[SOLVED] How to import and instrument definition (*.idf)

MusE is a DAW for Linux with both MIDI and Audio editing. https://muse-sequencer.github.io

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tledford
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[SOLVED] How to import and instrument definition (*.idf)

Post by tledford »

Can anyone explain this to me? No import button or Open File on the menu, how do I import an idf? Also tried copying the ones I have to /usr/share/muse/instruments/, still doesn't appear in the list.

Thanks!
Last edited by tledford on Wed Dec 09, 2020 10:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
tledford
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Re: How to import and instrument definition (*.idf)

Post by tledford »

Oops, and==an
tledford
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[SOLVED] Re: How to import and instrument definition (*.idf)

Post by tledford »

Okay, figured it out, would have been helpful to have it documented somewhere.

If you have addition instrument definitions you want to use, there is evidently no way to import them or open them withing MusE. Instead, copy them to ~/.config/MusE/instruments *when MusE isn't running* or exit MusE and launch it again. Evidently it only reads *.idf files on startup? Which raises an interesting question I'll have to test: If you make a copy of an instrument definition, it will create a copy of the idf file in the config directory specified above. But you have to exit and re-launch MusE to use it? I guess.
kybos
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Re: [SOLVED] How to import and instrument definition (*.idf)

Post by kybos »

There is documentation:

https://github.com/muse-sequencer/muse/ ... efinitions

In MusE 4, there is even an info button in the Instrument dialog that takes you directly to the wiki page.
I will add your use case to the docu (copying your own definitions to the user "instruments" folder).

BTW: If you create a definition copy in the dialog, then you of course don't have to restart MusE, it remains visible.
tledford
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Re: [SOLVED] How to import and instrument definition (*.idf)

Post by tledford »

Hello, and thank you for the reply.

Yes, I found that documentation in the Wiki, but what was frustrating me (apologies if I vented a little bit) wasn't included in the documentation; i.e., if you place an IDF in the proper user location *while MusE is running,* you won't see it. I had even tried close the Edit Instruments dialog and reopening it to see if that was when the contents of the user directory were read and displayed in Edit Instruments then, but learned through trial and error that they are not.

Perhaps, since you're updating the Wiki entry anyway with this use case ("external" IDFs), you could include something like this (you may already be planning this): "If you place your own IDFs in ~/.config/MusE/instruments while MusE is running, you must exit and re-launch MusE to see and edit them."

Thank you! And looking forward to MusE 4!
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