(11) Joining two MIDI files.

[JazzCat]

I just did a 'medley' of two tunes that a member sent me. Luckily for me, only bass & drums were needed. That cuts the workload down considerably LOL! There were some minor problems that had to be overcome, for instance one file was in the key of Bb the other in Eb, he wanted them both in A. Transposing from Eb to a is a half-octave transposition. I had to decide which way to go with it, up, or down. I chose down. Later, after an e-mail from the 'client', I transposed it up and octave and he liked it better.

Often when you have to transpose a file that much it will take the instruments way out of their tessitura (normal playing range) and so, often times, you will have to rewrite tracks. Sometimes you can get away with just transposing the part an octave, but not always.
I know this is jumping the gun but I'm in the mood to blab. Another thing that had to be done was velocity raising on one of the file's bass tracks, as it was considerably lower than the other. It also was step entered, verses the other, which was done via an arranger keyboard that varies velocities. So, after offsetting the velocities up I also used the humanize velocities feature to get some random variation. It didn't need to be a lot and didn't have any huge need to be done individually to mimic real playing, as both were a couple of up-tempo Elvis tunes.
Okay, I'll shaddap now. <grin>

[JohnG]

No, no, please don't "shaddap" JazzCat.

These are the finer points of file editing that are way down the track (sorry) when considering the techniques of cutting and pasting which is what I was basically going to cover, at least initially, what the various toolbars do in Cakewalk and how they are used. As well as moving tracks around etc.

At last my back is good enough that can sit down at the PC for a reasonable length of time and I've got some time today to devote to the lesson. I'm hopeful that ... nuff said!

Best regards,
JohnG.

[JohnG]

Sorry it's been such a long time coming but at last here's the next part. (7th April, 2008)

Joining 2 MIDI files
lesson 2

Okay so now many of you have done some analysis of the two files.

What you will have discovered by looking at them is that they're similar in many ways (my deliberate choice to make the first lesson as easy as possible). However at least one of you has opened the other version of Blueberry Hill on the MidiMart main web site bhs-fd.zip instead of bhf-fd. The one you have used has has several more tracks in it and IMHO is the better sequence. However, as I'm going to try to make this lesson as simple as I can, it'll be easier to use the files that I've nominated. Once we've learned some basic lessons then we'll be in a better position to take on more challenging projects.

So, if you're using the wrong file, can you go back and get the bhf-fd.zip please? You can find it in the "members' files area" where I've put links to both of the files we're using in this lesson

Viewing the files in Cakewalk (1).
From now on I'll just use part of the filename to identify each file. Just "bhf" for Blueberry Hill and "atas" for Ain't That A Shame, okay?
So here are the main things you should have noticed about the two files:

1. Both files have just eight tracks. The first three tracks aren't assigned to any instruments but are used
1st to identify the owner of the file "MINVEC UK" (copyright),
2nd what looks like a time (probably the duration of the song), we'll check this later, and
3rd to give us the musical key of each file.
For "bhf" it's "E major" (4 sharps), and for "atas" it's "A major" (3 sharps).

Whoa! hold up there, I can't see all that stuff on my screen, John!
Well, no, perhaps you can't, because when you open the file, part of the information about the file is hidden by a view of the track data. You'll find that you can move the big vertical bar, using the mouse, over towards the right hand side (not too far!) and all the info is then displayed.

Whilst you're there did you know that you can re-arrange the columns of data into any order you want? Click and drag to the left or the right any of the column headings and then release them where you want them. I like to have the track number then "S.M.R". (solo, mute, record) then "Chn", "Vol", "Pan" then "Patch" and "Name" but that's just my preference. Set it up to suit you. Then drag the vertical bar back most of the way to the left. You should have seen all the information I referred to by now?

Viewing the files in Cakewalk (2).
2. Both files appear to be at a tempo of 110 bpm, or do they, take a close look at "atas".
Now we can also see that we have five tracks in each file containing the MIDI song data but the instrument patches are not identical. In "atas" we have Brass1, Piano1, MutedGtr, Fingered (Bass) and Standard (drum kit) on tracks 4 to 8, MIDI channels 5, 1, 6, 4, 10. Whilst in "bhf" we have no Brass1 but instead a second Piano1 where the Brass1 is on "atas". Also on tracks 4 to 8 but this time on channels 1, 5, 4, 3, 10. So it looks like we're going to have to move the tracks and channels around a bit when we join the two files together. So if we took "atas" as the beginning then went into "bhf" for a while, then maybe finally back into "atas" again, that would be a kind of two song medley, wouldn't it?

But whereabouts are we going to cut into "atas"to insert "bhf"? And just how much of "bhf" will we want to move, all of it,? Including intros and outros? Almost certainly not, at least IMO.

How similar are the songs?
So take a listen to "atas" again and try to work out where would be a suitable point to cut it. You'll notice it consists of a fairly simple 12-bar-blues tune, after the 1 bar setup measure and another 1 bar count in. So 12 bars from bar 3 to the end of bar 14, again 15 to end 26, again 27 to end 38, then a slightly changed 12 bars 39 to end 50, then another 12 bar repeat 51 to end 62, and finally 13 bars 63 to end of 75 (and a bit) with an ending tacked on in the last 3 bars. So I expect the change over could come at the end of any of the 12 bar sections?

Tell me what you think please. (Homework).

Whilst we're looking at "atas" take a look a the "tempo" box (top right) as the song plays. Is it me, or does it start at 109 and immediately flip to 110? See if you can get some more info on how that works and how we can change it. The name "tempo" should be your clue.

Then take a look at "bhf". Try analyzing it yourself. If it helps (it often does) take a look at the lyrics for it. Is it another 12 bar blues? Try to decide how much of that song you'll incorporate into the middle of "atas"; how many bars (from where to where) and whether you need some kind of fill at the beginning and end of "bhf".

Let me know what you think. These are artistic decisions you need to make. (More homework)

We'll decide next time.

Next to last, I'd like to explain how I'm going to tell you how to use the commands in Cakewalk. If I want you to e.g. open a file, I'll write File - Open and, of course this will open up the standard file open window, by clicking on the menu item "File" then on "Open" in the drop down menu. So close any files that are open without closing Cakewalk, now do a File - Open twice, the first for "atas-fd.mid" and then again for "bhf-fd.mid". Then try Window - Tile in Rows. You should now see both files one above the other. You'll find you can click on the bar at the top of the lower file window and issue the same command again. The files should swap places. Experiment, it could prove useful in the next lesson.

So, lastly try View - Toolbars. You'll find a little window with tick boxes and names is opened with two columns. The standard open items (ticked) should be as follows:-
Standard, Loop, Markers, Select, Tempo, Transport and Views. Whether "Flat Style" is ticked or not depends on how you want the menu buttons displayed. Try un-ticking and ticking the various boxes especially the ones that I've just mentioned. Whilst you do it see which boxes disappear and appear. See if you can work out what each box does. We're going to be using several of these as we edit our file so you'll need to know what they do.

So Homework is:
1. How similar / different are the songs?
2. Where are we going to drop bhd into atas?
3. How much of each of the two files are we going to use?
4. Do we need any intros and outros between the pieces?
5. Can you get both songs displayed simultaneously on the screen one above the other?
6. By using View - Toolbars can you find out what the main menus of tools at the top of the screen do?
7. Oh, and can you sort out what's happening with the tempo in "atas"?

When you've completed this part get back to me and let me know how you've done.
Above all - have fun.
JohnG.

[JohnG]

Thought I'd just drop in another quick thought. (Eh!)

JazzCat's last post made me think. Just what is a medley? To me, I think, it's more than 2 songs joined together. It probably consists of a few key verses and choruses from each song rather than the whole of each. So that was why I asked question 3 in lesson 2. Of course for the sake of learning how to join songs together i.e. this lesson, it doesn't really matter, but I guess it does when you're performing the medley. Otherwise you could be singing for 15 minutes or more without any break. Not desirable IMHO.
What d'ya think?
JohnG.

[gibbo]

Hi John, I usually only medley songs that are particularly short. A lot of the 50's and 60's songs were around the 2 minute mark due to vinyl record limitations and radio playlist restrictions.
Today, a 2 minute song is usually much too short, particularly for dancers. They just get going and the song is over! So, for example, I medley 2 early Elvis songs together and end up with about 4 minutes of good dance music. I always look at what works with the crowds I play to.
Just as a funny aside; there's one gig we do where a very old couple always get up to dance to their favourite song but, being old and fragile, it takes them nearly 3 minutes to make it to the dance floor... it's become a tradition at the club that we start the song all over again once they finally arrive for their dance.
The other punters always cheer loudly whenever we do it for them!
Cheers, Dave.

[JohnG]

Yup, sounds like a good one. When they manage to make it to the dance floor do they then do a really lively jive with the bloke chucking the girl over his shoulder and through his legs etc? LOL.

Of course you're quite right about 50s and 60s songs, usually quite short, just 2 minutes mostly. So for 2 songs back to back no problems but it might be nice to start with one, segue into the 2nd, then back again to the first, for effect.

So do you reckon we should just tack Blueberry onto the end of Ain't That a Shame without a reprise? As you have probably worked out, I'm trying to get people to think of the artistic impact of what they do, rather than just slamming one file behind the other. The cutting and pasting is a doddle once you get the hang of it and takes, for simple stuff, just a few minutes.

Thanks for the input, Dave,
Best regards,
JohnG.

[gibbo]

Right, John. I've always found that it's best not to mess around with the arrangements too much, especially with the classics of Rock and Pop. Most of our punters know the songs and sing along and like you to stick to the basics of a song. Elvis fans in particular like to hear it how it's "supposed" to be done.
I haven't tried to medley Ain't that a Shame and Blueberry Hill but if I was to do it I'd probably do the full version of Shame and tag them together like so:
(last line of Shame) "You're the one to (blame) > dah, dah, dah, dah, dah da dah da dah da dah da dah > "I found my thrill... etc" with the first note of the Blueberry intro hitting on the word "blame".
That's how I do it; I always align instruments on the same tracks etc and pick a null spot for any program, volume, controllers etc. I usually pick a tempo that works well for both songs so that it doesn't speed up or slow down at all.
I can do it as an example if you'd like but not for a week or so, I have a bit too much on at the moment.
Cheers, Dave.
P.S. As regards the old dears I mentioned, no! They were probably fire-crackers on the dance floor 60 years ago but these days it's all very slow and careful. After we'd done the "play it again, Sam" routine a couple of times, Jenny timed them from the time they started to get up out of their chairs for their favourite song to the time they finally arrived back after the dance... 11 minutes!
God love 'em.

[JohnG]

No need to do it for me Dave, that's what the lesson is (will be) about. All I'm trying to get people to do is not to blindly cut and paste but to consider the things that you've put in your post before describing the choices to be made. Then I'll show them how to align the tracks with the same instruments, look at tempos and keys, and cutting from one and pasting into another file, etc. But thanks very much for your input on how you'd do it, my thoughts are almost identical. In fact I chose these two deliberately as they're both the same tempo. Might cover tempo changes etc. in another lesson. This one is for those getting used to Cakewalk and combining files for the first time.

Somehow I didn't think they'd be too quick on their feet anymore. It was just a vision I had similar to the joke posted recently about the elderly couple and the electric fence.

All the best,
JohnG.