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Tips
& Tricks
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ASR-X
SMFs (exporting Standard MIDI Files) April
23, 2003 ~ Modern software sequencers will import
SMFs (Standard MIDI Files) generated from other
sources (such as the ASR-X) but may require
adjustment to one ore more parameters in order to
playback in a predictable manner. From September
2000 - a write up on importing a SMF created on the
ASR-X (upon saving a 1-SEQUENCE) into software
sequencers.
The
.MID file created on an ASR-X, i.e., saved as a
1-SEQUENCE, and imported into Logic Audio, Cubase,
or Vision will behave differently within each app.
The .MID file *does contain* the correct program
changes for the ASR-X. Example: Track 1 =
ROM10:001, Track 2 = ROM11:003, etc., but you *MAY*
need to massage the tracks once imported into your
software sequencer of choice, i.e., (re)map tracks
to the corresponding ASR-X Tracks/Sounds.
Here's
what I tested on my Mac (running OS 9): In
Logic Audio, using my fancy, schmancy Autoload
song/Environment, with my heavily customized bank
select messages, it was a real pain in the neck
getting the right sounds on each Track. My
customized settings override the program change
messages embedded in the .MID file :-/ Sooooo,
I stripped the program changes out of the .MID and
set them manually from the Arrange page in Logic.
*sigh* Not recommended ;-) However,
if I bypassed my customized Autoload song and
Imported the .MID into Logic from a plain, vanilla
song all the ASR-X program change messages in the
.MID worked like a charm. I did have to point a
pair of tracks in Logic to the correct ASR-X
instruments though (no big deal.) In
Cubase, the .MID imported like a champ but I had to
set each ASR-X instrument for each track in Cubase
manually. Again, no big deal. (FWIW - this is a
demo copy of Cubase VST not a crack or purchased
copy.) In
Vision DSP, I didn't need to use an import command
- the Open dialog in Vision is "smart" enough to
recognize a .MID. Furthermore, the track to
instrument remapping worked like a champ! No manual
intervention required ;-) If
you examine any of the tracks in your ASR-X .MID
file using an Event Edit mode you'll see many MIDI
CC's are imbedded along with the ASR-X Program
Changes. Too many for most purposes, IMO. Somewhere
in this thread someone mentioned their ASR-X .MID
sequence would 'hiccup' when it would restart from
Bar 1, Measure 1. Well, that because all those MIDI
CC's for *each and every track* are being
retransmitted to your ASR-X :-/ It simply chokes on
the volume of MIDI CC's being received a play catch
up asap. Want
to prove it to yourself? Assuming you have an ASR-X
.MID sequence of three or more measures, loop
measure 3 + 4 only and hear them playback
uninterrupted. Cool, huh? Now change your loop to
restart from measure 1. Yech! :-( There's that
nasty hiccup again. *sigh* If you really want all
those MIDI CC's at the top of your .MID tracks you
might consider stripping them out, inserting a few
measures PRIOR to measure 1 and pasting them back
in. This way you use the 1st 1 - 4 measures for
setup. Some users may even create an entirely
separate sequence for this purpose. Ah, the joys of
MIDI. ASR-X
SMFs (importing Standard MIDI Files) April
23, 2003 ~ In case it's not obvious - the ASR-X
will also import SMFs. I've successfully imported
SMFs from the Keyfax
Software
Twiddly Bits series into the ASR-X along with a few
freeware examples downloaded from the
web. The
ASR-X Demo Disk contains a number of ASR-X
ALL-SEQUENCEs in a variety of styles. These are
easily loaded into the ASR-X for auditioning. Place
the internal ASR-X sequencer into Patter mode
(SEQUENCE -> PROCESS -> Enter Pattern mod?
-> ENTER/YES) and you can string together these
sequences in any order you chose. Find something
you like and save it to a new disk & directory
as a 1-SEQUENCE (which will create a SMF with the
standard three letter suffix .MID.) This file can
then be opened in a software based sequencer for
further manipulation. |
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