Andrew,
Software-based samplers such as GPO don't have "patches" and don't
support "patch changes." Instead, you load an instrument into a MIDI
channel -- say, a flute into MIDI channel 1. If the player changes to,
say, piccolo later in the piece, you might (for example) load the
piccolo into MIDI channel 2, and define the expression "To Piccolo" to
include a *channel* change (not a patch change). Essentially, this is
the same functionality as a "patch change," just using MIDI channels
instead of "patches."
As for the specific instance you asked about, the most recent version
of GPO includes what are called "keyswitched" instruments, which
include *all* of the available performance techniques in a single
instrument. For instance, the Violin I instrument includes arco
(upbows and downbows), pizz, muted playing, trills, tremolos, etc. So,
instead of having to load a separate pizz violin instrument in a
separate MIDI channel, you can do everything you need to do within the
keyswitched violin instrument, without changing channels. You can even
download (from the Garritan website) a Finale library of expressions
that have been pre-defined to work with keyswitched instruments --
expressions like "pizz," "arco," etc that will play back correctly with
GPO's keyswitched instruments.
It's actually quite easy and effective -- the one drawback is that you
have to use different "pizz" expressions for violins+violas, cellos,
and basses. (But of course, you would also have to do that if you were
using channel changes or patch changes.)
- Darcy
-----
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Brooklyn, NY
On 28 May 2005, at 4:47 PM, Andrew Levin wrote:
Hey!
I'm very close to getting Garritan for my Mac. The main thing holding
me back is whether GPO will accept patch changes. I had a friend do
the following on his PC and couldn't get it to work. It's a deal
buster for me.
Specifically, have a violin part (arco), then the word "pizz" set to
enact the patch change to the pizzicato patch. It doesn't change. My
friend, as a workaround, had to add another staff and copied pizz
parts to it and dedicated it to the pizz patch.
For me this isn't reasonable.
Now I must say, we didn't see the "optimize for GPO" in Finale (2005
for windows) until we were done playing, so I don't know if that would
make the difference.
Thoughts, O wise ones?
Andrew Levin
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