AlesisMusic.com - The Unofficial Alesis Support Forum

Since I enjoy banging my head on things that don't seem to work-I am going to do some sysex experiments-throw some sysex streams at the Fusion and see if it does anything-worst scenario-it bollocks' up the OS, and I've saved everything on the computer already, can re-install. Despite seeing how much Maestropiero and others struggled to open up some of the Fusion's double secret probation code-pretty well too looks like-why would Alesis claim-on their midi implementation chart-that sysex and CC messages can be sent and received? They don't say what!!!!!! Unless they were lying (a possibility seeing how many turned against Alesis) although I'd like to see them in a better light ....but its getting a little dark in here..... going to throw some stuff from my microkontrol into this, and see if it responds to anything externally. Why bother...refer to beginning of post....but seeing how some developers have gone with older machines creating software "front-ends" at:

https://ctrlr.org/

even though i have very slim sysex chops-if posted to the ctrlr website, I'm wondering if any of these developer's who may like to walk down dark roads without a flashlight-might create something that would make the Fusion a little easier visually to work with. For example-an editor for one of the sound engines-maybe the VA.

Good Luck it's like strolling around on the dark side of the Moon with out a super bright LED flashlight

https://www.alesismusic.com/viewtopic.php?t=6964

Yep Jesse, I read that discouraging post, and several others related-I'm still going to give it a whack. Maybe Alesis accidentally left some working sysex code in there, and completely forgot about it. Not that this is really necessary-but it could lead to something more useful as i mentioned. I wonder had Steve from Hollow Sun ever looked a this sysex omission. If anyone would have known if there's any bark left on this sysex tree.....he would have.

Has anyone ever tried-besides bank and program changes-to send CC messages into the Fusion to see if it responds at all? I did manage to ride another dead donkey-the Casio PX350 digital piano-that seemed to have no external midi control possible-I did manage to at least finagle (my word of the day) controlling reverb and chorus depth-as well as expression out of it with my external controllers-with standard CC messages. And pan-but only in a very limited not-too-useful way. As soon as i'd try to record-it would reset itself back to the factory settings for whatever CC i had sent. But this at least had a detailed midi implementation chart, easy enough to do. Signing off for today....

It's a real shame.

With Yamaha Boards - there are usually THREE Manuals. <User Guide>, <Reference> and <DATA FORMAT>

There was never (AFAIK) a Data Format published for the Fusion.

The .reabank file I made for Reaper did work, if only for the ROM-based content (beyond that - each Fusion is "different" . . .

But the LSB/MSB situation was STRANGE - both being Zero IIRC . . . .

Interesting project - to send various sysexes to it and see if it responds . . .

DO remember to write the Q/As down joe, as you may be the only one who has done this?

Chris

Some progress-although I haven't tested any particular sysex codes yet, still getting this set up-a little rusty with my microKontrol. However-so far all the CC I sent worked-same as a DAW so no surprises yet. Transport controls work remotely, stop, start, pan, expression-effects send for reverb-the micro is great in that it can send precise sysex strings to a huge variety of functions-filters, LFO's, choosing oscillators remotely so there might be alot more here than I've had the time to find. But its promising-that all the common control change messages respond, and both in program and song mode, no problems there but nothing new to all here already. If I can stumble across the sysex messages for even a few of the synth programming functions, sample editing etc. I will post what I find here. If bei can get some sysex data-I might be able to create a simple program editor for VA, samples, maybe even FM although all this is pretty clear on the screen-after seeing Steve's work with software VA synths-would be nice to extend that work. Sorting files and translating samples useful as those are, for those of us with not so good eyes...a big computer screen for drawing waveshapes, choosing oscillators, LFO's and the 32 modulation schemes etc. might be nice. No DAW I know of can "read' the Fusion and set it up automatically as some of the other software DAWs can with specific workstations. I can (I think) design a template from whatever responds to the microKontrol-and store as a complete set of controls for the Fusion, but it saves its template in its own format-makes the micro a dedicated fusion remote device. Could work but I'd have to translate/design any sysex message to a software control-a software control surface and editor for the Fusion. with CTRLR it is possible.

Maybe a good start could be trying to send ccs and system exclusive that other alesis gear respond to like alesis qs, ion, andromeda etc

Thanks Drummond, a very good idea-and those are all documented I hope. I'll browse around for the manuals, midi implementation if these are documented-very good idea. The nice thing about the microKontrol-yes an older controller-but I can directly type in sysex commands with its keypads in hex or decimal-and send out to midi-repeating my sysex "chops" are pretty weak only because I've usually just depended on CC messages, but with the right docs I'll manage. And CC messages can be programmed separately for each rotary and slide pot-plus programmed into the keypad, not uncommon with newer controllers-but I stuck with the microkontrol for this reason-thought its design was pretty well organized for its time, especially for things like this.

Just an afterthought-I bet the Andromeda would be the best to look over-its modulation routings look very similar to the Fusion's but with hardware instead of software menus. almost as if the engineers at the time decided-wouldn't if be handy to have all these Fusion routings accessible via hardware-and it will only cost 5000 US dollars, gulp! I'll keep my Fusions. D^^ these sound nice-just spent 2 hours on 2 classical pieces, and my organ and piano jazz chops-I love the keys on the 8HDs.

Other Alesis Keyboards and Hardware

https://www.alesismusic.com/viewforum.php?f=48

Whew.. well maybe not the Andromeda...its programming capabilities with sysex is mind-boggling! I did study this over. Maybe the Ion or Micron might be a simpler place to start, digging into www.ctrlr.com, trying to create a few simple software rotary controls. If I get some Fusion sysex messages that work, I can design a simple software interface for a few functions to start. I see how to set up button interfaces for sequencer start/stop so far-and effects depth or send but have to discover how this works for Fusion programs, and then possibly for programs set up in a mix or song. If anyone wants to pitch in to help-ctrlr is a bare software template that runs in Windows and Linux. I have and use a killer front end someone created for the MC505 and its bloody brilliant! I'm not sure what is being used as its base, it is open source, might be Python. Still struggling a bit understanding sysex strings, I see the Andromeda has a unique identifier to get into its sysex, that's what worries me the most. If the Fusion has one, and Alesis never documented it, I'm sadly finished but could still do a GUI for whatever cc's I have, and will continue to test. So far looks like the Fusion is using all standard CC's. It's the unassigned controllers that might be a place to test and I will-getting a bit tired, need to rest....as Gumby said....My brain hurts!!!!

Brainfart-over on the Casio music forum-there is a very clever programmer who has created, using Python, some very useful software for a few of the Casio keyboards that have limited programability-he managed to create software control and editing that these Casios do not have. If I send him a list of the CC messages that I found to work-he just might be willing to develop a beta program I could test out. might offer him a bit of financial incentive to throw him a bone.

His programming chops using Python are pretty advanced, based upon the software for the Casios I have tried, and he managed to create a very accessible user interface for several of the newest Casios. I may be just spinning my wheels, but I'll work on this-ctrlr's website seems to be dead and only archived now, so this might be the only viable path I can see. Being on the fusion Facebook page, I not only see some of the veteran Fusion owners there, I also see quite a few newer people that must be acquiring the few used Fusions and are discovering how powerful these are, even in 2025. Revisiting reviews of the Montage, newest Kronos, Kurzweil 2700, etc., I still think the Fusion will become a classic. especially since the used prices of the Fusions I see can be had for about 1/4 the price of an even used other workstation. An additional software program for it, even with a handful of external control functions, might be nice. I might also check in with the developers of the software for the Ion/Micron which I own and am using. i understand these are much more accessible than the Fusion externally controlled, but might be worth a shot.

PS-I forgot to give credit to the earlier work-I think it was Psionic-who sorted out all the CC numbers accessible using external control software or hardware. there are quite a few functions that are accessible without sysex-if I were good at coding, i can see how someone may be able to design some sort of software for at least those functions. Limits us to no automated sound programming/editing through sysex, but even a few external controls might be useful. i know of no DAW's that can read a Fusion and set up a template such as can be done with other keyboard profiles. I don't oen a Behringer BRC-2000 either which might be capable of doing that, but then we go back to hardware control which the Fusion is already pretty good at doing with its control interface. 4 knobs can cover alot of territory and this has already been very well documented right here over the years.

Don't forget KPR worked with Alesis and developed some of the early sounds for the Fusion

If we could get a copy of the OS update that updates the boot firmware we might find some information in there.

Yes, KPR (Klaus correct?) has been very helpful right here, has helped me understand many aspects of the Fusion that would have been very difficult or impossible for me to figure out myself. and Jesse-is i possible the firmware is part of the entire OS update file, or one of the earlier? I see that my 2 Fusions have different firmware versions, although my OS are both 1.24. So I suspect the firmware has nothing to do with the OS versions-it must be burned into one of the chips in each separate Fusion out of the factory and is not stored in the code with the operating system upgrades. I have no idea how that firmware code can be reverse-engineered short of finding which specific chip it (might be) burned into, and somehow reading the code from that chip. and as i think Drummond or someone else already determined, if the code is locked, even with the right diagnostic tools, it is probably impossible to read it with anything. why I am thinking about using the CC messages to develop some kind of software for the Fusion. I am probably the only one on the planet that would be interested in using it!