setting up instrument sound names for MIDI keyboard

Although version 0.942 offers a now easier way to import instrument sounds names for a MIDI keyboard or playback device, there is still an area of potential confusion. I'll explain it here, and then maybe some of you can offer me some suggestions about how to reduce the potential confusion.

MidiNotate distinguishes the concepts of MIDI "port" and "device". The port is sort of like a pipe through which the MIDI music flows but which is not capable of actually making the sound. The device receives the MIDI data from the port ("through the pipe") and actually produces the sound.

MIDI ports have names defined by their respective MIDI drivers. For example, the output port for a Midisport 1x1 by MidiNotate is named "Out USB Midi 1x1". Initially, MidiNotate doesn't know the name of the device that might be connected to the port. So, MidiNotate gives a placeholder name for that device, and that placeholder name is the same as the name of the port. In this example, a placeholder device named "Out USB Midi 1x1" is assigned to the port named "Out USB Midi 1x1".

When you assign tracks to an external device, you will find it more meaningful to refer to the name of the device, such as "Yamaha Tyros" (keyboard) that you will the port name, such as "Out USB Midi 1x1". Also, you will find it more meaningful to refer to the names of the MIDI banks, patches, and drum notes, such as "pizzicato strings" than you will the raw numbers for banks, patches, and drum notes.

Starting with version 0.942, when you import the instrument sounds names for a device from a Cakewalk INS or Notation Software MDD file, you will also assign the imported device to an output port at the same time. Before 0.942, you had to do that in two steps: (1) import the device, and then (2) "connect" it to an output port.

If after you import the device you visit the MIDI Device Configuration window, you will see two devices listed under the port, as in this example:<blockquote>Out USB Midi 1x1
---------------
Out USB Midi 1x1
Yamaha Tyros</blockquote>The potentially confusing thing here is that there is still both a port and a device named "Out USB Midi 1x1". Said another way, two devices are assigned to the port.

Do you find that confusing?

If you assigned a track to the device named "Out USB Midi 1x1" instead of "Yamaha Tyros", what do you think would happen?

Cheers
-- Mark