Is it time to refresh Patch Change functionality?

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2015/11/27 13:11:11 (permalink)
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Is it time to refresh Patch Change functionality?

I think the Patch Change functionality has been unchanged for at least 25 or 30 years. The Instrument definition (INS) file uses the structure of a Windows 3.x INI file, so that dates it a bit.
 
The Bank Select methods are also basically unchanged over that period of time. Over the decades, synthesizers have evolved higher levels of grouping above the flat list of patches.  With Korg instruments, the Combi concept has been around for a long time.  Yamaha has Performance, etc.  Now with the Korg Kronos, there is even a higher level of abstraction with the Setlist.
 
As far as I can tell there is no way to cause a patch change event in Sonar to do anything other than emit the basic MIDI bank change and program change.  If the patch change is supposed to select a program, and the instrument happens to be in Combi mode, you get the wrong combi. If the patch change is supposed to select a Combi, and the instrument is in Program mode, you get the wrong program (that happens to be in that bank/number).
Selecting the correct mode from Sonar would require hand-editing a sysex message in the Event List.
 
Maybe nobody cares about keeping MIDI functionality updated, but I think it would be nice to provide a few updates every decade or two.   A small step would be to add the Combi/Performance capability by defining the mode-change sysex messages as part of the INS file, and updating the ancient "Bank/Patch Change" dialog to also specify whether it is a base program, or Combi/Performance/etc. (The term used could also be set in the INS file).
 
 

Sonar Platinum Windows 10 64 bit, Presonus 24.4.2AI interface, Korg Kronos2 73
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