Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Instruments
The Metronome Instrument dialog allows you to change the underlying MIDI properties of the metronome.
| Apply/Apply Now | The Apply button applies all of the changes made
without the need to close the dialog box by hitting the OK button. If you would like your changes to be made immediately, use The Apply Now button. When this button is used any changes made to the staves will be reflected on the score straightaway, without the need to click the Apply button. Applying Instrument Changes Quickly As well as using the Apply/Apply Now buttons, you can instantly apply instrument changes by double-clicking an instrument name in the instrument list. If the Apply button is available, double-clicking the list will have the effect of pressing this button, effecting the new instrument immediately. |
| Device | Assuming more than one device is available, others can be selected using this drop down box. To change the list of devices see the MIDI Playback tab in Program Options. |
| Channel | The default channel is Channel 10. This is because most MIDI soundcards use the standard General MIDI (‘GM’) instrument configuration, and in GM, notes broadcast on Channel 10 use the drum instrument patches. These drum sounds make good metronome instruments. You can, of course, use any GM instrument by selecting one of the instruments available on channels other than number 10.
Alternatively, you can choose Autoselect, and MidiIllustrator will choose a channel for the metronome instrument which does not conflict with channels used by any of the staves in the active score. If all 16 channels are being used by staves in the MIDI file the metronome will share a channel with one of the staves. Each time you begin playback of a score MidiIllustrator re-examines the staves in the score to find a free channel. When MidiIllustrator automatically selects a channel for the metronome it is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the main MidiIllustrator window. If you are using an external MIDI device to generate metronome sounds you must make sure that the external MIDI device is ‘listening’ on the designated channel, otherwise you will not hear the metronome. MidiIllustrator will not ‘autoselect’ Channel 10. |
| Bank 0 | Allows you to access different banks on the current MIDI device using the Coarse Adjust Method (#0).
For more information see Bank Select. |
| Bank 32 | Allows you to access different banks on the current MIDI device using the Fine Adjust Method (#32).
For more information see Bank Select. |
| Volume Level | The volume level can be changed using the slide control. The range is 0 (muted) to 127 (maximum volume).
The default setting for MIDI files that do not specify a value for volume is 64. |
| Pan | A pan setting of 64 means that the stereo balance is equal on the left and right channels and this is the default behaviour for MIDI files that do not specify a value for pan.
You may wish to change the stereo balance so that it is higher or lower on one side, using the slide control. The lower the number the more the balance is on the left channel, and conversely the higher the number the more the balance is on the right channel. |
| Accented Beat/Normal Beat | The first beat in a bar will use the Accented Beat instrument. Subsequent beats in that bar will use the Normal Beat instrument. The most effective metronome sounds are achieved when you allocate different instruments to the Accented and Normal Beats.
If, for example, you choose the Low Wood Block (GM instrument 43) for the Accented Beat and the Hi Wood Block (GM instrument 42) for the Normal Beat, in 4:4 time you would get one Accented Beat (the Low Wood Block) and three Normal Beats (the Hi Wood Block). To choose the instrument for each beat, select the appropriate tab, and then simply select an instrument from the list in the Instrument Display Window. |
| Audition Instrument | When an instrument has been selected from the Instrument Display Window for both the Accented Beat and the Normal Beat, press this button to hear the sound of the instruments. |
| Apply | The Apply button applies all of the changes made without the need to close the dialog box. |
| View the Help Contents Page. Visit the MidiIllustrator Website at http://www.MidiIllustrator.com. |