Hello
Is there any way to change the way program change messages are displayed in their lane? In DP, for example, program changes are displayed as little blocks with a number in them. If not then consider this a feature request.
Have a linear curve display really doesn’t work for many reasons:
Program change messages deal with very low values, and small changes make a big difference. It’s not like expression, where a value change of 1 doesn’t correspond to much change in sound. But a program change from 1 to 2 could be the difference between switching to a completely different patch.
Low values are hard to see. Program change 0 is always getting obscured by the bottom border of the lane window. Grabbing it is very tedious.
It’s hard to use the mouse to change values because fine tuning with the mouse is very difficult. Again, it’s not like expression where we can deal with ballpark values. Program changes need to be exact.
It’s impossible to see at a quick glance what program you are on.
I’m not sure, which displaying exactly do you use. I’m using the lane, and I have Info line displayed. You can display this by click to most lwft icon, in the tool bar – Setup Windows Layout (Shift+F2). Then, you can just select the Program Change event, and set the value in the Info Line. This is very fast, and very precisely.
You can change the rate of lane, and Notes, of course. So steps of all MIDI controllers, can looks bigger.
You can display all Program change in the List Editor too. If you filter all other MIDI data, you can focus on the Program Change only, and make changes very fast and easy.
I’m not sure, I was precise.Just move your mouse cursor on the line between controllers and MIDI notes, which divide these two parts. Cursor will change the icon, and you can move the line up. This way, you can make the controller space bigger.
I use lots of program changes in lieu of keyswitches for VSL orchestral libraries. I see the list editor, but still this is a pretty cumbersome solution.
Figuring out where I am musically in the list editor is really tough. I can glance at my composition on a piano roll and tell where I am in the piece. It’s very easy to judge the simultaneity of events on a piano roll.
Also, it’s another window I have to have open, and I already have 3 screens and not enough space.
To get into the whole VST expression thing altogether means more stuff to configure which doesn’t really translate well to other DAWs, and also whether I start using VST3. The problem there is that VST3 doesn’t permit program changes. I really want to avoid using keyswitches.
