Back Up MFC

StudioCat

Member
I have spent many hours programming my MFC for it's maiden gig next weekend. Much of that is because I'm using the MFC to control my amp's channels plus all my analog stomp boxes through a Voodoo Labs GCX. I've also saved all my patches in all 3 formats. Preset, Song, and Set List. I wasn't sure which one I would prefer so I did all 3 just to get a feel for it. Anyway, now that I've put the time in, I'd like to back up, but I'm scared to do this before the gig. I'm not sure which is worse, to back up and not know if the restore will be successful, to try and restore but wipe all my work in the process, or just hope I don't lose everything hours before the gig.

Here's my question. Has anyone backed up and restored successfully? Reading the manual it seems easy enough, but I'm always leery of laying off to a DAW using a SysEx dump. The times I've tried this with other devices it was shaky at best. What is the success rate of this? What program did you use? SysEx librarian? Any information on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

SC.
 
I have spent many hours programming my MFC for it's maiden gig next weekend. Much of that is because I'm using the MFC to control my amp's channels plus all my analog stomp boxes through a Voodoo Labs GCX. I've also saved all my patches in all 3 formats. Preset, Song, and Set List. I wasn't sure which one I would prefer so I did all 3 just to get a feel for it. Anyway, now that I've put the time in, I'd like to back up, but I'm scared to do this before the gig. I'm not sure which is worse, to back up and not know if the restore will be successful, to try and restore but wipe all my work in the process, or just hope I don't lose everything hours before the gig.

Here's my question. Has anyone backed up and restored successfully? Reading the manual it seems easy enough, but I'm always leery of laying off to a DAW using a SysEx dump. The times I've tried this with other devices it was shaky at best. What is the success rate of this? What program did you use? SysEx librarian? Any information on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

SC.

Yes I have done it multiple times (creating and restoring a backup/dump). What I have been using is (since I have no MIDI-device) the Axe-Fx 2 and MIDI-OX; so the dump goes through the Axe to my PC. Every time (up to now) has been successful.

Good luck with the dump.
 
guitargeorge could you please explain this??? that would be helpful to those of us that have no idea what you are talking about......

MFC-101 creating a backup/dump:

1. Connect the Axe-Fx II to your computer, through USB.
2. In the Axe-Fx II's MIDI menu, set SendRealtimeSysex to NONE, and UsbAdapterMode to ON.
3. Power down the Axe-Fx II.
4. Connect the Axe-Fx II's MIDI-IN to the MFC-101's MIDI-OUT with a 5-pin MIDI cable.
5. Power on the Axe-FX II.
6. Power on the MFC-101 by using the MFC-101 adapter for power or use the ethernet-cable for power.
7. Change the MFC port from expansion to MIDI
8. Go to the DUMP-mode at your MFC-101, but do not press enter yet!
9. Start MIDI-OX (or any other sysex-utility), make sure your Midi device is setup and go to View - Sysex. The Sysex windows pops up and then select Sysex – Configure (the very last option has a checkbox for “save dump directly to file”). Check that box and hit ok.
10. Click Sysex - Receive Manual Dump. A dialogue box appears to name and choose the location to save the syx-file.
11. Go back to the MFC and hit enter; wait until the dump has completely finished (another dialogue box then appears that says how many bytes have been received).
12. Power down the MFC-101 and Axe-Fx II.
13. Remove the MIDI cable.
14. Power on the Axe-Fx II.
15. In the Axe-Fx II's MIDI menu, set SendRealtimeSysex to the desired value, and UsbAdapterMode to OFF.
16. Change the MFC port from MIDI to expansion and/or any other changes you have made.
17. Hopefully; you are good to go!

Good luck.
 
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And what about restoring from a backup the MFC with the Axe Fx II?

Instead of choosing DUMP at the MFC-101; you choose LOAD (see MFC-101 manual on page 67: SysEx Data Dump/Load). Please make sure you use the same instructions as in a firmware-update (but instead of holding down footswitch 1 (enters firmware update mode) during power on; you use the LOAD option.

It is always important to think about what the source and destination is regarding these instructions.

So regarding a backup/dump; the source is your MFC-101 and the destination (where it is going to) is your PC/laptop/whatever (Connect the Axe-Fx II's MIDI-IN to the MFC-101's MIDI-OUT).
Regarding a restore; the source is your PC/laptop/whatever and the destination (where it is going to) is your MFC-101 (Connect the Axe-Fx II's MIDI-OUT to the MFC-101's MIDI-IN).

If you've created the correct (physical) connections, then the next step is to consider which device is sending (has to do some transmitting) and which device is receiving (has to be in some sort of listening mode).
 
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You should still be able to power the MFC using the ethernet cable.

Yes; this is correct. I cannot recall that I have ever used the power-adapter, but I just copied the text/steps I had documented for myself. So in the end you can choose whether you want to use the adapter or the ethernet-cable for power. It doesn't matter, because somehow the MFC-101 has to be powered.
 
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MFC-101 creating a backup/dump:

1. Connect the Axe-Fx II to your computer, through USB.
2. In the Axe-Fx II's MIDI menu, set SendRealtimeSysex to NONE, and UsbAdapterMode to ON.
3. Power down the Axe-Fx II.
4. Connect the Axe-Fx II's MIDI-IN to the MFC-101's MIDI-OUT with a 5-pin MIDI cable.
5. Power on the Axe-FX II.
6. Power on the MFC-101 by using the MFC-101 adapter for power or use the ethernet-cable for power.
7. Change the MFC port from expansion to MIDI
8. Go to the DUMP-mode at your MFC-101, but do not press enter yet!
9. Start MIDI-OX (or any other sysex-utility), make sure your Midi device is setup and go to View - Sysex. The Sysex windows pops up and then select Sysex – Configure (the very last option has a checkbox for “save dump directly to file”). Check that box and hit ok.
10. Click Sysex - Receive Manual Dump. A dialogue box appears to name and choose the location to save the syx-file.
11. Go back to the MFC and hit enter; wait until the dump has completely finished (another dialogue box then appears that says how many bytes have been received).
12. Power down the MFC-101 and Axe-Fx II.
13. Remove the MIDI cable.
14. Power on the Axe-Fx II.
15. In the Axe-Fx II's MIDI menu, set SendRealtimeSysex to the desired value, and UsbAdapterMode to OFF.
16. Change the MFC port from MIDI to expansion and/or any other changes you have made.
17. Hopefully; you are good to go!

Good luck.

I used this today to both backup up my MFC and to transfer my main MFC data to my spare MFC, worked like a charm, thank you so much.
 
I used this today to both backup up my MFC and to transfer my main MFC data to my spare MFC, worked like a charm, thank you so much.

You are welcome; although I would like to emphasize that these "steps/procedures" are not mine. I just read them somewhere on this forum.
 
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