Using old serial midi gear on El Capitan

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Level 1

4 points

Using old serial midi gear on El Capitan

I have a Vox Tonelab SE audio effects board (circa 2004) It has the old midi serial ports on the back. I've hooked it up using a USB to MIDI interface cable. Whilst the USB Midi interface show's in Audio/Midi Set up and also in the system profile for USB port it's not detecting the Vox Tonelab thus no communication of MIDI.

There is a POWERPC app called ToneLabSE SoundEditor which I've downloaded and installed hoping it would install a driver but I guess this obviously won't run on INTEL anyway. Using Wine I can run the PC version but still no communication via midi.

Anyone any ideas, would love to get this effects board communicating via MIDI.

Thanks

MacBook Pro, iOS 9.3.5, Mid 2009

Posted on Sep 12, 2016 4:18 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 4, 2017 1:17 AM in response to gwjoyce

Hi mate

Just wondering how I do this on Win10?

More so the USB to serial ?

Is that an adapter, does my laptop need a serial port?

I have the same gear (tonelab se , sound editor , USB to midi interface )

really want to know how you got it working- I had all the same issues..

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Answer 2

gwjoyce Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 22, 2016 2:58 AM in response to gwjoyce

Solved! Using the application WINE I ran the PC application version of ToneLab SE Editor. Then rather unintuitively by switching the serial midi cables from the USB to SERIAL interface so that Out went to In and In to Out on the Tonelab SE. Now from the ToneLab Se Editor I can write program banks to the Tonelab Hardware but unable to Dump banks from the Tonelab Hardware to the Software. My main desire was to use the Expression Pedals on the Tonelab as Midi Controllers in Ableton and some of the stomp switches to control Looper. Now I can do all that. Hooray!

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Answer 3

gwjoyce Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 22, 2016 2:58 AM in response to gwjoyce

Just to add in the Midi Setup of the Tonelab Se Editor I'd forgotten to set the Midi In Port thus the reason I was not able to dump settings. Having rectified that it works completely now!

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