> This makes no sense. Why? It's highly standard. About 90% of the synthesizers I've written patch editors for provide exactly this facility. In fact some (

> This makes no sense. Why? It's highly standard. About 90% of the synthesizers I've written patch editors for provide exactly this facility. In fact some (PreenFM2, Korg Microsampler, Futursonus Parva) provide only this facility. > The first one is covered by the core MIDI spec. Actually it's not. Program Change only works for 128 patches. If a synth has more than 128 (and many do), they must rely optionally on Bank Select, but their definitions of "banks" vary because a bank is not a formally defined concept. Some rationally treat banks as divisions of the patches. Others treat banks as media choices: cards versus RAM versus ROM. Some require that Bank Select be immediately before Program Change with nothing in-between; others do not. Some ignore banks entirely and instead define a "Program Change Table" of 128 slots pointing to arbitrary patches in memory, and then Program Change indicates which patch slot to use. And there are several major synthesizers (Yamaha TX81Z and DX11 are famous examples) where Program Change is in fact broken and requires unusual workaround hacks. Further, most synths require a program change prior to a patch load: but others (notably the Oberheim Matrix 6 and 1000) require a program change after a patch load. It's a mess.