Best way to interface with East West Play?

[Tsherr]

Hey there,

I just started getting into Play and Digital Performer (8), but I can't seem to figure out how to create the best MIDI/instrument layout.

Since I can't add or remove instruments to a Keyswitch instrument in Play, it makes sense that the best way to create my customized 1st Violins instrument would be to select the patches I like the best, add them to a custom Play instrument, and set each patch's MIDI input to a unique channel. Then, in Digital Performer, I'll have a single Instrument track for the first violins, where MIDI channel 1 is my expressive legato patch, channel 2 is my pizz patch, etc.

This would work fine, but I can't seem to change a MIDI track's output channel on the fly, meaning I would have to create a whole separate MIDI track just to ouput the pizz notes on channel 2!

Ok, ok, fine, I'll use a keyswitch. Then, I can just insert notes into the MIDI track that will act as "channel" changes, allowing me to have all articulations in the same MIDI track. But, this way, I'm limited to whatever Patches happen to be in the keyswitch for that instrument. I can't add or remove them, so if there's one particular (say) DXF patch I want, I have to create a whole new Play instance, and a whole new MIDI track!

tl;dr - Can't I just have a single MIDI track and single instrument track for ALL of the Violin I patches I wish to use? How did you guys tackle this problem?

Thanks in advance!

[bdr]

You might want to have a look at this software

http://www.bewaryprods.com/software/pro ... sMIDIfier/

check out the tutorial video, sounds like it would be what you're looking for.

[Tsherr]

Thanks! I'm surprised DP doesn't have this functionality built in, but I'll give this program a try when I get home tonight and see how it goes!

[Michael Canavan]

Thanks! I'm surprised DP doesn't have this functionality built in, but I'll give this program a try when I get home tonight and see how it goes!

I can't think of a single DAW I've used that can change MIDI channel on the fly?

[Tsherr]

I can't think of a single DAW I've used that can change MIDI channel on the fly?

And seeing as how DP8 (windows) is literally the latest DAW to be released, I'm surprised. At the very least, I would have thought all MIDI parameters in the MIDI event list would be modifiable. Perhaps I'm more surprised that ANY solution to this particular problem isn't obvious!

[bralston]

I can't think of a single DAW I've used that can change MIDI channel on the fly?

And seeing as how DP8 (windows) is literally the latest DAW to be released, I'm surprised. At the very least, I would have thought all MIDI parameters in the MIDI event list would be modifiable. Perhaps I'm more surprised that ANY solution to this particular problem isn't obvious!

Yeah...I see why you are wanting to do that but I think if you just think of it in another way...like patch changes..that is the method MIDI has to do what you want. Patch changes can be done. But you are wanting is a system where what is loaded in the Virtual Instrument to all be there on different channels and then just have the sequencer on a violin track (for example) to just switch MIDI channels that is sent to it to change to the various violin sample patches so all of your MIDI is in one MIDI track. This is really the opposite way MIDI sequencers are designed to work. It is also why Key-Switching patches ere created. Sending patch changes are what you are trying to do. And DP can do that just fine. Check out the manual. Lot of good stuff in there. Seriously. Or use Key-switching patches. That is why developers provide them.

[Tsherr]

Yeah...I see why you are wanting to do that but I think if you just think of it in another way...like patch changes..that is the method MIDI has to do what you want. Patch changes can be done. But you are wanting is a system where what is loaded in the Virtual Instrument to all be there on different channels and then just have the sequencer on a violin track (for example) to just switch MIDI channels that is sent to it to change to the various violin sample patches so all of your MIDI is in one MIDI track. This is really the opposite way MIDI sequencers are designed to work. It is also why Key-Switching patches ere created. Sending patch changes are what you are trying to do. And DP can do that just fine. Check out the manual. Lot of good stuff in there. Seriously. Or use Key-switching patches. That is why developers provide them.

I'd love to use the keyswitches in PLAY. Well, I can, but PLAY won't let you modify (add/remove instruments to/from) the keyswitch patches, so you're stuck with whatever they've decided on.

[bralston]

EW Play has a lot of "fun" things about it, doesn't it?

[Tsherr]

EW Play has a lot of "fun" things about it, doesn't it?

Indeed! But, as the last 6 hours have proved, so does DP8... I don't understand why it won't let me define MIDI inputs anywhere! Please tell me I'm missing something, but as far as I can tell, the following is true:

DP will monitor all MIDI devices on the system, and route ALL MIDI traffic into the record enabled device. I have more than one MIDI input, and I can't tell DP to ignore one or the other.

There is no way to define the MIDI input of a instrument track; the only way you can feed MIDI data to PLAY is by setting the output of a MIDI track to the input of play.

Because of this, transMIDIfier won't work. I can get the MIDI OUT of DP, but once it's out, there's no way to get it back IN (to a specific device). I don't think I've ever seen a DAW prevent you from choosing your MIDI inputs.

Please tell me I am wrong, as this deal breaker would prevent me from migrating from the trial to the full version (I won't even go into the constant crashing which leaves the program in an unresponsive state (I can't kill the task, so I have to reboot the computer....)).

Are there any other ways I can keep all articulations on a single MIDItrack, without relying on the hard-set keyswitch patches in PLAY?

Thanks again!

[b.g.]

I'm not sure if this will help, but take a look at Multi Record under the Studio menu. This gives you a list of MIDI inputs per device and MIDI channel.

[bralston]

Indeed! But, as the last 6 hours have proved, so does DP8... I don't understand why it won't let me define MIDI inputs anywhere! Please tell me I'm missing something, but as far as I can tell, the following is true:

You have simply not spent enough time with DP to learn how to do many things. After over a decade with it..I am still learning how deep DP is with its features and learn many new things from my colleagues here. You will get it. Use the Manual to read about how to do things. If Multi-record is enabled...you can set the input of any MIDI track to be any MIDI input device. Also...make sure your audio/MIDI setup is configured properly for all of your input devices. Not sure where this is in Windows. In OSX, it is in the system utilities folder. This is where DP gets its MIDI devices from.

DP will monitor all MIDI devices on the system, and route ALL MIDI traffic into the record enabled device. I have more than one MIDI input, and I can't tell DP to ignore one or the other.

Multi-record enabled. Done.

There is no way to define the MIDI input of a instrument track; the only way you can feed MIDI data to PLAY is by setting the output of a MIDI track to the input of play.

You are trying to make an instrument track like it is in Logic or another DAW. But in DP...it is what it is. MIDI tracks and instrument tracks are not one and the same. I actually prefer this as having them all in the same track leads to some confusion in the template and it is even more confusing when dealing with multi-timbral instruments.

An Audio Unit or VST instrument that needs to be triggered by something to play. That something is a MIDI track. ALL instrument track have MIDI ins...and audio outs. Very simple. If you were triggering an outboard piece of gear, it would be the same. MIDI track output to that gear...and audio back in to an AUX or Audio track to hear it and record it. It is set up the same way conceptually even if it is a virtual instrument in the same DAW.

Because of this, transMIDIfier won't work. I can get the MIDI OUT of DP, but once it's out, there's no way to get it back IN (to a specific device). I don't think I've ever seen a DAW prevent you from choosing your MIDI inputs.

This link literally took me 15 seconds in a google search to find. It is a YouTube video of how to setup DAWs (Digital Performer included) with transMIDIfier by the developer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etp8VP_KVBM

Please tell me I am wrong, as this deal breaker would prevent me from migrating from the trial to the full version (I won't even go into the constant crashing which leaves the program in an unresponsive state (I can't kill the task, so I have to reboot the computer....)).

You are wrong...you just have to learn how the workflow in DP is. Don't try to put what you may have learned from other DAWs and assume it is the same with DP. It may or may not be. It may actually be better. Different than what you know from another DAW does not necessarily mean worse. But I do understand it is hard to re-learn a new workflow when all you want to do is just create music. But again...the manual is your friend.

Are there any other ways I can keep all articulations on a single MIDItrack, without relying on the hard-set keyswitch patches in PLAY?

Thanks again!

Not that I am aware of. But then again...this is why Virtual Instrument developers like Spitfire audio are trying to propose standards for MIDI articulation control. But with every developer programming their instrument libraries differently...this will not change easily. This is a good read though.

http://www.spitfireaudio.com/uacc-a-new ... ndard.html

[Wolfie2112]

Can't I just have a single MIDI track and single instrument track for ALL of the Violin I patches I wish to use? How did you guys tackle this problem?

Thanks in advance!

Have you tried the expression mapping in Cubase 7??

Hey, are you using Play in 64bit inside DP8? If so, did you have any trouble getting DP to locate the plug-in?

[etl17]

FYI: With DP 8.05, I can load the latest Play 4 instrument without issues on Windows 7 64bit.