Customizing Program Names

Metro allows you to create custom Program Names to track program change messages sent to your MIDI devices. It's helpful to work in a MIDI environment where names are substituted for numbers; Metro can even alphabetize Program Names when displayed in a pop-up menu.

General MIDI devices incorporate a universal patch naming scheme.

Let's configure Metro to display the General MIDI patch names contained within your GM-compatible sound module:

  1. Choose Program Names from the Setup menu.

The Program Names dialog box appears.

  1. From the Channels for port menu, choose the name of your General MIDI-compatible device.

  2. Click the Open button and locate the Metro Instruments File named 'General MIDI Patches', which is found in the Program Names folder within the folder containing the Metro application. The 'General MIDI Patches' file contains the names of all programs within a General MIDI compatible sound module.

  3. Click the All button in order to assign all 16 MIDI channels of the designated port to the General MIDI Patches Program Names file. Select the port that's connected to your GM-compatible sound module.

  4. Click OK to close the Program Names dialog box.

Metro is now configured to display the Program Names of your General MIDI-compatible instrument. Metro substitutes Program Names, instead of numbers within its Program Name fields.

Choose General Preferences from the File menu and select Save in order to save Program Names within your custom Metro environment.

The next step in this tutorial is Drum Machine Style Recording.

Customizing Program Names