cpkoch

John
Why would anyone use multiple TTS-1s to do a simple thing like polyphony? TTS-1 is polyphonic. That is what channels are for.

How does one prevent a track whose instrument has been changed from defaulting to its original setting e.g., from piano to oboe and reverting to piano.  Logic suggests that it should not revert but techno-logic suggests that somehow that is what must happen.  Of course I mat be doing something wrong! 

In Standard MIDI files there are Program Changes. These tell a GM synth what patch to play. They can be on a track at various locations to effectively make that track work to trigger many instruments one after another as needed. We don't do this when we create for our own use. Its simpler and for most non GM synths to have each track work for only one instrument. If you use the TTS-1 synth it will recognize Program Changes. This one way to use the 16 channels of a GM to sound as if it has a lot more.  

Beepster
Okay... I'm not MIDI/synth guy but couldn't you just use the same instance of TTS-1, use the Cut edit option for the section you want the oboe for, paste it into a new Simple Instrument Track (or MIDI/audio pair) and set that track to feed the appropriate channel for the oboe sound?
 
Seems like that would be preferable for mixing purposes anyway. An oboe is not something you want to mix/apply effects to like a piano.

First off don't use a simple instrument track for the TTS-1. Its a polyphonic synth that can have 4 audio outs. 


 
 

I am trying to digest what you folks are suggesting and I am beginning to understand.  If I do what I think Beepster suggests  and place each midi track in its own Instrument (Soft Synth) track  ... whether it be TTS-1 1 or TTS-1 6 or  SI Pianos  ... the issue of reverting goes away.  
 
I am not "up" enough on Midi construction to really understand the placement of a Program Change (Is it the same thing as a "PG")  in a MIDI track but as  John suggests, that is probably causing the reversion. So far I have been downloading MIDIs as opposed to constructing my own.  I need to learn what a Program Change is while getting more up to speed on the Event List to see if it is there or not!  
 

Beepster
 An oboe is not something you want to mix/apply effects to like a piano.

  By the way, I have no real interest in creating an Oboe sound out of a piano track.  I used the instrument ... the oboe ... only as an example.  

Yes look there first but I'm not optimistic. There's a bunch of us here who work with these downloads all the time so trust me. If that PG is hidden by Sonar you'll be hooped and will have to open the file in another DAW or even a simple midi sequencer to delete it. 
 
And if the piano is changing to an oboe in the same track there are PG changes in the middle of the song. 
Once you get rid of those PG changes the file will behave normally and you will be able to get on with Chapter 2 of Johnny's Idiot guide to downloaded midi files. 
 
For one I shut down all those kind of changes. Midi oboe is terrible sound and to be avoided to by anyone with pets in the house. 
When you get better at this you'll be able to wield that track into something way better than the original.