If your DAW is setup properly, it shouldn't matter if a control sends a SysEx message or a more standard message (like CC).

Other than that - I do not have direct experience with single channel MIDI mode.

You should not have any problem with "MIDI mode as multi", Local Control = Off, and SysEx or CC unless you're using zones and change the MIDI send channels without remapping them back on the computer (if possible) to target the original setting (=part number).

I looked into this some more, and can now describe the situation in more detail.

I have the Montage playing into a Cubase MIDI track. That track echoes the MIDI back to the Montage, which then generates sound that comes back to Cubase.

Local Control is set to Off. Direct Monitor is set to Off. The Tone light on the left upper side is lit. The performance is Fretless Bass.

I'm varying two parameters: MIDI Single (Ch 1) vs Multi, and Cubase MIDI Track Output Channel 1 vs Any. There are 4 different ways to set things up. Here they are, with the results for each:

1. MIDI Single, Cubase Track Channel 1:
   moving sliders does not move their red indicators
   knobs 3 and 7 don't move their red indicators, the other ones do

2. MIDI Multi, Cubase Track Channel 1:
   moving any of the sliders moves the red indicators for Slider 1
   no knobs move their red indicators

3. MIDI Single, Cubase Track Channel Any:
   same as case 1

4. MIDI Multi, Cubase Track Channel Any:
   moving a slider moves the corresponding red indicators
   no knobs move their red indicators

   I understand why when the Cubase track channel is set to 1, the red indicators for Slider 1 move when any of the sliders is moved. This is because the Cubase track changes the channel on the slider-moved MIDI events to 1.

   But I don't understand any of the rest of it. I would like to, if someone would be kind enough to explain it to me.

   By the way, I just updated my Montage to firmware 1.50. Doing this did not change the behavior I'm describing in any way.

    

Knobs 3 & 7 of [TONE] are the only knobs with SysEx. The rest are CC. Make sure you're not filtering out SysEx as this is a Cubase default.

"Options" -> "MIDI Setup" -> Filtering, uncheck "Filter SysEx", Click "apply" then "ok".

Your 4 tests I would imagine would be:

MIDI Single (Ch1), Cubase Output Ch1
MIDI Multi, Cubase Output Any
MIDI Single (Ch1), Cubase Output Any
MIDI Multi, Cubase Output Ch1

But you do not have these 4 cases listed. I think there may be some cut/paste issue in your list. Because your "1." "3." and "4." have the same settings listed.

At any rate - yes, when you squeeze the MIDI down to CH1 - then only your PART 1 sliders will move and parameters for your PART 1 knobs will move. If you've selected PART 2, then you will not see the knobs move at all for the CC messages (coming in as CC on CH1).

The SysEx actually stand a better chance of not getting mangled by the MIDI Single (Ch1) mode since they have the target part number encoded in the message and therefore can remain in-tact being received on MIDI Channel 1. I firmly believe the main issue with the knobs is SysEx filtering.

Sounds like you're understanding the MIDI channel - to - PART number relationship - so the slider behavior is making some sense for you.

I'll await some edit of the test case descriptions before digging in deeper.

Sorry, I did a lot of editing right when I posted it, but you were too quick for me. This forum doesn't seem to have a way to see how things will look without posting them.

It should all be accurate now.

I had SysEx filtering turned off in Cubase Pro 8.5. Maybe it got turned back on when I upgraded to 9. Good thought. I'll check that. Thanks!

Jason wrote:
Knobs 3 & 7 of [TONE] are the only knobs with SysEx. The rest are CC.

How did you find out about this? Is it in one of the manuals? I'd love to read up on it.

I press buttons, turn knobs, and look at the traffic on the MIDI bus using a MIDI monitor (free) such as MIDI-OX for the PC. I do not have a Mac, but Snoize is available among others. I've mentioned it another thread of yours: https://www.yamahasynth.com/forum/two-acoustic-bass-performances where I answered your question

How are you dumping the hex data? Where are you getting it from? That's pretty cool…

As far as the knobs go: there is some documentation, but nothing complete with a chart of every control and its MIDI output for all modes. I started to document the knobs 1-8 for all modes and stopped after a while as it was mainly to correct the "assignable knobs are only and always sending CC" claim.

https://yamahasynth.com/forum/no-scenes-in-midi-rec#reply-17523

Note that all of the SYSEX messages are documented in the data list even if the default controller + mode is not documented along side the message.

There are other threads with discussions of the knobs and MIDI. Searches using a search engine or the in-site forum search will uncover a few more.

Keep in mind also that MIDI implementation is a slowly moving target - so be sure to stay in-sync with the correct information which matches your firmware version. Almost every version has had some update which touched a MIDI feature.

First of all, thanks for suggesting that the Cubase MIDI Filter was catching SysEx messages. This turned out to be the case, even though I had that filter turned off in Cubase Pro 8.5.

I'm amazed that the Cubase Pro 9 installer didn't replicate the settings from the Cubase Pro 8.5 installation that was already on the machine when I installed Cubase Pro 9. I'll know to look out for that in the future. There were a number of other Cubase Pro 9 settings that I had to alter to end up with the same setup I had in Cubase Pro 8.5.

I can use the Cubase List Editor to monitor MIDI output from the Montage. I did this and found the following:

MIDI Single Mode: knobs produce CC events, sliders produce no MIDI whatsoever.

MIDI Multi Mode: knobs produce SysEx events, sliders produce CC events.

I suppose that when the Montage is in MIDI Single Mode, there's no way to differentiate one slider from another via the MIDI Channel it's operating on, since all the sliders would be operating on the same channel. I imagine the sliders could send SysEx in that situation, but they seem not to. My guess is that when the Montage is in MIDI Single Mode, the sliders switch over to some internal non-MIDI way of communicating with the rest of the synth.

I'm not necessarily doubting your results - but since sliders and knobs can send CC sometimes depending on the mode and SysEx sometimes depending on the mode - make sure your testing has the keyboard setup in the same mode.

Sliders:

Press [PERFORMANCE CONTROL] button, then the button for PART SELECT "1/1" (aka Number A [1] button as notated in owner's manual) to select PART 1. Notice the LEDs to the left of the sliders will now have the "ELEMENT/OPERATOR" green LED illuminated. In this mode, expect the sliders to send SysEx.

Next, press the [PERFORMANCE] (HOME) button, which should deselect any PART. Now the performance name is highlighted (large font text at "top" of touchscreen) instead of PART1. Notice the LEDs to the left of the sliders will now have the "PART 1-8" LED illuminated. In this mode, expect the sliders to send CC

Knobs:

When testing the knobs, make sure the following are the same for both tests:

[TONE], [EQ/FX], [ARP/MS], and [ASSIGN] (between knobs 1-8 and superknob) are illuminated in the same pattern. Also make sure either the same PART is selected, or make sure that no part is selected for tests comparing CC vs SysEx output (either pres [PERFORMANCE] (HOME) to select no PART first, or press [PERFORMANCE CONTROL] then Number A [1] - and keep this setting consistent for all tests).

There are so many settings that affect the result of what the Knobs 1-8 do, it's easy to compare apples and oranges when doing the testing. Testing must be methodical.

You were correct, Jason, I had not completely explored all of the possible modes. Thanks for pointing that out.

I have now done that exploration, and I posted the results in this thread.