Synthesiser issues
I know it's possible to associate soundfonts with MS files using the Synthesiser, but this can lead to problems if there is more than one file open in MS at a time.
What seems to happen is that if (say) file A is configured with additional soundfonts - which may be relevant for that file, then the notes in file B might actually become inaudible. That is understandable if the instruments don't match. However I assumed - obviously incorrectly - that each file would link to its own soundfont configuration and that this would not be affected by other files loaded into the same instance of MS.
So now, if more soundfonts are used, it is necessary to explicitly look at the soundfonts used in each different MS file and check that the configurations are appropriate in the Synthesiser. This can be a nuisance and time consuming - though at least I now have a greater understanding of what the current system actually does.
Also using the Synthesiser - removing soundfonts from the list has to be done one at a time - which is somewhat inconvenient. It would be better if several could be selected and then all could be removed in one fell swoop.
Some form of soundfont grouping for the Synthesiser would be helpful - and then a group configuration could be assigned and associated with each MS file.
The clunkiness of this probably explains why it appears that the general advice is to restrict one's attention to a limited set of soundfonts.
Comments
Part of not automatically switching soundfonts is that:
A./ You just might not have them installed if you're loading someone else's score
B./ The delay caused by loading/unloading soundfonts could be a bigger nuisance when tabbing through your open files
C./ Split document view would mean basically having to create two synth instances; one for each score
As you by now know, all of this is undergoing major rework for MS4. I don't know if this will mean having the option to automatically load the correct synth settings for a given score; but at least the UX aspect should be vastly improved.
In reply to Part of not automatically… by jeetee
Thanks for your response. I hope that the rework for MS4 will lead to significant improvements.
Maybe the future system will still rely on .sf2 and .sf3 soundfonts, or similar. Until recently I did not appreciate the issues re installing and configuring soundfonts in the synthesiser. For many purposes a compressed VI format would suffice, though for final products a large VI format might help.
Unloading each VI surely could be made simpler and quicker - even if offloaded to the background - but the time spent unloading could be reduced.
If the issues raised cannot be overcome, then improvement could be made to the information/feedback for users. If users understand and are aware of the issues and how to overcome them, then many might be prepared to accept the problems as they are - though it would be good to see if they could be reduced.