Cloudschatze wrote:

Not at all - just unusable in this context. […]
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j^aws wrote:

Okay, I get what you are trying to say, but that makes these mixers unusable.

Not at all - just unusable in this context.

For sake-of-argument, let's say I'm about to play some Quest for Glory IV. Here's how the volume level (CC#7) of just Part/Channel 10 looks over the first little bit of gameplay:

100 - Default/GS Reset
107 - Sierra Fanfare
107 - Introduction
107 - The Caves
117 - Battle of the Badders
095 - Escaping the Battle
109 - Wyvern Battle
...and so on.

This doesn't even take into account any use of the game's volume slider, which would further throw things off.

Let's say my synthesizer's GM drumkit is too loud in the mix. Using a device that sends CC#7's (or even just the front panel), I could certainly adjust that volume on the fly, but my setting would get overridden by the in-game music data with every track change. Even if a particular MIDI mixing device were to send a set CC#7 value at recurring micro-intervals (neither of mine do), that fixed value would result in further volume issues between tracks.

I understand this example, but this isn't how I'm thinking. Take your channel 10 example. For arguments sake, apply all 16 sliders at an arbitrary but equal value at 100% volume level for each channel.

Now, your examples of variations in volume for channel 10 is still preserved relative to the other 15 channels. Changing game volume changes the master volume, which still preserves the ratio across all 16 channels, and just makes the whole mix quieter or louder.

Let's increase channel 10 to 120% on the slider, whilst the remaining channels stay at 100%. Channel 10 is now 20% louder, relative to the other channels. However, the volume variation in your example within channel 10 is still preserved.

Have you tested what you're suggesting? I feel like that would clear this right up. 😀

Cloudschatze wrote:

Have you tested what you're suggesting? I feel like that would clear this right up. 😀

It would definitely be an interesting thing to test! I'll put it with the rest of the pile on my to do list.

Cloudschatze wrote:

Let's say my synthesizer's GM drumkit is too loud in the mix. Using a device that sends CC#7's (or even just the front panel), I could certainly adjust that volume on the fly, but my setting would get overridden by the in-game music data with every track change. Even if a particular MIDI mixing device were to send a set CC#7 value at recurring micro-intervals (neither of mine do), that fixed value would result in further volume issues between tracks.

What the good MIDI mixers can do is take incoming CC messages, modify them, and then send the modified data to the synth. They can do this via the faders for manual control, pre-programmed or user-defined patches, or by themselves being controlled from a sequencer via sysex. So the in-game music data would never reach the synth unmodified in the first place since the MIDI mixer intercepts it.

yawetaG wrote:

What the good MIDI mixers can do is take incoming CC messages, modify them, and then send the modified data to the synth. They can do this via the faders for manual control, pre-programmed or user-defined patches, or by themselves being controlled from a sequencer via sysex. So the in-game music data would never reach the synth unmodified in the first place since the MIDI mixer intercepts it.

That's certainly more ideal, but you'd still be endlessly tweaking between tracks because stationary values aren't ideal either. Impractical as ever.

A better solution might involve the creation of a volume translation map for a target device-in-question, and the use of an intermediary device that would snoop program change messages for all sixteen channels, and apply necessary volume offsets for the patches/drumkits that require them, regardless of the Part/Channel on which they may appear.

That, or you could just buy a Sound Canvas and spend life on more meaningful pursuits. Good grief. 😵