Subject:real-time MIDI transpose?

Posted by: strato25

Date:3/12/2011 9:22:11 AM

Is there a way to have ACID transpose my MIDI notes in real time? Our band plays in E flat and when I want to lay keyboard tracks I have to either try to play the track in the proper # key or record the track a half step up then manually transpose it back down half a step in ACID. I'm not an accomplished keyboardist so playing a track in, say, C# is a PITA. I can transpose my DX7 down half a step but it only affects onboard sounds and not the MIDI out. I use soft synths for everything and not DX7 internal sounds. There must be some way in ACID to transpose the MIDI in real time as I'm recording, is there not?

Subject:RE: real-time MIDI transpose?

Reply by: strato25

Date:3/14/2011 7:08:54 AM

Is there no one that can help with this?

Subject:RE: real-time MIDI transpose?

Reply by: MarkWWW

Date:3/14/2011 8:32:01 AM

I don't think you can do this with Acid alone, but it is easy enough using an external MIDI processor. I would use the free MIDIOX but there are probably several other alternatives.

In MIDIOX you would use the Data Mapping facility.There are a number of supplied maps for various kinds of manipulations and you should easily be able to modify one of them to suit your requirement to transpose down a semitone. (There are supplied maps for transposing up by any amount, but only a couple of examples of going the other way, but it should be easy to see what you need to modify).

Mark

Subject:RE: real-time MIDI transpose?

Reply by: strato25

Date:3/14/2011 1:41:36 PM

Thanks Mark! I'll check out MIDIOX.

Subject:RE: real-time MIDI transpose?

Reply by: strato25

Date:3/15/2011 6:42:56 AM

Mark,

Can I ask for some help? I have a transpose data map loaded in MIDIOX. When I launch Acid it can't open the MIDI port since, I assume, MIDIOX is using it. So I can't even test a soft synth to see if the transpose is working. What am I doing wrong? I'm far from versed in MIDI. :)

Subject:RE: real-time MIDI transpose?

Reply by: strato25

Date:3/15/2011 7:14:16 AM

Also, when I launch MIDIOX my MIDI interface starts to flash blue which indicates a MIDI problem of some sort. When I monitor the output I see the MIDI notes I play.

OK, the blue error thing is related to how MIDI Devices are setup in MIDIOX. I have a screen grab but can't attach it to this message. My interface is an EMU XMidi. If I select it for both input and output I get the blue MIDI error. If I select MIDI Mapper for output then the error goes away and I can actually hear keyboard MIDI notes. I have a transpose data map set up but it's not doing anything. Again, if I try to open a soft synth in Acid I get the error message that it can't open the MIDI port.

Sorry to be such a PITA but with all the music I will be recording getting this transpose to work will make my life soooo much easier. :)

Subject:RE: real-time MIDI transpose?

Reply by: ozzborn

Date:3/15/2011 7:34:19 AM

I think what you are asking is very very specific. most people would probably just record there part on a midi track in one key and than transpose it after its recorded.

what you want is ability to play in one key and have acid realtime transpose to another, I dont know if it can be done in acid but i would consider a notation program, than render the transposed part back in acid.

good luck

Subject:RE: real-time MIDI transpose?

Reply by: MarkWWW

Date:3/15/2011 8:40:47 AM

Accompanying MIDIOX you should find a MIDI port driver called MIDIYOKE. You use this to set up "internal" MIDI ports.

You let MIDIOX use your real MIDI IN port for its input, and route its output to a MIDIYOKE channel, and you let Acid use that MIDIYOKE channel for its input. So the MIDI data enters your system via the real MIDI IN, is trasnposed by MIDIOX and is then fed (internally) to Acid.

Mark

Subject:RE: real-time MIDI transpose?

Reply by: strato25

Date:3/15/2011 10:09:40 AM

Thanks Mark! I have MIDIYOKE and MIDIOX working properly in Acid now. I can load a transpose map in MIDIOX like the "transpose one octave down" and it functions as it should but, for the life of me, I can't figure out yet how to just transpose half a step. Every time I think I have it figured out I end up with some weird transpose. :)

Subject:RE: real-time MIDI transpose?

Reply by: strato25

Date:3/15/2011 10:19:02 AM

Got it!! Thanks so much for your help!!

Subject:RE: real-time MIDI transpose?

Reply by: strato25

Date:3/15/2011 10:19:09 AM

Got it!! Thanks so much for your help!!

Subject:RE: real-time MIDI transpose?

Reply by: MarkWWW

Date:3/15/2011 11:39:12 AM

Excellent! Glad I could help.

Mark