Newbie question

[pawright]

I am completely new to computer music. I have a keyboard to my PowerMac G4 thru Edirol UM-1 interface. I can now hear music played thru my computer's built-in audio. I can find the instruments or voices in the Transport window to change the instrument used by each track. I am however, confused by the terms, instrument, effect, etc.

In the Online Manual, instrument seems to designate a synthesizer, ie internal or keyboard. If I want to use the sound of other "instruments" (piano, guitar, ensemble, etc.) from a soundfont, sample, or plug-in (and I am not sure about the definitions of each of these) how do I apply that collection of sampled(?) sounds to each track to replace the built-in QT synthesizer of my Mac?

Also, am uncertain about the term "port".

How do I send the midi back to my keyboard?

Sorry, if this is rambling, but these seem to be the most confusing issues.

I am impressed with the work done on this product and have purchased the SE version to learn on and will upgrade if I get into this.

Thanks

[Jerm]

I can find the instruments or voices in the Transport window to change the instrument used by each track. I am however, confused by the terms, instrument, effect, etc.

Instruments are configurations. Used mostly for specifying the output of tracks. Instruments contain ports. Ports are input sources or output destinations.

In the Online Manual, instrument seems to designate a synthesizer, ie internal or keyboard. If I want to use the sound of other "instruments" (piano, guitar, ensemble, etc.) from a soundfont, sample, or plug-in (and I am not sure about the definitions of each of these) how do I apply that collection of sampled(?) sounds to each track to replace the built-in QT synthesizer of my Mac?

I recommend you familiarize yourself with basic MIDI principles and then with soundfonts. It is important to understand the concept of MIDI channels. To familiarize yourself with soundfonts I recommend searching this forum for 'soundfont' or even the web. A soundfont is basically a bunch of packaged up samples.

To send data from an existing MIDI track to different instruments simply select a MIDI instrument from the instrument popup in the tracks window or graphic editor window.

How do I send the midi back to my keyboard?

Assuming you MIDI device shows up in apple's AMS (Audio MIDI Setup) program, it should just be a simple matter of selecting that instrument from the popup menu as mentioned above.

[Scoot]

I do hope Paul is working in OSX otherwise some things mentioned about the audio/midi setup would be more likely in OMS.

A real basic concept of the instruments window in metro would be - the place to set your volumes for audio tracks recorded, volumes of external synths, internal virtual instruments and later on the strength of effects used on the aux bus.

In the graphic editor there is the word PORT just above the track's data.
If you hold down on it you can see all the ports currently available.
What do you see? (It may say internal and built in audio and multiples of them. I believe the standard configuration is 16 internal ports and 4 built-in audio......or it was when I threw away my preferences ).


scoot.

[pawright]

Thanks for your replies.

I am working under OS X 10.2.6.

My MIDI controller (Yamaha PSR-85) is recognized under AMS.

I do understand MIDI basics. I will dig further into Soundfonts. How do these relate to VST and other audio samples( is this the right term for an audio source for different instruments, ie piano, guitar, etc?)

If I am understanding correctly, Instruments are where the sound is produced. Ports then determine where it is to be sent to and what device is sending the sound data.

In the Graphic Window, Ports are: internal, 4 Audio-1's, and 16 Keyboards (for each channel, right?)

In the Graphic Window, the value of the what I call "instrument", ie piano, acoustic guitar, etc., is in the Program pull-down menu. I also think it is in the Transport Window as well. This then is where the different "instruments are assigned to the track I'm working on?

Where then, are the downloaded "instruments" (what is the correct term for this?) in Soundfonts and Sample plug-ins (again is this the correct term to use for audio sounds of different musical instruments?) selected for the track being created?

I think if I can get this concept straight, I'll be able to go on with the rest. It seems confusing to use Instrument for an input or output. I tend to think of musical instruments.

Thanks again for your interest in getting this newbie musician going.

[Jerm]

Paul,

An instrument in Metro is usually assigned to a single MIDI channel and thus is, as you say, an instrument such as piano, guitar, bass or drums. For example a typical setup would be to create 16 instruments using 'Modify instruments and busses' on your Yamaha synth. You would then have 16 instruments defined like yamaha-1, yamaha-2, so forth and so on. You can then assign track 1 to yamaha-1 and send a program change on that track so that your yamaha synth changes channel 1 to a piano sound. On a separate track you might assign yamaha-2 and send a program change for a bass sound. For this to work properly your synth must be in a multi-timbral mode.

I think the confusion stems from the history of Metro. Originally program changes were stored only in the instruments and thus when you changed the 'instrument' you changed the sound, for example, piano to bass. Soon though, by request, people wanted a way to change the sound of a track without changing the 'instrument' so a mechanism was created to add bank and program to the tracks window and now the term 'Instrument' is probably antiquated. Currently if a track has a bank and program change and the instrument is changed say from channel-1 to channel-2, when playback commences you will have the same sound on both channels.

[Scoot]

Assuming you already have your soundfonts downloaded here's how to use them.......

Open your plug-ins window and effects window.

Drag the DLSMusicDevice plugin across to the effects window

Click on the button labeled 'none' which appears in the effects window and locate the soundfont you want to use.

Goto the special menu and choose modify instruments and busses.

You can now add 16 instruments (or however many) to the DLSMusicDevice port. If you select replace existing you will lose all the internal and audio ports so don't say replace.

You can now hear their sounds by selecting bank and program numbers in the graphic editor window and dragging the mouse on the virtual keyboard on the left.

If you add more instruments and want to keep them, you have to go to the preferences and hit save.
The soundfonts usually need to be manually loaded each time but at least the port arrangement remains.


scoot.

[Scoot]

Is it time for a name change to reduce confusion or would the 'oldbies' not adjust?


scoot.

[Jerm]

Perhaps we should. Any suggestions on what to change it to?

[Scoot]

First clarify which words or names should be up for changing.

Are you talking about the term instruments?

Just a thought......if aux bus was referred to just as aux, port was bus, instrument window as mixer......would it help?
I do like port though. hehehe. It sounds like you're plugging something in and in affect you are......even if its virtual.

What do the newbies think it is when they first see it and then read the manual to find out what it actually is?

The only one I would like to see is instrument window become mixer....it makes more sense to me.


any advance on that?

scoot.

[mtjazz]

you know, i'm a newbie to metro and haven't had too much time to get into it (been doing too much live playing lately, i guess), but that whole instrument thing was one of the only two complaints i had (the other was purely my love of onscreen eye candy and has no bearing of the software and how it works) i'm glad to see it changed to mixer. it'll help me remember things like how to set up virtual instruments and fx etc.