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Chapter 15, Tutorials and Applications
ALESIS M20 REFERENCE MANUAL 1.06 15-11
TUTORIAL 6: UPDATING M20 SOFTWARE
The M20 accepts software updates via MIDI. This allows Alesis to offer improvements and
changes to the operating system without requiring the unit to be professionally serviced.
The fastest way to update the software is to go to the Alesis web site
(http://www.alesis.com). Go to the “Software” section, and locate the area containing M20
software updates.
Files are in Standard MIDI File format, and can be downloaded as .hqx (binhex encoded)
files for Macintosh computers or as .zip (compressed) files for Windows based computers.
WinZip will decode zipped files. Mac users can use Stuffit to decode binhexed files.
After downloading, decode and import the file into a MIDI sequencer or other device
capable of playing back MIDI files. It should be able to handle fairly long sysex dumps.
Before plugging the MIDI cable from your MIDI sequencer to the M20 MIDI in, first check
the output with a MIDI activity indicator. You want to make sure that your MIDI device is
indeed capable of transmitting the data before trying to load it into the M20. Loading
incomplete or corrupted data into the M20 could require a trip to the dealer if there is a
problem transmitting the sysex to the M20. As a precaution, you may wish to save the
existing M20 software in your unit to a MIDI file as a backup in case the downloaded version
became corrupted during the download or decoding process. Once you verify that your
MIDI device is sending data properly, proceed.
For example, if you import the file into Cakewalk, a dialog box appears that says “File has
System Exclusive auto send banks. Send them now?” Click on yes. With Mac sequencers, you
may need to press Play after importing the sequence, or use the Freeloader utility (also on
the Alesis web site), to start transmitting the sysex. The software updating process will take
about 6 minutes to complete.
Software updating has been tested with Cakewalk on the PC, and Cubaseand Performer
on the Mac. Other programs are likely to work as well.
If you do not have access to the web or to MIDI sequencers, contact your Alesis dealer about
alternate ways to update your software. A simple MIDI connection from another M20 with a
new software version can update your unit in about 12 minutes.