--- src/org/linuxsampler/lscp/Parser.java	(revision 3905)
+++ src/org/linuxsampler/lscp/Parser.java	(working copy)
@@ -570,9 +570,11 @@
 	 */
 	public static String
 	toExtendedEscapeSequence(String escapedString) {
+		byte[] byteString = escapedString.getBytes(java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+		
 		StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
-		for(int i = 0; i < escapedString.length(); i++) {
-			char c = escapedString.charAt(i);
+		for(int i = 0; i < byteString.length; i++) {
+			char c = (char)(byteString[i] & 0xFF);
 			
 			if(c == '`') sb.append("\\x60");
 			else if(c < ' ' || c > '~') sb.append(toEscapeString(c));
@@ -617,7 +619,8 @@
 	public static String
 	toNonEscapedString(Object obj) {
 		String s = obj.toString();
-		StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
+		byte[] sb = new byte[s.length() + 1];
+		int j = 0;
 		for(int i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
 			char c = s.charAt(i);
 			if(c == '\\') {
@@ -626,34 +629,34 @@
 					break;
 				}
 				char c2 = s.charAt(++i);
-				if(c2 == '\'')      sb.append('\'');
-				else if(c2 == '"')  sb.append('"');
-				else if(c2 == '\\') sb.append('\\');
-				else if(c2 == 'r')  sb.append('\r');
-				else if(c2 == 'n')  sb.append('\n');
-				else if(c2 == 'f')  sb.append('\f');
-				else if(c2 == 't')  sb.append('\t');
-				else if(c2 == 'v')  sb.append((char)0x0B);
+				if     (c2 == '\'') sb[j++] = '\''; 
+				else if(c2 == '"')  sb[j++] = '"';
+				else if(c2 == '\\') sb[j++] = '\\';
+				else if(c2 == 'r')  sb[j++] = '\r';
+				else if(c2 == 'n')  sb[j++] = '\n';
+				else if(c2 == 'f')  sb[j++] = '\f';
+				else if(c2 == 't')  sb[j++] = '\t';
+				else if(c2 == 'v')  sb[j++] = (char)0x0B;
 				else if(c2 == 'x') {
-					Character ch = getHexEscapeSequence(s, i + 1);
-					if(ch != null) sb.append(ch.charValue());
+					byte ch = getHexEscapeSequence(s, i + 1);
+					if(ch != 0) sb[j++] = ch;
 					i += 2;
 				} else if(c2 >= '0' && c2 <= '9') {
-					Character ch = getOctEscapeSequence(s, i);
-					if(ch != null) sb.append(ch.charValue());
+					byte ch = getOctEscapeSequence(s, i);
+					if(ch != 0) sb[j++] = ch;
 					i += 2;
 				} else Client.getLogger().info("Unknown escape sequence \\" + c2);
 			} else {
-				sb.append(c);
+				sb[j++] = (byte)c;
 			}
 		}
-		
-		return sb.toString();
+		sb[j] = 0;
+		return new String(sb, java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
 	}
 	
-	private static Character
+	private static byte
 	getHexEscapeSequence(String s, int index) {
-		Character c = null;
+		byte c = 0;
 		
 		if(index + 1 >= s.length()) {
 			Client.getLogger().info("Broken escape sequence");
@@ -660,15 +663,15 @@
 			return c;
 		}
 		
-		try { c = (char)Integer.parseInt(s.substring(index, index + 2), 16); }
+		try { c = (byte)Integer.parseInt(s.substring(index, index + 2), 16); }
 		catch(Exception x) { Client.getLogger().info("Broken escape sequence!"); }
 		
 		return c;
 	}
 	
-	private static Character
+	private static byte
 	getOctEscapeSequence(String s, int index) {
-		Character c = null;
+		byte c = 0;
 		
 		if(index + 2 >= s.length()) {
 			Client.getLogger().info("Broken escape sequence");
@@ -675,7 +678,7 @@
 			return c;
 		}
 		
-		try { c = (char)Integer.parseInt(s.substring(index, index + 3), 8); }
+		try { c = (byte)Integer.parseInt(s.substring(index, index + 3), 8); }
 		catch(Exception x) { Client.getLogger().info("Broken escape sequence!"); }
 		
 		return c;