MIDI Manager

This Anvil Studio accessory manages connections to your MIDI devices. It allows you to:

Access multiple MIDI Out ports and Patch Bays, giving access to far more than 16 MIDI output channels,

View a graphical image of your MIDI setup,

Forget about channel assignments and instrument patch numbers,

Create new Patch Libraries by importing Cakewalk^™ .INS (Instrument Definition) files, widely available on the Web,

Load and save Patch Libraries for a variety of supported synthesizers,

Load and save Patch Controllers for a variety of supported synthesizers,

Load Sound Font (.SF2) files into your SoundFont-compatible SoundCard and access the loaded instrument patches by name.

A Patch is the information a particular synthesizer needs to sound like a particular musical instrument. Using an orchestra as an analogy, a patch is the same as an instrument.

A Bank is a set of patches that can be held in a synthesizer's memory at one time. Different synthesizers can hold different numbers of patches at one time. Some synthesizers have only one bank with a fixed set of patches that can never be changed. Others allow new banks and patches to be created. Using an orchestra as an analogy, a bank is the same as the set of all instruments used by the orchestra.

A Patch Library is a file that contains a set of factory preset Banks and Patches for one of your synthesizers, including:

Bank and Patch names,

Controller names

Comments you would like to remember about particular patches,

Which Patches or Channels your synthesizer uses for Drum sounds,

Names of Drum Notes, used when creating Rhythm Tracks

A Patch Library does not add sounds to your soundcard. It only tells Anvil Studio what sounds are already built into your soundcard or external MIDI synthesizer.
If you have a SoundBlaster Live soundcard, SoundFont files can be used to add sounds to your soundcard.

The following is a sample of an Anvil Studio screen included with this accessory.

Patch Libraries

An Anvil Studio Patch Library allows you to assign tracks to factory preset patches that your synthesizer is able to play. The standard version of Anvil Studio ships with a General MIDI Patch Library that describes patch names and Drum Notes for synthesizers that conform to the General MIDI standard. Patch libraries are also available for many synthesizers. To find out if we have a patch library for your synthesizer, please email us. In your email, please include the manufacturer and model name/number of your synthesizer or sound module. We will notify you by email when an Anvil Studio Patch Library for it becomes available.

When you order the MIDI Setup accessory, you can receive a free copy of a Patch Library by indicating the name of the Patch Library you would like in the Comments field of the order form.

This accessory also allows you to create your own Patch Libraries as shown below:

You can buy and download the MIDI-Manager accessory for $19 by pressing the order button, or as part of Anvil Studio's Accessory Combo Pack, or as part of Anvil Studio Works.

Product Ordering