You are here
Home › Forum home › VirtualMIDISynth › General discussions & questions › Bank select, VMS ›Bank select, VMS
Please let our ADS show!
This sites offers only FREE software and it's supported by a few advertisement boxes (no intrusive popups).
Please:
- disable your AdBlocker by adding CoolSoft website to whitelist
- give the proper cookie consent
- enable JavaScript for this website
This seconds wait is to let you update your browser configuration...
Ok, I've done the required changes... now show me your content!- JM_1234321
- Posts: 21
- Joined: January 23, 2018 - 18:11
- falcosoft
- Posts: 129
- Joined: September 25, 2013 - 16:38
I do not know 'OVE4' and Google also could not give relevant results so I can only help with some general guidelines:
Yes, Bassmidi/VMS and SF2 soundfonts support 128 banks. 127 melodic banks and 1 drum/percussion bank.
Sequencers/DAWs and 'Score proggs' has no means to get the capabilities of a Midi out port. So they cannot tell if a port supports banks or not and what way is supported if any (GS like Bank MSB only addressing or XG like Bank MSB + Bank LSB addressing etc.) So usually in a Sequencer/DAW you can tell the program how to handle a given port. E.g in Cakewalk/Sonar you can use instrument definition(.ins) files. In other programs you can associate presets with ports. In this case a Roland GS, Roland Sound Canvas or something similar is usually the best choice for SF2 soundfont synths since the bank addressing mode (Bank MSB only) is the same.
If you cannot find such presets there is usually still a 'raw' approach. Namely in every DAW/Sequencer I know there is a raw Midi Events view where you can insert raw Midi events/messages to tracks. In such a view you should select 'Controller 0' (meaning Bank Select MSB) and the value of the bank you would like to reach in the SF2 file. So in case of Bank 32 insert Controller 0 with value of 32. It's important to know that Bank Select MSB (CC# 0) messages only have a meaning together with Program Change messages. So after you have inserted a Bank Select MSB (CC# 0) you should also insert a Program Change message for Bank Select messages to take effect. If you are testing with full GM/GS SF2 files I usually recommend the last program (Bank Select MSB 0, Program 127 in case of 0 based numbering) named 'Pistol' in GM. If then you send a Bank Select MSB 1 message together with Program Change 127 you should get 'Machine Gun' instead. They are easily distinguishable so you will know if you will have done everything right.
- JM_1234321
- Posts: 21
- Joined: January 23, 2018 - 18:11
I meant "polyphone" [editor] above.
....
The response explanation given was inadequate.
Selecting banks in the expression pull-down and track pane of OVERTURE 4.
Does anyone know how to?
- Attachments (Only registered users)
- capture_22112019_033925.jpg
- falcosoft
- Posts: 129
- Joined: September 25, 2013 - 16:38
Hi,
The response explanation was completely adequate, it's another problem that you could not understand it...
Speaking about adequacy it would have been much easier if you had explicitly mentioned OVERTURE 4 in your first post ( and not some ambiguous abbreviation).
Anyway, here is how it works:
This is the most important you should understand: As I have wtitten above OVERTURE 4 has no means to get the capabilities of a Midi out port. You should tell it how to handle your choosen port. As I have suspected and written about above OVERTURE 4 uses instrument definition(.ins) files to define Bank handling of a given port. You can select such definition in Options->Instruments. Here you can see multiple options and as I have said above you should select Roland GS for melodic channels and Roland GS Drumsets for Drum channel (channel 10). To be more precise you can edit the 'Master.ins' file in OVERTURE's main folder to achieve exact match with your SF2 file. Or you can import your custom ins file also in Options->Instruments. But for starting choosing Roland GS is the easiest option. After you have done this you can select banks that are defined in GS specification (this usually works since most SF2 files are GM/GS compatible). Notice that Bank numbers are the same as Variation numbers in GS terminology. Picture attached:
- Attachments (Only registered users)
- overture4_banks.jpg
- JM_1234321
- Posts: 21
- Joined: January 23, 2018 - 18:11
Thanks Falco! That worked.
I haven't tested if I can access banks in a sound font file, since I am not using sfs with banks right now. But I got the results you showed; I think that will be good. (I construct my own soundfonts in polyphone and I will be adding bank options.)
.......
Decades ago, I use to use a JV1080 and Triton. I would open MIDI files with a 'sys ex' included and that sys ex would set things automatically without me knowing what it did or how. I would be able to see bank options in ove.4 expression pulldowns.
When I use to be able to see banks options in my expression pulldowns (as sys ex set it), the options weren't the 'GS capiltol or var#1...9' headings. It would show the 4 banks categories ("[0, 0-32 etc]").
...........
How do I edit the (GS and XG) ini files? ...Net search and download an editor I suppose. What ini editor do you trust and like?
.....
Thanks again.
- JM_1234321
- Posts: 21
- Joined: January 23, 2018 - 18:11
I figured it out.
ini. files are edited simply with WIN notepad.
One changes the instrument defs (at bottom) and then each heading pointed to by those new defs to same name.
Then one changes any of the entries (under the headings) and those will now show up in the host (notation or sequencer).
- JM_1234321
- Posts: 21
- Joined: January 23, 2018 - 18:11
Hello again.
What must I do to actually access bank-patches?
I set, in the expression pulldown (above attached image), the bank and bank's patch to what I know is a bank-patch in the sf file, but only the capital patch (default) plays back.
I eventually did set the controller field in that pulldown (above image) to '32' (LSB) and the value to assorted ones (mostly 127). BUT still no joy.
I am using the 'yamaha XG' stock .ini file. If the prob is in there, it would be odd. (Do I have to add something to the maste ini?)
What am I doing wrong?
- falcosoft
- Posts: 129
- Joined: September 25, 2013 - 16:38
Hi,
I have explicitly mentioned above that soundfonts (and also Bassmidi/VMS) in not compatible with XG style bank addressing scheme...
So your choice was wrong and instead of XG style variations (Banks LSB) you shoud have used GS style (Bank MSB) mode as I suggested before.
I have attached an ins file that exactly defines my soundfont you can download from here:
http://falcosoft.hu/reality_gmgs_falcomod.zip
You can use it as a test and a learning tool to study how bank definitions work in ins files. Also you can open the soundfont in your soundfont editor to see how the banks in the sf2 file correspond the banks in the instrument definition file.
I have also uploaded a video how you can use banks in Overture 4.
Bye
- Attachments (Only registered users)
- Reality_GMGS_falcomod.zip
- JM_1234321
- Posts: 21
- Joined: January 23, 2018 - 18:11
Falco!
Thanks. That works great.
You're `the Man.
I have been trying to finalize an Overture4 template grand-score and soundset (one format or another [e.g kontakt, Aria]) for years and years. It is almost done; And now because of you (AND CLAUDIO) it is really close to being complete and perfect after years and years.
Thanks again. (Both of you; but specifically here Falco.)
Because of you guys, we don't have to rely on the conmen (never done) tech INDUSTRY.
Really; very cool. :)
....
Falco, how do you like Overture 4?
- coolsoft
- Posts: 1978
- Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
JM_1234321 wrote:Thanks again. (Both of you; but specifically here Falco.)
@falcosoft always gives a great help when we get deep into MIDI details ;)
Thanks a lot!
Navigation
Login
Support me
Click here if you want to support CoolSoft using PayPal