Having problems with getting an instrument definition file to import into Sonar4 for the Edirol SD-80 sound canvas. Edirol sent me a file but it has a .txt file extension. Can't import it. Tried changing the file extension to .ins but that didn't work either. Edirol tech said to make sure I had "view all files" option on (Windows XP) before trying to find the file for import and that didn't solve my problem either. Sonar wants an .ins file extension right? Anyone using the SD80 and has a solution would love to hear from you.

It's probably just a minor format issue - open one of the other *.ins files included in Sonar with the Windows editor and compare it to the text file they sent you.

It is sort of a format issue. I bought the SD-80 for a friend. We both have Sonar. I was told by Edirol I had to rename the file from SD-80.txt to SD-80.INS which I did and was able to import it into Sonar on my system as a usable instrument definition file but when he tries to do it it creates a file type used for internet connection settings and is not recognized by Sonar as an .ins file in the usual manner. I tried to change the .ins format file association so that Sonar 4 would be able to open it but it said the file type is not compatible with Sonar 4. I tried to send him my copy of the renamed file as well but it still makes it a different file icon all together. Mine uses a Reaktor file type icon. I have Reaktor he doesn't. Go figure... Edirol did say that the ins file type does get confused with a similar internet connection settings file type but didn't say what to do about it.

Is it possible to do a bulk dump form SD80 to the computer, then to import it into Sonar ? Got the same problem...

I had both SONAR 4 and an Edirol SD-80 back in the day, and I don't understand the problem either.  Yes, SONAR needs an .INS file but it's just ASCII text.
 

I took the time to manually merge the Master.ins file with the Edirol info.

Hi,
The file extension doesn't really mean anything. By default Windows associate .ins to Internet connection but it's just an extension. If you rename a .mp3 to .docx, it will not become a Winword file  but you will see the Winword icon in your file system.
So, if your .ins contains ASCII, and it does well formatted for instrument definition, you should be able to import it from SONAR in the appropriate dialog box Preferences > MIDI > Instruments > Definition..., no matter of the file icon.
 

FLZapped
I took the time to manually merge the Master.ins file with the Edirol info.

It ios alot of work and a waste of time, isn't it ?
There should exist a file somewhere that we could download and use...

saxosop

FLZapped
I took the time to manually merge the Master.ins file with the Edirol info.

It ios alot of work and a waste of time, isn't it ?
There should exist a file somewhere that we could download and use...

No, because it preserves all the GM and GM2 information.