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MIDI track to bus volume and instruments loading
Hi Rui and hi everyone.
yesterday I tried this flow: I put some notes on MIDI track "1" (no plugins on this track).
Then I set output for this track to a BUS. On the BUS, I put an instrument in its output plugins (e.g. Calf Fluidsynth).
This is partially working: I can hear the sound, but changing track 1 volume nothing happens.
I tried this flow because I'd like to put a single instrument on a BUS, setting several patches on its channels (e.g. from 1 to 4)
In this way I can have midi events on "mate" tracks (e.g. 1-4) which play through the track having the instruments. This would allow to insert just 1 instrument instead of 4 instruments, having a cheaper memory usage.
Am I doing something wrong? Is there a better way to do what I'm trying to?
Second question: in menu View there's the function "Instruments".
If I load a .sf2 soundfont, I see that it is available in midi tracks , Instruments-> My instrument -> Patches...
But selecting a patch doesn't make the instrument play, I still have to add an plugin on the track.
So Maybe I didn't understand the proper usage of Instruments (in View and in the track)
thanks, greetings
Manu
re. MIDI track to bus volume and instruments loading
I guess you're doing it right however it might be that calf-fluidsynth doesn't cope with expectations :)
In general, a so called multi-timbral instrument plugin should be inserted on a MIDI output bus, so that each soundfont preset (aka. program) goes mapped to a separate MIDI channel address (1 to 16) -- you probably have to customize that channel map on the calf-fluidsynth GUI anyway -- then each MIDI track applies to one of th MIDI channels, so it conveys MIDI data (notes and stuff:)) to the designated instrument preset or program in particular. Note that the soundfont (.sf2) has to be designed for multiple presets or bank/programs otherwise this whole multi-timbral idea is completely moot.
MIDI track volume should work as intended as it sends MIDI CC#7 (GM 7-Volume) through the track's MIDI channel so it should affect the SF2 preset assigned to that same channel. OTOH, the MIDI output bus volume fader might not work at all, as it sends GM Master Volume (a GM standard sysex sequence) that calf-fluidsynth plugin might not recognize nor implement as such, at all. As a matter of fact, Ii don't think qsynth or fluidsynth standalone does it either, so you're not doing anything wrong there.
On your second question, re. the View > Instruments function, it's all about to select the SF2 instrument preset (via MIDI bank_select+program_change messages) for the proper MIDI track and channel. Again, I don't really know whether calf-fluidsynth plugin complies with this MIDI program selection scenario, maybe because it's not quite applicable to LV2 plugins (unless the unofficial lv2_programs extension is supported, which I doubt), but is instead designed for external standalone and outboard MIDI instruments (and full-blown SF2 compliant players, eg. qsynth, fluidsynth, etc.);
cheers
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