MWS/Gigastudio Officianados...

[Dave Labrecque]

I'm trying to set tuning and level for a Giga instrument on the MIDI Mixer
for Port 1/Channel 1 in GigaStudio. But after I get it set, I start playback
in MWS, which is fine. But when I stop MWS, the controls on the MIDI Mixer
for that channel return to their nominal positions. D'oh! Anyone know why
this is happening? Is there a way to make 'em stay?

Is MWS outputting default control values upon stopping? Should it be seeing the changes I make in Giga?

Thanks!

Dave

[Bob L]

Dave,

The MWS is taking control of those details. Each track of the MWS has its default volume setting and it always chases the controllers when playback is started.

Make sure you do not have controller data at the start of the track... turn ON the Controller Display in the MWS and clear out any yellow controller data at the start of the track, if you see some.

Use the volume fader in the MWS on each track to set the start volume.

Then you can also control levels to a large degree in the MWS by using the live green Velocity percent fader... this allows live adjustment of overall velocity for each track... you can also write in these settings, even use it like automation by writing in section changes...

But, you really want to do your composing and then dump the audio from Giga anyway as fast as you can into the SAWStudio MT to get control of levels and eq and so forth... leave the Giga mixer alone. Once Midi tracks are dumped up to audio, disable the midi track in the MWS. Now you are back to working with audio, but if needed, the MWS track can be re-enabled... changes made and the audio can be re-dumped for that track.

Many may balk at this concept and say they want to keep all the midi as midi through the final mix, but you really are limiting your mix capabilities by trying to mix live midi signals along with multiple audio tracks... again, if you start thinking all virtual, you can acheive much more refined and repeatable results.

Bob L

[Dave Labrecque]

[NOTE: after some experimenting with MWS/Giga, this post has been updated...]

Bob,

I agree with your overall philosophy, I think. Truth be told, I'm just more comfortable in the SAW environment anyway.

OK, so MWS is chasing the controller's settings. And then it's passing that info on to Giga...

I'm also now finding that restarting playback in MWS is changing the instrument assignments that I have set up in Giga. Is there any way to avoid this resetting behavior?

My apologies if this all seems elementary. I'm not too deep in MIDI know-how.

After a little experimenting, I see that I can change volume -- and even write changes -- using contol data fom my controller (during real time 'SRP', no less). Wow, we got more hardware fader support out of you. ;)

But as for 'tuning', I see 'pitch bend' listed in the Filter list (currently my guide to standard MIDI control change number assignments), but with no control number designation. If I want to tweak pitch on-the-fly, do I need to assign a control number to 'pitch bend' or 'tune' in my controller? Otherwise, so far, the only way I can think of to tweak any of these things for an instrument is by trial and error. Sorry if this gets outside of SAW support. :) Anyone's welcome to help!

Thanks.

[Bob L]

The MWS sends the current bank and prg number down to the assigned port for each track at the start of playback.

If you set the bank or prg option on the MWS Track popup menu to nothing (press backspace and then enter), no prg change info will be send and the setting will stay to whatever you set in Giga.

However, not letting the MWS control these things, means that every time you open the session to play, you will have to manually setup everything the way you last listened to it... a task that becomes quite daunting or impossible very quickly as the session becomes more complex.

You should consider creating a few default Giga Patch Library ini files for your most commonly used giga setups. Follow the guidelines in my sample Giga ini files that you will find installed in the Midi_WorkShop_Configuration folder. Then you can simply load the giga files, and open the MWS session and all patches will be properly setup and the volumes and other data will also be properly setup, everytime you playback.

Pitch changes can be easily drawn in with the Pencil Drawing mode (right-click the Display btn) or played in from your keyboard controller, or modified in the Controller Display mode (if some already exist) by stretching, moving, or adjusting marked areas or individual entries.

Bob L

[Dave Labrecque]

OK, thanks for the info.

But I still don't get why MWS is changing, for example, the instrument I have patched on port 1, channel 10 in Giga, from drums to bass whenever I start playback. I made no attempt to write such a change in MWS. Are you saying my controller is sending that and MWS is just passing it on?

Also: tuning. Is it up to the conroller, then, to be able to send out this information, unless I want to disable MWS' bank and program change outputs, like you said, and let Giga hold the value on its own?

[Bob L]

Dave,

Each track in the MWS stores and sends its patch, midi chan and port information.

Look at that info for the track in question... you will see a port (where Giga is connected) and a midi channel from 1-16. If you see Bank and Prg info, that info is being sent. Either blank that info out as described in my earlier post, or set the prg number to the patch number that Giga is using for the sound you want.

If you leave prg info there, then you must load the sound in Giga to the same prg number everytime you play this session. If you leave this info blank, then you are free to put anything in Giga you want and the MWS will not alter it.

Bob L

[Dave Labrecque]

OK, that makes sense. The thing is that the bank and program settings are already blank, so I don't know why starting playback is resetting a Giga instrument patch. I tried 'blanking' them again, just to be sure, but no go. Same deal. When I manually set prg to the patch I want and it works, but leaving it blank keeps resetting Giga. If it's blank, where's it getting the value? Is it just sending a zero value?

Thanks.

[Carey Langille]

If they are blank, then it sounds like a bug Dave... I usually set up giga with a predetermined set of sounds so that i can have MWS select my sounds.. This works every time for me, but i do see your position. Especially if you were just trying to Audition different sounds without setting up a patch list, every time you tried to hear a new sound it would change it back on you.. Maybe Bob will look at this and see if in fact if nothing is in those windows, nothing is sent from MWS.. As far a tuning goes, it is a controller that can be sent to giga to tune each midi channel/instrument..

[Bob L]

Perhaps there is a prg change controller data at the start of the track... turn ON the Controller Display mode and look for colored lines at the front... turn the filter to Program Change and see if anything is there... if so... mark around it and press delete to remove it.

Bob L

[Dave Labrecque]

Bob, Carey...

Got it figured out. Sorry about this... :o

This was a drum track assigned to channel 10. I also had the conductor track assigned to the same port and channel for the click. The conductor track was sending bank and prg 000. Apparently I'd reloaded the stuff into Giga in a different order than the original setup, and the patch assignements got changed, so suddenly my click track was changing channel 10 to a bass guitar. I cleared the bank/prg for the conductor track and it worked fine.

Thanks for your help and patience.

[Bob L]

Good deal...

Isn't Midi Fun... :D

Bob L

[Carey Langille]

Any time dude... It's Deeper than the Ocean, but with everyone's help, we can breath easily!! Keep well!