DP (9) not importing MIDI files for me correctly

[Walbertus]

Hi - I like to use my ipad with ios apps to sketch out ideas and save them as MIDI files. If anyone here is familiar with ios you’ll know that there are many MIDI apps, sequencers, etc., made by many different developers but none have problems using or sharing MIDI from one app to another.

Then I can bring them into DP for refined editing and orchestrating, etc.. I’ve been doing this for a while but have never tried bringing a multi track MIDI file to DP. Generally DP lets me import a one track MIDI files and recognizes everything okay.

But now when I try to import a MIDI file with 2, 3, or 4 tracks, (type 1 MIDI files) it either mashes them up together in one track or misses one track entirely. Sometimes it wants to add a bunch of extraneous notes at the start of the file as if someone had just smashed both palms down on a keyboard at once. Sometimes it extends notes for many multiple measures.

I’ve tested this using various MIDI files I’ve made. And I made some tests with very simple tracks of short duration, quantized, and careful not to add anything but note on and off events. It still does the same thing.

I recently bought a new Nektar keyboard which comes with a version of Bitwig Studio. So I installed that on my Mac just to see how that would handle the MIDI files. No problem. It imports all the tracks as I’d like. So then I tried exporting the MIDI file from Bitwig as a new MIDI file and imported that into DP. Nope; still doesn’t work that way either.

So can anyone tell me why this is happening? You’d think something as basic as just regular MIDI files would be so well established in DP - ? Is there some obscure setting I haven’t discovered? Is everyone else able to just pop in type 1 MIDI files to DP without problems?

I also searched here on this forum but nothing I’ve found mentions this particular problem

[mikehalloran]

DP 9 is still using separate MIDI and Instrument tracks—the change to consolidation didn't occur till DP 11.

You don't say how you are importing and filtering these files. I would probably start at pg 213 in the User Guide and see where it takes me. Searchable pdfs are my friend.

https://cdn-data.motu.com/manuals/softw ... 0Guide.pdf

[Walbertus]

Thanks for responding. I've just been dragging the MIDI file from the desktop into the Chunks area.
So, I think you're saying that it won't recognize a type 1 MIDI file that contains several tracks? Have to say that seems odd for such an established DAW.
One of the reasons I haven't upgraded DP is that it seems from what I've read, that they really haven't done much new with MIDI and focus the upgrades mostly on audio editing. But MIDI is my main focus for composition.
But now at least I can stop wrangling with it. I'll just import each track separately; kind of annoying but I'll deal with it. Otherwise editing and playing MIDI on DP works well.

[bayswater]

I don’t do this very often but recall dragging the MIDI file into the left side of the Tracks window. The MIDI files would most likely have come from Logic.

[Walbertus]

Hi and thanks for your comment. Yes I tried dragging into the tracks window yet it has the same problem. it imports only 3 of the 4 tracks.
But now to compound the mystery I was rummaging through some old MIDI files from another app called Beatly Pro. This MIDI contained 5 tracks in one file and amazingly, DP let me import it with all 5 and it worked just fine.
So now I have to try to figure out what was correct about that file that allowed it to work and others that did not. I'm doing my best not to be driven insane by this. I'll try writing MOTU and see if they offer any ideas.

[mikehalloran]

Are you running DP 9.52? If not, try that. There were a number of fixes and updates between 9.0 and 9.52.

[bayswater]

Hi and thanks for your comment. Yes I tried dragging into the tracks window yet it has the same problem. it imports only 3 of the 4 tracks.

Baffling. Does it make any difference whether you drag the MIDI file into a new sequence, or a sequence that already has some data in it?

[Walbertus]

No it works the same dragging to tracks or chunks. And I did try to make a new sequence with 4 empty tracks to see if dragging there would help. but no.
Also, to answer Mike, I do have 9.52.
I'm currently checking over everything in the way I recorded the problem files on my ipad to see if something strange got in there. If you're not familiar with iOS music apps I can't explain it all here but I was using a really nice little utility called MIDI Tape Recorder that lets me easily record MIDI from other apps while they're playing. It lets me record 1 to 4 tracks at a time.

[bayswater]

No it works the same dragging to tracks or chunks. And I did try to make a new sequence with 4 empty tracks to see if dragging there would help. but no.
Also, to answer Mike, I do have 9.52.
I'm currently checking over everything in the way I recorded the problem files on my ipad to see if something strange got in there. If you're not familiar with iOS music apps I can't explain it all here but I was using a really nice little utility called MIDI Tape Recorder that lets me easily record MIDI from other apps while they're playing. It lets me record 1 to 4 tracks at a time.

I can't suggest anything else. I do recall some MIDI files not importing correctly on rare occasions, but attributed this to various apps not all confirming strictly to the SMF specs. A tech link to MOTU, uploading the MIDI file in question is probably in order.