MIDI Show Control. All of these experiences have put me in a rare position to help, especially with SysEx and MIDI.

SoundEngine sells vintage synthesizer sounds. There are always new vintage synth owners in the marketplace, adding to their Korg Volca collection or branching out from VSTs. They have questions about SysEx—I get it. I see the common questions on Reddit, Gearspace, KVR, and other sites. Get started with SysEx with this generic guide in hand.

It’s 30 pages, so there is some detail inside, along with a couple of opinions, and step-by-step guides to make the connections needed. I’ve tried to make it platform agnostic, including steps that will work on Mac and PC (sorry, Linux, I’m not knowledgeable about you as a platform). I’m happy to assist and clarify steps as needed – reach out. If I’m missing something, let me know and I’ll add it.

In the meantime, hundreds of thousands – probably more – of free, downloadable sounds are on the web for your new synth. Take the time to download some banks, connect your computer to your synth, and try them out – but download our free MIDI System Exclusive guide first.

Get the document here.