I haven't tested Windows 8 yet.ĭriver #2 has a nicer User Interface, but supports just one port (16 MIDI channels).ĭriver #1 is open source and supports two ports (2 x 16 MIDI channels).īoth drivers can be installed and used side-by-side with each other and the standard MS GS Synth.
In other words, these two drivers are software replacements for the Wavetable MIDI hardware on earlier soundcards, but without their hardware limitations (number of voices, size of SoundFont).īoth drivers work in Windows XP, Vista, 7 (32 and 64 bit). These chips use Soundfonts (SF2 files), that contain the wavetables (audio samples) for the various instruments.
Yeah, this is really primitive stuff, but I've been banging my head for days trying to get even this far.I am using these two MIDI drivers on Windows XP Professional 32 bit and Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit:īoth drivers are installed as MME (MS Multimedia Extension) MIDI drivers, just like the standard MS GS Wavetable Synth.īoth use the BASS audio library, which contains a software synthesizer, that emulates the EMU sound chip of Creative Soundblaster audio cards (and compatible hardware). So I have "MIDI IN" active, and I have a "soundfont player"Ĭurrently, I'm using Bome's Mouse Keyboard - it's very light and simple, and consequently helped me glean a breakthrough yesterday - live control of the "soundfont MIDI soft synth" - INCLUDING Program Changes! Personally, the easiest implementation I've found (on windows) is to use virtualmidisynth, which has an interface to check active soundfonts. To monitor receipt of MIDI messages on your computer, MIDI-OX is invaluable (if initially a little overwhelming! nature of the beast. but the help doesn't work, the translation to the small iphone screen isn't very usable without a pen to tap the screen I guess.)Īnyway, the point is this: you have a midi controller, and you can use (it seems) hundreds of tools to use a soundfont compatible "midi output device" (instead of the MS wavetable synth). Midi Controller (Michael Choudakcreate your own surfaces.
Knob Lab (lite version locked down, by you can still create several knobs, so a kind of custom-omni-midi message is being performed (sliding the visual knob affect all configured knobs). MIDI Monitor - as well as providing real-time monitor of MIDI events, a number of polished control surfaces are provided, and it's very slick) MIDI Knob - if it weren't for this, I'd still be stuck on program #1 (free controllers include - best to worst Launch rtpMIDI, enabling a wifiMIDI session Make sure Bonjour + rtpMIDI Services are startedĢ. OK so I had a breakthrough, and discovered that the MIDI program change works, and sends the "change instrument to program/patch/preset #"ġ.
Some great tools here, now just need to work out how to control/use soundfont "presets" and instruments
However, if your synthesizer is not General MIDI, then the names in the patch list are not meaningful. The most common standard is the General MIDI standard which is used as default patch list in Mouse Keyboard. Now different soundcards/synthesizers/tone generators can have different instruments assigned to the MIDI programs and MIDI banks. Conversely, changing the program and/or bank will try to find a matching patch in the patch list, and if successful, select it. When you select a patch in the drop down list, you will see that the program and bank numbers will change accordingly. A patch is comprised of the name of the instrument, and its setting for MIDI program and MIDI bank, which are displayed in the second row of the Mouse Leyboard's main screen. The instrument that you play is selected with the Patch drop down list. (from Bome MouseKeyboard Helpfile) Patches So, On The Wavetable Synth, all instruments are on bank 1. "Which bank numbers to use is detailed in the documentation of your MIDI device." I thought I understood MIDI, so I reinstalled the endearing Bome's Mouse Keyboard (having given up on FreePiano, which isn't helping me understand, or use, VST MIDI / SF2 MIDI stuff.) That's got 10 factory banks and 10 user banks, each with 4 programs,ie F0(:1-4) - F9(:1-4). I'm a guitarist, but I understand computers - to a degree! The problem, for me, is terminology and context. Layer or as defaults, additively modify the Instrument Parameters, allowing a single Instrument to be used to The Preset Layer Parameters, whether defined in the Preset
Parameters, and a reference to an Instrument. The Global Preset Parameter List contains any default values for the Preset LayerĪ Preset Layer contains the applicable Key and Velocity Range for the Preset Layer, a list of Preset Layer Each MIDI Preset in a SoundFont compatible Bank comprises an optional Global Preset Parameter List and