Kenneth, The current version of SF (v1.345) seems to not have the ability to save any settings regarding VSTi in any way, despite the option to save as part of the Arrangement/Common Use. Even when saved, there is no trace of the saved file on any of my HDDs. Within the .SFARR some settings are indeed saved, but they all start with 000: , so when multiple VSTi are used, all are looked at as per the 000: entry, which in itself is not implemented correctly anyway (no settings are actually applied to any VSTi). <b><u>EXAMPLE:</u></b> [VST-dmns] <b>000:</b> ForAA2-Electronica-PianoBacking=1000;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;1000; [SNIP] <b>000:</b> ForAA2-Electronica-Guitar=1000;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;1000;1000; [SNIP] This means that each & every MIDI I have, I need to manually enter the VSTi settings, each time I load the MIDI, for every instance of the relevant VSTi within said MIDI.
Also, the VSTi are not unloaded when loading a new MIDI to work on (for example; if I have some VSTi set up in a particular way, this VSTi & its setting is applied to the new MIDI loaded into SF, rather than the one relevant to the newly loaded MIDI).
Furthermore, end-of-MIDI sounds, aren't letting the full decay being run, making some MIDIs sound like they're getting cut-off, again. I looked for the option to allow the stopping of Playback to end xx-seconds after the last event has ended, but there isn't one (anymore?). An option to allow any sounds (be it an instrument's native slow decay, or decay introduced by Reverb) to finish properly would be awesome :)
Hope I'm making sense, although I'm sure you'll let me know what, if anything, I need to clarify.
Hi John You make perfectly sense. I THOUGHT I had fixed this once already! Bugs are like ghosts - they always come back when you sleep. Or ... So back to school then.
John I have a new version for you to test <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1733095/SynthFont1350A.exe">here</a>
First item: One problem I had with saving progs for VST instruments was this: if you had several instances (separate from each other, that is) of a certain VSTi, SynthFont saved the progs under one single name, the "[VST-dmns]" in your example. This version of SynthFont will save the progs separately for each instance. You should see something like this in your arrangement file: [VST-dmns-1] 000: ForAA2-Electronica-PianoBacking=1000;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;1000; [VST-dmns-2] 000: ForAA2-Electronica-PianoBacking-Other=<any other set of values> These are thus for program #1 (starting from 0). Other programs SHOULD have "XXX: <prog name>=" and so on.
This will happen ONLY when you save the progs in the arrangement!!
Second item: This version will unload all VSTs when you open a new midi file, both effects and instruments.
Third item: A new feature for testing: In "Plug & Play", the "Playback progress" section you will find a new button at the end of the row. It has three small yellow squares with decreasing size. Press to open a small window with a track bar. Here you can change the delay before SynthFont once and for all stops sounding. The value is again stored in the Arrangement file only (at least for now). Please play around with this function and check if it solves the problem.
I sent you an email explaining my current issues, as the above-mentioned items don't actually appear to be .. there? Included in that email is a .SFARR for you to check-out, as that way it's a lot easier to see what I mean. I hope :p
SORRY I put up the wrong link!! It should have been a link to version 1350B, like in "Better". <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1733095/SynthFont1350B.exe">Here it is.</a>
I'm patient mate. I'd rather you take your time & come up with a solution we're all happy with (me mainly, of course! :P ), rather have you hurry along, only to find more bugs rear their heads ;)
On that note of bugs.. in v1.350F, the VSTi sounds are again not stopping, when playback is stopped & restarted. The MIDI has to be played through to the end before the VSTi(s) stop sounding (this is with any VSTi I use, including Purple).
John This is a haphazard way of developing software - I don't know where to look for the flaw because I can't repeat it. But please check this <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1733095/SynthFont1350I.exe">new version</a>.
I haven't yet done anything re stopping the VSTi as there wasn't any change done in the beginning (except from the new time-to-end parameter). So, I don't know where to look now. Some strange side effect. As soon as I have resolved this VST parameter saving/restoring problem once and for all I'll get to this one
This current version (v1.350I), doesn't have the note-stuck issue (whether or not you actually fixed it doesn't matter.. it's all good). For more info, refer to my email :)