Choose Instrument for MIDI

[Kobalt]

Hi all,

I ran into OpenMPT a while ago and it is just the application I was looking for and I like it very much. Anyway, since I'm far from being an music and OpenMPT expert and still learning I have a (probably highly stupid) question related to MIDI usage:

How to actually choose a different MIDI instrument to be played? I sat up everything as described in the wikis and tutorials, so far the plugin (MIDI Input / Output), and when being in instrument tab I can even access a MIDI piano (probably default instrument) sound by using my keyboard. I failed to change to any other instrument though, really, I investigated all the menus several times and just can't figure out how to get to change it.

Any help would be really appreciated.

Thanks and greets
Kobalt

[LPChip]

In the instrument tab, switch to a different instrument and it should play that instrument.

Note, if you have a vsti assigned to different instruments, and use different midi channels, it is possible that it will still play the first instrument if you are not in the instruments tab. To combat this, open the vsti, and from the menu, select to respond to your instrument of choice.

If this is not answering your question, then I have misunderstood you, and I'd like to ask you to be more specific. If you can, an example song will help us greatly seeing what you are doing and where things go wrong.

[Saga Musix]

As LPChip points out, you'll have to use the Plugin/MIDI settings to send MIDI program changes. Note that there can be only one MIDI program per channel. This is the only way to change programs with the MIDI Input/Output plugin, because that's how MIDI synths work.

However, I strongly suggest you to not use the "Microsoft MIDI Mapper" / "Microsoft GM Wavetable Synth" through the MIDI Input/Output plugin for several reasons:
- It sounds ugly.
- It has a very high latency.
- It is not possible to record your song to a Wave file from OpenMPT, because it's an external synthesizer.

There are far better-sounding synths out there, and if you really want to go for General MIDI-ish sound, I'd rather recommend to use a VST plugin like sfz and load a good soundfont in that plugin. All aforementioned problems are gone then.

[Harbinger]

I think he is wondering how to change MIDI instruments in a pattern...

[Saga Musix]

The answers above say it: You can't. You have to specify a MIDI instrument to be used with a module instrument in the instrument settings, and then create multiple mod instruments pointing to the same MIDI Input/Output plugin, having different MIDI instruments assigned to MIDI channels.

[Kobalt]

Thanks all for your replies and sorry for my delay in replying, you know RL interferes sometimes.

I think the problem I'm facing is much more simple than what you expect. I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough about this.

I'm quoting the OpenMPT manual about MIDI now:

6. Now you must assign an instrument to the VST. This can be done from the plugin editor′s File menu. You can then use the newly created instrument to send note data to the MIDI Input / Output plugin, which in turn will send it to the port where your MIDI instrument receives its data. This should play the MIDI instrument.

This is the last step to set up an instrument for the MIDI Input / Output plugin (as described here at the very bottom: http://wiki.openmpt.org/Manual:_MIDI_Reference). The bold text is the important info. It just states that you can CAN set the instrument from the editor's File menu, anyway it doesn't state HOW. If you look for the File menu you have four options: 1) Load Preset..., 2) Save Preset As..., 3) Create Instrument from plugin, 4) Randomize Parametres. One can rule out 1), 2) and 4), at least I thought. If I go for "Create Instrument from plugin" I'm able to play the piano, but how to tell the program not to create the piano but, let's say a bass? How to actually choose a different instrument?

Thanks and greets
Kobalt

[LPChip]

Go to the instrument tab, select your instrument, and at the bottom right in this section you'll see a part that says plugin, midi channel and bank/preset. These options allow you to set your plugin manually.

For more information, refer to the instruments section of the manual, or try a few buttons on the screen and use a bit of common sense.

[Kobalt]

Thanks for your help again.

The plugin setting MIDI Program seems to allocate the MIDI instrument. Now it works.