The MX100II (and its Japanese counter-part, the HQ100) is typically not able to play MIDI files off of floppy disks. That’s why I have several articles on transferring your Disklavier floppy disks and converting MIDI files to ESEQ. However, I recently had a client reach out to me and share this very interesting Japanese-language site indicating that, in fact, later productions do in fact, have firmware capable of playing MIDI files directly. How can you tell? I’ve translated that page to English, and it’s shared below.
I’ve also encountered one HQ100 in the wild, and actually installed a Dampp-Chaser in it. This same HQ100 also had a solenoid failure, and it was initially tested and fixed with a donor solenoid from an MX100II.
Just to emphasize again, the below is not mine, and is sourced from a website that’s approaching 30 years old! I cannot vouch for its accuracy, but it’s fascinating.
Checking if Your Piano Player HQ100 Can Play MIDI
[I’ve tested the below on the MX100II and HQ100.]
Here’s how to verify whether your Piano Player HQ can play MIDI files:
- Start Test Mode and Check ROM Version of Control Sheet:
- Enter Test Mode:
-
* TEST MODE UP
* – < – PUSH -> – - Press and hold the [L] and [R] buttons on the controller while turning on the power button. The LCD screen will display Test Mode.
-
- Navigate to Control Sheet:
-
* TEST MODE UP *
* CTRL SHEET *** - Press the [ + ] button once to change the display to the Control Sheet
<CTRL>
.
-
- Check ROM Version:
-
V1.21 940606 REC
JAPANESE UP - Press the [>>|] (fast forward) button once to display the ROM version of the Control Sheet on the LCD screen.
- If ROM version is V1.21 or higher: MIDI file playback is possible.
- After confirmation, turn off the power.
-
- Enter Test Mode:
- Additionally, Check ROM Version of PK Control Sheet:
- Enter Test Mode Again:
-
* TEST MODE UP
* – < – PUSH -> – - Press and hold the [L] and [R] buttons on the controller while turning on the power button. The LCD screen will display Test Mode.
-
- Navigate to PK Control Sheet:
-
* TEST MODE UP **
* PK CTRL SHEET * - Press the [ + ] button twice to change the display to the PK Control Sheet
<PK-CTRL>
.
-
- Check ROM Version:
-
PK CTL ROM
Ver1.24 94.06.06 - Press the [>>|] (fast forward) button once to display the ROM version of the Control Sheet on the LCD screen.
- If ROM version is V1.24 or higher: MIDI file playback is possible.
- After confirmation, turn off the power.
-
- Enter Test Mode Again:
- Final Steps:
- If the ROM versions are compatible, you can copy MIDI files to a 2DD formatted floppy disk and listen to the performance.
- Important: File names must be in half-width Roman letters; otherwise, they will not be displayed on the piano player’s LCD.
- If you wish to replace the ROM with one that supports MIDI, please contact Yamaha Customer Support. This ROM version upgrade not only adds the MIDI playback feature but also fixes minor bugs.
Let’s Play MIDI Files on Yamaha Piano Player
[This section is, in my opinion, no longer useful. But I include it for sake of historical interest.]
Yamaha Piano Players models MX, SX, HG, RF, and HQ (initial versions) cannot play MIDI files. The only playable file format is Yamaha’s proprietary E-Seq format. As a result, even though you have an automatic-playing piano, the software you can enjoy is limited. To obtain E-Seq format files, you must visit a Yamaha music store and download them using a terminal device called Muma available at the store. [I assume this is a dated reference, or a Japanese-specific product. The HQ100 is the Japanese version of the MX100II.]
Currently, on the Internet, a vast number of MIDI files beyond what the Muma terminal offers are available for download, some for free. Let’s challenge ourselves to play those MIDI files on Yamaha Piano Players MX, SX, HG, RF, and HQ (initial versions).
1. What You Need
- Conversion Software: YCONV, YPDIR
Download YPCONV06.LZH and YPDIR040.LZH from Vector’s website.
Mac versions are also available [These links have been modified to point to my website, owing to suspicious behavior on the original links. Additionally, I would not recommend using these programs, as they’re extremely dated. Please see my tools page for better, more modern suggestions.] - Floppy Disk: Either 2DD or 2HD is acceptable.
2. Preparation
- Format the Floppy Disk:
- Note: Even if your piano player supports recording/replaying, formatting the disk on the piano player itself will make it unreadable by a computer.
- If using a 2HD floppy disk, cover the window on the right side (opposite the write-protect side) with cellophane tape or similar. This is because the piano player’s controller only supports 2DD.
- If your piano player is playback-only, format the floppy disk on a computer to 720 Kbytes.
- Windows XP cannot format to 720 Kbytes. [This is not true. Please see my Floppy Disk Backups page for explicit instructions.]
- For Windows XP Users:
- If you have a friend with Windows 95, 98, or ME, ask them to create a boot floppy for you.
- Boot the computer from the boot disk, enter commands to format the floppy to 720 Kbytes.
3. Conversion
- Set Up Conversion Tools:
- Follow the instructions in Readme.txt.
- Copy YPCONV.EXE and YPDIR.EXE to a folder where the command prompt path is set.
- Convert MIDI Files:
- In
C:\Documents and Settings\Users
, convert the copied file[test01.mid]
and save it to the[C]
drive. - The file will be saved as
[TEST01.YPL]
.
Example:
C:\Documents and Settings\Users>YPCONV test01.mid C:\
- In
- Create Playlist File:
After converting the necessary files, create[PIANODIR.FIL]
.
Name the files sequentially according to the track order to ensure they play in that sequence.
Create[PIANODIR.FIL]
on the A drive.
You can edit the created[PIANODIR.FIL]
with a text editor to modify song names.
Example:C:\Documents and Settings\Users>YPDIR A A:\