TORAIZ AS-1 MIDI Dumper

Reads the sequencer data from the currently selected program on a Pioneer DJ TORAIZ AS-1 using MIDI SysEx, mido, and python-rtmidi.

The AS-1 exposes the current program as an edit-buffer dump. One request returns all 64 sequencer steps; individual step queries are not required.

Installation

python -m pip install -e .

This installs the toraiz-dump, toraiz-programs, and toraiz-select commands into the active Python environment. Run the installation command again after updating an existing checkout so new launchers are created.

The repository also contains shortcuts that can be run directly from its root without activating the virtual environment:

./toraiz-dump --version
./toraiz-programs --version
./toraiz-select --version

The AS-1 must be connected over USB MIDI or through a MIDI interface. Make sure its MIDI SysEx input/output settings allow SysEx communication.

Basic commands

toraiz-dump --list-ports
toraiz-dump --version
toraiz-programs --version
toraiz-select --version

Dump commands require -o/--output to specify the file where the result is saved.

Select MIDI ports

Automatic detection is the simplest option:

toraiz-dump --auto --output sequence.json

--auto searches MIDI input and output port names for TORAIZ, AS-1, or AS1, and pairs ports with matching names. If more than one device matches, specify the ports explicitly.

Use --list-ports, then copy the complete names into --midi-input and --midi-output. ALSA commonly exposes one bidirectional name, in which case use that same name for both options:

toraiz-dump \
  --midi-input "Toraiz AS-1:Toraiz AS-1 MIDI 1 28:0" \
  --midi-output "Toraiz AS-1:Toraiz AS-1 MIDI 1 28:0"

When input and output have different names:

toraiz-dump \
  --midi-input "TORAIZ AS-1 MIDI In" \
  --midi-output "TORAIZ AS-1 MIDI Out"

--midi-input defaults to the --midi-output value when it is omitted.

List stored programs

toraiz-programs is a separate command that lists the bank, program number, and name of every stored program without selecting or modifying programs on the synth:

toraiz-programs --auto

Filter the listing by category with -f/--filter:

toraiz-programs --auto --filter BA

The filter accepts the category codes documented in categories.txt.

Available categories:

Code	Description
AR	Arpeggio
BA	Bass
BD	Bass drum / kick
BR	Brass
DR	Drums / percussion
FX	Effects
GT	Guitar
HH	Hi-hat
LD	Lead
PD	Pad
SN	Snare
ST	Strings
TM	Tom drum
VX	Voice / vocal

It scans all 990 slots in order: user banks U1 through U5, then factory banks F1 through F5, with programs P01 through P99 in each bank. Each result is printed as soon as it is received:

U1 P01 Basic Program
U1 P02 Deep Bass
F5 P99 Final Program

Redirect standard output to save the list:

toraiz-programs --auto > programs.txt

The scan sends one read-only stored-program request at a time. A complete scan may take several minutes over a 5-pin DIN MIDI connection. If a program does not respond before --timeout (2 seconds by default), the command identifies that slot and stops with a nonzero exit status. It does not silently produce an incomplete list.

Press Ctrl+C to stop a scan cleanly; the MIDI ports are closed and the command exits with status 130.

The command also accepts the same --midi-input, --midi-output, --auto, --list-ports, and --version connection options as toraiz-dump:

toraiz-programs \
  --midi-input "Toraiz AS-1:Toraiz AS-1 MIDI 1 28:0" \
  --midi-output "Toraiz AS-1:Toraiz AS-1 MIDI 1 28:0" \
  --timeout 5

Select a stored program

toraiz-select reads the same stored-program list and displays it in an interactive terminal interface:

./toraiz-select --auto

Use Up and Down to move one program, or Left and Right to move between banks. Page Up, Page Down, Home, and End provide faster navigation. Press Enter to send Bank Select and Program Change to the AS-1; the selector stays open so you can select another program. Press Escape or q to exit.

Warning: selecting another program on the AS-1 can discard unsaved edits to the currently active program.

MIDI output channels are numbered 1 through 16. Channel 1 is used by default; select another channel with --midi-out-channel:

./toraiz-select --auto --midi-out-channel 5

--midi-channel is a shorter alias for the same option. The AS-1 must be configured to receive on the selected channel or on all channels.

The selector supports the same --midi-input, --midi-output, --auto, --filter, --timeout, --list-ports, and --version options as toraiz-programs. Loading all 990 names can take several minutes over a 5-pin MIDI connection; the current location is displayed while loading.

Output formats

JSON is the default. These commands are equivalent:

toraiz-dump --auto --format json --output sequence.json
toraiz-dump --auto -f json -o sequence.json

Every dump also prints the program name, BPM, time division, sequence length, and a compact visual display of the active steps to the terminal. A note is shown as a seven-eighth block (▉), leaving a narrow gap before the next step, while a rest is shown as a light shade block (░). When a step is tied to the preceding note, that preceding block becomes full (█) to close the gap and show the sustained connection.

The line beneath the steps divides the sequence into four-step groups using alternating blue and purple upper bars. For example:

Program: Basic Program
BPM: 120
Time division: 16 (sixteenth note)
Length: 8
█▉░▉▉░█▉
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

The JSON file contains the active step records:

{
  "program_name": "Basic Program",
  "bpm": 120,
  "time_division": "16",
  "length": 16,
  "steps": [
    {"note": 60, "velocity": 100, "rest": false, "tie": false},
    {"note": 62, "velocity": 0, "rest": true, "tie": false}
  ]
}

program_name is the name stored in the current AS-1 edit buffer. bpm is the program tempo from 30 through 250 beats per minute. time_division is the AS-1 step division: 2, 4, 8D, 8, 8S, 8T, 16, 16S, 16T, or 32. The suffixes mean dotted (D), swing (S), and triplet (T). length is the displayed sequence length from 1 through 64. Only the first length step records are returned. A velocity of 0 represents a rest. tie is true when the step sustains the note from the previous step.

To save JSON to a file:

toraiz-dump --auto --output sequence.json

Select MIDI output and save it to a .mid file:

toraiz-dump --auto --format midi --output sequence.mid
# Short form:
toraiz-dump --auto -f midi -o sequence.mid

The MIDI file uses the BPM and time division stored in the AS-1 program. Dotted, triplet, and full-swing divisions are reflected in the MIDI event timing. The source TimeDiv value is also stored as a text meta-event. MIDI output contains only the active number of steps and is saved to the file specified by --output.

Strudel

Export the sequence as code that can be pasted into the Strudel web editor:

toraiz-dump --auto --format strudel --output sequence.strudel
# Short form:
toraiz-dump --auto -f strudel -o sequence.strudel

Open sequence.strudel, copy its contents into Strudel, and start playback. For an AS-1 pattern at 123 BPM containing a three-step tied note, a rest, and two regular notes, the generated code looks like this:

setcpm(123/4)
note("<60@3 ~ 64 67>*16")
.sound("supersaw")

The conversion maps AS-1 sequence data to Strudel as follows:

AS-1 data	Strudel output
Tempo	setcpm(BPM/4), treating one Strudel cycle as four beats
Note	MIDI note number inside note(), such as 60 for middle C
Rest	~
Tie	Temporal weight on the preceding note, such as 60@3 for three steps
Step grid	*16, producing sixteen step units per cycle

The generated .sound("supersaw") is only a convenient browser-synth sound. Change it to another Strudel synth or sample and add effects as desired; it does not reproduce the AS-1 analog patch.

Current Strudel-export limitations:

• The AS-1 time-division setting is not translated; output always uses the fixed sixteenth-note grid *16.
• Per-step velocity is not exported.
• AS-1 oscillator, filter, envelope, effect, and other program parameters are not exported.

For more details about editing the result, see Strudel's mini-notation guide and notes guide.

Play a saved MIDI file with amidiplay:

amidiplay sequence.mid

If the receiving device uses a different MIDI channel, remap the file before playing it. Channels are numbered 1 through 16:

python remap_midi_channel.py sequence.mid sequence-ch5.mid --channel 5
amidiplay sequence-ch5.mid

Other useful options are --timeout SECONDS, --list-ports, and --version. Run toraiz-dump --help for the complete command-line reference.

Protocol

The dumper sends this SysEx request, shown including F0 and F7:

F0 00 40 05 00 00 01 08 10 06 F7

The program-list command requests each stored program with its zero-based bank and program indices (bb and pp):

F0 00 40 05 00 00 01 08 10 05 bb pp F7

Stored-program responses use command byte 02 and echo the requested bank and program before the packed program data. The scanner checks that address before reading the name.

The AS-1 responds with an edit-buffer dump containing 1,024 program bytes, documented as 1,171 MIDI-safe packed bytes. The parser validates the response header and reconstructs the bytes needed for the sequencer. It reads the raw program layout (BPM at byte 87, TimeDiv at byte 92, length at byte 95, the 20-character program name at bytes 107–126, notes at bytes 128–191, and velocities at bytes 192–255) rather than treating MIDI NRPN numbers as program offsets. It decodes bit 7 of each note byte as the tie flag and bits 0–6 as the MIDI note number. It decodes velocity bit 7 as the active-step flag and bits 0–6 as standard MIDI velocity. It tolerates dump length variations as long as the complete sequencer region is present.

Development

The test suite uses Python's built-in unittest framework, so no separate test runner or development dependencies are required. From the project root, run:

.venv/bin/python -m unittest discover -s tests -v

To run one test module, pass its dotted module name:

.venv/bin/python -m unittest tests.test_protocol -v

To preview the sequence display with different note, rest, and tie patterns:

.venv/bin/python test-display.py

The protocol parser can also be used independently of MIDI hardware through toraiz_dump.protocol.

Disclaimer

This project is independent and unaffiliated with Pioneer DJ, AlphaTheta, or any of their subsidiaries, brands, or partners. Use it at your own risk. The author and contributors are not responsible for any damage, data loss, or other consequences resulting from the use of this software or its interaction with any hardware or software.