instruments in Metro

[sakopp]

I'm using Metro 4.5 (old, I know), connected to a Yamaha P250 keyboard. I can get Metro to play some of the keyboard's XG instruments OK, but I can't access all of the available instruments. They are separated into Banks of instruments, but I can only access Bank 0. Is there a way in Metro to change the Bank that Metro uses?

There is a column in one of Metro's windows titled "Bank" but I'm never able to set a value. I don't know a great deal about Metro (or MIDI either), so I could easily be missing something.

Thanks for your help.

[Scoot]

Go to the link below and download a instrument definition.

http://www.cakewalknet.com/index.php?page=download/instrument


The P250 isn't there but all you need to do is locate a XG similar one - I would think something like the PSR 540 or 740 should have XG.

You expand the zip and end up with a text type document.

- launch metro with you keyboard midi'ed up to the mac
- Setup menu / PROGRAM NAMES
- PORT selection - you keyboard
- click on the open button and locate the .ins file
- have it work on all channels

then you should be able to select bank and program names

[Scoot]

At the top of the Yamaha section is a file called 'Yamaha (various ins)'.

YOu could try that one too.........and if you find a matching set of patches in it, remove all the rest and just save the section you're interested in.

[Jerm]

And when you are done and have everything working don't forget to save preferences.

[sakopp]

THANKS!
That helped a lot. This is much better.

[Scoot]

There is a 'misc' file on their FTP cakewalk site (link to it on sagantech's link page)

It contains a whole heap of program names from various devices.
Near the bottom is a XG set.

You can change a .ins file to a text by changing .ins to .txt open it, remove everything but the XG banks, save, then change the .txt back to .ins

[sakopp]

Hey, thanks. This is good information. Maybe you can answer a couple new questions that have come up.

1. I installed the .ins file for the Yamaha 740. That works great. But there are additional banks of instruments available that are not accessible from the keyboard's control panel. These are in addition to the XG set. And they work. How is this possible? (or am I just imagining it?)

2. On my keyboard I have the XG set of voices (400+ of them). And I also have a variety of standard instruments that are not included in the XG or the other banks I mentioned above. Is it possible to get Metro to use these instruments, too?

I'd ask Yamaha, but I haven't had much success getting helpful answers either online or in the limited manuals that came with it.

[Jerm]

It is indeed possible. If you cannot find a .ins file that implements the sounds you need you may find that is it not difficult to edit a copy of the current .ins file with any text editor. You need to know very little to edit a .ins file. The only difficult thing is that bank select messages are stored as a LSB and MSB field where the bank = (MSB * 128) + LSB. Your manual should show you the number you need to send to select the correct bank on your synthesizer. If it says send MSB = 2 and LSB = 7 then in the .ins file you would put a 135 (2 * 128 + 7).

[Scoot]

My XG synth has a total of 700 and something sounds.

I would think if you're over that number there is either more than one set in the synth or you're hearing combinations of the 700.
(Then again your synth is probably 10 years younger than mine )

A standard XG .ins file will do the general midi sounds as well as the XG sounds.

[sakopp]

Wow. I never would've figured out all that on my own. Slowly, bit by bit, this is all starting to become clear.

But I did successfully create the .ins file for my P250! It's pretty easy once you know what to do. So far it seems to be working. I'm up and running the way I want.

This is great information, you guys. Thanks a million for all your help!!

[Jerm]

If you have a new .ins file that you have created that cannot be found elsewhere you might consider emailing it to the contact at cakewalknet.com or to me so that others might get some use out of it.