Converting DP Clipping Data to Standard MIDI

[wpzad]

Is there a way to convert DP clipping data (MIDI info) to a standard MIDI file that other DAW's recognize? I have a folder with tons of DP Clippings that I'd like to convert to either a MIDI file or standard MIDI file. I've tried simply adding the .mid to the end of the file name but that doesn't seem to work. Each file is a single instrument performance. I've tried dragging into Garageband to see if it worked but it doesn't recognize it. It does recognize other files that my computer sees as either MIDI file or standard MIDI file. As long as I'm posting what's the difference between a MIDI file and a standard MIDI file. Is it single instrument vs multiple?

Thanks

[Shooshie]

what's the difference between a MIDI file and a standard MIDI file

I think it's a little like the difference between Flammable and Inflammable.

Only one of them is standard.

Shooshie

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Um... one contains MIDI data as in a SYSEX file, and the other is in a standard file format that can be rad as music. You have to face.

[monkey man]

wpzad, I've found this free app to be indispensable:

http://www.dontcrack.com/freeware/downl ... Librarian/#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I use it to save .mid as well as .syx copies of all my MIDI hardware patches. I used to employ only clippings until I realised that the above app was simple to dump to and that the resulting .syx and .mid files dropped just as easily into tracks. They're also, of course, universally readable as opposed to clippings.

[Shooshie]

Um... one contains MIDI data as in a SYSEX file, and the other is in a standard file format that can be rad as music. You have to face.

That leaves me confused, and I already know what they are. …er… more or less. It's funny how what seems like a simple question on the surface begins to expand into greater ambiguity the more you explore it.

My understanding is that a .mid or .MIDI file is a bare-bones SMF which can be read by any device that plays MIDI sequences, such as a ringtone in a phone. One definition (source: http://www.MIDI.org/aboutmidi/tut_midifiles.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) says that .mid is the default MIDI file format for a PC, and that Macs use .smf for MIDI playback. I don't buy that, because either platform uses either format, depending on the app.

While it's hard to find the literal differences between the file formats, my understanding is that SMF contains more header data, and thus can store a much more complex file with tempo data, controller data, and much more, as well as multiple tracks that play a multi-timbral instrument palette.

Both file formats are polyphonic, but the .mid is lacking the complexity that makes it useful as a sequencer file transfer format, so it is relegated mainly to playback, although a sequencer like DP certainly can open a .mid file.

I think that one reason why it's so hard to find the specific differences between the two file types is because they are partially dependent upon the app that reads them. Thus, Quicktime Player will read an smf file, but will not utilize all the data that DP would use. Likewise, some phones may use an smf file for ringtones, but only if it is labeled as a .mid file, in which case it will not use all the data. (I may be wrong about that) In other words, whatever the app is programmed to read is what you'll get out of either file type. In any case, SMF may contain more information than .mid. For transfer from sequencer to sequencer -- ie, DP to Cubase -- SMF is the format of choice. For saving as a ringtone, .mid is the choice.

I'm guessing that some of our resident programmers could fill us in on more details. I don't think the presence or absence of SysEx, per-se, is a fundamental difference between .mid and SMF.

Shooshie

[monkey man]

Shoosh, the app I mentioned creates what the Finder describes as "MIDI Files" and "Syx MIDI Files". These, as far as I can tell, are compatible with MIDI data-players/filers (I think that's what they're called - you know, the hardware boxes for gigging and such). The plain ones have a QT icon, and the sysex ones take on a DP-styled one.

Those files deemed "Standard MIDI Files" also take on the DPish icon, and although they share suffixes the Finder seems to know the difference. What that is exactly, I'm not sure either, but I thought I'd share this info with your Sheushrons in case the spurious data falls into line for you, and ultimately us.

[wpzad]

Thanks for the reply guys. Monkey Man the Sys Librarian app isn't doing what I was hoping it would do but thanks for the recommendation. Here's what I have. I spent some time last week on coming up with a way for me to easily search through all the individual MIDI performances in Storm Drum 2. There is no way to do this in the present format that's being used in this excellent library. There are short 5 second song snippets that you can load up in iTunes and give it a listen but you won't hear the whole SD2 Song that you get when you load the song MIDI file into your DAW (in my case DP 5.13). You certainly won't hear individual instrument performances. So what I did was load up a SD2 song and drag each instrument performance (DP Clipping) into a folder such as djembes, brushed drums etc. I made sure each title had the original song title, meter and bpm for reference. What I ended up with is a folder containing all the individual instrument "MIDI" (or so I thought) performances of SD2. There are 72 instrument folders with over 1000 individual files. I have no idea what possessed me to do this but now that it's done I wouldn't mind sharing these but seeing as they're not MIDI files it's a DP exclusive... I'd really like to convert these to standard MIDI files or MIDI files, whichever is applicable.

[Shooshie]

I think we have a communications breakdown, most likely in the terminology department. When you say "SD2 Song," what exactly are you talking about? Where does this come from? Is this some music that you created? Are you talking about an SDII file? (Sound Designer II) If so, then you're talking about audio, which is not MIDI and cannot easily be converted into MIDI en-masse. You can convert some audio files to MIDI with the pitch feature in DP, or in Melodyne, but I don't think that would apply to a drum track. To my knowledge there is no way to convert an audio drum track into a MIDI track.

But I'm not sure I'm understanding the problem. If you want to clarify, I'll try again.

Shooshie

[MIDI Life Crisis]

To my knowledge there is no way to convert an audio drum track into a MIDI track.

Except, of course, transcription. ☺

[monkey man]

Actually, I think there are at least 2 ways I know of... I think:

1) For drums, a trigger plug that outputs MIDI notes for drum-replacement sample triggering.
2) Unless I dreamed this, DP's pitch analysis/layer can be copied and pasted to a MIDI track.

Probably dreamin' on both of these...

[erikjamesmusic]

So, back to the OP's question:

In DP, what's the best way to save a MIDI track as a .mid file?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

There is essentially only one way to do it...

[wpzad]

Sorry for the technical ambiguity. I neglected to see the possible comparison to Sound Designer files! I'm dealing with MIDI only, no audio. By SD2 I meant Storm Drum 2. These are MIDI files (songs) that come with the library. When you drag a SD2 MIDI file into Digital Performer you'll get a MIDI instance with multiple instrument performances and other MIDI info such as bpm's etc. In other words a typical multi instrument MIDI file. What I did was highlight an individual track MIDI track and drag each individual instrument MIDI track into an appropriate folder on my desktop. These folders now contain the DP Clippings of each MIDI track that I use to audition different instrument performances by dragging it back into my current DP project. It works great. I read the FM. In the interests of sharing these individual files with other SD2 users and knowing that cool apps are being created all the time I was wondering is if it's possible to convert these to some type of MIDI file that can be read by other DAW's. I'm basing my assumption that they probably can't be read by other DAW's as is on the fact that A) It's a DP Clipping in the first place B) When I tried to drag a file from my desktop folder into Garageband (just to give it a whirl) it wouldn't accept it and C) My computer identifies these as a "Digital Performer Track Data Clipping" files and not MIDI files or standard MIDI files so I'm not surprised that Garageband didn't know what to do with it and it's probably the same for other DAW's. So to recap the conversation.
A) I have a folder with DP Clippings. The source of the clippings are individual MIDI tracks that I dragged into a desktop folder, no audio.
B) Can these be read as is by other DAW's?
C) If not, can these be converted to a MIDI file or some other type of "universally" recognized file so they can?
D) http://www.mymusictools.com/articles/ho ... o-MIDI.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Monkey Man isn't too far off!

Thanks

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Monkey Man isn't too far off!

Just wait until he gets his legs back!

[wpzad]

Monkey Man isn't too far off!

Just wait until he gets his legs back!