I will edit MIDI files for you

[JazzCat]

Hi all,
As I go through posts I occasionally see someone say "I've got this great file but it fades out...." or "Something is wrong with this file......."

I am happy to edit files and create live performance endings for MIDIMart members.
If you send me the file and explain what you want done to it or, what the problem seems to be, I will be more than happy to edit and/or trouble shoot it for you.

Sent the file to oneqtcat (at) juno (dot) com

If you want a file edited you MUST e-mail it to me. I'm not the MIDIMart site owner and I do not have MIDIMart's MIDI files stored on my computer.


If you receive no reply from me then one of 3 things has happened.

Either I didn't get your message or, I replied and you did not get my reply.

OR ( and this is a BIGGIE) I've replied to you and your email program THREW MY REPLY IN THE SPAM BOX! I do NOT reply from the [e-mail] address. I reply from
oneqtcat (at) juno (dot) com
So, if you want to make darn sure you get my replies please tell your spam watcher that I'm not a freakin' spammer! LOL!
Cat >^..^<

[JazzCat]

Here's an update.. You can now reach me at [e-mail]!

But remember what I said above. I do NOT reply from this address so you must add my juno address to your approved senders list!!

[EDIT] = I have just enclosed your email addy into a clickable link from here.

[shyamwestwind]

Hi Jazzcat, I posted a midi of crackilin rosie to you e-maill address [e-mail], hope you recd.it .
Please help me out with the distortions.
Sorry for bugging you.
With warm regards
Shyam

[JazzCat]

I don't think I got it. At least I don't remember getting it.
If I did not reply to you please try sending it again.
Cat >^..^<

[pdiroma]

JazzCat,
A while back, I sent you an Emai asking about putting a performance ending on a file. You
never replied.
pdiroma

[JazzCat]

If you received no reply from me then one of 3 things has happened.
Either I didn't get your message, or I replied and you did not get my reply.
OR ( and this is a BIGGIE) I've replied to you and your email program THREW MY REPLY IN THE SPAM BOX! I do NOT reply from the [e-mail] address. I reply from

oneqtcat (at) juno (dot) com

( you know how to fix the addy) So, if you want to make darn sure you get my replies please tell your spam watcher that I'm not a freakin' spammer! LOL!

I simply do not ignore people. You can ask anyone here that I've done stuff for, (and that's a bunch of people)

If I got your email then I wrote the ending and I sent it to you..

Next time please do not wait too long to try again. I get hundreds of emails a day and I'll never find an old message in the mess I have!

Please write to me again and attach the file you want done.

Cat >^..^<

[don]

Hi Jazzcat,
You have helped me in the past by teaching me how to eliminate fade out endings thanks once again. My query this time is on some files the drum kit is not loud enough. I have increased the velocity on the drum track to 127 and lowered the rest of the instruments to 80-90 as well as adding chorus to "beef" up the sound. This helps a little, is there anything else I can do. I use Cakewalk 3.0 to edit my files and use a Charlie Lab hardisk midifile player for performing. I look forward to your reply.
Thanks.
Don.

[JazzCat]

Sorry about the late reply here. Once again, forums and I don't get along too well. I miss many messages because I just don't see them. The best way to know I will see a message is to email me. I most often will see and respond to an email within 24 hours!


I have a feeling that the old version of Cakewalk you are using is probably pretty limited in ways of being able to see and manipulate MIDI Data.

I don't know if you even have a controller pane within the piano roll or if it even has a piano roll!

I'm also not sure if you are speaking of channel volume or note velocities. If you are changing velocities you need to be careful and not take a track that has varying note velocities and make them all the same!!!

Let me give a quick lesson on the 3 methods of working with the 'loudness' of tracks in a MIDI file. If you already know about this please don't think I am talking down to you. Someone else who doesn't know may just read this too.

First you have Channel Volume - Continuous Controller 7 (It was formerly called Main Volume but has been changed to more accurately reflect that it does not globally change the volume on an entire file but rather one channel only.) It controls the 'main' volume of a channel.

Then you have Expression - Continuous Controller 11. It acts like the expression foot pedal on a keyboard or a guitar. It is used to employ crescendos and decrescendos mostly.

If neither one of these controllers have been given a value at the beginning of a file one of two things will happen. The file will play with the settings the previous file set or, it will default to 127 if your sound module resets itself when you stop playing a file.

Note velocities are a different animal. CC 7 and CC 11 are channel data. Note velocities are note data Every note has its own velocity. Velocity is how hard a note is struck or played. IF a note is played softly the velocity will be low. If it is played hard the velocity will be high. Velocities are what really give music its dynamic range. If you take a track that had varying velocities and change them to all be the same you have just ruined the live feel of the track as no musician can play a note at exactly the same force as every other note.

On drum tracks, as you know some instruments occur at the same time so you may mot be seeing all of the velocities correctly in the piano roll's controller pane. If you have a high hat playing at a velocity of 60 and a bass drum playing at the same time at a velocity of 100, the notes are on top of each other and the only one you will be able to visually see is the 100.

If your program has the ability to split the drum instruments to separate tracks, that is probably the best way of looking and the individual drum instrument velocities. Then you can raise or lower each drum instruments velocities separately.

as I said before, You do not want to set all velocities to be the same. Most programs have ways of lowering or raising all velocities by either a percentage or by a set amount numerically. As I do not know how Cakewalk 3 achieves this, or even if such an early version of Cakewalk even has these features, I wouldn't be able to tell you how to do it.

Drums, as with any other instrument sound different on different sound modules and also each sound module/sound card will react differently to velocity messages. You will need to mess around with that to find out what yours does.

[oldsage]

hi cat i have this version and the newer version4,at the top of the program click on view,and then select from events/ drum roll /and other events there.if you want to alter the track,s settings ie: modulation or the controllers.right click then select envelopes/midi,a new window will open where you can choose from then when you click off a wire strand is there so you can make adjustments,or multiple adjustments.if you want to speed up the whole song or slow it down at any spot.click on the stop.change the bpm in the transport viewer and then start up again.make sure you have selected to not go back to the beginning in the transport. hope this might help you or anyone. cheers steve

[slappyjoe]

jazzcat. I HAVE SOME PROBLEMS WITH A FEW FILES. WHEN DOWNLOADED TO PC. THEY PLAY FINE THOUGH DOWNLOADED TO MY YAMAHA DGX 305 SOME INSTRUMENTS ARE GONE LIKE CRACKLIN ROSIE BRASS GONE, U DO SUMTHIN - PAUL NWELLER WELLER, PIANO GONE, GOOD LOOKING WOMAN, JOE DOLAN, BRASS EFFECTS GONE. IS IT MEEE OR WHAA? HOPE YOU CAN HELP. ALL OTHER FILES ARE GREAT - ITS A GREAT SITE!

[JazzCat]

OOPS! I never saw your message!!!!

It probably isn't you. Those files might have GS banks sounds assigned that your Yamaha doesn't have. I don't know. All I can do is take a look at the files and see if I can't do something to make them work for you.

See my private message to you for the quickest way I'll respond.

[musicman97]

I use an older version of Cakewalk that came with peavey Studio mix. I had problems with my yamaha keyboard not noticing or playing tracks. After i went through all of my midi files and set the controller option to normal and the syx option to XG or GM, My keyboard got the message and I had better control over volicity and was able to save my files and bring them back up with no problem.

now, I don't know how to remove the ending fade outs on songs that I wish to play live. Or sometimes, I have a song that I'd like to fade out for recording on CD or MP3 but i use the audio mixdown for that.

What should I do to keep the volume level up in Cakewalk for my live performance?

Many thanks

[JohnG]

Hi Musicman,

Ill try to write you a tutorial for this tomorrow.
Regards,
JohnG.

[musicman97]

Thank You, JohnG, This will be a big help to my gigs. Sometimes, I forget that one of my songs is going to fade out. I usually do a drum roll and hit the stop button, then quickly go to the next song to keep people moving.

Many thanks for Your help,
Musicman

[JohnG]

Hi again,
Tell you what, if you forward one of the files to me, you'll find my address in my personal page, I can do the tutorial around a problem file and then you should find it easier. What say you?
Oh and can you find out what version of cakewalk you're using?
Menu "help" "about cakewalk" will tell you.
JohnG.

[musicman97]

Thanks, I sent You an email with the info.

Regards

[JohnG]

Hi Musicman,
Just a very quick response to your file transfer. Yup, got it. I'll show you how to do something asap but Im not around for the weekend so Monday will be the earliest opportunity. A quick response which may help is that the way the fade has been done is reducing the "note on velocity" in each channel starting at about measure 32.3.000. I don't know how much this means to you but if it means something then you need to go through each channel pulling the velocities back up. It may give you something to work on.

In my experience the fade is more often done by inserting a whole series of something called a "channel volume" message, more commonly known by MIDI sequencers as controller number 7 (CC#7). So I may have to look at more than one of your files to teach you the tricks of the trade!

Have a good weekend,
Best regards,
JohnG.

[thingyy]

On "any" version of cakewalk use piano roll.Control on top left drop screen, control number on drop screen next to it, channel next screen.
Drag up using pointer.
Next step is to cut and paste an ending.

[JazzCat]

I normally just delete the bars containing note velocity type of fades. Its usually a section that repeats over an over anyway. I then copy more to the end, then write a 'live performance' ending.

I find that most fade outs are done with the expression controller (CC-11) rather than channel volume (CC-7) Those CC's are pretty quick and easy to delete. Then is a matter of writing an ending.
Sometimes you get lucky and find that there is already a performance ending hiding under the fade. I love those. LOL!

Glad John is helping you out as I don't use cakewalk currently.

Again Folks, the best way to contact me is through e-mail. I do not check the boards on a daily basis.

[JohnG]

In this particular case the fade was done by reducing the note velocities, most unusual! I've found, as Jazzcat says CC7s or 11s to be the most common.
JohnG