Easy to use MIDI type 1 encoder with GM support

[lucho]

Hi I have Ableton Live 9 Lite as my main DAW and tracktion 4 as well, I use to import MIDIs from the web and tweak them to my taste (some times I only keep the melody and redo the whole thing). My main challenge is that my Ableton lite has the 8 channels limitation and if the MIDI I am importing has more channels it won't open, what I typically do is to open the MIDI in tracktion, delete the tracks I decide not to use and encode the MIDI again to be loaded in ableton. This works but I was wondering if there is any lighter piece of software there, nothing fancy that can open a Midi file, delete the tracks I don't need and save it again as a type 1 GM file and as a bonus allows me to change the instruments from the GM sound set if I have to distribute it to other people to listen to them using Windows media player? (another thing I can't do with Ableton).

[BertKoor]

Sorry, but it sounds like Ableton Live Lite is far too limited for what you use it for. I think you have to make a choice:

1) Upgrade to the full version of Ableton Live
2) Try out some other DAWs that are cheaper / free and have MIDI capabilities as well. Reaper, Studio One, Traktion...

One important criterium for you is that you should be able to use the built-in Microsoft GM Wavetable SoftSynth, so what you make sounds exactly the same when people use MediaPlayer.