Midi file function

DickyDutch

Has anyone managed to load a midi file and get it to send commands to their midi devices? I created a type 0 midi file using Cakewalk Sonar containing a list of patch changes, loaded it into a test song (as opposed to embedding the commands in the lyrics) but so far have been unable to get it to work. Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong? Connecting my midi device directly to Cakewalk (on my pc) the file works fine.

AnthonyB

DickyDutch that's been on my list of things to test but I just haven't got around to it yet as other features and issues took priority. I'll try and find it a go over the weekend, but also interested to hear of anyone else had given it and try and we're they successful.

peter

Make sure you set the correct midi port in Settings > MIDI Settings > MIDI File Output Port. The MIDI file player can not send the midi commands to all connected ports like the rest of the ST midi engine.

AnthonyB

peter oh! That's good to know. Is there any way of getting more descriptive MIDI port names? Or some additional metadata on each port?

The reason I ask that is that in the past I could just make sure there was a bunch of MIDI ports listed and ticked and everything worked. Problem is, they have genetic names like MIDI Port 1. I know that is likely what ST is being presented by iOS, but it works help with targeting if there was some additional detail.

DickyDutch

peter Following your advice and setting the midi port to Bluetooth the midi file now works fine. Well done.

peter

These are the names reported by iOS. Not sure if I could enhance that. Maybe by allowing to override the names. Internally each port uses an ID. Mapping a custom name to an ID might work.

AnthonyB

peter even that would be a great help!
The CME H4MIDI WC I use has so many ports across 5-pin DIN, USB, and BT it can get really confusing trying to keep track of what is going where.

AnthonyB

@peter One more quick question on this topic - does ST4 care whether the MIDI file is format 0 or 1?

JohnnySolo

Another question about using a midi file with a song - can this be used as a tempo map? So when the song plays the tempo in the midi file adjust the tempo of the song?

DickyDutch

JohnnySolo No I don’t think so - I’ve just loaded a 60 bpm midi file into a song which is normally 120 bpm and it has no affect on the speed when you play the song.

AnthonyB

DickyDutch No I don’t think so - I’ve just loaded a 60 bpm midi file into a song which is normally 120 bpm and it has no affect on the speed when you play the song.

Correct. The song tempo is the Primary tempo. The MIDi file is just being played back and firing events.

That said, one of the things that is on my 'things to watch out for while testing' is the storing of tempo in the MIDI file you are exporting, so that the tempo in the MIDI file matches the tempo of the Audio. What happens if the tempo in the MIDI file is different to the Audio? Does that even matter?

In theory (in my mind) it shouldn't as ST is essentially just playing MIDI events in an order, and a tempo, determined by the ST Song tempo. So, as long as the audio stems and MIDI file are aligned in your DAW, and both have the same starting point (I'm finding that can be it's own challenge with MIDI exports vs audio exports in certain DAWs!), then in theory it should all be good.

peter

Both midi file 0 and 1 formats should work.

Midi tempo is basically ignored. The midi file will just play back in parallel to the audio files. So make sure to check the time when events are fired in the file. If it is programmed to fire at 1 minute at the files tempi, it will fire at 1 minute in ST4.

Changing the playback speed in the mixer will also change the speed of the midi playback. Changing the bpm directly (not via song speed) will have no effect on midi playback.