Hi,
just interested to know what members do if they have heaps of midifiles & they decide to switch to another brand of keyboard??

Years back , I started to buy midi & song files. Quite a few of the song files were instrument specific & unfortunately not gm standard.

A few of them I tried converting to GM program & drum mapping, but it can takes hours for each one, so not worth the effort.

Fortunately for me , I discovered that in my sd1+ I can remap a drum kit & save user voices to match the program & drum mapping in my song files. Far quicker to edit the soundsource than try & substantially alter
100's of song files.

Just wondering if any of the other brand keyboards allow you to do the above. I've never thought to try this before.

best wishes
Rikki

Hi Rikki:

I did owned not just 2 SD1s, also a X1 too, well, the midi file re-voiced in song setup in the SD1+ has only the instructions of those changes only for the Ketron, but the midi file remains unchanged unless you remaped the voices an d controllers in the PC with any secuencer program such like Cake/Sonar, etc....I did changed the few midi files I did use in it, but in the PC, I also find that I have more control even in the dynamics, fx, etc...
As an example for my own experince is:
in the Reverb (control 91) to have a decent reverb in the SD1 you must set up at least 100-127 value(from 0-127), but in the case of the Yamaha Arrangers like the PSR3000, T2, you need less, around 50-70 depending on how much FX you like, each manufacturer FX procesor has diferent sensibilities, also may I point that also the note velocity response is diferent, I have to lower it if I play a file in the Yamaha, somewhere 50-80 note velocity range is ok, more, sounds overdriving it, but velocity ranges between 100-127 are just fine for the Ketron.
Needless to say, I do recomend to make the adjusments to each midi file in each track in the PC, well, at least I do it like that, perhaps because I am very picky.

In the drum maps, I still use the PC, because sometimes you get a file that has an annoying clap that should be a snare ( as an example), that, only can be remap in the PC with the Piano roller mode, is a very fast procedure, this is not posible to do in the SD1+ yet, only change the drum kit and volume, fx overall.

Or you get a cymbal that is a little to loud, or the hihats to low, well, I use the Cals (Bustdrum), so, I make the note velocity adjustment and that is it.

When I use a new KB....I personally go thru EVERY single SMF that I use, tweaking, changing sounds, editing etc, etc, until it sounds the way I like it........its part of being a musician in today's high tech world of music.........you have to make your own sound, there are no shortcuts unless you want to "just settle" for the way it sounds which I frequently see in acts when I'm on the road, because people are lazy & think the audience doesnt care ? I would suggest to everyone be a stickler for perfection the Best you can & you'll be a happier musician for your efforts for sure & you'll absorb more knowledge along the way also.
A keyboard change is always an exciting time , & an exhilarating challenge ....enjoy!!

This is yet another reason why I'm using MP3 files on stage at some gigs. All of my midi files are now setup for the discontinued Yamaha 9000 Pro and they number into the hundreds... I really wouldn't want to resequence or remix them for a new device (and then another and then another...). Also I have an opportunity to fly to some gigs this year and use rented digital pianos and I don't want to have to take my arrangers and SMF's. So I have created a complete MP3 backing track library.

I believe that one day a lot of keyboards will feature MP3 playback, and while I'm waiting I have a number of devices that can do it if the keyboard can't, including my Music Pad Pro. With an accompaniment MP3 library I can selectively replace individual MP3 files as my sound sources improve. And since I live on the coast I am very aware of hurricane season and the need to have several backup plans in case I lose gear for any reason.

Hi,
thanks guys for the suggestions.

mdorantes, thank you for the suggestions on the sd1+. I'm still discovering features on this keyboard, I didn't know it had. Haven't bothered with the internal sequencer as yet, I've got a few low cost p.c. sequencers that I'm a bit more familiar with, so I will stick to editing in those.

Hi Donny, I think if I need to edit & remap every single one to gm, it will take me the next 5 years ( haa haa). I've got about 400 of them. Fortunately they're all by the same manufacturer & created for a particular instrument, bad news is they're not general midi, so I thought that, instead of trying to remap the songs to gm, I'll remap my sd1 user drums & voices to the songs mapping.
Then with a bit of luck, I may only need to finetune the occassional one. Bizzare female logic?? or wishfull thinking. Probably the latter. haa haa

Hi Esh,
great idea doing mp3's. I wish that I'd thought to create some mp3 backing tracks of some of my favourite songs before I sold my KN7. Even though I kept all of my old styles, they don't convert terribly well and I can't get them sounding anywhere near as good as the original.

thanks guys.

best wishes
Rikki

Ease of adjusting commercial midi files or old songs that I have is one of the strong points of my G-70: using the MakeUp tools it's very fast to browse the original sounds of the song and change them into the new sounds available, and to adjust some small things like levels, effects, panning, etc.

I can understand that recording MP3s is an easy way for porting existing material, but in this case you cannot profit of the new sounds and features available in your new instrument, and I think that it's just for these new opportunities that we change our old keyboard with a new one.

Download the latest copy of Michael Bedesem's midi player and you can batch convert the files, do lots of tweeking and make many of the changes you wish--all on your PC.

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Hello All
It can be a pain when you change keyboards, but providing you backup all your styles and Midis from you old keyboards, you can convert them when you have the time.
In addition to this make an mp3 or wav file of your backings, so that you can use them straight away.
This then gives you the best of both worlds.
Enjoy.

Bill

Hi Gary,
I doubt Michaels allowed for this one. My files are neither gm or xg
Unfortunately I get brass playing when I should be hearing piano & bass drums instead of hihats. They're all over the place.

I haven't checked out Michael's program in a long time, but unless I can actually choose my own program changes & drum mapping in the program, it won't work for these files.

best wishes
Rikki