Maybe

SysEx is by definition specific to a particular system. Each system may be able to do different things, in different ways, using SysEx. There are a few 'global' commands that have become accepted, but you cannot assume that ALL systems will recognise them.

The minor adjustments to tonality that you are referring to could well be capable of being set/adjusted by making changes to specific bytes in a device's memory, and this might usually be done via the 'front panel'' but could be done byt SysEx, assuming that the MIDI Map for the device specifies the memory locations, and you can create a SysEx command that addresses the relevant memory locations and changes data there. In effect, you're doing what the 'front panel' operation would do.

This will be dependant on the specific device, the memory map, and the SysEx implementation of that device.

The same would apply for most other midi commands, but I doubt that it would apply, for example, to basic things like Note On/Off.

If the device has a front panel facility to do x, by pressing a button or turning a wheel, then it may be possible. Other things may be possible ONLY via normal MIDI.

Which specific device are you planning to use. If you said, maybe I might find details of it's MIDI implementation.

Geoff

There are standard tuning SysEx-es (of course, not all devices understand those).
You can add a SysEx into a MIDI file and it will remain a MIDI file.
.syx files only contain SysEx-es, so if you try to convert .mid to .syx all non-SysEx messages like NoteOn will be lost.

To follow on from Sema's comment, there are files that contain SysEx info ONLY, and these might have an extension other than .MID, and this could well be .syx although it could be other things instead. Such a file will be a stream of SysEx data. Versions I've seen (and used) in the past may also have checksum data at the end of each block, but I've seen versions that did not. Such data files need a special prog to SEND the data through. However, some software might be able to send either ,mid files, or .syx files. The specific instance I remember is files relating to music for a computer game using a Roland MT-32 for the sounds, where the .syx file provided the data to set up special sounds (or sound effects) while the midi file contained the actual music (with the Note On/Off instructions.

Geoff

[quotePost id=10643]There are standard tuning SysEx-es (of course, not all devices understand those).
You can add a SysEx into a MIDI file and it will remain a MIDI file.
.syx files only contain SysEx-es, so if you try to convert .mid to .syx all non-SysEx messages like NoteOn will be lost.[/quotePost]

OK, this is good, and thank you!

I am hoping to use the resulting MIDI files in Cubase as it has the option of dealing with Sysex data. (I had to uncheck the Sysex filter in MIDI Preferences)

Do you think Cubase will be able to interpret microtonal data and send it to Virtual Instruments?

Have you tried this?

[quotePost id=10641]Maybe

SysEx is by definition specific to a particular system. Each system may be able to do different things, in different ways, using SysEx. There are a few 'global' commands that have become accepted, but you cannot assume that ALL systems will recognise them.

The minor adjustments to tonality that you are referring to could well be capable of being set/adjusted by making changes to specific bytes in a device's memory, and this might usually be done via the 'front panel'' but could be done byt SysEx, assuming that the MIDI Map for the device specifies the memory locations, and you can create a SysEx command that addresses the relevant memory locations and changes data there. In effect, you're doing what the 'front panel' operation would do.

This will be dependant on the specific device, the memory map, and the SysEx implementation of that device.

The same would apply for most other midi commands, but I doubt that it would apply, for example, to basic things like Note On/Off.

If the device has a front panel facility to do x, by pressing a button or turning a wheel, then it may be possible. Other things may be possible ONLY via normal MIDI.

Which specific device are you planning to use. If you said, maybe I might find details of it's MIDI implementation.

Geoff[/quotePost]

I don't have a specific device.
I am trying to modify the MIDI to contain microtonal data so I can use it in Cubase to drive Virtual Instruments.
Do you know if this might work with Sysex?

Virtual instruments may be able to respond to some SysEx commands, if they're been specifically set up to do so.

But I'd rather expect that this would not include the microtonality.

Need to see the details of the midi setup, but I'm not sure that it even COULD work.

Geoff

The MIDI Tuning standard is a set of System Exclusive messages to set fine tuning of each MIDI note number. You can put MIDI Tuning standard messages into a MIDI file along with notes. It is still a .mid file. Details are in the MIDI 1.0 specification here: https://www.midi.org/specifications/midi1-specifications/m1-v4-2-1-midi-1-0-detailed-specification-96-1-4

Mike.
Technical Standards Board, MIDI Association

[quotePost id=10656]The MIDI Tuning standard is a set of System Exclusive messages to set fine tuning of each MIDI note number. You can put MIDI Tuning standard messages into a MIDI file along with notes. It is still a .mid file. Details are in the MIDI 1.0 specification here: https://www.midi.org/specifications/midi1-specifications/m1-v4-2-1-midi-1-0-detailed-specification-96-1-4

Mike.
Technical Standards Board, MIDI Association[/quotePost]

Hi Mike,
I do you know if VST instruments, which are driven by MIDI data, such as Kontakt, are able to interpret these Sysex messages?
I found that Cubase has the option of allowing Sysex data to enter (they are filtered out by default though).

I don't know if this article might answer some of your questions?

microtuning and alternative intonation systems.

Certainly, some of the VSTi's that I use take advantage of Scala files to implement alternative tuning systems.

JohnG.