MIDI Channels and Multi-Sampler Question

[Sweaty Ear]

Loaded a midi file into waveform 11 and wanted to use an sf2 file in the multi-sampler as the sound source. what is the best way to assign the patches of the sf2 to each of the different tracks in waveform?

is there a way to designate the different patches to different tracks using the same instance like on a multi-channel midi capable sampler?

[pough]

If you have an instrument plugin that has multiple outputs, you would use a Rack to handle the routing. I'm not aware of any non-commercial sf2-loading plugins that have multiple outputs. (But it's not something I have ever looked into.)

If you want to try another single-sf2-loading plugin that's free and might not crash after the 3rd instance, there is sforzando.

I tried loading one sf2 file into 3 separate instances of Multi-Sampler and it worked fine. I'm not sure what might be causing your crashes.

PS. If you are looking for software suggestions and error replication I highly recommend that you state the OS that you are using. It can make a huge difference.

[Dark Lane]

For help with using the racks for multi IO plug-ins, check out the videos on Tracktion website. On this particular subject they are very comprehensive and there is one that focuses on this particular use of racks.

[Sweaty Ear]

thank you both for your answers. trying to update windows. it's possible my computer is too old. watched the videos but i'm wondering if multi-sampler has multiple outputs cuz i wasn't able to assign more than 1 patch. all the tracks play the same instrument. surely the configuration is wrong but can't seem to figure it out.

was also preparing to find some sfz's to work with. must start at the beginning though.

[pough]

Multi-Sampler has multiple outputs but I believe they're really only accessible when using it as a drum machine where each pad has the choice of output. Also, you would need to load it in a Rack to be able to route the outputs.

For sf2 files that have multiple patches in them, Multi-Sampler allows you to choose just one per instance of the plugin as far as I can tell. I think the single plugin with 16 patches idea is a bit old-school when you can just load 16 instruments. You will want them to be on different tracks, anyways. In Waveform, the MIDI clips can't have multiple MIDI channels.

all the tracks play the same instrument.

It would be helpful to know what you are trying to do, here. Words like track and instrument can be ambiguous. Do you mean Waveform track or MIDI track? When you say instrument do you mean plugin, sf2 file, or sf2 file patch? Are you loading the plugin in a Rack or have individual instances of the plugin per track?

[Peter Widdicombe]

The other thing you get into is usability.

I forget exactly what I had done, but it allows multiple MIDI channels to input, and plays each "midi channel" as a selected instrument. However, it would split correctly on playback, but then when recording from different input devices it would get the wrong instrument (would go to default). I believe I had to create multiple tracks for instruments, send output to the "master MIDI" track. Confusing to work with, so I abandoned that method.

Found it - each CLIP after being created has to be assigned a specific MIDI channel on output, with EACH track MIDI output sent to the master track.

[Sweaty Ear]

Multi-Sampler has multiple outputs but I believe they're really only accessible when using it as a drum machine where each pad has the choice of output. Also, you would need to load it in a Rack to be able to route the outputs.

For sf2 files that have multiple patches in them, Multi-Sampler allows you to choose just one per instance of the plugin as far as I can tell. I think the single plugin with 16 patches idea is a bit old-school when you can just load 16 instruments. You will want them to be on different tracks, anyways. In Waveform, the MIDI clips can't have multiple MIDI channels.

all the tracks play the same instrument.

It would be helpful to know what you are trying to do, here. Words like track and instrument can be ambiguous. Do you mean Waveform track or MIDI track? When you say instrument do you mean plugin, sf2 file, or sf2 file patch? Are you loading the plugin in a Rack or have individual instances of the plugin per track?

I'd arranged and sound designed some songs to the point of satisfaction then saved them as midi files and sf2's in order to be versatile. most of the tracks in the songs' instrumentation were completed using a 32bit multi-timbrel virtual midi sampler as the sound source. Was hoping to transfer them into a current sampler vst and daw to add finishing touches.

Since the work is already done i'd rather not have to spend time and energy trying to recreate the patches on a new synth as my sound design skills aren't on that level yet. So if you know of a freeware player or a format i could convert the sf2's to that could be easily loaded into waveform or even a different workaround using the existing files that would be helpful. don't want to switch to sfz's yet unless there's something wrong with the sf2's.

[Peter Widdicombe]

I think there is some confusion in where MIDI channels get dropped. I think the VST's used will process ALL MIDI notes coming out of a track; and any MIDI output from a track is sent to a single MIDI channel. However, if the incoming data stream has multiple MIDI channels coming in they will be processed; and the rack then allows one to use filters to split them out where NOT using a Multi-channel vst.

I guess one question before "going further" - do you/can you assign unique outputs of a multi-channel VST to be individual tracks in Waveform for mixing/effects purposes, or do you want the entire output of the VST to be mixed IN THE VST and presented as a single stereo channel ? This depends on the capability of the VST in question.

If it DOES and you want it split into unique output tracks for processing as above, then I believe a rack will be necessary.

[pough]

I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. Please be more specific. You went general, as in your hopes and desires, but I was wanting you to be specific about the things you were doing. For example, "all the tracks play the same instrument" means what? It's all saxophones? You're using more than one Waveform track, each with its own MIDI clip but all sending to the single plugin instrument on one of the tracks? You're using a Rack to route all the MIDI from all the tracks to one plugin instrument? Are all the MIDI clips on one track? Are they on separate tracks?

I can't replicate your actions to test if I don't know what they are. There are so many different things that you might be doing. If you're not specific about them, what are our chances of being able to help you?

So if you know of a freeware player

I recommended one in my first response: sforzando. It loads sf2 files and can also convert and save to sfz.

unless there's something wrong with the sf2's.

This is why you should test that by trying other sf2 files or at least use the same ones but in a different order. Or provide them to us so we can see if they crash our Waveform setups.

[Sweaty Ear]

a simple 3 step procedure fixed the glitch in a soundfont editor. so glad since i almost didn't buy waveform after Brian dodged my questions 6 months ago about vst support. because of your recommendation i'm gonna look into sfozando. if you endorse it guess it must be good and they've stayed in business for a long time. forgive my prolixness. you have been helpful and i now see the advantages of using a new instance per track. thank you.

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

Kind of a side question here. Does multisampler recognize note names in the sample file in order to auto map many samples at one time?