I have to ask. What are Instrument Definitions used for and are they needed?

I remember I tried making one for my Roland SPD-20 back around SP7 days. Thought I did it correctly but never saw a need for it. Or if it even worked.

Maybe they're only meant for full blown hardware synths?

Mike

I still have the ones I made years ago when I use my old hardware synths. Lot's of custom presets & banks.

Yes, they are intended for if you use external synths or other devices. I have a Korg 05R/W, Korg N1R and a Digitech Vocalist Ex and the instrument files help me to select the patches. 

Here is an example.  Without an instrument definition, to call up a particular sound on a Yamaha synth in a MIDI track, I would have to get out the manual, look up the sound, do some calculations with the most significant and least significant bit to get a bank number, look up the patch number, and put this data in the event list.  I may also have to tell Sonar which bank select method to use.  I also have to know whether to use 0-127 or 1-128 as the patch number and make adjustments as needed.

With instrument definitions, I can open the event list, and choose the instrument from a drop-down list.
 
I have several external synths I still use and some have expansion cards, so this could be a lot of trouble without the definitions.

Ok thanks guys.
So they're not really needed just make things a little handier and simplified.

Not much use for electronic drums.

Thanks again.

Mike

chefmike8888


Ok thanks guys.
So they're not really needed just make things a little handier and simplified.

Not much use for electronic drums.

Thanks again.

Mike

You can use them on hardware drum machines, any external hardware in fact. As already posted they are commonly used for patch and bank names but can be used to define CC names, RPNs, NRPNs, even note names or pretty much anything anything else MIDI related. Absolutely essential for anyone using hardware.

I have them installed for my Roland Fantom X6 and two BOSS drum machines and use them all the time.  It's extremely  handy to browse/audition/select different patches and drum kits on the fly.

chefmike8888


Ok thanks guys.
So they're not really needed just make things a little handier and simplified.

Not much use for electronic drums.

Thanks again.

Mike

They are more than just handy. If you do use a hardware synth you need them as an essential component for those synths.  I have a Roland XV 5080 with add on cards plus a user bank. I could never find a patch without an instrument def file for it. With one you can search it and go to a patch quickly. You can find all pianos for examples. The pianos are located in different banks.

They are useful and needed for all hardware synths including drum machines.

 

Sigh. WebRep


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So it looks as if I need to make two of them.
My Roland and Simmons.

Thanks again guys.

Mike 

Good old forum software.
What the hell is the web rep stuff all about?

I only posted that I need to make those 2 ID's

Come on Cake, clean this mess up.

Mike