Adding MIDI Patch files

What is a .midnam file?

The .midnam file specification is defined by the MMA ( MIDI Manufacturers Association ) and is part of the official MIDI specification, to allow interchange of a device’s patches & controller settings between different sequencers.

You can learn more information about these files here: https://www.midi.org/specifications/item/midi-in-xml

Where are Mixbus’s .midnam files located?

The files are located in the Mixbus application folder, in a subfolder called “patchfiles”. The location of this file varies with each operating system.

1. On MacOS, right-click on the Mixbus application, and select “Show Contents”. Then navigate to Contents->Resources to find the patchfiles folder.
2. On Windows, Navigate to Program Files\Mixbus\.. and find the patchfiles subfolder.

How can I find a .midname file for my device?

In many cases, you can find a .midname file for your device by searching online. These files are sometimes provided by the manufactuer. Download the file and drop it into the patchfiles subfolder. Once installed, you’ll see the list of patches in the patch-selector.

!NOTE: keep a copy of your new .midnam file, because when you re-install Mixbus, the .midnam file in the application folder will be overwritten.

*You can also remove unnecessary .midnam files, to reduce the size of the list in the menu. But the .midnams will be replaced when Mixbus is reinstalled.

If I can’t find an existing .midname file for my device, how do I create one?

If you can’t find a device file online, then you can make a copy of an existing device file, and edit it manually. The files are plain text, using the XML text format, and are fairly easy to read and edit.

1. Locate a .midnam file that is most similar to your desired device. ( such as “Korg_Volca_Bass.midnam”, if your device is a Korg )
2. Open the file in a plain text editor: most common errors occur when the editor tries to re-save the file in a different format.
3. Save the file with a new name. (such as, “My Korg Device.midnam”)
4. Edit the internal values of the file to meet your needs. For example, change the text of the author to reflect your own name.

The most important parts of the file are:

The device’s manufacturer and model name:

The patches that are provided in the device:

The names for the MIDI controllers (CC’s) that are supported by the device:

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