T6 Midi Import

[Pertinax]

Hi

When I import a midi file it gets split into 8 tracks, which is fine. In fact, the split into multiple tracks (one track for one instrument) is just the thing one needs, however, this is not happening after I import midi files from a chord progression software called Chordbot. I am not sure if this is an intrinsic characteristic of Chordbot or Tracktion. First, although there are 8 tracks, one track (Channel 3) is completely empty. So, effectively, only 7 tracks carry all midi data. Second, while 5 tracks are such that each carry only single instrument data, other tracks carry content of multiple instruments. For instance, I have a Chordbot song that uses 11 instruments (Pianos, Guitars, Drums, Strings, etc). After import, one track has 3 instruments, another has 4 instruments, while the remaining tracks have individual instruments. Is this behaviour normal for midi files? Is there any way that I can get individual instruments to split into individual tracks? In this specific instance, I am looking to have 11 tracks for 11 instruments so that I can assign virtual instruments (plugins) for each track. Now, if I have to manually shift the multiple instruments onto individual tracks you can well imagine the time and labour required, not to mention the increased chances of error !
Sorry, I am rather new to all this, so any suggestions will be immensely helpful. Thanks

[rosesbyrosex]

Tracktion just take the midi as it was created, the configuration of the midi file is made by your notation software Chordbot, Guitar Pro....

Guitar pro always make a track per instrument, you may try it.

[Pertinax]

Thanks rosesbyrosex: What you say about midi file configuration makes sense, but I wonder why a software developer would not design it to ensure that one gets a track per instrument after import. Is this not a basic requirement? Will check out Guitar Pro meanwhile ..

[terrynoakes]

If you haven't already check the export settings in Chordbot, not a program im familier with.
You could also try, maybe inport to T6. Can't remember if it asks if you want to make a copy of file. Then export the midi to desktop without any editing from T6 selecting the best option , then re import and see if it splits to separate tracks, not ideal but at least you will know another option if it works.

[Pertinax]

Thanks terrynoakes: Have tried your suggestion, but the problem still exists. I also imported the midi file in Reaper and found that it handled it in exactly the same way as in Tracktion, so I guess it may have something to do with the notation software's configuration of the midi file, as suggested by rosesbyrosex.

[jabe]

My first software sequencer, which I bought in about 1990 (it ran under DOS), allowed MIDI data to be extracted from one track to another on any criterion. That's progress.

[Stuttaton]

Another solution would be to upgrade your T6 to Waveform, which has chord progression software built-in.

[tonedef71]

Chordbot supports up to four (or five?) different instrument parts. What makes MIDI export in Chordbot kinda tricky is that each section within a Chordbot song can use different instrument parts and the order of those instrument parts may be different in each song section. Also the individual instrument parts may use different General MIDI instruments depending on the selected instrument/comping pattern (e.g. Bass parts may be played by "Acoustic Bass", "Fingered Bass", "Picked Bass", "Fretless Bass", "Synth Bass", "Organ", etc.).

The author of Chordbot can be reached by either of the following two e-mail addresses:

support@chordbot.com

-or-

lars.careliusson@gmail.com

A legitimate feature request might be to ask for an option in Chordbot to ensure that each individual General MIDI instrument gets its own separate, consolidated track when a Chordbot song is exported to a type 1 standard MIDI file.

[Pertinax]

Thanks jabe and Stuttaton. If Waveform has something similar to Chordbot that would be great.
tonedef71: Your points are well taken. While there are 7 main insruments, one can choose from any one or more of the 350 comping patterns that are available. My 20 section Chordbot song uses 7 instruments and 14 comping patterns in all. The audio rendering is fine - no issues. It's the midi file that's behaving odd. After import, the tracks get laid down as follows:
Track 1 - Piano Shuffle 02
Track 2 - Synth Strings 01
Track 3 - Channel 3 - blank
Track 4 - Drums Shuffle 04 + Drums Shuffle 03
Track 5 - Acoustic Guitar Strum 04
Track 6 - Piano Arpeggio 03 + Piano Arpeggio 10 + Bass Line 05 + Electric Guitar Strum 23
Track 7 - Piano Arpeggio 02 + Electric Guitar Picked 07
Track 8 - Electric Guitar Picked 05 + Synth Attack 05 + Keys Vibraphone 02

Summary of Comping Patterns:

Instrument No of Comping Patterns
A. Guitar 1
E. Guitar 3
Bass 1
Drums 2
Keys 1
Piano 4
Synth 2
---------------------------------
Total 14

Thanks for the email ids. I will write to the developer on the lines you have written, and will surely report once the matter is resolved.

[tonedef71]

Thanks jabe and Stuttaton. If Waveform has something similar to Chordbot that would be great.
tonedef71: Your points are well taken. While there are 7 main insruments, one can choose from any one or more of the 350 comping patterns that are available. My 20 section Chordbot song uses 7 instruments and 14 comping patterns in all. The audio rendering is fine - no issues. It's the midi file that's behaving odd. After import, the tracks get laid down as follows:
Track 1 - Piano Shuffle 02
Track 2 - Synth Strings 01
Track 3 - Channel 3 - blank
Track 4 - Drums Shuffle 04 + Drums Shuffle 03
Track 5 - Acoustic Guitar Strum 04
Track 6 - Piano Arpeggio 03 + Piano Arpeggio 10 + Bass Line 05 + Electric Guitar Strum 23
Track 7 - Piano Arpeggio 02 + Electric Guitar Picked 07
Track 8 - Electric Guitar Picked 05 + Synth Attack 05 + Keys Vibraphone 02

Summary of Comping Patterns:

Instrument No of Comping Patterns
A. Guitar 1
E. Guitar 3
Bass 1
Drums 2
Keys 1
Piano 4
Synth 2
---------------------------------
Total 14

Thanks for the email ids. I will write to the developer on the lines you have written, and will surely report once the matter is resolved.

That blank track (#3) is annoying; not sure why that happens.

I cannot remember... is it possible in Chordbot Pro to use all seven instrument parts at the same time in one song section? If so, that is pretty cool. I don't think I have ever layered more than five instrument parts in a Chordbot song.

Anyway, you may be able to influence/coerce how the tracks get assembled for the MIDI export by ensuring that the logical instrument parts appear in the exact same order in each music section. For example, I make sure that the drums is the very first instrument part in each music section, bass is the second instrument part, etc. I cannot remember how I did it, but I think there was a way to specify an empty comping pattern so that I could maintain the instrument part order per music section even when that instrument part was not needed for that section (e.g. intro and breakdown sections).

For dealing with an existing Chordbot song which has instrument parts not in a uniform position for every song section, you may be able to manually re-arrange the order of the instrument parts manually via a text editor (if you are comfortable with editing JSON data -- it's not very difficult to understand). Just export a backup of the song as a JSON file (I think the current song is automatically backed up to JSON), edit the JSON file in a text editor to rearrange the order of instrument parts per section, and then restore the edited JSON backup file. Back in the song editor, review if the instrument parts are in the same order for each song section, and then export out to MIDI when satisfied.

There are some other things I am curious how Chordbot deals with, such as when you use a comping pattern that is a different meter from the meters used in the comping patterns of the other instrument parts in the same song section.

[Pertinax]

Excellent advice tonedef71: Thank you so much. Your point about coercing tracks to get assembled in a certain order is very intuitive, and in that context it would indeed be necessary to specify empty comping patterns to maintain the order of the instruments. Will surely try your suggestion of editing JSON files for current songs. By the way, I had written to Lars Careliusson and he was very responsive, and he promised to make appropriate changes as soon as he finished his existing assignments.