K ey Maps: mainly for matching drum sounds to GM, but also useful for shifting instruments up or down an octave for non‑standard (usually Yamaha) note mappings. P atch Maps: for matching your non‑GM patch set to MPC.ģ. S etups: for matching the instruments to the MIDI channels.Ģ. MCI) will also use the MIDI Mapper to define how the MIDI data is going to be interpreted. Any software that uses the Media Control Interface (i.e. Most Windows MIDI sequencers allow you to use the MIDI Mapper as an output device and the Windows Media Player application gives you no choice in the matter.

The Windows MIDI Mapper - which is accessed using the icon in the Control Panel - is actually quite a powerful tool for letting you play General MIDI song files using a combination of older or otherwise non‑GM MIDI synthesisers. Although the shops should be able to demonstrate software to you at the drop of a hat, it can be worthwhile to give them a call to see if they have the software you want to look at, and maybe even arrange a personal demo. In the table below I've listed a number of music stores (in alphabetical order) that I've come across that currently have PCs permanently set up for demonstration purposes. One of the pioneers in the field, Nick Holliday of Millennium Music in Nottingham, even has two PCs, one for sequencing applications and one for showing off hard disk recording. All this is changing now, as stores start to catch up with the PC revolution by having computers available in the shop for demonstrations.

So in the past you've had to play a kind of Russian Roulette, with your wallet at the business end of the revolver. With software this has always been a problem, due to the fact that not many shops have a PC setup or even the knowledge to give sensible advice. Brian Heywood finds out where you can go for a PC software demo, checks out the Windows MIDI Mapper, and spends some money via his PC.ĭespite my natural laziness and a predisposition to use the telephone to order from the comfort of my armchair, there is still nothing like going into a shop to buy the next toy.

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