NRPN bugs in global settings of OB6

[kris]

I think this is a regression, and at some point already worked better, but my OB-6 currently completely refuses to be nice to me. I have made an editor for the global settings, because I like to remote control my setup to have consistent clock, MIDI control, MIDI channels etc.

What I am trying to do: Set the global settings via the documented NRPN parameter.

The bug I see: The OB-6 will refuse to accept an NRPN for the "highest value" in the parameter range. So explicitly:

• Clock Mode has 5 values, but value "4" cannot be set via NRPN (nSS), only via front panel. It is reported correctly back via global settings dump, though.
• MIDI Param Xmit has 5 values, but the last value "4" cannot be set via NRPN ("nAS" - NRPN and sequencer)
• MIDI Out has 4 values, but the last value "3" cannot be set via NRPN
• Local Control has 2 values, but the last value "1" cannot be set via NRPN (which is bad, because you cannot switch on Local Control remotely with an NRPN)
• Velocity Response cannot set the highest value either via NRPN
• Aftertouch Response cannot be set to the highest value either via NRPN
• Stereo/Mono cannot be set to the highest value "Mono" via NRPN
• Pot Mode cannot be set to "Jump"
• Seq Jack cannot be set to "Gate/Trigger"
• Alt Tuning cannot be set to the highest number
• Sustain polarity cannot be set to "r-n"

What makes this really bad is that there is also not the option to send the full global settings dump back into the synth, which would make my editor force the OB-6 to behave, so basically I am stuck with a piece of equipment that refuses to cooperate with the rest of the setup. I am thinking of downgrading the firmware again, because it was not that bad as far as I remember.

And honestly, this looks like a trivial bug in some range check where there is a "<" instead of of a "<=", the typical off-by-one thing easy to miss.

Maybe there is a chance this gets fixed and we get a new released firmware? It is a pricey piece of gear for this kind of problems.

Bonus bugs:

• Arp Beat Sync is not written in byte 19 of the sysex global settings dump (probably it should be byte 20, and they forgot)
• ARP_BEAT_SYNC NRPN 1036 is not documented. Doesn't help, because you can only switch it off, due to the bug above you can't switch it on :-)
• Manual states wrongly on page 77 that MIDI Param Receive is ignored when received, but that is not entirely true

[Quatschmacher]

Have you sent these and your other findings to sequential support? It’s the only guaranteed way they’ll be picked up by those who can fix it.

[kris]

Have you sent these and your other findings to sequential support? It’s the only guaranteed way they’ll be picked up by those who can fix it.

You're right, I filed a related ticket a year ago but this now has much better information for them to track down the bug. Files as ticket #56745.