Musical Blog of Rob Birdwell
Monday, January 07, 2008
Yamaha P120 Instrument Definition for Cakewalk/SONAR
I've owned a Yamaha P120 keyboard for a few years now (mine's the far "hipper" silver and genuine imitation Cherry wood version) and use it for composing/arranging all sorts of stuff - it's a simple and reliable instrument. But for reasons that defy explanation, I had never been able to find a Cakewalk/SONAR instrument definition file on-line for this instrument (I searched the world over - nada). So, thinking it should be easy, I took a crack at creating one from scratch...and, wonder of wonders, it worked! Now, I'll do what someone should have done years ago - I'll share the file with you and anyone who needs it!
Download my edit of the Yamaha P120 Instrument Definition file for Cakewalk's SONAR here: Yamaha-P120.ins (a Cakewalk/SONAR text/instrument definition file)
(Note: at the time of this writing, this Instrument Definition file works with SONAR 6 - I can only assume this file format will work with SONAR 7...just a best guess!)
I relied upon the P120 manual and this reference. I had to guess a few times on the bank setting - the solution was, it turns out, fairly obvious.
Enjoy!
Rob Birdwell
I've owned a Yamaha P120 keyboard for a few years now (mine's the far "hipper" silver and genuine imitation Cherry wood version) and use it for composing/arranging all sorts of stuff - it's a simple and reliable instrument. But for reasons that defy explanation, I had never been able to find a Cakewalk/SONAR instrument definition file on-line for this instrument (I searched the world over - nada). So, thinking it should be easy, I took a crack at creating one from scratch...and, wonder of wonders, it worked! Now, I'll do what someone should have done years ago - I'll share the file with you and anyone who needs it!Download my edit of the Yamaha P120 Instrument Definition file for Cakewalk's SONAR here: Yamaha-P120.ins (a Cakewalk/SONAR text/instrument definition file)
(Note: at the time of this writing, this Instrument Definition file works with SONAR 6 - I can only assume this file format will work with SONAR 7...just a best guess!)
I relied upon the P120 manual and this reference. I had to guess a few times on the bank setting - the solution was, it turns out, fairly obvious.
Enjoy!
Rob Birdwell
Labels: make a difference, musicians
¶ 11:23 PM 1 comments links to this post
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Valery Ponomarev's Big Break
This article should be of interest to fellow musicians, especially when traveling to Paris with your instrument. Here's my take:
Valery Ponomarev, a world class Jazz Trumpet player, attempted to board his Paris to New York flight with his precious 1961 Connstellation Trumpet as a carry on. However, French airport personnel insisted the instrument be stored in a place they call "l'hold," which when translated from the French means, roughly, "the place where all Trumpets get crushed."
Long story short: words were exchanged, wills were tested, passions flared, and Mr. Ponomarev's arm was broken in an apparent scuffle with airport security. The police actually claim Mr. Ponomarev broke his own arm by "rebelling" - interesting.
Mr. Ponomarev allegedly endured 6 hours without treatment, but fortunately survived to play another day - and that's some very good news. Still...
In a country that doesn't even put lane lines in their swimming pools so as not to impede an individual's personal freedom to swim wherever they want to ("Pourquoi avons-nous combattu la revolution ?") this recent airport fiasco in Paris underscores the challenges faced by airline passengers, especially musicians, who are merely seeking assurances that their valuables will be stowed as safely as possible.
"L'hold" may be good enough for luggage and travel bags that can absorb a certain amount of impact, but maybe, just maybe, airlines will consider alternative storage space for les instruments extraordinaire. If these storage spaces exist, then airline personnel must be trained to assure passengers that their instruments will indeed be stowed accordingly. Maybe then there will be fewer crushed instruments and even fewer broken arms.
Rob Birdwell ¶ 11:32 AM 0 comments links to this post
Valery Ponomarev, a world class Jazz Trumpet player, attempted to board his Paris to New York flight with his precious 1961 Connstellation Trumpet as a carry on. However, French airport personnel insisted the instrument be stored in a place they call "l'hold," which when translated from the French means, roughly, "the place where all Trumpets get crushed."
Long story short: words were exchanged, wills were tested, passions flared, and Mr. Ponomarev's arm was broken in an apparent scuffle with airport security. The police actually claim Mr. Ponomarev broke his own arm by "rebelling" - interesting.
Mr. Ponomarev allegedly endured 6 hours without treatment, but fortunately survived to play another day - and that's some very good news. Still...
In a country that doesn't even put lane lines in their swimming pools so as not to impede an individual's personal freedom to swim wherever they want to ("Pourquoi avons-nous combattu la revolution ?") this recent airport fiasco in Paris underscores the challenges faced by airline passengers, especially musicians, who are merely seeking assurances that their valuables will be stowed as safely as possible.
"L'hold" may be good enough for luggage and travel bags that can absorb a certain amount of impact, but maybe, just maybe, airlines will consider alternative storage space for les instruments extraordinaire. If these storage spaces exist, then airline personnel must be trained to assure passengers that their instruments will indeed be stowed accordingly. Maybe then there will be fewer crushed instruments and even fewer broken arms.
Rob Birdwell ¶ 11:32 AM 0 comments links to this post
