I read the manual, unless I missed it; I cannot for the life of me figure out how to load/access projects or patterns that I have backed up to a computer.
According to the manual, the cycles is always listening for incoming sysex info. I can see when I do “send” the sysex of a project that the model cycles says that it received something (tried to write it down but it happened very quickly), but when I look for the project that I sent to it, it does not appear in the projects menu.
What am I missing here? I have scowered the internet and these forums trying to see how you load your projects or patterns back onto a model cycles (or transfer them from one cycles to another), but no one seems to have ever covered the topic. This means either its so simple I am an idiot, or maybe its a missing feature? Probably the former
As you say, it would be good to have a clear point in the manual to point to.
I think the way it works is, if you send a project sysex, it lands in the current project, and if you send a pattern sysex, it lands in the current pattern. It’s a while since I’ve done it though.
Thats what I had assumed, but that was not the case. I transfer the project or pattern, and nothing happens. Doesn’t land on the current loaded selection or show up in the drive’s project menu. Im baffled.
I was having some issues figuring it out too, but I eventually got it. You need to make sure you’re on the most up to date version of Transfer. There’s 2 types of files you can load for projects or patterns. You can send the sysex a proprietary file type (I think it’s something like example.cyclesproj). Either way just load up a new pattern and the go to the drop tab of Transfer. If it doesn’t work after a couple tries, unplug everything and reconnect the midi ports, and make sure your audio output on your computer is the cycles
Hmm … well, in the case of a project sysex, and a new (empty) project, that should work. I loaded a few soundpacks that way. Here are the instructions from one of them. I know I did this successfully on the 1.12 firmware.
To load the project:
Install SysEx Librarian or another sysex manager on your computer
Connect your Model:Cycles to your computer via USB
Create a new project on your Model:Cycles
Send the project SysEx. You’ll see Model:Cycles start receiving patterns, starting with A01
Whats funny is, I tried this flow about a dozen times with no luck. I booted things up, tried this is exact flow and everything started to receive no problem. I must have been fubarring something simple.
Thanks everyone for their feedback/thoughts. I hella appreciate the help.
In the case someone else is searching for the answer for 1.12 firmware; please follow along below top to bottom:
First, Backup your project:
Download SysEx Librarian
Turn on Model:Cycles and connect to your computer via USB
Set the Librarian to “act as a source for other programs”
Load your project you want backed up on your Model:Cycles
Navigate in the settings menu to “Backup”
Select your Project or Pattern
Select the Interface (USB if using the comp), this will start sending the project/pattern to the computer
In Sysex Librarian, click “Record Many”
Once everything is transferred, within the Librarian, click on the SysEx File that was created and then go to File > Save As SysEx. Name and put your .syx file somewhere on your computer for backup etc…
Last, Loading your project back onto a Model:Cycles:
Turn on your Model:Cycles and connect to computer via USB cable
Start SysEx Librarian
Select the Destination as the Elektron Model:Cycles in your SysEx Librarian
Drag and drop your .syx file into the Librarian
On the model cycles load a “new” project (blank, brand spankin new)
Click “Play” on the Librarian, and sit and wait while each pattern/item of your project transfers (it is a slow process)
When your are done transferring, you most likely will want to save and name the project on the M:C
We usually don’t document how to use third party software in our product manuals. Not because we don’t approve of people using them, but because it creates a lot of additional work to keep track of any changes in that software. The gods know it is tricky enough to keep track of our own changes…
However, the latest version of Transfer should make these kind of backups much more easy and reduce the need of the rather cumbersome sysex sending methods. The Transfer backup procedure is described in the Cycles User Manual.
I will however poke the user care staff so that they can try out the method described above and make sure it is kept handy if needed. Thanks!
Makes total sense! You guys shouldnt have to document third party anything!
I actually did not want to use any third party tool but the manual (at least the one I downloaded the other day), doesn’t actually describe any methods to use the Transfer app. Its ambiguous as to have people figure out what tool they should use on their own. I naturally reached for the Transfer app thinking I should of course use this. Only to find it wasn’t doing anything when trying to backup or transfer projects to it. I was probably doing something wrong; if it does indeed work, but thats probably because the manual doesn’t really explain how to use the app to get the job done.
No worries. You do people here a favor when you share your findings.
Make sure you go to the Support page at elektron.se and download the current Model:Cycles User manual there. Then check section 6.8 BACKING UP THE MODEL:CYCLES in the manual for how to use Transfer with the M:C.
That section still need to be in the manual since the device still supports data transfer via sysex and since the option it is there in the menu
However, I will add some info there directing people toward the Transfer section.
Thanks for bringing these things up though, it really helps to improve the documentation
