how do I set up program names for MIDI?

[story]

Jerm,
I'm using SE 6.1.0.4, and have a few old synths that aren't in your shipped program names files (Roland SC-50 and MKS-100, Yamaha TX802 and TX1P). For simplicity, consider the SC-50 (original sound canvas):

I tried the "new" button in the program names dialog of the setup menu, selected the sound canvas, typed in a list of patches, clicked ok. Nothing happened. When I select the sound canvas (or an instrument including it) for a track, neither the tracks window nor the dialog for setting channels and programs shows instrument names. (By the way, it looks like that dialog box which you get by clicking on the instrument name of a [non-layered] mixer instrument never has anything but numbers. Why doesn't it show the names??)

Is the customization of program names completely dead in this release, or am I missing something? (Probably the latter!)

I also tried cutting down the "Roland SC-88-pro.ins" file (name may not be quite right...I don't have it here to check) as SC-50.ins, saving that in the Metro6 program names subfolder, selecting the sound canvas port in the program names dialog of the setup menu, selecting the SC-50.ins file, ok'ing it. Still nothing.

[Jerm]

It is very important that you:
• select the appropriate MIDI device before opening or new
• enable the channels that correspond to the MIDI device. Usually clicking the all button will do.
• once your names are right, save preferences.

Look at our links page for places to find .ins files.

[story]

It is very important that you:
• select the appropriate MIDI device before opening or new
• enable the channels that correspond to the MIDI device. Usually clicking the all button will do.
• once your names are right, save preferences.

Look at our links page for places to find .ins files.

I did select the device before using 'open' or 'new' buttons, so that's not it...maybe my post wasn't clear.

I tried it with "all" channels enabled, and with channels 2-15 (which is what I told Audio MIDI Setup). I even ran AMS, changed that to all channels,
quit AMS, and then tried the program names dialog again. Nothing.

(So I doubt that it's the first or second thing you suggest.)

Do I have to save prefs and re-open my metro6 document (or restart metro6) before the names become visible??

I can understand that my *.ins file might have had a syntax error. Is there a document describing the proper format Please...

But I also tried typing the names directly ("new" in the program names dialog), so a bad *.ins file can't be the main problem...

Thanks again, --Lee

[Jerm]

Did you select the bank first? It works for me. I created a new list. Went to the graphic editor, selected the bank and then the program list appears. Note that option-clicking the program field will present all lists across devices.

[story]

Jerm: "Went to the graphic editor, selected the bank..."

I think that's it. I'll check it out this evening, and let you know. It never occurred to me to change the "bank" field in my track, since there was only one bank defined. (The way the dialogs run, I thought I was "naming programs", not "creating a bank". So I implicitly assumed that unless there was a choice, the new names would just appear, and that the bank name abbreviation would appear, for any tracks using that device.

I suppose I could argue that if there's only one bank for the device, and the device is the (primary) one for an instrument, then the bank and program names should appear automatically without "selecting a bank". But that's a design choice, not a bug.)

If anyone has one, I'd really appreciate a pointer to the *.ins format. I can pretty much guess it from the examples provided in the program names subfolder, but it would be nice to have something definitive

[Scoot]

I think I was too slow here...........


Just a thought............download a general midi .ins and see if it works.

I have run into syntax problems before........the file won't completely import.


scoot.

[story]

Eats crow...

Made a bank, selected it for a track in the tracks window, and the patch names were visible in the pop-down. Works fine. I'd expected that, if it was the only bank for that port, the names would appear without selecting the bank. I was wrong.

(Mixer instrument "bank" button seems a bit weird. I'll have to play with it some more.)

Would still like an *.ins file-format description
(I'd like to define bank change messages in *.ins files, rather than doing it interactively and laboriously by keying the message into a track and selecting it in bank change definition box under the Program Change dialog.)

[Jerm]

If you take a look at a .ins file it is almost self-explanatory. It is a text file that is readily editable. Start with something simple like a GM bank and modify it. The only thing to know is that high order of banks are *128 because MIDI is 7 bits. So that if your synth calls for bank hi = 2 and lo = 44 you would need to convert this to 2*128+44 or 300.

[story]

Yeah, I did look at it. Your message above explained the peculiar numbering for bank select in the SC88-Pro bank (which is a bit of overkill for the SC55 or SC88, but works just fine on my SC55....maybe it should be aliased to SC55 and SC88 in your distribution!)
Thanks.