Os X And Midi Patch Lists (semi-rant), OK, it works but I prefer OMS Options

[Seth]

With a certain amount of difficulty I am able to create CoreMIDI-aware XML instrument definitions and patch lists and access them in Digital Performer. So, for example, I created a middev file for my Yamaha S90 and midnam file for its patches. I start with a patch name text file and use Excel to wrap the XML doo-dads around the info and it works fine.

However, with OMS the patch lists were independent of the physical bank settings of the synthesizer. Each patch in a patch list had it's own bank/patch controller setting values (MSB/LSB). Thus, you could create a patch list of basses, of leads, of your favorite patches from a particular synth. In OS X, the patch lists are tied directly to the synthesizer's bank setting - the MSB/LSB values are provided in the header for each patch list so all the patches have to come from the same bank. On most of my synths, the patches are either randomly distributed across the various banks, or they appear in clumps (bunch of keyboards together) but multiple times. Someone suggested that I could fiddle with the banks, grouping patches together within each bank. But that seems like a lot of effort - and still would not allow a patch list to draw patches from multiple physical banks.

I have come to rely on the patch lists in DP and really regret the fact that the change to the XML format has reduced the flexibility available under OMS.