Importing MIDI Files, Slowing Down Playback, Tied Notes

[DMac]

...three quick questions which I can't seem to find the answer to.

1. How do I import (insert) a MIDI file into a current DP sequence (I want to bring in a Finale file)?

2. For a sequence linked to a movie, is it possible to slow down the metronome in order to record more complex sections (complex by my standards, not by your pro standards : P) but still have it sync to image? If not, what's the best way to handle this?

3. Can you 'tie' notes in the step sequencer. If not, how do you handle this?

Thx in advance!

[XYZ]

I can help you with #1

Normally, you can just drag a .mid file onto a MIDI track, in the track view, the same as you might drop an audio file onto a track to import.

[Dwetmaster]

These are all well documented in the manual
1. Drag your file to the chunk window. You can reassign everything in batch using the device remap.
2. Using the conductor track mode you can make the most complex tempo map you could dream of. The video will not slow down on tempo changes.
3. What is the step sequencer? If you're talking about the drums editor then no. It is a grid based editor so you're bound to the grid you're using. Use the Graphic Editor with the heal separation command in the edit menu.

Once again tehse are all explained in both the "getting started manual" and the "User Manual."

[DMac]

...

1. Hey thanks for the answers to #1. Regarding the manual, I might be completely wrong, but I certainly couldn't find where in the DP6 Getting Started manual it says how to import a MIDI file into a DP Project. FYI, chapter 11 is on recording MIDI and it's nowhere to be found. Neither was the main DP6 tome MIDI index entries of any use. I'll grant you, it may be second nature to you, but the only way I know to open a file is to, um, open a file. After reading your response and trying to find where this is well documented, I did find out that I could drag a DP project into DP and open it that way. Had I known that, I would have tried dragging a MIDI file in as well and wouldn't have needed to ask the question since that seems to be the answer. But I [edit ] DON'T [end edit]mind your pointing me back to the manual, I'd rather people point me to the right place in the manual rather than spoon feeding me an answer. But manuals, as you know, often require that you have full possession of a specialized vocabulary in order to find an answer. And I'm quite familiar with this particular chicken and egg situation having struggled with Finale manuals for many, many years

2. Regarding #2, I'll have to look into the conductor track a bit more, I guess. But I don't think I was clear on what I was saying. In fact, I do want the video to slow down. Let's say I have a complex 16th note passage I need to enter at 144 BPM. To record that in real time at the correct tempo would require a fair number of tries, but if I could slow down the tempo, it would be a breeze. I could always temporarily change the conductor tempo track to record it, then change it again. But I was hoping there might be another way, like a half-time button that would play the project at half tempo.

3. I'm referring to the 'Step Record' function under the 'Studio' menu. Sorry, I'm used to calling this function a step sequencer. I just notice that there's no way to tie notes as you enter them. I'm assuming the solution is to hand lengthen them in the MIDI window since the QuickScribe window doesn't seem to have a 'tie' in the toolbar either.

Thanks anyway for the fast responses. I appreciate it.

[Dwetmaster]

Sorry if you felt offended by my concise post. Sarcasm wasn't my intend.

The answer to question#1 is in DP User Manual page 17. You are correct, I didn't see it in the Getting started Manual. I pointed you there because there are a lot of fundamental info on DP's Design philosophy in there. Reading it may help you to know where to look in the bigger manual whenever you have a question. Believe me, it was not second nature to me and, like I was a newbie each time, I re-read both manual on every DP version I buy just to see what are the differences.

As for question#3: I don't use step-record a lot but I think that you have to select the note length you need. You have to see them as absolute time value and not as you would write them in an actual score. They are all mapped to the keypad so you can quickly change from one to another.

good luck in your DP journey.

[FMiguelez]

.

The movie will NOT slow down. You can, however, decide on the tempo you need to use to sync to picture, establish your hit points, etc. ONCE you do that, you can temporarily "forget" about the video and just close the window and slow down everything as much as you need if you have trouble performing at the real tempo. Once you record the notes, you can return to the normal speed and watch the movie again.

This is assuming that what I described is THE reason why you want to slow down in the first place.

[DMac]

...again, thanks for the answers, and dwet, I wasn't offended at all, just perplexed that I couldn't find it where you referenced it. But on page 17, bingo, IMPORTING/EXPORTING MIDI FILES VIA DRAG AND DROP using the word 'import'. What's odd with that is it makes me question why that subhead wasn't cross-referenced in the index in the first place. I used to write manuals and index them as part of my job (back in the Ventura software days in case anyone remembers that), and I'd always make sure my heads and sub-heads were properly indexed. It was easy, sort the index by page, then go through the manual page by page making sure everything important had an index entry, adding ones manually where necessary.

At any rate, drag and drop it is! And since drag and drop is pretty easy, I can use Finale for the funky stuff (I do wish I could highlight in Finale and drag straight across to DP though). A hat tip to XYZ who gave the original answer : )

And thanks Miguel, that's kind of what I figure I'd have to do, but I wasn't sure if I was overlooking a more elegant solution or not.

[XYZ]

Sooshie also has a video that walks you through mapping synchronizing the DP grid/tempo to an arbitrary performance. This capability might get you the result you want, while going about it in a different way. What I'm thinking is, do the performance at whatever pace you want, then use this capability to line it all up with the video afterward.

Got to Project/Modify Conductor Track/ Adjust beats.

Then go to the sequence editor and just drag the measure markers to where you want them. The whole song will adjust.

I'm doing a mediocre, at best job of describing this, but try it out, if it looks like it will benefit, watch the video Sooshie put together, and it will become obvious. This has been a godsend to me in terms of adding MIDI clips/performances to an existing song/track and wanting the MIDI to follow the song, rather than the audio being synched to the grid.

Also, if you want to control the length of the MIDI notes, use the drum editor, and set the coarseness of the grid to the length of the notes you want. In other words, if you want 1/4 notes, set to the grid to 1/4 notes [upper right hand "oval" with the "G" in it.

Then, once you put the notes there, as was said earlier, use the Graphic editor to do more detailed editing.

Oh, and by the way, welcome to DP! I continue to be surprised at what you can do, and that there are usually more than one way to do it.