KVR Audio

David · Post by **David** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 4:14 am

Basic req. is to load any MIDI file AND let you transpose the play-back with MIDI input, ideally with a legato function so you don't have to re-trigger with every key… I mainly work in Logic, so an AU MIDI-FX would be sweet, but I've also got Reason and Live Suite, in case there's a M4L thingy or some Reason trick… Any device in any Mac usable format, or inside some other Mac tool would be good to know about. Except for the MIDI Player in Falcon, that is; already got that, which inspired this query; no MIDI out in Falcon:(

MANY TIA!

David · Post by **David** » Sat Jul 11, 2020 12:34 am

No replies, but fwiw, there's now exactly such a device: Unify's MIDI BOX, from pluginguru, cross-platform, DAW-agnostic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_2khPqypeI&t=718s

tonedef71 · Post by **tonedef71** » Sat Jul 11, 2020 10:28 pm

Image-Line MiniHost modular has an OS X version as well as a Windows version. One of its features is to load a MIDI file into a Piano-Roll module. You can trigger the playback of the loaded MIDI file with your MIDI keyboard (or the virtual MIDI keyboard that you can turn on in MiniHost). Hitting a different MIDI key affects the starting note's playback, so you can transpose via that mechanism.

Here is a link to the user manual: https://www.image-line.com/support/flst ... 1589506368

You may need to have an Image-Line forum account in order to download it. No big deal -- it is free to set up an account.
https://forum.image-line.com/viewtopic. ... 9&t=123031

David · Post by **David** » Sat Jul 11, 2020 11:35 pm

Interesting, thanks—Will check it out:)

Tj Shredder · Post by **Tj Shredder** » Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:57 pm

What is the advantage over just loading the Midi file into a track or clip? Should work in any DAW, most started as Midi sequencers anyway...

David · Post by **David** » Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:36 pm

I guess you missed the part of my query that specified the ability to transpose the file's playback in realtime with MIDI input. I don't know of any DAW that does that in its basic piano roll:)

No matter; Unify's doing just what I wanted! With a TON of other advantages.

Tj Shredder · Post by **Tj Shredder** » Mon Jul 13, 2020 7:15 am

David wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:36 pm I guess you missed the part of my query that specified the ability to transpose the file's playback in realtime with MIDI input. I don't know of any DAW that does that in its basic piano roll:)

No matter; Unify's doing just what I wanted! With a TON of other advantages.

Any DAW which can load MidiFX can do that... I think its all DAWs, Bitwig for sure...

David · Post by **David** » Mon Jul 13, 2020 3:00 pm

Tj Shredder wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 7:15 am
David wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:36 pm I guess you missed the part of my query that specified the ability to transpose the file's playback in realtime with MIDI input. I don't know of any DAW that does that in its basic piano roll:)

No matter; Unify's doing just what I wanted! With a TON of other advantages.
Any DAW which can load MidiFX can do that... I think its all DAWs, Bitwig for sure...

Oh yeah? Cool!
Show me how in Logic or Live…or Reason. Or Bitwig, would love to see what I'm missing! I've got scads of 3rd-party MIDI FX; that's the area of ITB processing that I've spent the most time and cash on in the last half-decade or so, and I don't have any, in any combination worth the effort or complexity, that can do everything that Unify/MIDIBox/JitterBox can do all in one place, in any DAW, while also hosting all my other vst MIDI FX.

Tj Shredder · Post by **Tj Shredder** » Mon Jul 13, 2020 4:33 pm

The main problem is simply to differentiate between the Midi from the sequence and the Midi which should control it. They come in on the same line depending how you set it up or merge them. But Midi has channels. In Logic you could split those with a scripter.
In Bitwig you can route any information depending on the channel and use any Midi source to modulate what ever, for example the trasnposition and then harmonize the result to stay in a key and so on. There is also a note receiver which allows to get the controling Midi into the playback...
I have the feeling that Live can only do that with some M4L trickery as they usually ignore Midi channels. I don't have Live, though know Max very well...

But if Unify does that in a simple way, go for it...

David · Post by **David** » Mon Jul 13, 2020 4:58 pm

Thanks, I did:) Your replies definitely interesting and appreciated—Thanks!

It does seem clear that Bitwig could do what I asked, which is very intriguing; there's a lot to love there…on my list! It's hard to leave Logic behind after some many years, though; all my other DAWS get less than 10% of my time, mostly for sending their unique MIDI features out to Logic for recording. S0, to me they're just other MIDI FX…

There's a no-longer-available Logic script that does realtime transposition, too, but I'm no scripter, so rebuilding that's out. Ditto with Max, though I love my many M4L devices. None that I know of (and I've spent hours browsing the MIDI categories at maxforlive.com out of general curiosity) do what MIDIBox does.

It's all about effort vs usefulness, in my book. This isn't a function I'd use a lot; it's a momentary enthusiasm, worth a post and then back-burner'ed until further notice, which just randomly happened a few days ago while searching my KVR posts for something else. Unify, which I already (now) have and use primarily for many other benefits, just also happens to have the best MIDI-File playback features I've ever seen in one device (along with the best MIDI FX routing, even more appreciated); click, click, done. Worth another post, IMO—also Done:)

Looking for a MIDI-File Player app or plugin, for Mac