[Rosegarden-devel] Re: [Rosegarden-user] Sound level of different percussion instruments

[Silvan <dmm...@us...>]

On Friday 12 November 2004 12:07 pm, Chris Cannam wrote:
> On Friday 12 Nov 2004 16:35, Silvan wrote:
> > Bad advice.  The percussion checkbox is pretty much ONLY useful for
> > synths that use the GS standard.  In every other case it is, to the
> > extent of my current experience, utterly the wrong thing to do.
>
> Huh?

> Right.  So you tell RG that your device has percussion in bank 1 0, and
> then when you check the percussion checkbox, you'll get bank 1 0.

That may be what you think it does, but that sure doesn't seem to be what i=
t=20
does.

* load PC51f.sf2 into FluidSynth
* import the programs out of that .sf2 file
* take your above advice and set bank 1:0 to be percussion

=46rom here, there's a non-percussion bank 1:0 that sets drums.  If you che=
ck=20
the percussion box, since there is no alternate 1:0 bank, instead of gettin=
g=20
percussion, you get nothing at all.  This is my primary complaint, as this =
is=20
the default state of affairs under most out of the box circumstances.  (I'm=
=20
always having to go in and manually un-check the stupid percussion box unle=
ss=20
I'm using my Sound Canvas.  There's a bug out on this, but I didn't quite=20
work out what to do about it.)


Now if you manually create an empty 1:0 for the melodic instruments that do=
n't=20
exist in this bank, and then manually switch the existing (imported out of=
=20
the .sf2 file) 1:0 over to percussion, it does indeed become the case that=
=20
checking the percussion box allows you to choose drum kits.  However, it=20
doesn't transmit the 1:0 bank change, and the bank combo is empty, so it's=
=20
not possible to dial up bank 1:0, and all you can choose from are the GM=20
programs (in bank 0:0 it sounds like) that happen to coincide with the slot=
s=20
that have drums in them in 1:0.  This state here is completely WRONG.

A) It was necessary to shuffle things around to manually wind up with two 1=
:0
   banks in the first place, even though there is no reason to bother in th=
is
   situation (because the drums are not in the same bank as anything else, =
and
   there is nothing "alternate" about this set of programs)
B) In spite of this, it is impossible to select drums at all (possibly due =
to
   a newly discovered bug, since you say it's supposed to transmit bank 1:0=
 in
   this circumstance, and it so obviously doesn't.)
C) This entire process is completely POINTLESS, because all you have to do =
to=20
   make use of drums is import the banks/programs out of the damn soundfont
   and then go dial up bank 1:0.  No extra checkbox required, no extra steps
   required.  It's not only less complicated to set up, but it's also the o=
nly
   method that actually even works.

> GM2 spec issues [accidentally deleted the original text]

I have no idea.  I haven't been able to find a GM2 spec that didn't cost=20
money.

> If it doesn't work for you, and you do actually have a percussion bank,
> then your device's config is almost certainly wrong.

I maintain that if anything is wrong here, it's the concept of foisting a=20
percussion mode upon the many (probably the vast majority) of things that=20
have no use for one.  So far as I can determine, playing with everything at=
=20
my disposal (which does exclude both GM2 and XG), the only time this=20
alternate percussion bank is EVER useful is for Roland GS.  For everything=
=20
else (ie Q/FluidSynth[-DSSI] and the emu10k1 and all soundfonts I have whic=
h=20
have drums in them at all) it is not necessary, and it does not even work. =
=20
In the majority of cases, for the umpteenth time, it is necessary to UN-che=
ck=20
the percussion box to make the drums work.

Do you understand what I'm talking about yet?

To summarize again:

Roland GS

bank 0:0 -> normal GM sounds
bank 0:0 -> percussion sounds (when channel (10 by default) is in drum mode)

Everything Else (as far as I can determine)
bank 0:0 -> normal GM sounds
bank 1:0 -> drum kits

(Or I think in some cases there is no bank 1:0 at all, and channel 10 just=
=20
plays from one drum kit.  That is probably the case with a lot of low end=20
consumer keyboards, but since there is nothing to change one way or the=20
other, it doesn't enter into consideration.)

=2D-=20
Michael McIntyre  ----   Silvan <dmm...@us...>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek;  registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/