Patches and discussion for Ensoniq VFX family

--- In Ensoniq-VFX-SD@yahoogroups.com, Steve Wahl <steve@...> wrote:
>
> On Thu, Dec 25, 2008 at 01:40:55AM +0000, Gordon JC Pearce MM3YEQ
wrote:
> > markrubin53 wrote:
> > > Has anyone developed a .syx file for either a "General Midi
Settings"
> > > or the "Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth?"
> > > When I go into a music program and try to use my Ensoniq VFX sd as
the
> > > midi instrument, it can't see it. Only in Cakewalk do they
recognize
> > > Ensoniq. If someone has made a .syx for the General Midi settings
> > > either 0-127 or 1-128 it would make our lives much easier.
> > > What do you think?
> > > Thanks;
> > >  Mark
> >
> > Most music software won't really "see" the Ensoniq as anything.  It
will
> > see a MIDI port, and will cheerfully stuff MIDI commands down it,
but it
> > won't actually know (or care) what's on the other end of the MIDI
cable.
>
> And further, the VFX cannot be made compatible with General MIDI (GM)
> or GS through a simple sound set.  You can't get it to respond the way
> GM specifies to program changes above 120, and you'll never get it to
> match the GM drum sound layout, and I don't think there's a way to get
> it to respond to more than 12 midi channels at once (though on a
> VFX-SD you've got 24 channels if you use both song and sequence
> tracks, so maybe there's a way); and those are the first three
> limitations I can think of, not an exhaustive list.
>
> The General MIDI specification was created after the VFX was designed,
> and pretty much modeled after the Roland MT-32 if I remember
> correctly.  The VFX just works in a much different fashion.
>
> For existing midi sequences, if you want to play them on the VFX you
> probably need to take it into a midi sequencer like cakewalk and edit
> as appropriate for the VFX.
>
> For other software, there might be some workarounds.  It would
> probably help if you told us what specific software you are trying to
> use, and specifically what you'd expect it to do vs. what it does.
> "See" and "recognize" are very vague terms.  Although for some things,
> like assuming a General MIDI drum note layout, there may not be not
> much you can do.
>
> --> Steve
> --
> Steve Wahl    steve@...
>
> Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.
> Art is knowing which ones to keep.    -- Scott Adams
>
Let's say I use EZ-PNO and I'm just trying to learn the keyboard using
some of their midi sequences. In order to make it sound right I have to
re-patch my assignments to where they are playing. So when it first
starts playing, it starts in the first patch of the sixth bank. 6 X6 =
36.
So, in the 36th patch I place a piano patch and it works fine. Yes, you
can change the sound of a patch as soon as the thing first starts
playing, but then you have to do it everytime.
So, I know how to re-assign my patches to a GS wavetable Synth, or .syx
in the library. It's just a lot of work.
But what you said about the drum assignments is the thing that I don't
think will ever work.
Thanks for your input.
Mark