Can't get Studio Sets to play

I have managed sometimes to make Studio mode load the correct Studio set along with the songs I was loading, but I figured out that this is not a secure way. The way to go here is to insert program change and bank select messages into the beggining of the song. The Fantom-G by default "listens" for program changes and banks select messages on MIDI channel 16, this is the "control channel" for Studio mode.
So, now I use a track with a single phrase that contains only the program change and bank select messages, so that the correct Studio set loads at the beggining of the song.
If you know how to do this, you'd better choose this way. If you want instructions on how to do this, please feel free to ask.

Hi Cyclops,

is it also possible using these Program Change and Bank Change Messages to switch to Livesets and/or Singles? Or do I manually have to choose the mode first.

V-CeeOoh said that it is possible to switch modes using sysex:
Turn Studio Mode On = F0 41 10 00 00 27 12 01 00 00 00 02 7D F7
Turn Live Mode On = F0 41 10 00 00 27 12 01 00 00 00 01 7E F7
Turn Single Mode On = F0 41 10 00 00 27 12 01 00 00 00 00 7F F7

Is this the in-"secure way" you're talking about?

Regards,
Laurenz

lazeeboy: Yeah, I totally forgot about that. Apart from the program change and bank select, the synth engine must switch to Studio mode first. So, there should be the SysEx message that switches to Studio mode, and then the program change and bank select to select the specific Studio set to work along with the specific Song.

That's why I recommend to leave one or two bars blank, in order to insert these messages in separate MIDI track (that's why I like having 128 MIDI tracks), then the notes could start normally.

In my opinion this is something that the OS should be capable of doing itself, instead of users having to manually mess with SysEx commands in Microscope mode, etc. to get Studio Sets to load properly. In other words, $oland should make using the OS easier for users NOT HARDER or more difficult than necessary. It cuts down on work flow and it is very frustrating to have to laboriously and manually manipulate SysEx commands, etc. to get our Studio Sets to load properly with songs, etc. In other words, give me something I can easily use without all the manual "manipulation" that is not only time consuming but, in my humble opinion, should be unnecessary for users to have to do in the first place = if $oland actually did their homework and made a stable and fully functional OS to begin with (with each revision), instead of piece-mealing a half-hearted effort together, that is, needless to say, less than satisfactory or sufficient in accomplishing those ends. Sure, it is a Workstation, but c'mon Roland! The OS (with each revision) should be making things "more convenient and easier" for Users to "get things done" NOT less convenient and "harder to get things done" right? Or is it just me...

What the hell are you talking about???
When you load a Song it ALWAYS calls the Set used to record that Song, whatever it was a Studio, Live or Single. This is how it works since the X and one of the major features of the Fantoms. I even used it the other way around - meaning, using songs as "sound" banks to call Sets.
Could you explain further whats happening?

Gladly.

I haven't been able to find a keyboard player for the project I started. At least not one that can play all of the parts for 80's dance stuff. Sequencing required- that's a given. So I bought the G8. I'm a bass player....

THE PROCESS: I do a google search, find a free midi file for a song I want- I did this one the other night... "ITS MY LIFE" Talk Talk... OK. I find the SMF. Download it to the G8. load the smf. When I play the SMF, all of the parts default to a piano except the drums. (some smf's are better than others, for instance Come on EIleen patches are real close- but not perfect. However, talk talk was all pianos) So I spend a few hours scrolling through the sounds in the g8 finding the ones that sound close to the original, select, save studio set. Until I have all of the sounds as I like. Save studio set, Save song, save phrases, save project etc etc. When the song goes back to START. It defaults back to all pianos. So I have to STOP. open studio sets, scroll to the one for ITS MY LIFE, Select. Then it will play fine. if I rewind during the song, but don't go to the measure 1 beat 1, the studio set will play properly. But as soon as it gets those commands at the beginning of the song, --- all pianos.

Does that make more sense? Am I giving enough info? I need to find out how to make the song point to MY selected patches/studio instead of the original author's default patches.

Your Studio set is probably being edited when you press play, because there's program changes in your song. Does the name of your Studio Set get an asterix (*) next to it after you press play? A clear sign of the aforementioned editing done by the song itself.

Open up your Microeditor and delete all program changes/bank changes in all of your tracks; you can find them at the very beginning of each track.

After you have done this just reload the Studio Set and press play. The asterix should now stay gone.

That did it! At least for the song I tried it on. ...And it was that simple.

THANKS.

Great. Good for you! Glad I could help.