Soundquest MidiQuest 10XL
DVD-Rom

How does Soundquest Midi Quest 10XL compare with every previous upgrade? Quite simply, there is no comparison. Almost three years in the making, Sound Quest has never before packed so many enhancements and new features into a single upgrade.

Along with the hundreds of "small" improvements, Midi Quest 10 and Midi Quest 10 XL add major enhancements such as: multi-threaded MIDI I/O, which can cut SysX download times from 50 - 75% or more; Studio Connections plug-in support for all 650 instruments; brand new VST and MFX plug-ins - yes, that's new - and we even enhanced the old ones too; video tutorials are back, 12 hours worth; and finally, 64-bit versions of Midi Quest XL and all of its plug-ins. That's just the beginning of the list.

Soundquest  Midi Quest 10 XL ships with two different VST and MFX plug-ins.  The first plug-in is an enhanced version of the original. This version can load any Midi Quest data file into your host sequencer as a plug-in. What's new is the plug-in's ability to load as well as send MIDI data so you can add patches to a Library or update a Set from a plug-in stead of having to load up Midi Quest.  The updated VST and MFX plug-ins now receive CC events either from the sequencer track or external MIDI hardware and use these to remotely edit instrument parameters. The VST plug-in also includes enhanced automation features to match those available in the MFX plug-in so you can now automatically trigger SysX transmissions when the data is loaded, when the sequencer starts, when the sequencer loops, and when the sequencer stops playing.

The second VST and MFX plug-ins are completely new and appear in your list of VST or MFX lists as individual instruments. For example, if your studio contains an M1, a Motif, and a JV-1080, your VST plug-in list would list each of those three instruments separately. Choose an instrument and a custom sized Set window appears. Load data in from the instrument or read a Set file in from disk and you're ready to go.  These new plug-ins are designed to let you treat each piece of MIDI hardware as an integrated component in your sequencer, just like a soft-synth. All of the Midi Quest XL's SysX data is stored in your sequence file so when you take your sequence to another computer, the Midi Quest data automatically comes along with it.

Sound Quest is proud to announce that it is now providing Studio Connections compatibility for all Midi Quest 10 XL instruments. Support for the Studio Connections standard was previously limited to a small number of Yamaha devices. With Soundquest Midi Quest 10 XL, Studio Connections now supports over 650 MIDI devices from 60 manufacturers.  Midi Quest 10 XL currently supports all Studio Connections on both Windows and Macintosh with features including Total Recall and access to the host sequencer's MIDI ports. In Windows, this allows Midi Quest XL to work effectively as a plug-in even if your MIDI interface has only single-client drivers.

The x64 version of Sonar is shipping. The new 64-bit VST standard has arrived so x64 upgrades to Cubase and Nuendo can't be far behind. These new sequencers will offer great new features including smoother operation and access to much more memory but there is a catch, you need 64-bit plug-ins to run in your x64 sequencer.  With Midi Quest 10 XL, you can start using a 64-bit sequencer any time you want. Midi Quest 10 XL includes x64 compatible versions of all of its VST, Studio Connections*, and MFX plug-ins.

Soundquest Midi Quest 10 features multi-threaded MIDI I/O. What does this mean? It means that you can send SysX data out every MIDI port of each of your MIDI interfaces simultaneously. If you need to send SysX to two or more instruments at the same time, you don't have to wait for each instrument to receive its data, just start a transmit for each instrument and you're done. And even then, you still don't have to wait. The MIDI I/O window that you're so familiar with is gone! If you've got another instrument that isn't receiving a bulk download, you can edit it, audition patches, try out a mix or blend, anything. You won't even know that you're downloading except for some blinking in the MIDI Monitor window.  As a result of this change, you'll also find that all editor graphics are now as smooth as silk.

Included on the DVD of Midi Quest or Midi Quest XL, you will find that the disc contains over 12 hours of Midi Quest tutorials in .AVI format. You can watch these from your browser or run them from most AVI compatible players. These tutorials cover virtually all of Midi Quest's features including a number of development tutorials for those of you who always wanted to create your own instrument modules.  If you hate reading manuals but want to know everything that there is to know about Midi Quest, these are definitely for you.

Soundquest MidiQuest 10XL Features:
Features found in Soundquest MidiQuest 10XL only:
-x64 version of Windows Midi Quest XL for Windows XP x64 and Windows Vista x64
-x64 versions of Midi Quest XL plug-ins (VST, MFX, Studio Connections) are ready when you go 64-bit
-New plug-in versions of Midi Quest XL
-Instrument specific VST plug-in modules
-Instrument specific MFX plug-in modules
-Full support for the new Yamaha Studio Connections plug-in standard currently supported by Cubase, Nuendo,
  and Studio Manager applications
-Enhanced VST automation capabilities, features, and options
-Register and un-register instruments for use as VST, Studio Connections and MFX plug-ins
-Plug-in versions of Midi Quest now support all randomization functions
-XML files are now automatically saved with the .midnam extension

Features found in both Soundquest MidiQuest 10 and Soundquest MidiQuest 10XL:
-Standard 32-bit Midi Quest and Midi Quest XL versions for Windows 
-Intel and PPC versions of Midi Quest and Midi Quest XL for Apple Macintosh OSX 10.4 
-Windows and Macintosh versions included on the same DVD 
-Fully independent MIDI I/O lets you edit and audition one instrument while simultaneously sending data to another instrument 
-With a multi-port MIDI interface, all instruments can be updated simultaneously 
-Over 12 hours of AVI video tutorials are included on the DVD versions of Midi Quest and Midi Quest XL 
-Custom Set dialog makes it easy to select the components for an instrument's custom set 
-Two new ways to create new libraries - including a dialog listing all available library types 
-Enhanced MIDIX import capabilities - Midi Quest now scans for the appropriate SysX data in a MIDIX file 
-Enhanced FTP dialog allows Midi Quest to download instrument modules from alternate sites 
-New progress dialog shows status of FTP downloads 
-"Open to Instrument" display data files of a particular type to select and send directly to the instrument 
-Enhanced MIDI channel selection using computer keyboard 
-Enhanced Fast Tips file options: Midi Quest developers can now use html files to provide help instead of text files 
support for .SQZ update file version numbers to reduce downloading 
-"Select All" function removed - no longer applicable 
-"Instrument to Disk" options removed - not compatible with new multi-threaded MIDI I/O 
-Improved graphic integration 
-Instrument centric view 
-Set displays graphic of currently selected instrument 
-Select the active instrument by double clicking on instrument graphic and use the popup menu to select a new instrument to edit 
-Previously opened editors are cached for "instant" editor switching and greatly improved graphic performance 
-Selection state of banks is now maintained while switching between editors 
-Editing of patches in banks is now handled in a separate window to provide additional working space 
-Menu "Transmit" option now displays the name of the data to be sent 
-"Get" SysX button added to the button bar 
-Supports new UniQuest "one window" custom editors (TC-Helicon, TC-Electronic, etc) 
-Fn keys switch between instruments in a multi-instrument Set 
-Set menu lists all instruments in a multi-instrument Set 
-Set window is now always in split mode 
-Enhanced Undo capabilities including "Undo history" 
-Improved ROM bank features - audition ROM banks without loading the Sys x
-Improved numbering options for large banks 
-Editing of patches in a bank in a set 
-Improved auto-sizing of new Bank windows 
-Double click on patch automatically opens the editor 
-Optional save of edited patch into Bank before saving Bank or Collection 
-Improved copy/paste/swap editing between banks 
-Auditioning of undefined patches now through standard patch change commands 
-Added Get and Mix buttons to button bar 
-"Shift+Esc" cancels drag operations 
-XReference function is updated to include multiple banks and displays patch names instead of numbers 
-Drag and drop from a Multi/Combi from a Set to a Collection copies the Multi/Combi along with all child patches when possible 
-Mix operation is enhanced with randomization biasing (set level of biasing between two patches) 
-Specify a background bitmap 
-Two new bank numbering formats added for Moog Source and Chroma Polaris compatibility 
-One step Undo 
-Auditionable Undo History 
-Optional HTML help (alt+F1) 
-"Learn" mode allows each control to be assigned to a CC number for remote editing by a keyboard or hardware controller 
-Clear any CC assignment made using Learn mode 
-Any copy block defined in any editor can be saved as a resource for use with any other patch. For example, save your favorite LFO settings to apply to any patch you wish 
-"Store" menu option stores the current patch back in the source bank location 
-"Store As" menu option displays a dialog allowing you to save the patch into any compatible bank in the Set 
-Each control's popup value shows an asterisk (*) when the value has been edited 
-Left clicking on a String List's drop button automatically displays the popup menu 
-Tab control shows popup value 
-Optional html help for each editor and/or parameter in the editor (alt+F1) 
-Optional verification dialog when an initialized patch will be sent to the instrument to overwrite an existing patch 
-Direct numeric entry is now uses a new popup dialog 
-Patches can now be saved from a Bank editor split window 
-Editor load and render progress bar 
-"Shift+Esc" cancels any editor drag currently in progress 
-"Ctrl+left click" on a parameter sets that parameter to its "init" value 
-3 new standard skins designed for the new layout style 
-All existing Midi Quest editors were modified to provide improved appearance 
-Midi Quest 10 now supports over 650 instruments
-Instantaneous editor switching after initial draw 
-Bank editors retain their selection state during the entire session 
-When the Collection is the active window, the MIDI menu shows which types of data are ready to be sent 
-Added a "Get SysX" button to the button bar 
-"Shift-Esc" key command cancels a drag operation in progress 
-Send button is correctly disabled for ROM banks 
-Click on column title alternately sorts ascending then descending order 
-Specify number of patches to mix and blend in Library (in Preferences)
-Each Key column can be uniquely named 
-Query dialog is now able to search on the "Comment" parameter of each patch 
-When adding a patch, if there is a name match or full patch match are given opportunity to cancel or change the patch name automatically or manually through a displayed dialog 
-Editing of patch names directly in the Library list now correctly handled 
-"Shift-Esc" key command cancels a drag operation in progress 
-Multi-threaded MIDI I/O
-Save time by sending to SysX to multiple instruments simultaneously 
-Save time by loading SysX from multiple instruments simultaneously 
-Save time by continuing to edit & create patches while SysX is being sent to other instruments 
-Support for up to 256 MIDI IN ports 
-Support for up to 256 MIDI OUT ports 
-Cancel menu option stops all queued MIDI OUT activity 
-New MIDI Thru options 
-New option to transmit all SysX data stored in a standard MIDI file 
-Cntrl-T now always sends the selected data in the active window 
-Cntrl-Shift-T now always sends the entire contents of a Collection or Set from the active window 
-Cntrl-G now always loads the selected data from the instrument to the active window 
-Displays of real time activity for all MIDI OUT ports
-Displays size of SysX messages greater than 16 bytes 
-Displays the offset of each line of SysX to make finding specific offsets easier 
-Shows all MIDI events even while bulk transmit/receive is occurring 
-Each type of instrument data can now (optionally) be stored in a different folder
-All MIDI transmit and receive menu options now display the type of Sys x
-"Online" menu provides direct links to important Sound Quest web pages 
-All new windows are now created and opened just to the right of the Studio window for maximum visibility and screen usage 
-Integrated support for HTML help. This requires creation of HTML help files so watch for this as new instrument modules are released 
-If supported by the instrument modules, creating Master INS or Patch Script name files will automatically include the instrument's ROM bank names even if those banks aren't currently loaded 
-Drum key names can be manually defined so that Midi Quest will create more complete MASTER.INS and Patchscript name files 
-Main button bar can be hidden for additional work space 
-MQ Remote window (XL only) allows any Set, Combination, Bank, or Patch to be transmitted under MIDI control 
-Standardized key command equivalents for sending and receiving SysX data 
-Expanded virtual keyboard in the MIDI controller window