Is it possible to configure instrument changes on the same track?

Hello everyone
If you look at Hallion, you can configure several programmes for different instruments.
How can we switch from one programme to another on our instrument track?

Thank you for your help.

Hello and welcome.
First of all the midi channel that the Program Change is sent on must match the midi channel of the slot that you try to address in Halion.

Secondly the Program Changes can be then just created as midi events in a midi part.
Thirdly - afaik Halion will only adhere to Program Changes for its General MIDI presets. Nothing else can be addressed.

If we want to use different presets in a virtual instrument we would simply create another Instrument Track with a new instance of the instrument.

If you load multiple instruments in one instance of Halion then usually you would switch from one to the other by changing the midi channel you are using. If the track is set to ALL midi then switching at the controller will move through the channels and so through the programmes.

Using programme changes to switch a programme in a specific channel is also possible but you would have to take into account loading time of samples so no instant switching.

OK, as I’m not using a MIDI instrument, I’ll create different tracks.
It’s a bit of a shame, because a simple program change information on the track would avoid creating instruments that you don’t use all the time.

You can still use a single Halion instance fed from multi midi tracks on their own channel.

I understand your point of view but there is also a different POV:
A Program Change is an unwanted necessity. It stems from the hardware times, where you had maybe only one synth that needed to be able to output different sounds at different times.

With virtual instruments you buy an instrument once but you can use it on multiple instances. Thus the need to switch a device’s sound was eliminated. You would just create another instance.
That’s the current philosophy behind almost all virtual instruments.

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I think I read somewhere (on this forum?) a school of thinking that Cubase works more efficiently with modern hardware by using multiple instances of multi-timbral instruments, rather than a single instance with multiple outs.

Correct me if I’m wrong :smiley:

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