3 Requests... (and a MUTE trick)

I particularly like your 3rd idea (favorites/tags). In a way you can kind of do this using the "My Presets" bank if you make your own presets and slightly alter and save existing "favorite" presets, but that wouldn't be quite the same. Some might find a tagging system unnecessarily complex, but I'd find it useful.

Unless I misunderstood you, "2b" can already be done (Pianoteq starting with the last used MIDI file). The behavior can be changed under: Options > General > MIDI Player.

And something I would really like to see: When saving a MIDI file, optionally include the currently selected preset's name in the MIDI file's name. That way a saved MIDI file's name could be made to remind us which preset was used. I usually don't really need to see exactly how many thousands of notes were played...though it's kind of interesting. Customizing the auto-generated file names would be nice.

Good ideas.

1 - instead of Mute, have you tried the MIDI Panic button? Either click it or use qwerty key combo "Alt-p". That stops all MIDI notes instantly. Just guessing that's more like what you're wanting (rather than shutting off entire audio stream).

2 - definitely a few MIDI playback options could be very useful. Currently, starting playback from where it was stopped, is excellent for studying phrases over (no need to have to click and re-find the phrase.).. but a user option to select among start/stop behaviours would be good to surface inside options. Plenty may also jump for extras like selecting/looping loops and more if it gets more options )

3 - Tagging - Happy with logical naming/saving and using search, myself. But there seem a few things possible to make that more fun for those who want more.

I'd like to keep freedom to name our files anything and to be able to save them wherever we wish.

Def agreeing though with Nathan, something auto generated, optionally, would be preferable to me too. As long as it's not just making us overly long file names.. to me that's just too much info to scroll (which I prefer to search) - and maybe instead of searching file names we could change the paradigm and have the search function enter into existing meta data instead of just file names, or as well.. why not both ways

Rather than naming files automatically, since we know the Freeze function pulls meta data (to know what we've edited), perhaps a full new pane for file discovery could be a fine thing.

I envisage for such a pane, to have an ability, like Freeze pane, to select among elements like.. obviously at the top, the Piano (like Steinway D), something about it (player/recording/cinematic etc.).. and select things which you think you edited, like mics, compressor, EQ3 etc.

On the pane, pianos show up as things are clicked and you could star and/or tag them there, alter color for them so they stand out in the preset list, rename, relocate - etc. Complete file handling center, no matter how detailed you want to get.. you can use it, or just the existing search.. nobody loses functionality - and maybe the star/rating system could be more than just a star, but 5 star ratings. 

All that meta data is there with no user input needed, but still - I'm OK with search as it is, naming files with a memorable title (semantic or otherwise) - and also these days, finding that saving files into folders with just the year, makes it easy to keep up with even a huge assortment of custom presets.

Like Dazric mentioned, for MIDI files.. also meta data may be pulled into the file-name perhaps, since they may not need more info than "what piano did I play this with". Putting too much info into MIDI metadata is risking them failing to load into other software (DAWs etc.).

Perhaps a unique 'token' could be given to each saved custom file (as well as maybe being embedded in default presets).

That token could be placed into the MIDI file name.. that way, a user could inside Pianoteq bring up the related preset to listen to the MIDI (yah, the correct piano for that!)

Nice food for thought - thank you Zedd!

While I would prefer it if there was ALSO an option for Pianoteq to remember the last MIDI file loaded and keep it until changed, thanks for this tip. I changed the default MIDI file to one which is a better reference performance for my uses.

If this were added, I would like it to be an option only for those who need it, since most of the time the piano being played is irrelevant to me as I am actually playing a non-Pianoteq instrument on my keyboard (and Pianoteq would not be able to keep track of that).

The number of notes is useful for me to identify the MIDI file I am looking for. Often I play a few notes on the keyboard ahead of recording a demo idea, and as a result it is easy to identify the MIDI file which begins my demo, if there is a little MIDI file with a few notes of preparing the idea ahead of it.

Yes... I think something like that would be better. It would be nice to have a record of the Pianoteq preset that was activated INSIDE the MIDI file for those who need to know which Pianoteq preset was being used at the time of recording, but I wouldn't want it to be in the filename.

I actually desire a dedicated MUTE function because I want Pianoteq to ALWAYS be open to record and save MIDI, but I often don't want to hear it playing. I am often experimenting with sounds from different VI synths and Kontakt instruments, so Pianoteq needs to remain silent, while still paying attention to what I am playing on the keyboard.

Pianoteq MIDI recording has saved me numerous times! I hope it keeps working even longer than a billion years!

YES!!! Thanks for reminding me, because I wanted to request that also!

Modartt: PLEASE ADD an option to loop the MIDI file. It would be great if it was a check box or button right on the GUI so that it could easily be activated or deactivated as needed.

MIDI files can definitely contain text... so that would be token enough for me.

Nice!

I do find it difficult to imagine that there is a high percentage of users who care about being able to get Pianoteq to recognize the exact preset that was played when they recorded the MIDI. Perhaps piano players who are playing piano pieces and wish to replay their performances to sound exactly as they did when played... but in most cases such a piano player might just prefer to hear the piece in whatever is their favorite piano of the moment.

The only time I would care about the piano I was using is when I am specifically noodling or demoing a piano part, and I would included that detail of the piano used in the filename of the Mp3 recording I am making to remember that the MIDI is even worth looking for in the future. If I don't know what MIDI is worth salvaging, from an audio file, I would be going through the MIDI and caring about retrieving it.

Also, as previously mentioned, for the way that I personally work most of the MIDI that is important to me are things I played while demoing other synths and instruments to create reference demos and noodles (again recorded as Mp3 audio files with the instrument present in the filename so that they can be identified and reconstructed in the future).

Sure... it might be cool if you could drag the Pianoteq played MIDI back into the Pianoteq player and get the same piano preset that was originally used... but even in that situation, I would probably prefer to hear that MIDI in whatever piano preset that I currently have loaded or want to try other options.

And if I really wanted to work with that MIDI, I wouldn't be using the Pianoteq player at all, since I would have dragged the MIDI into my DAW to edit it and work it into a final performance and then would have to choose a Pianoteq preset manually anyway.

But of course I am aware that we all work differently and use Pianoteq in different ways... so there are probably lots of piano players out there who might enjoy some version of this token feature to archive their performances exactly as they played them.

You're probably right. It has come up maybe 2 or 3 times tho. If it can be done without great overhead, prob a nice thing to have.

Oh, yes definitely both. One great reason to hear the MIDI playback on the exact same preset, is that often users may have edited dynamics, hammer hardness, the velocity curve - and when playing it back using any other presets, it 'could' sound to them lesser. It's fussy - but a good thing to provide because often the fussy ones need to be won over.. more and more proficient pianists are noticing Pianoteq because of its playability - and matching the correct preset with their MIDI recordings can lift the bar in ways maybe not important to all, but none the less important for many.

My regular way of working really ends quickly in audio. I don't personally fuss too much with MIDI (in Pianoteq or DAW, mostly prefer live performances as takes - simplicity etc.. but I do also at times use the MIDI player in Pianoteq in various ways) - so I definitely understand noodling/exploring with pianos and not needing even one of the suggested features - but.. enjoying them at times when they can help a project.. that's worth having each of these suggested features available even if not used daily

OH, I have to say.. one reason I don't use MIDI as much in Piantoeq, IS the fact that the auto-recorded MIDI (I save 'snips' named so I can archive/retrieve), doesn't match the preset. I often open some old MIDI recording (guess the piano may have been A or B).. and first thing I hear is "Ouch.. too harsh" or too clothy.

Having the MIDI open the same preset used to record, would enthuse me to go back through any auto-recorded MIDI (if it comes along).

And certainly agree, any serious MIDI work would be done in a DAW. Often when feature requests for Pianoteq to add features to the MIDI recorder/playback, it's noted that well, it shouldn't become too complex. I agree - which kind of is why I really like some version of the token approach (but Pianoteq's codebase/JUICE etc. may have a better way inbuilt to do the same stuff!?).

Excellent way to do things. Many users could learn a lot from trying that approach. I like to use player presets to play/record to MIDI as well - and end up often using different preset settings for the recording process later on. If in the DAW I mostly will use the piano/preset from start to finish - but in standalone mode, mostly how you describe.

Also like your idea of naming files in this way, handy..

My preference is keeping year folders. I guess over time it's only recent years' edits which I revisit/reuse.. and it doesn't get too out of hand with knowing that if I select the piano, and the year fold, that the list of my custom presets will be short enough for me to remember what they each are. I suppose I end up ditching old custom presets as they tended to sound better on the older versions of Pianoteq.

I'd always be interested in any further input about what tagging and other file/naming systems you each like.. there have been some digital camera management tools with some pretty detailed ways of doing it - is that too much? Or something like Omni bar in style maybe? Or would that only appeal to the fewer users with a love of such things?

@Zedd - did you have software with tagging implemented we could check out? to get a notion of what particular things you prefer re tagging.

Cheers! and BTW also thanks for such excellent ideas and a nice thread.