Subject:MIDI doesn't sound right
Posted by: Matt_in_LA
Date:11/26/2007 3:13:36 PM
I have ACID Music Studio 7 and I'm having trouble with the MIDI audio loops that come with the software and those I find on the internet. Most of the time, the MIDI loops all sound like pianos. Once in a while they do sound right, but I can't figure out what to do to make them sound correctly all the time. I don't have any devices connected to my computer. It's just me, the software, and my headphones. Is there a setting either in the software or on my computer that I need to modify? |
Subject:RE: MIDI doesn't sound right
Reply by: Kennymusicman
Date:11/26/2007 4:16:20 PM
Make your MIDI track "taller" and you will see more info on the left - including "Piano 1" - that's where your instrument sound is controlled. (just above the volume fader). That should sort you out HTH Ken |
Subject:RE: MIDI doesn't sound right
Reply by: Matt_in_LA
Date:11/26/2007 5:11:26 PM
I believe that would work, but I listen to several before I pick one and would like to hear them in preview mode before adding a track to my project. And some of the MIDI loops have more than one sound. I tried to add one to my project and it split into four speparate tracks (and they sounded like pianos too). Is there a way to hear them correctly in preview mode? |
Subject:RE: MIDI doesn't sound right
Reply by: pwppch
Date:11/26/2007 8:18:33 PM
What does "correctly" mean? Do you know what they are suppose to sound like? ACID previews MIDI files using the built in GM DLS synth. If the MIDI files are authored for GM, then they will play correctly. If these files contain no patch information, then ACID will preview them using the default patch of 0. If you load the MIDI file into ACID, it creates multiple tracks based upon the number of tracks and/or MIDI channels contained in the MIDI file. Do you know how many tracks or MIDI channels are contained in the MIDI file? It sounds like these files are not authored or don't contain program/patch change information. So, unless they are authored correctly, ACID has no way to know what voice to play them with. If they contain multiple tracks or MIDI channels, the file must tell ACID what voice should be used. How were these MIDI files authored? Are they authored for GM? Are they authored for specific hardware or software synths? Peter |
Subject:RE: MIDI doesn't sound right
Reply by: Matt_in_LA
Date:11/26/2007 9:21:05 PM
Thanks for your help. :-) Yes, I know what they are supposed to sound like because sometimes they do play correctly. Even the ones that are on the ACID Music Studio 7 CD sound like pianos most of the time. I can't imagine there is something wrong with these files. I'm thinking there must be some setting on my computer or in the software that I need to modify. Here are the properties of one of the MIDI loops. Again, this is on the ACID Music Studio 7 CD: General Name: G Break Snare 01 Fill.mid Folder: D:\Content\Custom Sound Sets and Songs\Dance\Gain Type: MIDI Sequence Size: 65 bytes (65 bytes) Created: Monday, March 12, 2007, 4:44:20 AM Modified: Monday, March 12, 2007, 4:44:20 AM Accessed: Monday, March 12, 2007, 4:44:20 AM Attributes: Read-only Other metadata Regions/markers: no Command markers: no Media manager Media tags: no |
Subject:RE: MIDI doesn't sound right
Reply by: pwppch
Date:11/27/2007 8:00:17 AM
The MIDI files that are part of the AMS 7 package uses special DLS sound sets. This means they will NOT preview correctly as the DLS sound set must be loaded for them to play back correctly. You must create an instance of the DLS soft-synth and load the appropriate DLS sound set to play them correctly and only from the main time line. Peter |
Subject:RE: MIDI doesn't sound right
Reply by: Matt_in_LA
Date:11/27/2007 8:38:57 AM
Thank you very much. I really appreciate all the help I'm getting here. And what you said makes a lot of sense. However, sometimes the AMS 7 MIDI files DO preview correctly. So it seems to me that somehow, they ARE accessing the DLS sound sets when I'm previewing them. I haven't been able to figure out how it's happening. I just need to know how to do it, and how to keep it that way. Anyone, please help me with this. Thanks! :-) |
Subject:RE: MIDI doesn't sound right
Reply by: pwppch
Date:11/27/2007 11:49:21 AM
No, they are not accessing the DLS sound set. It is not possible. There is no way to control this behavior in ACID or ACID Music Studio. What may be happening is that some of the MIDI files map correctly to the GM sound set and contain correct voice changes. With out knowing exactly which files preview correctly, I cannot offer any further advise. Peter |
Subject:RE: MIDI doesn't sound right
Reply by: Matt_in_LA
Date:11/27/2007 4:59:26 PM
It's any and all MIDI files on the CD. I can preview some and they sound like pianos, then I can preview non-MIDI files, work on my project a bit, then go back to the same files and suddenly the MIDI sounds fine. Then later, they're piano again. Something I'm doing is making it work right, but I don't know what it is. I would like it to work all the time. |
Subject:RE: MIDI doesn't sound right
Reply by: Kennymusicman
Date:11/27/2007 5:18:56 PM
I wonder.. Load your midi file, and then go right back to the beginning of the song. Then play from there. Any different? (I wonder if you are inadvertantly bypassing the program change data?) |
Subject:RE: MIDI doesn't sound right
Reply by: pwppch
Date:11/27/2007 8:45:28 PM
Non-MIDI files have nothing to do with the MIDI engine. It is not possible to make this work the way you want it to. What might be happening is that you previewed a MIDI file that did have correct MIDI program changes. The next time you play a MIDI file that has no program changes, the last used voice was played. By pure chance the voice allows you to hear something close to correct. If you tell me exactly what you are doing including the files you are previewing, I can try to help you any further. To make this 100% clear. What you want to happen is not possible in AMS or ACID 6. The MIDI files are authored for the specific DLS sound sets. There is NO way to tell the preview MIDI soft-synth what sound set to load. Peter Message last edited on11/28/2007 12:31:57 PM bypwppch. |
Subject:RE: MIDI doesn't sound right
Reply by: pwppch
Date:11/27/2007 8:50:04 PM
We chase MIDI program changes. Always. Regardelss, what you are fishing for is not what I understand that Matt_in_LA wants. He wants to PREVIEW the MIDI files we provide as they were intended to sound. The problem with the MIDI files we provide is they are authored for very specific voice sample sets. Unless those voice sets are loaded into an instance of the DLS soft synth, they will not be used. There is no mechanism to load these voice sets in the soft-synth used for previewing. The only reason that they would play a voice OTHER than piano when previewed is because another previewed MIDI file had changed the voice/patch used. Peter |