Custom Patch names in middam file

[JoePlummer]

I'm trying to develop a big template, and my approach to articulations involves Program Changes. My idea has been to develop a custom middev file (or just modify one from someone else's instrument), and apply articulations as patch changes (which works great using numbers to choose the patch--but I'd rather name them). But no matter what I do in Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) I can't get the custom patch names to appear in the ProgChange insert.

Anyone have any experience or suggestions? What am I overlooking? Do I have to do something to the lane in PT to get them to appear?

Thanks very much in advance....

[nigelpry]

Before we go any further ...

Mac or pc?

What version of PT?
(Important because setting up midinam was broken in all versions of PT11 and early versions of PT12. It was fixed in 12.1)

Is it MIDI hardware that you want to control, or a virtual instrument? Be specific about exactly what hardware/software you are trying to control.

[ChuckS]

Not 100% certain, but I think the problem you are having is that you can't assign patch names to VIs. You can only assign them to external MIDI devices (physical MIDI I/O). Anyway, here is a doc that outlines the steps to create patch files:

http://archive.digidesign.com/support/tips/xnames.html

If you want to just modify an existing one to suit your needs, pick a device that has a straight-up one bank patch list like the E-mu Proteus 1.

[JoePlummer]

Nigelpry: MAC. PT12.8.2
I'm controlling VIs using VEPro, using Kontakt and Vienna instruments. The actual libraries are a variety including Spitfire, 8DIO, and a couple of others.

[JoePlummer]

ChuckS: Thanks for the pointer to that archive doc. I have been using it to created the middam and middev files, then tried just modifying one from an existing manufacturer. I'm pretty confident that my definition files are correct. I select them from inside PT, but they just don't appear.

I'm already successfully changing the patches from PT in both Kontakt and Vienna libraries using the patch numbers. So MIDI is sending the correct Program Change information, and VEPro is passing it along correctly. So the only difference I'm looking for is the convenience of naming (rather than indexing) the Prog Change number. I've seen a description in a youtube video that indicated this is possible, but I've just not been able to get the custom patch names to appear in the Prog Change list.

[ChuckS]

The only other way I can think of might be to use IAC MIDI to VEP, but don't have the Mac handy to check it out. PT might let you assign a patch name file to an IAC MIDI port - never tried.

[JoePlummer]

Here is the text of a youtube video that demonstrates this working:

Using CherryPicker, create a new device (make up a name for the Manufacturer & Model), this will create a new middev and will place it in Library>Audio Devices>MIDI Devices Folder (if it doesn't - repair permissions). You should then see this device in 'Audio Midi Setup' - make the connection to any of your midi devices there (keyboard ect..). You should be able to select this device in a Pro Tools instrument/midi track - select it, then press control and select a software instrument inside PT so that the track sends the data to both the 'fake' instrument you just created in CherryPicker and to the instrument that you want to play inside PT. The midnam & middev created with Cherry Picker are made just for PT to show their naming in the Program change lane.

I don't know enough about the Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) to know if I'm doing this right, but I don't see the device I'm trying to connect to in PT. Is there a good, in-depth description of the virtual connectivity between PT and AMS that folks would recommend?

[noah330]

This is one thing that has irked me about modern DAWs since the early 00s.

With Galaxy (Opcode) you could use OMS and in about five minutes have every patch name imported into your DAW for use and then you could launch Galaxy and edit all of your patches with a standard looking interface, create names and have everything appear in your dropdown list.

Since the end of Opcode this has never worked right. I thought there was a MOTU product that did something similar but bought it years ago and couldn't get it to work despite numerous tries.

We need a modern Galaxy type product. I still use PCM-81/91 patches I created years ago that would be super hard to front panel today.

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by JoePlummer

Here is the text of a youtube video that demonstrates this working:

Using CherryPicker, create a new device (make up a name for the Manufacturer & Model), this will create a new middev and will place it in Library>Audio Devices>MIDI Devices Folder (if it doesn't - repair permissions). You should then see this device in 'Audio Midi Setup' - make the connection to any of your midi devices there (keyboard ect..). You should be able to select this device in a Pro Tools instrument/midi track - select it, then press control and select a software instrument inside PT so that the track sends the data to both the 'fake' instrument you just created in CherryPicker and to the instrument that you want to play inside PT. The midnam & middev created with Cherry Picker are made just for PT to show their naming in the Program change lane.

I don't know enough about the Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) to know if I'm doing this right, but I don't see the device I'm trying to connect to in PT. Is there a good, in-depth description of the virtual connectivity between PT and AMS that folks would recommend?

OK - multiple MIDI outs! Very clever. I use multiple outs regularly for layering, but never thought of this. Just make sure you select your 'fake' device as the first output, then ctrl-click to add your VI output.

As far as AMS goes - create a new device using the + in the the title bar and name it say 'Articulations'. Then connect 'Articulations' by dragging from triangles to triangles of any available physical MIDI interface port (items with triangles on bottom are MIDI interfaces, triangles on the top are MIDI devices - connect up to up, down to down). Double click 'Articulations' and in Properties select the Manufacturer and Model named in the .middev and .midnam file you created. The device should now appear in the PT dropdown. Mistakes in the .middev and .midnam files are the main cause of patch lists not appearing even though the device does. PT is very picky about exact match between these two files and their formatting.

For anyone on a PC - it is way less picky. You can assign a patch file to a predefined output port without having to create the fake device.

[JoePlummer]

Hurray! Success! Very exciting.

The solution has been described here, but I'll reiterate (so I remember too!):
- Create or modify a midnam, substituting patch names with VI articulation description. Suggest just modifying an existing device which you'll never use. Make sure the text editor doesn't change the ASCII value of the double-quotes (into smart quotes). There's an app called Cherry Picker which can help (but it may be hard to find in a version that will run on your MAC).
- Connect the device in AMS as ChuckS describes above, connecting both interfaces from the fake interface to a physical interface already recognized. Used the MIDI ports on my Korg nano2.
- In VEPro, create Kontakt instrument racks in which the different articulations are loaded into various slots (and which reply to Program Changes!). I use the Spitfire UACC standard numbers. I assign to the rack as a plug-in channel inside a VEPro instance (one instance per instrument, as I'm auditioning several libraries). Each instance gets its own MIDI channel in, and its own pair of outputs.
In PT, create a virtual instrument track to instantiate a connection to the VEPro instance. I then use MIDI tracks with separate AUX returns for the rest of the various library options. I can sub and sum any way I like that way.
!!!!!!!!
The trick is to overlay these tracks' MIDI outs using Ctrl-Clicks, choosing the fake instrument as the first out and then the relevant VEPro MIDI channel second. It works!
I can select the articulation I want by name.
And the setting chases perfectly!
!!!!!!!!!
Thanks, ChuckS, for the clues!