MIDI Replicator

OS: Windows 9x/ME. Not tested under NT.

Distribution: Freeware.

Purpose: MIDI Replicator is intended for redirection of MIDI events, which come in some three channels from MIDI input devices (keyboards), to any number of 16 output channels of MIDI output device (synthesizer). Either one or all registered MIDI inputs can be used. The Replicator always uses one MIDI output.

System requirements: At least one soundcard should be installed (MIDI input and MIDI output should be present in the system).

Installation: Create a directory and copy contents of the archive there. Make a shortcut to midirepl.exe program on the Windows Desktop in case of need. The program does not require to make additional changes in Windows setup, and it does not write anything to system directories or Registry.

Download MIDI.ZIP (~177Kb)

The main area of application of the Replicator is emulation of pipe organ on a PC. As is well known, pipe organ is an instrument which sound is usually reproduced by synthesizers absolutely unsatisfactorily. One of causes of this is tremendous variety of timbres which are obtained during combined sounding of several registers of organ. Even if organ has only 10 registers (more then hundred may it have) then it is possible to make 1023 different combinations of them. Not all that combinations will produce harmonious sound, but the fact is: synthesizer must have large quantity of samples of timbres for particular combinations of registers. Legal desire occurs - to use lesser amount of timbres, namely - to put to synthesizer the timbres of single registers only, and simultaneously generate sound of many single registers for any reproduced note. Replicator does do it.

MIDI Replicator supports three input channels (it is enough for two manuals and pedal). MIDI devices should be connected either to one input port (of one soundcard) or to input ports of particular soundcards installed for each keyboard. In the first case, either additional MIDI- concentrator device required (expensive thing) or MIDI keyboard must have MIDI-THRU input (far from all models have it). In the second case, incompatibility of soundcards may lead to various conflicts.

Logical MIDI-channels, in which events from MIDI devices come in, should be different to allow different timbres for notes which are played on different keyboards. MIDI keyboards of allmost any types, except of most primitive ones, allow to set up MIDI channel.

Controls on "Channel control" page

The Replicator allows to combine 16 of 128 available timbres simultaneously (128 is a number of output channels available). Timbres' names for all output channels are displayed in "patch" column. This column consists of combo-boxes; which give a possibility to set up timbre of any output channels at any time. In order to see patch names rather than patch numbers in the combo-boxes, the patch names should be loaded from previously created .PTC file. Format of .PTC file complies with .INI file format specification. The example - patches.ptc - is included. Timbres in this sample file describe the pipe organ soundfont from Andreas Sims:
http://home.t-online.de/home/andreas.sims/index.htm.

Input channels for up to three keyboards should be assigned using three combo-boxes in the upper row of the page.

All note on/off events of input channel (as well as other events) will be redirected to those output channels which have a checkmark in a checkbox on the intersection of input channel column and output channel row. Checkmark may be set up or cleaned with mouse, or Space key, or using hot key which is displayed right of the checkbox. Since a pipe organ is insensitive to key press force, then velocity value of each incoming note-on event is set up to the fixed value of 90 forcedly before sending to output channel.

"Clr" ("Clear") and "~" ("Tremulant") buttons are located near output channel combo-boxes. With "Clr" button it is possible to clear all output channel marks of corresponding input channel, giving the possibility to set up a new timbre combination "from zero". "~" checkbox allows to modulate sound of input channel, like Tremulant effect of pipe organ.

It is necessary to take in view the following while using Tremulant:

1. Modulation is applied to all output channels which correspond to input channels with Tremulant on. If the output channel is used for multiple inputs, and one of these inputs has Tremulant on, then modulation will be used in this output for all input events in any connected inputs, including inputs with Tremulant off.

2. Any modulation wheel in the system (on any keyboard, including ones with Tremulant off) may be used to change effect value. This adjustment take effect all over the system, i.e. for all input channels with Tremulant applied.

3. The Replicator changes soundcard programming during startup, sending some MIDI controllers to set up lower modulation frequency than default. This MIDI command sequence may be not supported by particular soundcard (the program is tested on SB Live!), but to all appearance it should not corrupt anything. The sequence is (where x is a channel number):

9xh-99-127, 9xh-98-1, 9xh-6-64, 9xh-38-54

All settings of this page are stored in midirepl.ini file in the program startup directory. These parameters will be automatically loaded on next program start.

Controls on "Device control" page

On this page you can choose input and output MIDI devices from the list of registered MIDI devices.

Input device is that soundcard to which keyboards are connected. If several soundcards are used for several keyboards then you should select "All MIDI inputs".

Output device is either soundcard or external synthesizer producing sound. On selection "MIDI Mapper" the default Windows MIDI output will be selected.

"Load patch names" button allows to load the names of timbres (registers) and their mapping into MIDI instrument numbers from a file with .PTC extension. This format coincides with .INI file format and is intuitively understandable; the file can be created/edited with any text editor program. An example - patches.ptc file - comes with the program. Edit this file and save it with another name to create your own set of register names.

All settings of this page, including loaded timbre names, are stored in midirepl.ini file in the program startup directory. These parameters will be automatically loaded on next program start.

Controls on "Combinations" page

The Replicator allows to create up to 12 register combinations which can be activated during performance with Ctrl-F1 - Ctrl-F12 key combinations as well as with selection in the list of combinations on this page. Register combination includes information about state of all controls on the first page ("Channel control"), i.e. what timbres for what outputs are used and in what output channels are input channels redirected. Tremulant settings are also included.

"Gray Plus" and "Gray Minus" keys allows to select and use the next and the previous filled cell in the combinations list.

To fast store the current register combination (the combination in use) press Ctrl-S keys. The action of this combination is duplicated by "Add current" button. User will be prompted to enter the name of the combination. The combination will occupy the firs free cell. There is no way to change the order of combinations in combinations list in this version.

"Delete" button allows to clear selected cell in combinations list. "Clear all" button clears all 12 cells.

The list of combinations can be stored in a file with .RGS extension and loaded from such a file afterwards. The list is also stored in midirepl.ini file in the program startup directory and will be automatically loaded on next program start.