Subject:Program Change Banks

Posted by: ICS-video

Date:11/14/2007 6:23:05 PM

I would like to know how to specify MIDI program (voice) numbers and bank select numbers for my external synthesizer in Acid Music Studio.

I am using Acid Music Studio version 7.0. My synth is a Yamaha YPG-525 keyboard. I recorded a MIDI track in Music Studio, and am able to get Music studio to play that track on my keyboard. I am also able to get the keyboard to use different voices, by changing the numbers next to the little piano-key icon on the MIDI track.

I am a little familiar with MIDI in that I know that a program (voice) needs 3 numbers to identify it - a program number, a bank MSB, and a bank LSB. If I hover the mouse pointer over the little piano-key icon when I am connected to my keyboard, the pop-up hint says "Program : MSB : LSB", so I assume that this means I can enter the program number and bank numbers there. However, when I do, I don't get the voices that are documented in the manual for my Yamaha keyboard.

Am I doing the right thing? Is there something else I should be doing?

Also, Is there some way that I can create a list of voices (a voice map) for my keyboard in Music Studio so that I can select voices for my keyboard using their names rather than triads of numbers?

Finally, the Music Studio help says that if I create a program change keyframe in my MIDI track, then double click it, the Output Settings tab of the Track Properties window will be displayed showing the program at that keyframe. However, nothing is displayed if I am using my keyboard as an output device. Should I see something?

Subject:RE: Program Change Banks

Reply by: pwppch

Date:11/15/2007 10:21:06 PM

ACID Music Studio does not support this.

ACID Pro 6 permits you to load and create patch and drum maps that can be assigned to specific MIDI ports.

Peter

Subject:RE: Program Change Banks

Reply by: ICS-video

Date:11/16/2007 2:03:34 PM

Thanks for replying. So, I can live with not having patch and drum maps for my synthesizer's programs (voices). But what about setting the program (including bank numbers) for a MIDI track? How do I do that? Do I enter three numbers in the area next to the small piano-key icon? If so, is there also something else I need to do? As I said, I have entered numbers in that area, but have not gotten the results I expected.

Subject:RE: Program Change Banks

Reply by: pwppch

Date:11/17/2007 3:07:20 PM

Yes, you type in the program #, Bank MSB, and Bank LSB here.

The Yamaha YPG-525 supports GM and XG I believe.

From the voice list in the Yamaha manaul, it appears they use a "1" based index for the voice. ACID uses a ZERO based index.

EXAMPLE: Voice number 51, the Slap Bass is program # 37 and it is "1"based.

To select this voice in ACID, you would enter 36 for the program change # and 0 for the bank MSB and 112 for the Bank LSB

you would see

36 0 112

What results have you gotten vs expected?
Can you provide me with a specific example?

Peter

Subject:RE: Program Change Banks

Reply by: ICS-video

Date:12/18/2007 1:35:39 PM

Sorry it has taken me so long to reply. Life is too busy and my memory is too short.

I tried using "zero-based" voice numbers and everything is working fine. I can't believe I didn't think of this. I am a software engineer and we do conversions between "zero-based" and "one-based" numbers all the time. Oh well. Keeps me humble. Thanks for giving me the solution.

Carl

Subject:RE: Program Change Banks

Reply by: pwppch

Date:12/18/2007 9:06:39 PM

Glad you sorted it out.

Peter

Subject:RE: Program Change Banks

Reply by: DrLumen

Date:12/19/2007 6:16:10 PM

Geez, good thing the program change isn't cryptic...

Subject:RE: Program Change Banks

Reply by: pwppch

Date:12/19/2007 8:10:02 PM

Geez, good thing the program change isn't cryptic...
What are you trying to say?

Peter

Subject:RE: Program Change Banks

Reply by: DrLumen

Date:12/19/2007 8:50:13 PM

I was thinking the studio version was aimed more for beginners. I have been doing midi for a long time and entering PC's like that is a pain. I had to crack out the owners' manuals for my midi gear to figure out which numbers to enter. That's not very user friendly - especially for beginners.

I upgraded to Studio 7 for the midi ability. Granted the upgrade from 6 didn't cost much but when I try to use it for anything midi I find myself more frustrated than impressed. Maybe I was expecting more. When coming from a perspective of using competitors 5 year old midi app, I expected a lot more.

The controller maps are useful; if an advanced user wanted to get that deep. But lack of even a GM PC map is not good.

I'm not to trying to rag on you personally but the various version features don't seem right. Just my $.02.