User Manual

EVENT LIST
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Program Change, etc.) If your MIDI instrument
has an Omni mode switch, turn it off and leave it
off.
Poly mode (“Mode 3”)
This is the most common mode used in MIDI
instruments today. In Poly mode, all notes received
on a MIDI channel are played independently. The
number of simultaneous notes is limited only by
the instrument’s polyphony (the maximum
number of notes that it can play simultaneously).
Mono mode (“Mode 4”)
In the MIDI specification, Mono mode was
tailored for early MIDI instruments that were only
capable of producing a single timbre at any given
time. When in Mono mode, a synthesizer acts like
a number of independent monophonic
synthesizers responding on adjacent MIDI
channels. (MIDI guitar players can appreciate the
need for this). Today’s MIDI instruments generally
implement “Multi Mode” (see below), which is
somewhat more flexible and which allows Mono
mode to be approximated.
Multi mode (Omni off )
This mode is only briefly mentioned in the MIDI
Specification. However, it is probably the most
common mode used today, and it is the
recommended mode for sequencing. In Multi
mode, a synthesizer acts like a number of
independent MIDI synthesizers operating on
different basic channels. Each of these “virtual
synthesizers” can be in Poly or Mono mode.
The implementation of Mono mode within Multi
mode is generally limited. Check your MIDI
instrument’s documentation to see how it
interprets the MIDI Mono Mode and Poly Mode
messages. Chances are these messages simply select
monophonic or polyphonic reception on the
channel to which the message is addressed. In
other words, the “virtual synthesizer” is limited to
one mono mode channel.
In true Mono mode, control change messages
received on the basic channel minus one (or
channel 16 if the basic channel is 1) apply to all the
channels that have been assigned to Mono mode.
This allows controllers to be “global”, affecting all
channels without having to be sent on all of the
channels at the same time, which would take up an
excessive amount of MIDI bandwidth. Unfortu-
nately, for MIDI guitar players, modern
synthesizers are rarely able to simulate this feature.
Local control
In a MIDI instrument, local control is either on or
off. When local control is on, the instrument works
normally: notes pressed on the keyboard are
played by the synthesizer unit. When local control
is off, the keyboard is disconnected from the
synthesizer unit. The keyboard transmits MIDI
data to its MIDI OUT port; the synthesizer only
plays data received from its MIDI IN port. This
allows you to use an instrument as a controller
while simultaneously using its synthesizer unit to
play something else.
All Notes Off
The all notes off message causes all notes that are
currently sustaining to be shut off.
AUDIO DATA
Audio data is displayed in audio track Event Lists,
including those for audio (disk) tracks, aux tracks
and master faders (which hold mix automation
data).
Soundbites
A Soundbite (region of audio) comprises a
location, soundbite name, duration and end time.
All times can be expressed in any of Digital
Performer’s various time formats. Click it to select
the soundbite. Option/Alt-click it to change the
name. Double-click the name to replace the
soundbite with another. Command–double-click
to edit in the Waveform Editor.