Oh... I figured it out.
2001-06-05 by Nick
I am so stupid. All this time I panicked and it was the software I was using to do SysEx sent/rcv, MIDI-OX. I have to turn off the simulated keyboard (which I used to test sounds while making a patch) before using it's SysEx data manager, or else--even if I *don't* press anything on my keyboard to send it note data--it will screw up. I am such an idiot... =[. Least I learned something hehe. -Nick