Yamaha KX 49 & Composer problem

[mgj32]

Hi Sherry,
I think I can do the configuration of Maple Midi, Synthfont and Composer as you describe it above.

My question is: where does my Audigy 2 ZS fit into the setup?

Synthfont is already set to play through the sound card. Would I have to change anything there? Or would that be a setting in Maple Midi?

I guess more than 16 channels couldn't be worked into the scheme of things, though Synthfont, if I am understanding correctly, uses only 16 channels and creates something like pseudo channels for the other 16. But I'll worry about that once I get setup to play through Synthfont.

all best,
mgj

[Sherry C]

Howdy MG,

Originally Posted by mgj32

My question is: where does my Audigy 2 ZS fit into the setup?

You should be able to use it in conjunction with SynthFont to get your multiple channels

You would use the Audigy as one MIDI device, and SynthFont as the second device. Synthfont will use the audio "side" of the soundcard to produce sound as well. This should give you 16 channels per device (1-16), for a total of 32. At least it should work that way in theory

You would load whatever soundfonts you want to use for each device, and then in Composer, use Staff/Setup to select (1) the device AND (2) the channel for each staff. For example, for the 1st violins, you could use "Audigy / channel 2" and then for the timpani use "Maple 1 / channel 2". (I used the example "Maple 1" because the device name that shows up in Composer will be the "virtual MIDI cable" name rather than "Synthfont."

When you run this setup, be sure to start SynthFont first, and click the "Activate MIDI input" button. Then start Composer, and it should detect everything automatically.

Here's hoping
Sherry

[mgj32]

Hi Sherry,
Thanks. It sounds quite logical to use Audigy as one sound device and Synthfont as another. I wonder if it might get around the problem of the computer crashing when I try to use Audigy's synth A and B in the same way. For now I'll try the SF, Maple, Composer set up. After finishing the Christmas Symphony revision, which I am finding I intended more changes/additions than I had remembered, especially in the finale, I will do some experimenting, using Audigy synth A and Maple (or virtual midi cable) as the midi devices.

Alll through "The Search for Nelly Gray," I've been able to find instruments not playing when another is. For example, the piano and banjo never play together so their staves can share a channel. It works pretty well, but I've found it wise to do a sound change on each staff--that is, make both staves either piano or banjo. But of course there is a limit to how many instruments this method would work for, depending on the composition. So here's hoping your hope works out.

all best,
mgj

[mgj32]

Hi Sherry,
The 'Christmas' Symphony done and the Ned/Nelly aria nearly so, I have installed Maple Midi. I am going to need more than 16 channels, no matter how many sound changes I could do in the Sax/Violin Concerto (yes, that is started.)
When I open select port in Composer, on the left (Input ports) I find Maple Midi 1,2,3,4, and SB Audigy Midi IO.
On the right (Output ports) I find Mapel Midi 1,2,3,4, plus MS Wavetable, SB Audigy Midi IO, Audigy Synth A, and Audigy Synth B.
All the Maple Midi ports were checked, both sides, as was the SB Audigy Midi IO and Synth A.
I tested all and the scale plays for all the Maple ports AS LONG AS both sides are checked.
Before I continue, I am wondering what should be checked on each side and which not.
Synthfont IO Ports, on the left side, gives me the four Maple ports and SB Audigy 2 ZS IO. Apparently I can select 2 of them. I have checked Maple 1 and SB Audigy IO. Maple adds >slot 0..15, while SB Audigy IO adds >slot 16.. 32.
That is as far as I've got. I wonder if it is anywhere near correct.
all best,
mgj

[Sherry C]

Hi MG,

It sounds like your musical endeavors are really coming along! My apologies for the lag on getting back to you from Christmas as well as here. Suffice it to say things here have been busier than I'd like in some ways.

For the virtual cables, it's important to have them only going one direction from Composer as well as the device they're plugging into. For Notation Composer, your Ports (Setup/MIDI Device configuration/Ports/Select Ports) setup should look similar to the following:

Ports.png


The reason being that if you have both "in" and "out" selected, you can get a feedback loop that can cause your computer to act like it's running on vacuum tubes (or wired to rocks). In other words, it can slow your computer to a painful crawl, so that you can't do anything. By making sure that each connection is only going in one direction, you avoid the possibility of the feedback loop.

After you do this, you'll see that change reflected in your MIDI Device Configuration as having the Maple MIDIs only show for "out" and not "in".

Hopefully that will get you going If not, just let me know.

ttfn,
Sherry

[mgj32]

Hi Sherry,
Your set up instructions and the graphics are very clear and look like they should work. But either I'm screwing up somewhere or the Audigy 2 ZS sound card isn't made for use with a virtual midi cable.
Where I am. In Synthfont input ports I have Maple Midi 1-4 listed as well as SB Audio 2 ZS IO (C880). I have checked Maple I for slots 0-15 and the SB Audigy... for slots 16-32.
In Composer on the left I have Maple 1-4 and SB Auidio 2 ZS Midi IO (C880). Nothing is checked for imput ports. On the right Maple 1-4, MS Wavetable, Audigy Synth A and Synth B and the Audigy MIDI IO. I have everything checked by the Audigy MIDI IO. I have also checked this on the right, unchecked MS Wavetable, Maple 2-4, but with no better results.
When I test playback only Synth A and B work. No sound from Maple 1. However if I check Maple 1 on the left, also, then the scale plays but with the green light flashing on both Maple 1 and Synth A.
Maple 1 produces no sound in Synthfont, either. If I load a midi file, select a chanel and select Mapel I for midi out, ia message pops up saying "could not open midi port." Then SF bank reverts to merlin creative and it begins to play.

I hope you can point me to something to try. In the meantime, the Sax/Violin Concerto well started, will accumulate a whole lot of sound changes.

All best,
mgj


I noticed that Maple is listed in Composer as an External Device, but if I click the properties of Maple 1, there it is, listed as a Mini Output Device, with the sound font banks listed, just as in the sound card's SF bank manager and Composer, and as the default in Synthfont.

The only thing I can think of to try is to configure New External Device, with the same check (midi output device) as is already in properties, then add the same banks as are there. Since Composer already recognizes it under properties, that doesn't sound necessary.

[Sherry C]

Hi MG,

Your Audigy sound card has the Synth A and Synth B already on it - there's no need for the Maple MIDI for that. The Maple "cable" should go to SynthFont, which should give you a total of 48(!) instruments available - 16 on each Synth. (One limitation you may run into is the amount of memory that you have on the machine. I recall that when I was using my SB Audigy card, I had to designate a certain amount of memory per Synth (it also had 2), and that if I didn't have enough, it wouldn't function properly. )

After you have the ports set up as I illustrated in the picture, it should be just a matter of when you use the Staff Setup button for any of your staves, you select (1) the Device and (2) the Instrument patch you want to use for the staff.

When you use the Instrument Patch list to select which instrument you want to use, bear in mind that the default list is for the General MIDI (GM) set of instruments. Therefore if the soundfonts that you have loaded on Synth A and Synth B are different than a GM set of instruments, you may want to edit the list to reflect the specific instruments that are on the Synth A and Synth B for each specific instrument patch number. Likewise with the font(s) that you have in SynthFont. You can do this in Composer by doing the following in Setup/MIDI Devices Configuration (the big one):

PatchMapEditing.png

Then back up the configuration! You don't want to lose all that typing

I guess it's time to do some serious research into how to get an .ins (instrument definition file) from a soundfont That would make it much easier as you could just import the .ins into the MIDI device description, rather than type the names into the patch map. Does anyone reading this know of a utility that will create a .ins file from a soundfont?

ttfn,
Sherry

[mgj32]

Hi Sherry,
Woe increases along with entropy. Maybe trying to solve a problem with Composer might help.
Using 'add bank' Synth A and B (and Maple 1, too, now) show these banks: Merlin Creative Ed.sf2 / MC Bank 1 / Mc Bank 2 / MC Bank 3 / MC bank 4. These four banks have instruments from other sound font banks, added with SF Librarian. And also General Midi is there. I have made Merlin Creative Ed.sf2 the default bank for the 2 Synths and Maple 1.

The problem is that although I might specify the ZFS Clarinet in MC Bank 3, patch 72 (if I recall correctly), and have all staves set for Merlin Creative Ed.sf2, the clarinet reverts to the GM one. When I open staff setup or use the icon on the left, general midi is listed as the bank.

I tried just typing in the name of Timp and Cymbals, which I have patch 120 set to in Merlin Creative Ed.sf2 into the same slot in GM, and I got one of the drum banks.

I am afraid to try this, but what would be the result of marking General Midi, then using copy from another bank (Merlin Creative Ed.sf2) and copying Synth A's patches and names? Alternatively, is it possible to just get General Midi out of the list of banks? The numbers of the two are almost the same, something like (000.000d) with an asterisk next to the Merlin bank.

If I knew where to find the GM bank Composer is using, I could perhaps, also, open it and Merlin in Sound font Librarian, to delete each GM patch and drag the Merlin one over, then add the other 4 banks to General midi.

In any case I'd have to save the "new" General midi to a location where I could get at it from Synthfont, too.

The easiest thing, now that the synths, Maple 1, and Synthfont all have Merlin Creative Ed.sf2, would be deleting General Midi, leaving only Merlin CE.sf2 and it's four extra banks. But I'm afraid to try that, mostly because Composer wants to revert to it, as earlier versions didn't. If I set up a staff with Bank 3, clicked on ZFS clarinet, that's what would play.

I have the input and outports set up as you illustrate above. Synthfont does play as I work in Composer.

Feeling really dumber by the day.

All best,
mgj