Opening MIDI files - Mapping

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Opening MIDI files - Mapping

I'm running Logic 8. According to the docu I can open a midi file while pressing the option key to bypass the auto generation of software instruments. What I would like to do though is open 50 midi files and have them all automatically mapped to Reason instruments. I have these Reason instruments all defined in an open Logic file. I can copy the environment settings upon open. When the file opens though it just defaults to 16 tracks of GM instruments.

Is there a way to open a midi file and copy the instrument device mapping from an existing Logic file? I do not want to import, I want all the midi data including tempo maps.

Studio Vision use to make this really easy by having a dock. You could also do Device Mapping when importing a midi file.

Power Book Pro (Mac Intel Core 2 Duo), Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Sep 11, 2009 8:17 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 11, 2009 9:14 AM in response to pomelia

I used to do a similar thing with importing Band in a box midi files into Logic. If you pre-define empty midi tracks on your arrange page, and put them in proper order - you will be able to drag a midi file from your finder onto the arrange page. Logic will open and place the various midi channels on the correct tracks.

This assumes the files are consistent. Bass is always midi channel 2, Bass is midi 10, main keyboard is midi 4, etc.

I never tried to open 50 midi files. What I used to do was create perhaps 4 - 10 versions of a song in Band in a box - then drag them into Logic to cut and paste various parts from different versions..

I created the six midi tracks I needed, and dragged into Logic.. I would then color coded that song, and re-named one of the tracks with the style version. I then dragged the 6 midi tracks (one version of song) to a group of NO OUTPUT tracks.

I also made the song extremely long (few hundred measures). So I could drag each new version to the same NO OUTPUT tracks - only later in the song. I colored coded and named each song different. So now all bass parts were on the same track, and by the color and name - I could tell this was 'reggae bass' or a 'disco bass' etc.

I've also done this with 'external midi' tracks. Never tried it with reason. Does Reason come up as rewire channel? - not sure about that. good luck

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Answer 2

pomelia Author

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Sep 11, 2009 9:38 AM in response to Mark Styles

Your suggestion is the second way to import a midi file. It won't work for me because import does not bring in Tempo maps.

I wish Logic worked more like Studio Vision in this regard.

Thanks Though.

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Answer 3

Sep 12, 2009 8:02 AM in response to pomelia

You can only have one tempo track active at a time in a song. There are nine alternatives - unless you are placing these 50 midi files in a linear order - I'm not sure how you might get around that one.

Often when I import a midi file this way, Logic states 'smpte timing' found do you want to use it?' (or something to that effect). But I always want the imported midi file to conform to my current tempo.

good luck

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Answer 4

pomelia Author

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Sep 14, 2009 2:49 PM in response to Mark Styles

I can do the drag import from the browser to get the tracks in the midi file assigned to pre-defined instruments in the logic file. However, I want tempo maps as well. SV Pro use to import all your midi data and have a way of of managing them as separate files. You could open a bunch of midi files all with unique tempos maps, all mapped to a specified synth device map, and all seemlessly integrated into one Vision file.

I want to turn 50 midi files into 50 logic files with unique tempo maps. Then I want to work on them one by one. There is no way to do this that I can see without opening them one by one and assigning each track to the desired instrument. It can be done, it's a bit of mouse clicking though.

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Answer 5

Sep 14, 2009 6:22 PM in response to pomelia

The Tempo is a global component. No matter what you do, you can only have one tempo map, That's just the way Logic was designed. when you import a 2nd song, it's tempo commands will be merged into what ever other tempo commands might already exist. There might be a way to make use of the nine alternative tempo maps in the global track. I never worked with Logic that way.

If your files are similar, (same instrumentation and MIDI tracks) - you could make a song template, which should speed up your process.

Another idea might be to import your your file, and then drag it to a 'No Output' file. - Don't know if that will work.

If you import your files in sequentially- song 1 at measure 1, song 2 at measure 127 etc. That should work, however I'm not sure how Logic will respond to a song that is 20,000 measure long.

Never taken it that far. Good luck

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