Midi Import not working correctly
 

Hi All

I moved across to PT and Logic on Mac from Sonar on PC and have Midi files that I want to use in PT

I have exported them from Sonar and if I listen back to the midi in for example windows media player I can hear every beat but when I import it into pro tools a lot of the midi data is missing its physically not there

If I import them into Logic everything is there as it should be

Any advice as to what is going on ?

Re: Midi Import not working correctly
 

First of all Pro Tools does not have a GM synth built-in. Sonar has one; I know because I came from Sonar 8.3.1 myself. Windows Media Player also has a built-in GM synth. Don't know about Logic. You're going to have to first Google for a list of what GM instrument correspond to what patch number and then try and match that up with something similar in a software synth/sampler. Trying to find a GM synth library isn't easy; there may be others but the only one I know of is East West Goliath and it's not cheap. Again Google is your friend.

Here's a few links to help you out:
MIDI controllers:
http://web.archive.org/web/200707021...ntrollers.html
http://www.nortonmusic.com/midi_cc.html
http://tweakheadz.com/midi-controllers/
General MIDI percussion keymap:
http://computermusicresource.com/GM....on.KeyMap.html
General MIDI soundset:
http://www.midi.org/techspecs/gm1sound.php

Sound libraries may not be set up to respond to many, if any, MIDI cc's (continuous controllers like volume, pan, etc.). Some may have a couple mapped automatically, some may give you a couple of choices, and some may even have a MIDI learn feature where you follow whatever process the developers says to do to have the program learn a particular MIDI control number/controller.

Remember that in PT you have the option of importing the tempo map as well. I suggest you do that so you get the right tempo and any tempo changes. I don't know how much you know about MIDI and PT but a reading of the User's Guide (aka The Manual) for PT will go a long way to helping with that. Basically you have two ways to use MIDI in PT - MIDI tracks and Instrument tracks (depending on what version of PT you have as earlier versions didn't have Instrument tracks). MIDI tracks are just that - they host MIDI and have to be paired with either an aux track or audio track with your selected vi (virtual instrument) as an insert. An Instrument track combines MIDI and aux tracks in one so you can have your MIDI and vi on one track. MIDI import in PT does not import into Instrument tracks but MIDI tracks (or the clip list) so to use Instrument tracks you'd have to drag the imported MIDI to individual Instrument tracks.

Phew - that's a lot in one post. I'd suggest getting a couple of good books on PT. For starters the PT101 course book is good and there are other books out there. Try Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

What version of PT are you using? I'm guessing you're on a Mac now as Logic doesn't run on Windows.

Re: Midi Import not working correctly
 

Thanks for the reply

its not that the notes are not triggering( the ones that are there are fine )
its that some of the midi is physically not there once imported.....

Re: Midi Import not working correctly
 

Please explain - exactly what is not there? And where are you looking? In the MIDI event list there are view filters for what you want to see or not see. In the MIDI editor you can also show/hide things like velocity, etc. This is where it helps to know the options available in PT.

What you exported out of Sonar and into PT - that's not the Sonar session file is it but just the MIDI? MIDI export in Sonar never seemed to work right for me.

Re: Midi Import not working correctly
 

Sorry I really should have explained it better than i did.

Ok so in this case I have a midi file I made in Sonar an I have consolidated the midi in Sonar ( bounced to clip )

If I drag it in to Logic it is fine all notes are there ( I don't really care about any events / velocitys etc at this stage but they are all there )

In Pro Tools if I create a instrument track and drag the midi on to that track there are notes missing sometimes full sections like a chorus or verse

If I however import the midi into Pro Tools rather than drag it on to the track and select create a tnew track what happens is 2 midi tracks are made and all the midi shows but split between 2 tracks.

If I turn on midi merge in Pro Tools and pull both of the midi regions from the 2 tracks that were made on to the instrument track I have made they don't merge. One always vanishes and the notes are no longer there or being triggered

I can only assume that this is happening because in Sonar I had used midi merge when creating the files and pro tools now sees it as 2 separate midi tracks ?

I can get all the notes to play if I leave them on the midi tracks but I would prefer to have them on one track and preferably the Instrument track I made rather than the midi track.

Strange that this works no problem in Logic

Thanks for any help i am sure its something simple I have missed as i am not overly familiar with working with midi in Pro Tools

Thanks for any advice

Re: Midi Import not working correctly
 

I should also have said I agree midi export never worked right in Sonar I always used a work around of if you make it into a loop CTR - L it will then give you the option to export the midi loop

However you can just grab it and drag it to the desktop and that works fine :)

Re: Midi Import not working correctly
 

Are you exporting a MIDI Type 0 file in Sonar which would put everything on a single track?

Rail

Re: Midi Import not working correctly
 

Hi Rail

Yeah thats right

Re: Midi Import not working correctly
 

If MIDI merge is turned on, you should be able to double click on one track, then copy all the MIDI notes. Double click on the second track and "Paste Special" merge.
It doesn't answer any WHY questions, but at least it gets all your data back on one track.
I hope that helps.

Re: Midi Import not working correctly
 

I'd not mess with the MIDI Merge button but copy all the notes in one track, highlight the other track, and select Merge from the Edit menu instead. Works for me.

The 'why' part I believe goes back to exporting MIDI from Sonar. It's always been a headache to get files exported correctly. What I used to do when I ran Sonar 8.3.1 would be to strip down the session to just MIDI (no instrument tracks, aux's, whatever; just MIDI tracks) and save the session as a MIDI type 1 file. Sonar can do both type 0 and type 1. That way I'd have a MIDI file with each instrument on it's own MIDI track.