BANKS Chapter 7 What Are Banks? As previously stated, Banks are files that can be sub-divided into a fixed number of fixed length items called patches. For instance, a Bank may contain 64 Sounds or 32 Performances. The type of Bank (i.e., 64 Sounds) will be displayed at the bottom of the Bank window. The Driver being used for the Bank will appear in the window title bar. Opening A Bank Window There are several ways to open a Bank window: 1. Select the MIDI menu Get from Synth... item and then request a Bank from your synthesizer. 2. Double-click on a BankÕs filename in a Library window to open a previously saved Bank file. 3. Use the Project menu Import item to import a Bank file. 4. Select the Bank menu New Bank item to open an empty Bank window. Bank Window View Options A name and a search key can be assigned to each patch using the MAGIC WAND gadget. Bank windows normally list all of the patch names using as many columns as will fit into the window. The wider the window, the more patches you will be able to see on the saeen at one time. The Bank menu View option causes the display of the active Bank window to toggle between the format outlined above, and one format which displays the search key of each patch next to its name. There is always one (1) column when Banks are viewed using this method. Printing Banks When you want to print a Bank, keep in mind that you have control over how the Bank is that going to look on paper! The Bank will print using the display format that you have chosen for its window. Fine tune the window display based on the guidance outlined under ÒBANK WINDOW VIEW OPTIONSÓ and then select the Project menu Print item. The active Bank window will be printed. Saving Banks The Project menu Save or Save As... items can be used to save the active Bank window. You may have noticed that patch names normally display with a black pen but sometimes appear blue. The reason for this is simple. The Driver file knows how many patches are supposed to be in the Bank, and that number of patches will display with a black pen. If a certain Bank is supposed to have 32 patches and the window lists 35 patches, the first 32 patch names will be black and the last 3 will be blue. This display scheme will help you keep track of the number of patches that are supposed to be in that Bank. Bank windows are the work areas where you build your Banks. You are never restricted to having an exact number of patches in a Bank window while you are editing a Bank. This flexibility makes it possible for The PatchMeister to support a wide range of work habits. However, when it comes time to SAVE or SEND the Bank, it has to have the number of patches that is specified in its Driver. Sending Bank Windows To Your Synth Bank windows can be sent to your synth in one of two ways: By selecting the MIDI menu Send to Synth item -or- by clicking over the Bank windowÕs MIDI route gadget. In both cases, the MIDI route requester will open. Adjust the MIDI route (if necessary) and then dick over the SEND button. The contents of the Bank window will be sent to your synth using the designated MIDI route. SENDS are more forgiving than SAVES. If, for example, the Bank window contains 35 patches and the Driver specifies that the Bank should contain 32 patches, only the first 32 patches will be sent. If that same Bank window would have contained 18 patches, an error requester would have reminded you that the Bank is supposed to have 32 patches. Customizing Your Banks The remainder of this chapter will explain how you can customize Banks for your libraries. Notes & Search Keys If you press the left mouse button while pointing over the BankÕs name, you will be presented with a requester displaying the current comment and search key that is associated with the Bank. You may change this text in any way you like. ItÕs not necessary to add comments and/or search keys to your Banks, but it is highly recommended. The library menu Find... option can use both of these fields to search through your libraries and locate matching MIDI files. Also, you can use the Library menu Options... item to set the DISPLAY ALL INFO view option so that your libraries display the search key and comment along with the Bank file name. A little time now may save you a lot later! Bank Editing Buttons Banks are edited through use of the buttons located on the right-hand side of every Bank window. When you click on one of these buttons, it will become highlighted and the cursor will change to reflect the edit mode (button) you have just chosen. You will remain in this edit mode until you click on a different button or on the same one a second time to shut it off. NOTE >The Bank menu "UndoÓ Item is there If you need it. It will back out the LAST change resulling from use of the following Bank window buttons: PENCIL MAGIC WAND, HAND, DUPLICATOR, SWAP. ERASER or TARGET. The function of each button is described hereafter: ¥ The PENCIL button provides a way to Insert emply slots into a Bank window. Point to a patch and press the left mouse button. This patch, as well as all subsequent ones, will be shifted down one position. ¥ The MAGIC WAND button allows you to rename a patch as well as attach a search key to that patch. Press the left mouse button as you point to the item that you want to change. A small requester will appear. Enter the new name and search key and press the key. The new name and searchkey will replace the old name and searchkey. ¥ The HAND button allows you to move items within a specific Bank window. Point to the item you want to move, and press the left mouse button as you drag this item around the window. Release the left mouse button when you are over the area where you want to drop the dragged item. The item will be removed from its original slot and inserted into the destination slot. Items in between the original and destination slots will be shifted up by one. If you elect to drop the item past the end of the list of patches, a copy of the item will be appended to the end of the Bank and no other changes will take place. If you elect to drop the item into another Bank window, a copy of the item will be placed in the second Bank window and the original Bank window will remain unchanged. ¥ The DUPLICATOR button allows you to. duplicate items within or among like Banks. Point to the item you would like to duplicate and press the left mouse button while you drag this item around the screen. Release the left mouse button when you are over the area where you would like to place a copy of the dragged item. You may place the copied item into any similar Bank window. ¥ The SWAP button allows you to swap selected Items within or among like Banks. Point to a Bank item and press the left mouse button as you drag this item around the screen. Release the left mouse button when you are over the swapped item. You may swap items between any similar Bank windows. ¥ The ERASER button allows you to delete items from a specific Bank window. All of the subsequent items will be shifted up one posilion. Press the left mouse button as you point to the item you want deleted. The item will be deleted when you release the mouse button. ¥ The TARGET button provides yet another way to build Banks. First, select the Bank you want to build by clicking the left mouse button while pointing over the BankÕs TARGET button. The button will become selected, indicating that you have just marked this Bank as the ÒtargetÓ Bank (or the Bank you wish to update.) The pointer will turn into a small target to show that the program is waiting for you to select any item(s) you want placed into the ÒtargetÓ Bank. Press the left mouse button as you point to the item(s) you want copied into the ÒtargetÓ Bank. The selected item(s) will be appended to the end of the Òtarget" Bank. You may select items from any Bank winJow displaying similar SysEx data. ¥ The TO SYNTH button will send a selected Item to your synthesizer using the Bank windowÕs MIDI route. Use this button If you would like to audition patches. Press the left mouse button as you point to the item you want to audition. You can then test the patch by following the instructions outlined in Chapter 6, Òlistening to Your Patches.Ó You may notice that the MIDI port cursor associated with some Drivers contains the letters PC (i.e., Drivers for the older Yamaha synths.) This stands for Program Change. The letters are present to remind you that since it is not possible for this equipment to receive individual Bank items, Program Changes are sent instead. This is important to remember because you will have to use the MIDI menu Send to Synth... item to send the entire Bank to your synth before the Program Changes will cause your synth to play the patches you see in the Bank window. You will intermittently have to resend the Bank as you rearrange its patches if you want to ensure that the Program Change commands will cause your synth to play what you are seeing. MIDI Route Use the MIDI ROUTE button to invoke display of a requester which allows you to view and/or change the MIDI route associated with this Bank window. For more information see Chapter 4, ÒDrivers: Talking To Your Synths.Ó Bank Menu Don't overlook the Bank menu. It contains more options that can help you maintain your Banks. For more information, see Chapter 3, "Menu Overview."