Software and advice for controlling with MIDI

[Dictator]

Greetings again.

This is not specifically related to MPT or tracking, but I'm asking it here because of the obvious population of musicians around. In short, I'm relatively new to using MIDI for controlling devices. My setup is simply keyboard and computer connected with MIDI, with sound output from keyboard.

I don't know if I'm in the right direction, but I would like to send MIDI from a keyboard controller (single channel), and then have software send it back, on multiple channels. I also need to send program change messages. The aim is to use the midi sound bank on board of the keyboard (specifically Roland FP-7) multitimbrally, i.e. create layers and keyboard splits on the computer.

So, I'd like some pointers on what software (very much preferably free software) to use for this. I've dabbled with VSTHost, but it seems I don't understand what to do with it, since I'm not finding any program change or MIDI send functionality. I've also tried Cantabile (Lite version), but, in addition to the full version being proprietary, I can't find any multi-channel capabilities on it.

If someone has used VSTHost to do this, please give me some advice on what to do. Or, if not, if someone knows another program with these capabilities, please tell me.

Thanks.

[psishock]

well the MIDI interface only sends and receives midi commands. As i can see, the Roland FP-7 supports keyboard splits and layers internally (if it would not be a multitimbral hardware, your request would be basically impossible to make, even with the help from a software, tricks).

The question is, does the hardware able to send/receive onboard programming commands through midi, or this is restricted only to the keyboard interface? If it's not restricted, you can basically just use any program that remaps your default midi controls and you're good to go, map any desired control to any key (and trigger them any way you like, manually, with automation, etc). Otherwise, you are strictly forced to do the layering/splitting on the Roland keyboard, by hand.

[LPChip]

And its quite likely that the multi-layered sounds cannot be accessed by midi either. I have this with my Yamaha PSR-740 and Roland FP-2. They have voices in certain banks, but general midi won't let me access them in any way. Only the general midi numbers are sent through, which is a shame, cus the Yamaha has great sounds.

[kit beats]

@LPChip, what do you mean by multi layered sounds? the sound on channels? or? and that they can not be accessed by midi? i dont understand.... I have a midi keyboard plugged but for me its the same as i press a button on my pc keyboard and listen to the sample i imported

[Saga Musix]

What LPChip refers to are XG extensions, which, contrary to his claim, can be accessed by sending MIDI messages to a device.

[LPChip]

What LPChip refers to are XG extensions, which, contrary to his claim, can be accessed by sending MIDI messages to a device.

Indeed, I refer to XG and other kinds like GS. They are sounds consistent out of multiple sounds and effects over them.

And even though it is indeed possible to send messages by accessing the relative banks (if my memory serves me right, this is somewhere in the 50000, the problem is that I haven't found a way to actually allow any windows program or plugin to go that far, and thus not sending the right midi data. In fact, I haven't seen a proper hardware midi controller that can do this either. Perhaps if you playback a midi that has the XG extension on the device itself, it works, but as far as controlling another device and accessing the GS or XG extension, I had no luck.

I do have to add that I searched for this years ago.

[Saga Musix]

You can f.e. use vanBasco's Karaoke Player to play XG MIDIs on external hardware, and you can use SendSX to capture incoming MIDI/XG data and use it in own MIDI messages.

[Dictator]

Thanks for the replies.

I verified that my idea works with, of all programs, LMMS. Each plugin's control dialog has a midi tab, which lets me set the plugin to receive note on/off from channel A, and send the same messages to channel B. I can then put multiple plugins and thus send on multiple channels. So it is possible, if very unwieldy and simple with lmms.

We can thus deduce that the instrument is capable of this. I've delved more into VSTHost. I now get the input midi messages and can set parameters in a vst with midi, which is, however, not what I'm after. I still can't figure out how to transmit any midi messages with this complex piece of software. The main reason for this might be that I have no idea what to do, and I can't find any information on this anywhere. The host has an input module and an output module, each of which has their own midi input and output settings with filters and transformations, on top of global midi settings. Does anyone know of the possible existence of real documentation for these (the manual tells me, well, not much about output really)?

The keyboard has a midi specification, which would probably be useful if I actually got into the point where I can send messages.