Saving a backup file is a must-do for anyone using electronics in the Pageantry Arts. Whether you're using MainStage 3, Ableton Live, or even a hardware device such as the Yamaha DTX-Multi 12 Sampler, having a backup of your musical data will ensure you're prepared should anything go wrong.
In this guide, we'll go through the process of formatting a USB Drive for use with a DTX-M12 followed by the steps to save all of the DTX data to that USB drive. Making a data backup is highly recommended any time major changes are made within the device; For example, after going through and editing volume levels of individual audio files or programming new sounds to the trigger pads.
Lastly, we look at how to load a saved backup into a DTX-M12 device. Do note that this is a different process than loading sound files into the DTX. For information on how to import sounds, see our Importing Custom Sounds guide here:
Formatting Your USB Drive
Formatting a USB Drive with the DTX-M12 is, fortunately, a fairly simple process and is necessary before creating a backup of the data in the DTX. This ensures the proper folder/file structure is in place for the DTX to save its data.
*Important* - The format process will erase all saved data that may be loaded onto your USB drive, so be sure to save any important files ahead of time or use a blank USB drive.
Step 1
Locate the USB connector on the left side of the Multi-12. Look for the "USB TO DEVICE" label and plug your USB drive into this port.
Step 2
Press the "UTILITY" button and use the ">" button (above the INC button that has the "+" sign on it) to navigate to "UTIL7 File" and press the "ENTER" button
Step 3
Now use the ">" button once again to navigate to the "UTIL7-5 Format" screen and press enter.
Step 4
You should now see a prompt that reads "Format Are you sure?"
Press the "Enter" button and the DTX will get to work formatting your USB drive.
Be sure not to unplug the USB drive from the DTX while it's working. Once the process is finished, the "Complete" message will appear on the screen for a few moments before returning to the "UTIL7-5" menu. Your USB drive is now ready to save backup data from the DTX.
Saving All DTX-M12 Data
This process takes a snapshot of all the settings in the Multi-12, saves that snapshot to a USB drive, and allows those settings to be loaded back in at a later time if the need arises. This process is always recommended after getting your sampler programmed for the season.
Step 1
Insert your DTX formatted USB drive to the USB connector on the left side of the unit.
Step 2
Press the "UTILITY" button to open the Utilities menu. The screen should read "UTIL1 GENERAL".
Step 3
Use the ">" right arrow button to navigate to the "UTIL7 FILE" menu option and press the "ENTER" button. The screen should now read "UTIL7-1 Save File"
Step 4
Press the "ENTER" button to proceed. At this point we can select which particular sets of data to save. For now, let's with the "All" option since it's the most simplistic way to create an all-encompassing backup.
Step 5
Press "ENTER" once more. The screen will now prompt you to name the save file. My recommendation is to name the file with the date the save file is being created. This allows you to easily recognize and recall save files from any timeframe throughout the season.
- The "-" and "+" buttons will be used to select letters, numbers and characters for the file name
- The "<" and ">" buttons are used to navigate left and right within the naming screen
Step 6
Press "ENTER" once to confirm the name and a second time to confirm the "Save File Are You Sure?" prompt. The DTX will now take a few moments to save all of the settings of the device!
- If another file on the USB has the same name as what you're trying to save, an overwrite prompt will appear. Naming your backups with the current date will help avoid this issue.
Loading All DTX-M12 Data
Now that a backup of your DTX-M12 data has been saved to a USB drive, let's look at how to load that data into the device. Fortunately this is a simple process that's quite a bit quicker than saving a backup since there's no need to name any files; only finding the backup you'd like to load.
Step 1
Insert your DTX formatted USB drive to the USB connector on the left side of the unit.
Step 2
Press the "UTILITY" button to open the Utilities menu. The screen should read "UTIL1 GENERAL".
Step 3
Use the ">" right arrow button to navigate to the "UTIL7 FILE" menu option and press the "ENTER" button. The screen should now read "UTIL7-1 Save File"
Step 4
Press the ">" right arrow button once more to locate "UTIL7-2 Load File" and press the "ENTER" button.
Step 5
By default the "Type=All" option is selected inside the "UTIL7-2" menu. This is convenient since the backup we saved earlier was the "All" option. Press "ENTER" and the DTX will search the USB device for the appropriate files.
Step 6
If you have multiple backup files, use the "-" and "+" buttons to find the desired file. Otherwise, skip to step 7.
Step 7
Press the "ENTER" button to confirm your selection and once more to confirm the "Load File Are You Sure?" prompt. The DTX will take a few moments to load the selected backup. This process can take a few minutes depending on the size of the backup being loaded.
The menu system of the Yamaha DTX-Multi 12 can take a few minutes to navigate. However, taking the extra time to create a saved backup of your device programming is a must-do for any ensemble using a Multi-12 in their performance. Doing so creates a time-saving safety net should something go wrong or if you'd like to return to a previous version. Having a backup would also allow you to quickly load your programmed material onto a borrowed DTX if your unit got jumbled around too hard in the equipment truck.
If you have specific questions about using your DTX-M12, or would like custom sound effects created just for your fall or winter program, please get in touch!
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