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Yamaha TX81z Editor/Librarian?


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I dug out my old TX81z, replaced the battery, loaded my old sounds from a data dump, and some of them still sound stellar. However others are dated and I'd like to replace them.

 

I have an old editor that works on Win95, 98 and NT but won't load in Win11.

 

I see a few editor/librarian apps for mega-synths, but for mega-dollars. All I need is TX81z for just a few sounds. I have a book with hundreds of patches that I can enter in via the front panel, but to try them out, it's very time consuming.

 

So I wonder if anyone knows of a free or reasonably priced Editor for the old TX81z that works on Win10 or Win 11???

 

Thanks,

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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Cool synth. You used to be able to get them for around 1 hundo a piece. I had two in my rig set to receive on MIDI ch 7. Identical patches but I slightly detuned one of the synths with the master tune function.  I could get some monster huge basses and FM leads that way. Treated each unit as a theoretical oscillator. They were cool. I try to replicate it using two zones on the Kronos.  I don’t know where to get and editor librarian.  Sorry. Hope you find a solution. Those are nice rack units.  Have a great week. 

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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19 hours ago, Al Coda said:

 

try this one ...

 

I don´t own the 81z, so no test possible.

 

good luck !

 

:)

 

A.C.

Tried that, it didn't work on Win 10.

 

Thanks anyway.

 

I'm editing via the front panel, it's time-consuming but it works.

 

It's a very nice synth module. FM synthesis does a lot of things poorly to so-so. But for the sounds it does well, it really shines and ROMplers don't seem to do well. That's why I have FM, Sample Based, LA, VR and a couple of others in my rack.

 

Notes ♫

 

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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3 hours ago, Notes_Norton said:

Tried that, it didn't work on Win 10.

 

I tried the version with installer under Windows 10, it opened, queried for MIDI ports, and showed the UI. Haven't tested it with a TX81Z but will do so at some point. What exactly didn't work? Did it not install, not download, not recognize MIDI, etc.? Don't forget Windows doesn't want you to install it because it's not a recognized program. So, you have to tell W10 to run it anyway.

 

Also, did you try both versions? And don't forget about compatibility mode. If you run the XP version under Windows 10 in compatibility mode, it might work for you.

 

@Al Coda - thanks for finding this!!

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You could also try to run your old editor-librarian software using a virtual machine program like DosBox or the VMware Workstation (entry-level versions of these can be had for free...just google them up.)  

 

Windows also has a virtual machine program somewhere in the Windows feature set, but I've never used it.  Per hearsay it's also good.

 

These virtual machine programs set up a "virtual PC" in software that runs in a window - you can load Windows 95/98/XP, whatever, in them.  I use VMWare all the time to run some old business software in XP that is better than any equivalent I've ever found that runs under current Window OS versions.   I load it up and viola, I get a screen that shows XP booting just exactly like old times.  Then you can install programs from CDs or even  floppies (if you have a floppy reader!) just like it's 25 years ago.

 

It sounds intimidating, I know - but the outfits that make virtual machine software have been making their products a lot more user and newbie-friendly over the years. 

 

nat 

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On 12/5/2022 at 1:04 PM, Anderton said:

 

I tried the version with installer under Windows 10, it opened, queried for MIDI ports, and showed the UI. Haven't tested it with a TX81Z but will do so at some point. What exactly didn't work? Did it not install, not download, not recognize MIDI, etc.? Don't forget Windows doesn't want you to install it because it's not a recognized program. So, you have to tell W10 to run it anyway.

 

Also, did you try both versions? And don't forget about compatibility mode. If you run the XP version under Windows 10 in compatibility mode, it might work for you.

 

@Al Coda - thanks for finding this!!

I got an error code. It wouldn't install (Windows 11). I don't remember what the code was.

 

I have an old Win 10 computer, I might try it on that.

 

I'm gigging tomorrow, so the TX is back in the gigging rack. If I can get the editor to load on the Win10 machine, I'll attack the TX again in January. We've got tons of holiday parties coming up (definitely not complaining).

 

The first week or two of January is usually slow, I only have 3 gigs the first week and 4 the second. Then the northerners come down and it's party time until Easter, when they go back 'up north'.

 

Notes ♫

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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10 hours ago, Anderton said:

Did you try compatibility mode?

No, I should have, but didn't think to do so. I haven't installed old software in many years.

 

Thanks for the reminder. That's a tip for when I get back on that project.

 

One of my stage computers is getting weird, but it's a ThinkPad that's so old it still says IBM on it.

 

I bought two new ones, and I'll use the 'still working well' one as the spare and retire the even older ThinkPad that is now the spare.

 

I got a great year-end deal on them and the shipped them 2 day. It was a good time to have a computer problem. It cost $85 for the repairman to say there are a lot of errors on the hard drive, and the computer is so old, he doesn't recommend replacing it.

 

They don't have to do much, play mp3 files and display either lyrics or sheet music, depending on the song.

 

So there is my task for the one day I have off this week, and the one I have off next week. I'll set up one of the computers, then disconnect it from the Internet for the rest of its life, transfer files, and when that's done start the next.

 

Come January, when the work is slacker, I'll change the battery in the spare TX, it's been dead so long I'm sure I'll have to reload the sysex, and see if I can get this editor to work.

 

I let the TX spare battery die because I was using a Roland XV5050 in my rack with the working TX as a spare. I decided to ditch the XV because it's now giving me problems. I will give it to the guy who sells and repairs windsynth products. He has given me deals on gear in the past, so instead of trashing the XV or selling it as 'needs repairs', I'll just send it to him. He said he'd cover shipping costs.

 

For two years we were subject to COVID self-unemployment, and now we're busier than ever. I actually have too much to do. I'm definitely not complaining about that. It feels good to be doing what I do again, and like my clients, I guess we are trying to make up for lost time.

 

 

Notes ♫

 

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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If the worst comes to worst, look into Parallels software. I run all sorts of Windows and other OS's from my Mac using that program and it integrates very smoothly. I would expect it to be similar on Windows.

Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000

Kurzweil: PC3-76, PC4 (88) | Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R

Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT

Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments

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