Can't dump Sysex for Korg R3

[molenick]

I tried using the app on macos 26.4.1 to manage presets for my Korg R3 but am not able to use the app to dump presets.

I've verified that my R3 is working normally, I can dump Sysex to my computer directly from the keyboard interface.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Connect Korg R3 via usb
2. Launch KnobKraft app
3. Click "All Patches" -> "Korg R3" -> "In synth" -> "A"
4. Observe sysex message from app-to-keyboard: F0 42 30 7D 1C 00 00 F7
5. Observe sysex message from keyboard-to-app: F0 42 30 7D 4C 08 00 00 4C 69 6E 65 72 7A 42 00...

Expected:
Preset data syncs successfully

Actual:
Import patches from synth dialog shows and stays at 0%
Log messages state:

06:11:48: info Opening master keyboard device R3 KBD/KNOB, waiting for messages
06:12:01: warning MIDI controller timeout reached; dispatching timeout sentinel to handler

[christofmuc]

Can you paste the full MIDI log as well, it should show the messages sent by the Orm trying to detect the R3, and if there was any reply?

[molenick]

I see this in midi monitor when I launch the app:

06:33:58.398	To R3 SOUND	SysEx		Universal Non-Real Time 6 bytes	F0 7E 7F 06 01 F7
06:33:58.401	From R3 KBD/KNOB	SysEx		Universal Non-Real Time 15 bytes	F0 7E 00 06 02 42 7D 00 00 00 4F 4B 01 00 F7

[christofmuc]

Ok, thanks, I will have a look when I find time, that should be something simple as the detection works...

[christofmuc]

I looked at it, the only explanation I have without knowing more about the synth or the data is that our data size test is too strict. The headers and sysex are parsed correctly, and the message should be accepted as a program dump - but the message is expected to be exactly 523 bytes long, else it is discarded. This seems to be a bit overdoing it, as sometimes version updates of the firmware could add a byte or two to the format.

We could try to modify the function

def isSingleProgramDump(message):
    return (korg.hasKorgHeader(message, model_id, command_program_data_dump)
            and len(message) == 7 + packed_program_data_size + 1)

and remove the length check:

def isSingleProgramDump(message):
    return korg.hasKorgHeader(message, model_id, command_program_data_dump)

that's line 68 of the file Korg_R3.py.

Can you give it a try? Else we need to find a way to get the full MIDI data received instead of just the first bytes of the full data received.

[christofmuc]

Thanks again for reporting this and for sharing the MIDI messages! They’ve been helpful in checking the R3 adaptation.

I’ve now added more tests against Korg’s documented format, and those pass. However, we still need one complete reply from your R3 to see where things go wrong. The message in your report shows the beginning, but the missing bytes could explain why Orm doesn’t accept it.

Could you please:

1. Start a fresh MIDI Monitor capture, then try downloading bank A once in KnobKraft Orm.
2. Save the full capture, including sent and received messages, timestamps and port names. If possible, export the received SysEx as a .syx file; otherwise, copy the complete hex data through the final F7.
3. Include Orm’s own MIDI log from that attempt and the KnobKraft Orm version you’re using.

One correction to my earlier comment: a program dump should contain 525 bytes; 523 is the edit-buffer size. Removing the length check was only a diagnostic suggestion, and we haven’t confirmed that length is the problem.

There’s also an interesting detail: the posted request asks for A1, while the reply identifies B1. A capture of one fresh attempt would help us check whether those messages belong together.

Thanks for helping us investigate this—having an actual R3 reply to test against would be a big help!