Remove the word "Omni" from the "All Channels" setting

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Bavi_H
Posts: 115

Post by Bavi_H »

In Synthesia settings, Music Devices, Music Output devices, each output device other than Built-in MIDI Synthesizer has a MIDI Channel setting. This setting defaults to "Omni (All Channels)" and can be changed to specific channels from "Channel 1" to "Channel 16". Would you consider removing the word "Omni" from the all channels setting and just call it "All Channels"?


In the MIDI standard, the term "Omni" has no real meaning for MIDI senders, it really only applies to MIDI receivers. Specifically, "Omni" refers to a mode used by single-channel MIDI receivers where the channel of each message is ignored.
  • When a single-channel MIDI receiver is set to Omni Off, the MIDI receiver will check the channel of each message and only obey the messages that match the receiver's channel.
  • When a single-channel MIDI receiver is set to Omni On, the MIDI receiver will ignore the channel encoded in each message. All messages will be considered to "match" the receiver's channel, no matter what the original channel in the message was. Effectively, this is like converting all messages to a single channel.
In other words, if you play a multi-channel MIDI file by sending it to a single-channel MIDI receiver that is in Omni On mode, you'd hear all the notes with one instrument sound.

However, the Synthesia output setting called "Omni (All Channels)" is intended for modern multi-channel MIDI receivers that will let you hear multiple instrument sounds simultaneously.

To avoid confusion, please consider removing the word "Omni" from the name of this Synthesia output setting, so it's just called "All Channels".
Nicholas
Posts: 13132

Post by Nicholas »

The way I read the situation (when I added the word "Omni" in the first place) was that the "Music Output" screen is where you describe to the app how your particular MIDI receiver is configured. Choosing "Omni" there means that the MIDI receiver is set to "Omni On" and will be able to receive on all channels.

Likewise, telling Synthesia that your device is "Omni Off" (and choosing its particular receiving channel) allows the app to redirect all messages to that channel instead.

That seems like it fits with the definitions that you laid out (and that match what I've read elsewhere).
Bavi_H
Posts: 115

Post by Bavi_H »

Thanks for your response! However, I don't think we're on the same page. Let me try explaining with an example.

Imagine a MIDI file containing a piano sound on channel 1 and a guitar sound on channel 2. My understanding is that setting a single-channel MIDI receiver to "Omni On" means it will effectively go "even though I'm getting messages on Channel 1 and Channel 2, treat them as if they were on the same channel". So if you send that MIDI file's messages to that Omni On MIDI receiver, you will hear all the notes from the MIDI file with the same instrument sound. (For example, a guitar sound, if the Channel 2 Program Change message was sent last.) But Synthesia's "Omni" (All Channels) output setting is intended to do the exact opposite thing: It is intended to let you hear different instrument sounds for each channel.


Here is a description of the MIDI modes that helped me understand the concept of "Omni treats all channels as if they are one channel".

Here is a video from 1991 that demonstrates a device in "Omni mode" (messages from Channels 1 to 6 are output with one channel's instrument sound) and then later in "Multi mode" (messages from Channel 1 to 6 are output with their own individual instrument sounds).

(The key word used to describe equipment that can produce multiple instrument sounds simultaneously seems to be "multi-timbral". I've seen the term "multi mode" used to describe MIDI devices that can receive multiple channels and use a separate instrument sound for each channel. However, as I understand it, a "multi mode" doesn't necessarily mean all 16 channels will be available. An 8-channel device might have a "multi mode", but wouldn't be able to handle all 16 channels, only 8.)


I don't have first-hand experience with Omni devices, just a strong interest in MIDI and understanding the channel modes described in the MIDI standards. I can understand my request to remove the word "Omni" from Synthesia is pedantic. But the way Synthesia uses the term "Omni" means the opposite of its intended meaning as I understand it. And Omni seems to mainly be a receiver setting, it doesn't really make sense as a sender setting. So my suggestion is it might be clearer to remove the word "Omni" from the name of the Synthesia output setting and just call it "All Channels".
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jimhenry
Posts: 1899

Post by jimhenry »

Grumble! I wrote a long and intricate response. When I went to submit it I had timed out and I was sent to the login page losing my message. So you just get my conclusions without my reasoning.

I agree with Bavi_H that "Omni" is the wrong terminology in the MIDI Channels setting. My reasoning is a bit different though. The two relevant MIDI Modes are "Omni On" and "Omni Off". "Omni" by itself is meaningless.

I think most users are actually trying to send Music Output to multi-timbral MIDI Receivers. Such devices are viewed as up to 16 MIDI Receivers, each in Omni Off mode. The "Omni" terminology really breaks down here.

Despite all this, I ultimately side with Nicholas and say leave it all alone. While I think "Omni (All Channels)" is technically wrong, I don't think it is causing any problems for users. Hopefully, very few users are changing the MIDI Channel setting.
Jim Henry
Author of the Miditzer, a free virtual theatre pipe organ
http://www.Miditzer.org/
Nicholas
Posts: 13132

Post by Nicholas »

After 8 months (sorry!) I've finally had a chance to sit down and read both arguments a little more carefully.
Bavi_H wrote: 12-18-20 1:57 pmWould you consider removing the word "Omni" from the all channels setting and just call it "All Channels"?
I'll agree with Jim that Synthesia's usage of "Omni" on its own doesn't have much meaning. And, Bavi_H's suggestion of simply removing the word and leaving "All Channels" is nice for two reasons:
  1. It eliminates MIDI-specific jargon. (Sure, "channel" is still a kind of jargon, but a well-established one in many fields.)
  2. I already have that text string available in all 16 display languages! :lol:
So I just pulled the word "Omni" out completely. If not for #2, I would have dragged my feet, hehe.
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