Instrument Definition file for Yamaha DX7II or TX-802

[james harknell]

I've looked all over the place and can't seem to find any instrument definition files for the Yamaha TX-802 or the DX7II--were any ever released? Has anyone seen any for download?

[user 905133]

I am pretty sure I found at least one site that has a variety of *.ins files for Yamaha.  Where have you looked so far?

UPDATE: I'm still looking, but in the meantime have you seen this post?

UPDATE # 2:  Evidently Yamaha has a whole page that includes a tool in addition to how to use it.

UPDATE # 3: If Yamaha doesn't have the ones you need or the tool they have doesn't work for your variants, this site has some resources that might help you.  If you have the MIDI documentation for your products, it should be straightforward to  tweak an existing Yamaha *.ins file.

UPDATE # 4: TX -802 Owner's Manual

Edited August 30, 2023 by User 905133

[james harknell]

Hi,

Thank you for the list of resources (sadly the linked site for the first post is now gone apparently). My biggest issue is I'm not really good at understanding how to make the basic definition (like, how to set the bank change methods and such. ). So I was hoping someone else had done something like that that I could adapt. It's really strange to me that nobody has seemingly ever made one that's shared anywhere, even for the keyboard.

[james harknell]

Follow up: It looks like MidiQuest/MidiQuest Pro have the ability to output a .ins file for the keyboard. So I guess that maybe that's an avenue to look at--pricey though.

[user 905133]

Quote

I have been looking around for an instrument definition file for my Yamaha TX802 rack mount synth. As far as I could find, there seems to only be definitions for the original DX7, or the TX7 rack mount version. The TX802 has significant changes from the base unit (it's essentially the rack mount for the DX7 Mk 2 keyboard). Does anyone have either the MK2 definition (which I'd guess would work with) or one for the TX802? Or can you point me to where to download them?
 
They are oddly not in the Yamaha Classics Instrument definition pack, or any other I could find.

4 hours ago, james harknell said:

Thank you for the list of resources (sadly the linked site for the first post is now gone apparently). 

Oh, you mean the tweakheadz site.  I always found his how-to-do-it pages meticulously detailed.  Let me see if I can find it on the wayback machine.  (Not sure if I have the page saved on my XPSP3 PC.) UPDATE: Try this for the document Promidi linked to.  

4 hours ago, james harknell said:

It looks like MidiQuest/MidiQuest Pro have the ability to output a .ins file for the keyboard. So I guess that maybe that's an avenue to look at--pricey though.

JMO: Seems to me like a lot just for a text file (editable in notepad) with an ins suffix.  But if you want it as an editor/librarian and whatever features it has, that's something different and might be worth the money to you. 

Edited August 31, 2023 by User 905133
(2) added a link to the page on the WayBackMachine; (1) added waybackmachine archive link for tweakheadz

[user 905133]

4 hours ago, james harknell said:

It's really strange to me that nobody has seemingly ever made one that's shared anywhere, even for the keyboard.

For E-Mu gear which could have different Sound ROMs inside, dedicated users would make *.ins files and share them on Yahoo Groups (now defunct).  Nowadays some people use other services for sharing files.  Not sure if there are any for fans of Yamaha gear, but maybe you tried them already.  It is also possible people made their own and are not part of any sharing communities (or just haven't shared them). I made my own for some ancient Roland Gear (Intelligent Arrangers) cobbled from existing *.ins files and info in manuals (as well as E-Mu files that had my own User Banks--presets I created) but never shared them.

Anyhow, if you want to tweak an existing DX-7 *.ins file (assuming you have access to midi implementation docs), you should have enough info to do it.  JMO: It's really as easy as editing a file in Notepad!

Edited August 31, 2023 by User 905133

[james harknell]

Unfortunately the standard DX7 .ins entries don't carry over the the DX7II or TX-802 since Yamaha completely overhauled the Midi implementation. I actually own a copy of MidiQuest and didn't think to check if it could do this so I'm actually going to try that. If I can make a generic version I'll actually post it online (might as well help out someone else if they need it)

[msmcleod]

If you're not comfortable creating an .ins file from scratch in a text editor, it's still fairly straightforward to create your own .ins file via the UI.

Here's an example I did a while back for a Yamaha piano:


 

[JnTuneTech]

9 hours ago, msmcleod said:

If you're not comfortable creating an .ins file from scratch in a text editor, it's still fairly straightforward to create your own .ins file via the UI.

@msmcleod I sure hope this, and so many of the illustrated, task specific functional use clips & text you have been providing wind up in an easily-searchable compiled format somewhere soon. -For me, these often beat the heck out of basic user guide information. I would suggest Cakewalk provide these - along with, and cross-linked, to the standard PDF user guide as the new offerings roll out.  IMHO.  Or do you already have a database of this stuff linked somewhere?  -If so, where...  and carry on!!

[sjoens]

... like Craig Anderton's Big Book of Sonar Tips or The Huge Book of CbB Tips?