Pan Flute

[bpoodoo]

I would like to propose an international ban on the use of General MIDI program G076, "Pan Flute", from any and all future song sequences and standard MIDI files.

Thank You

[megamarkd]

I would like to propose an international ban on the use of General MIDI program G076, "Pan Flute", from any and all future song sequences and standard MIDI files.

Thank You

Hahaha, yes I will back that. After finding it used for the lyrical melody in nearly all the pop music midi song files I have ever used, I to agree. Yamaha's Pan Flute in their QY series was bearable for the first 20 songs that is played the lyrics, but then it really started to wear. Good thing I was preparing the files for a singer so could remove the vocal melody. Erase Track 7>Confirm?>Yes. BOOM, gone, Save SMF.

Here's hoping with MIDI 2.0, GM can be done away with completely!

[bpoodoo]

Exactly. I can't hit the track MUTE button fast enough. I guess Pan Flute was one of the many carry-over instruments from the Roland MT-32 that made it into the GM instrument list. The best MIDI sequences I've found with instrumented vocal track use less obtrusive, sometimes unexpected choices. They can be helpful to performers and singers to provide subtle melody cues or reminders. One example I've found is Toto's Rosanna. The GM program used for the vocal track was Fretless Bass, which surprisingly worked really well. Subtle, relegated to the background, sans ooohhs and ahhhhs.