Korg X5DR Editor
A free, browser-based editor and librarian for the Korg X5DR synthesizer module. Edit every Program, Combination, Multi, Drum Kit and Global parameter in real time over MIDI, and load and save .syx files. There's nothing to install: open the website in Chrome or Edge.
Open the editor →
Features
- Every Program parameter, on six pages (Easy, OSC, VDF, VDA, Control, Effect), with envelope displays and a Parametric EQ curve you can drag (hold Shift to change just one value). Edits are heard as you move a control.
- Combinations, Multi, Global and both Drum Kits, including which Programs and Combinations use each kit.
- All 47 effect types, with routing diagrams.
- Write In Place or Write To A New Slot…; Discard Edits reverts anything not yet written.
- Both factory soundbanks (A and B) built in, captured from a real X5DR. Bank B is the X5 and 05R/W factory set and works on every model; Bank A was made for the X5D and X5DR, and 45 of its 100 programs use X5D/X5DR-only sounds.
- Initialize… for Programs and Combinations: start from a clean patch.
- File → Data File… loads or saves exactly the parts you choose: Programs, Combinations, Multi, Drums, Global. Single Programs and Combinations too.
- Device → Import From Device / Write to Device for every data type.
- All Notes Off in the header stops stuck notes on every MIDI channel.
- Three colour themes.
Requirements
- A Chromium-based browser, for Web MIDI with SysEx. Chrome and Edge have been verified on macOS and Windows, and Brave on Linux. Safari and Firefox are not supported. Reports of other browser and OS combinations are welcome.
- A MIDI interface connected both ways: computer out → X5DR MIDI In, and X5DR MIDI Out → computer in. Use a reputable interface; cheap unbranded USB-MIDI cables often fail on long SysEx transfers.
Supported devices
| Model | Status |
|---|
| X5DR | Built and tested on hardware |
| X5D | Expected to work; untested |
| X5, 05R/W | Largely compatible (fewer multisounds and drums); untested |
Own an X5, X5D or 05R/W? Please file a device report; that's how these models get verified.
Setup
- Enable SysEx reception on the device: [GLOBAL], page 02D, set EX: to ENA.
- Turn off write protection to write Programs and Combinations: [GLOBAL], page 03A/03B (PROTECT), set PROGRAM and COMBINATION to OFF.
- Match the MIDI channel: set the editor's Ch selector (top right) to the device's Global MIDI Channel ([GLOBAL], page 02A, CH; default 1). The device silently ignores SysEx on any other channel.
- Choose the port: ports with "X5" in their name are selected automatically; otherwise pick your interface's output. Some MIDI drivers let only one program use a port at a time: if the port is missing or won't open, close your DAW and reload the editor.
- Allow MIDI when the browser asks.
The editor sends no notes. To hear a sound, play it from a keyboard or a DAW, through the same MIDI interface. If a note gets stuck, click All Notes Off in the header.
Ways to run it
| How | Notes |
|---|
| Website | baylo1.github.io/x5dr-editor | Always the latest version; remembers your MIDI permission. |
| Installed app | On the website, click the install icon at the right of the address bar. | Opens in its own window from the Dock, Start menu or Spotlight. Needs an internet connection. |
| Downloaded file | Download index.html from Releases and open it in a Chromium-based browser. | Works offline. Asks for MIDI permission every time it opens, and doesn't update itself. |
Troubleshooting
In the editor, open Help → Troubleshooting. The usual causes are a channel mismatch, SysEx not enabled on the device, write protection, a port held by another program, or a cheap MIDI cable.
Feedback
In the editor, Help → Copy Diagnostics copies your version, browser and MIDI setup for a report.
License and notices
- The editor's code is released under the MIT License.
- Factory soundbanks A and B are Korg's original factory sound data, captured from a real X5DR. They are not covered by the MIT License.
- The MIDI implementation tables in
docs/ are transcribed from the Korg X5DR Owner's Manual, © Korg Inc.
- Typefaces: Inter and IBM Plex Mono, under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 (
src/fonts/).
- Not affiliated with or endorsed by Korg Inc. KORG is a registered trademark of Korg Inc.; model names are used only to identify compatible hardware.
For developers
The app is plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript with no framework. src/index.html plus a few ES modules in src/midi/, src/state/ and src/ui/; npm run build inlines them into one self-contained dist/index.html.
npm install # dev tools only (Vitest)
npx vitest run # unit tests for the MIDI/data layer
npm run build # → dist/index.html
npx serve src # run from source on http://localhost:3000
npm run screenshots # regenerate docs/images/ (headless Chrome; set CHROME_PATH off macOS)
- Read CONTRIBUTING.md before opening a pull request.
CLAUDE.md and docs/ hold the design history: the Project Context, the Landmines (non-obvious facts that cause regressions if forgotten), the Decision Archive and the ADRs.- The MIDI reference is in
docs/X5DR Manual Appendix - MIDI Implementation/.
