My little experience with MFC-EDIT send/receive issues...

Ultrasteak

Ultrasteak

Member
hi folks,
first, I'm french so I hope I will be clear/specific with my english to help someone with the same issues than me, or put him in the way to find a solution...
so, if something need more clarity, please ask me and I will try ! :roll

ok, since I've installed MFC-EDIT yesterday with some java troubles in my mac (thanks Gary for your very quick help), I tried to make some backup, modifications and send back to MFC-101...
but nothing gone well... a lot of bugs in the program (for opening or saving file, receiving, sending, tweaking...), because each backup I did seemed to work while I had a message told me there's a problem with transfert at the end (I don't remember exactly the message)...
but opening .syx was sometimes good, sometimes wrong... (perhaps this is why I thought there's a bug in MFC-EDIT)

but I did the today last update (build 2,442) and everything is ok with the program (opening syses, saving, tweaking).
though, I'm still stuck with send an receive functions (especially send), and that's the beginning of hairs falling for hours and hours... :eek:

I tried with 3 MIDI interface (AXE-FX II, M-AUDIO FAST TRACK 8R and M-AUDIO AXIOM PRO)
I tried with MFC-EDIT and FRACTAL BOT
with a lot of settings, different delay times, MIDI parameters...
each time, either the MFC display remained "loading preset I" (even if MFC-EDIT was in ALL DONE), or.... nothing at all...

after reading a lot of thread here, someone gave me something to think about.. DISCONNECT ETHERNET AND PUT THE POWER FROM A WALL WART
but no wall wart at home for me... arghhh...
suddenly an idea ! I saw somewhere in MFC-101 midi setup that it can be set on MIDI in place of EXPANSION in the EDIT / MIDI / USE PORT menu.
maybe I will remove an eventually midi loop, reason of my hair falling, and keep the power with ethernet !

SUCCESS !!! youhou habibi !!! ma fi mouchkila !!! :mrgreen

it is now working fine with my FAST TRACK (send and receive, with both MFC-EDIT and FRACTAL BOT), but still not work with AXE-FX II (even with MIDI recommended settings and delay)
that's not a problem for me, it is a better solution with an external MIDI interface in place of AXE FX, because you don't need to change the MIDI settings each time you want to send or receive sysex...

that's incredible the problem is the USE PORT setting in the case where I do not use the AXE-FX to transfert data, but another interface...:? what the link ? I don't know, but it works....

also, maybe I find a beginning of a solution with AXE FX MIDI ports... In fact, in the MFC-EDIT send window, AXE FX port appears to be IN, and in the receive window it appears to be OUT... strange... it looks revert compared to my logic...
and this is both in MFC-EDIT and FRACTAL BOT... AXE FX IN and OUT are reversed, maybe because of my MAC OSX MIDI configuration, I don't know....

so now it's time to tweak a lot for me ! :mrgreen

hope my experience will eventually help somebody ;)

cheers !
greg
 
Thank you Ultrasteak for sharing your experience here. Those of us who work with the equipment every day automatically know about it being set to use the MIDI port and I for one, didn't think to add that to the on-screen instructions. It seemed so obvious to me. Anyway, based on your experience I will add that information to the on-screen help in the MFC-Edit program. Last night I also added in the ability to relocate the executable application on the MAC (Build #2442). I've also updated the links in the installation text to point directly to Java 1.8 that is required to run MFC-Edit. MFC-Edit will automatically install the correct version of Java the first time you launch it if Java 1.8 is not found, but you can do so manually from the links provided in the installation instruction on the screen before completing the MFC-Edit installation.

If you want to use the Axe-Fx as a USB/MIDI interface to the MFC-101 then you should not select the "Manual Transmission Delay Override" option. If you do select Manual Delay then please set the delay to 120ms. Then it will work every time.
-G
 
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oh crap.... Gary... when do you sleep ?! :eek: :mrgreen

bwanagary said:
If you want to use the Axe-Fx as a USB/MIDI interface to the MFC-101 then you not select the "Manual Transmission Delay Override" option. If you do select Manual Delay then please set the delay to 120ms. Then it will work every time.
-G
Click to expand...
sorry Gary but not for me... I tried everything on that way and still not working, but maybe my IN/OUT AXE-FX ports inversion are concerned...

another very important thing about my first explanation...
I just tried to send data (with my M-AUDIO FAST TRACK like I explained in my first post)
but it does not work !!! I found why...

even if you use an external MIDI interface you have to set the AXE FX MIDI settings as recommended :
SEND REALTIME SYSEX to NONE
USB ADAPTER MODE to ON
in addition to set the MFC-101 to MIDI in USE PORT section
maybe not if you use a wall wart, of course...
this is because (I think) AXE-FX continue to send permanently information to MFC like tempo, etc... and perturbates it when transferring datas from MFC-EDIT...
 
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Transfers between the Computer and the MFC-101 - Keep It Simple

Thank Greg;
Unless you are actually using the Axe-Fx as the MIDI/USB interface, it should not be connected to the MFC-101 during dumps/transfers between the computer and the MFC-101. There are some combinations that work (as you have discovered after much aggravation) but to other readers of this post I would urge you to not have the MFC-101 connected to the Axe-Fx during transfers between the computer and the MFC-101 unless and only if you are using the Axe-Fx as a MIDI interface. Unless you enjoy grief and aggravation, when using the Axe-Fx as the USB/MIDI interface connect ONLY the MIDI cable between the Axe-Fx and the MFC-101 - no FASLINK and no Ethercon. If you insist on having the Axe-Fx connected while connecting the MFC-101 to the computer please make sure that the Axe-Fx is powered off (unless of course the Axe-Fx is the USB/MIDI interface you're using). It is possible to connect other ways but you will be complicating your life, most likely introducing frustration and difficulty, and exposing yourself to the possibility of actually damaging some of your equipment. Use the wall-wart power supply provided with the MFC-101 and a MIDI cable for transfers and Firmware updates to the MFC-101 - you'll be glad you did. Simple is good.
 
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now everything works well about connexions and data transfert. not very well in fact because it is not steady...


in MFC-EDIT, when I open my backup to make some change, it is impossible to save it... there is no alert window, but if I want to send my file to MFC, I have a warning which tell me "your file is not saved do you want to do it now" (something like this, I don't remember exactly)
so I do it, but nothing...
ok I will relaunch MFC-EDIT and re-open the file => nothing's opening... file looks as corrupted and I must backup again from MFC and erase the .syx by the new one...
it happened 5 or 6 times today...
sometime I can work, tweak, save and send a few times my file, then suddenly => impossible to save => file looks corrupted => need to receive data again from MFC...


also I had this issue with my last "receiving" :


Invalid message - aborting!
Last message type = BULK_DUMP_DATA

but I could open the file, do some modification, and send it back to MFC...
once in MFC, it works, and impossible to send again to MFC-EDIT.


ok, I made a factory reset on MFC
sent to editor
do modification
sent back to MFC => "there is a problem with your cable or interface"
try with fractal bot => it works...


in fact there is always a problem, in sending or receiving, but never the same problem...
I don't know if I'm the only one with this issues, but it looks like I bought something which doesn't work, or very difficult to fix with a lot of different problem since the first install... :(

here is my last log :

ion problem.
02/25 8:57: FATAL: eox=0x0, BulkDumpStart Opcode=0xf0 - Expected 0x75


02/25 8:57:
02/25 8:58: Can't continue. Error getting BulkDumpStart message.
02/25 8:58: Transmission from the MFC-101 corrupted. Please re-transmit file.
02/25 8:59: OS=Mac OS X, 10.9.5
02/25 8:59: MFC-Edit: 3.1, build #2,442
02/25 8:59: Operating Sys:Mac OS X, 10.9.5
02/25 8:59: Java Vers.: Oracle Corporation, 1.8.0_31
02/25 8:59: Can't load your SysEx dump file because the size (140923) is invalid. Probably the result of a transmission problem.
02/25 8:59: FATAL: eox=0x0, BulkDumpStart Opcode=0xf0 - Expected 0x75


02/25 8:59:
02/25 8:59: Can't continue. Error getting BulkDumpStart message.
02/25 8:59: Transmission from the MFC-101 corrupted. Please re-transmit file.
02/25 9:01: Firmware ver: 3.6, Model: MK-I/II
02/25 9:25: Firmware ver: 3.6, Model: MK-I/II
02/25 9:31: Firmware ver: 3.6, Model: MK-I/II
02/25 9:41: OS=Mac OS X, 10.9.5
02/25 9:41: MFC-Edit: 3.1, build #2,442
02/25 9:41: Operating Sys:Mac OS X, 10.9.5
02/25 9:41: Java Vers.: Oracle Corporation, 1.8.0_31




 
Thanks for the excellent debug, Ultrasteak. I'm going to respond a little here, but please don't use the forum for tech support. Open a ticket with your account at the Fractal Audio web site please and someone on the team will be happy to help. We do need to be a little respectful of other forum users and keep the clutter to a minimum, okay?

Your received file size of 140923 is invalid. Since your file contains 8 bytes more than a legal sysex dump contains (a legal Mk III file contains exactly 140915 bytes) there is clearly some garbage on the wire. MFC-Edit validates every single sysex message as it comes in. If it sees and invalid message it discards the entire file, aborts the reception and displays the warning. Fractal Bot is less discriminating for MFC-101 dumps - it captures whatever you send it (bear in mind that Fractal Bot doesn't only handle MFC-101 dump messages; it handles Firmware and other messages for the entire Fractal Audio Systems product line - MFC-Edit is specialized for this sole purpose). A sysex dump with invalid information is not useful and even potentially dangerous in that, if sent to the MFC-101, could cause bizarre behaviors. The "FATAL: eox=0x0, BulkDumpStart Opcode=0xf0 - Expected 0x75" message tells me that the very start of your sysex dump is invalid. This is always operator error :) - sorry, but its true. As you become more familiar with the equipment, it will work better for you. There is nothing in your logs that indicate a bug in the MFC-Edit program.

I don't want to sound unsympathetic for your frustrations though. PLEASE read the MFC-101 manual and MFC-Edit manuals in their entirety. I promise you that you will be glad you did. By all means open a support ticket if you want to. If you just can't get the MFC-Edit communication to work but you can get Fractal Bot to work, just use that for now so that you're not stuck.
-G

Ultrasteak said:
now everything works well about connexions and data transfert. not very well in fact because it is not steady...


in MFC-EDIT, when I open my backup to make some change, it is impossible to save it... there is no alert window, but if I want to send my file to MFC, I have a warning which tell me "your file is not saved do you want to do it now" (something like this, I don't remember exactly)
so I do it, but nothing...
ok I will relaunch MFC-EDIT and re-open the file => nothing's opening... file looks as corrupted and I must backup again from MFC and erase the .syx by the new one...
it happened 5 or 6 times today...
sometime I can work, tweak, save and send a few times my file, then suddenly => impossible to save => file looks corrupted => need to receive data again from MFC...


also I had this issue with my last "receiving" :


Invalid message - aborting!
Last message type = BULK_DUMP_DATA

but I could open the file, do some modification, and send it back to MFC...
once in MFC, it works, and impossible to send again to MFC-EDIT.


ok, I made a factory reset on MFC
sent to editor
do modification
sent back to MFC => "there is a problem with your cable or interface"
try with fractal bot => it works...


in fact there is always a problem, in sending or receiving, but never the same problem...
I don't know if I'm the only one with this issues, but it looks like I bought something which doesn't work, or very difficult to fix with a lot of different problem since the first install... :(

here is my last log :

ion problem.
02/25 8:57: FATAL: eox=0x0, BulkDumpStart Opcode=0xf0 - Expected 0x75


02/25 8:57:
02/25 8:58: Can't continue. Error getting BulkDumpStart message.
02/25 8:58: Transmission from the MFC-101 corrupted. Please re-transmit file.
02/25 8:59: OS=Mac OS X, 10.9.5
02/25 8:59: MFC-Edit: 3.1, build #2,442
02/25 8:59: Operating Sys:Mac OS X, 10.9.5
02/25 8:59: Java Vers.: Oracle Corporation, 1.8.0_31
02/25 8:59: Can't load your SysEx dump file because the size (140923) is invalid. Probably the result of a transmission problem.
02/25 8:59: FATAL: eox=0x0, BulkDumpStart Opcode=0xf0 - Expected 0x75


02/25 8:59:
02/25 8:59: Can't continue. Error getting BulkDumpStart message.
02/25 8:59: Transmission from the MFC-101 corrupted. Please re-transmit file.
02/25 9:01: Firmware ver: 3.6, Model: MK-I/II
02/25 9:25: Firmware ver: 3.6, Model: MK-I/II
02/25 9:31: Firmware ver: 3.6, Model: MK-I/II
02/25 9:41: OS=Mac OS X, 10.9.5
02/25 9:41: MFC-Edit: 3.1, build #2,442
02/25 9:41: Operating Sys:Mac OS X, 10.9.5
02/25 9:41: Java Vers.: Oracle Corporation, 1.8.0_31
Click to expand...
 
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bwanagary said:
Transfers between the Computer and the MFC-101 - Keep It Simple

Thank Greg;
Unless you are actually using the Axe-Fx as the MIDI/USB interface, it should not be connected to the MFC-101 during dumps/transfers between the computer and the MFC-101. There are some combinations that work (as you have discovered after much aggravation) but to other readers of this post I would urge you to not have the MFC-101 connected to the Axe-Fx during transfers between the computer and the MFC-101 unless and only if you are using the Axe-Fx as a MIDI interface. Unless you enjoy grief and aggravation, when using the Axe-Fx as the USB/MIDI interface connect ONLY the MIDI cable between the Axe-Fx and the MFC-101 - no FASLINK and no Ethercon. If you insist on having the Axe-Fx connected while connecting the MFC-101 to the computer please make sure that the Axe-Fx is powered off (unless of course the Axe-Fx is the USB/MIDI interface you're using). It is possible to connect other ways but you will be complicating your life, most likely introducing frustration and difficulty, and exposing yourself to the possibility of actually damaging some of your equipment. Use the wall-wart power supply provided with the MFC-101 and a MIDI cable for transfers and Firmware updates to the MFC-101 - you'll be glad you did. Simple is good.
Click to expand...
 
I initially connected my computer to the AxeFx and had both Faslink and MIDI IN/OUT connected to the MFC to try to use MFC Edit. Would this damage anything?
 
It won't damage anything but will likely interfere with transmissions. How were you powering the MFC-101? The recommended method of connecting the MFC-101 to the computer is MIDI cables from MFC-101 to USB/MIDI interface (even if its the Axe-Fx as an interface) and the supplied wall-wart transformer powering the MFC-101. No other cables connected to the MFC-101 during transfers. Fewer moving parts - fewer problems.
 
bwanagary said:
It won't damage anything but will likely interfere with transmissions. How were you powering the MFC-101? The recommended method of connecting the MFC-101 to the computer is MIDI cables from MFC-101 to USB/MIDI interface (even if its the Axe-Fx as an interface) and the supplied wall-wart transformer powering the MFC-101. No other cables connected to the MFC-101 during transfers. Fewer moving parts - fewer problems.
Click to expand...

I have since tried the method you have recommended via wall wort and MIDI interface and all is working perfectly. I was just worried I might have damaged something.

Thank you!

Cuj
 
I know i sound stupid but i am a slow learner at all this .but i need some clarity..


So Gary, to make it crystal clear ,

<<<for the mentally Challenged - like me >>>when do you recommend NOT using the Faslink cable?

When do you not recommend using the Faslink cable ?

I do understand that when using the Faslink we don't use the power adapter (transformer )? correct?

for controlling AXE XL with the MFC for changing presets ,scenes ,should I use the Faslink cable and Ethernet cable only.
 
I recommend using the FASLINK cable (XLR) for connecting your MFC-101 to the Axe-Fx only when "performing" or using the MFC-101 to control the Axe-Fx. For everything else (MFC-101 dump/load and firmware upgrades) use MIDI cables only and the power adapter connected to the MFC-101.
 
When using MFC Edit in the Presets & Ext menu, how do you add a higher number than 384 using MFC and AFx II XL?
 
Access Presets between 384 and 999 with MFC-101 <<<<<<<<<

Learn to use the Search feature of the forum - that's the fastest way to get answers to your questions for sure. 95% of questions asked on the forum already have the answer posted. Also, it wouldn't hurt to read the manual from the Help menu. Both the MFC-Edit and MFC-101 manuals can be accesssed off the Help menu in MFC-Edit.
 
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