You Asked, We Built It: SysEx Support
A user needed to control a Yamaha FS1R synthesizer over SysEx. We didn't support it. A few weeks later, we did.
Most MIDI controllers speak in CC messages — channel, number, value. That covers a lot of ground. But a portion of hardware synthesizers, samplers, and effects units communicate over System Exclusive (SysEx) — a manufacturer-specific protocol that lets you reach parameters CC simply cannot touch.
A customer reached out asking whether ParksTool devices could send SysEx. At the time, they couldn't. The request was specific: controlling operator volumes on a Yamaha FS1R, which uses a proprietary SysEx format with a variable byte embedded in the message.
That conversation led directly to the SysEx content type added in firmware 9.3.0.
How It Works
In the Web Configuration Tool, set any control's content type to SYSEX. Enter your message in hex format, starting with F0 and ending with F7. To inject the control's live value into the message, place {value7bit} at the byte position you want to control.
Every time you move the control, the device substitutes that token with the current value (0–127) before sending:
Turn the knob to 50%, and the device sends F0 41 10 40 12 F7. Dial it to 100%, and it becomes F0 41 10 7F 12 F7. The rest of the bytes stay fixed — only the substituted position changes.
This works on encoders, potentiometers, faders, and keys — on every ParksTool product. If your hardware has a MIDI Implementation Chart, you now have a direct line into it.
Current limits: up to 12 bytes payload (excluding F0/F7), one {value7bit} token per message.
Why This Matters
Hardware synthesizers and outboard gear that predate USB often rely entirely on SysEx for deep parameter control. With this feature, a single ParksTool encoder can sit on your desk and directly modulate filter resonance, operator ratios, or effect depth on gear that was never designed with a MIDI controller in mind.
Check your hardware's MIDI Implementation Chart for the correct byte sequence. Most manufacturers publish these.
For more details, visit the ParksTool Manual.