remove program changes from .mid file

[iksrazal]

Somehow I feel I'm on the wrong track. I've got a jazz .mid file loaded into my O that has 4 channels - piano, bass and two for drums. I want to remap this file to:

1) Use factory or custom sounds. Something like "deep oasys piano" , "stinger bass" , "hard house kit" and "Cuban perc kit" . I don't need any GM sounds - maybe "woodblock" since I don't think there's a factory sound equivalent.

2) Remove all program changes so that it doesn't reset the above choices every time I restart.

I can do #1 easy enough but my changes don't stick. Can I redo the mid file program data on the O, and if so, how?

BTW, searching the forums leads me to believe that few people use mid files with the O. If there's a song I want to play piano on, and the drums and bass are layed out already in a mid file, what are the alternative approaches to play it?

[Mike Conway]

Remove all program changes so that it doesn't reset the above choices every time I restart.

NOTE: Before erasing the program changes, make note of what the programs are that you need. If they are sounds you already selected, then you're fine.



In Song Mode, press the TRACK EDIT tab.

Select or highlight the MIDI Track that you want to remove the changes from.

Press the dropdown menu (upper right corner). Select ERASE MEASURE and define the first and last measures.

Check the ALL MIDI TRACKS box.

Under "KIND", select PROGRAM CHANGE.

BTW, searching the forums leads me to believe that few people use mid files with the O. If there's a song I want to play piano on, and the drums and bass are layed out already in a mid file, what are the alternative approaches to play it?

I'm not sure I understand this question. If you've erased/deleted all the other tracks, besides drums and bass, what's stopping you from adding a piano to Track 1 or Channel 1?

[Dr. Who]

This will might ruffle some feathers but I don't use the sequencer in the O at all. I use and external DAW for midi files and use the O as a sound module. In the DAW I strip out the program changes and also use the OASYS instrument definition file to select instruments in the DAW. Workflow is very fast this way.

[iksrazal]

Thanks Mike, that mostly worked - I can load the mid file into S000, play along with it, and assign factory patches. The thing lacking still is that when I reboot the O, the factory instruments I assigned on each track remain in the song, and the duration of the midi file is there, but no sound comes out. Also, via "Midi track loop" I set up a loop between some measures, and those get some how lost on reboot. I tried saving my work to a template song, but I get the same results. I can reload the mid file, remove the program changes and redo the loops, but I'd like to find a way to do all that just once. Any clues please?

I'm not sure I understand this question. If you've erased/deleted all the other tracks, besides drums and bass, what's stopping you from adding a piano to Track 1 or Channel 1?

Let me rephrase this question, since I feel I'm stuck in the 80's mentality or something. Picture yourself as someone who doesn't use midi files. You'd like to play piano on a jazz standard, and have the O do the bass and drums. In other words, a solo performance. In a nutshell, what would be your workflow?

This will might ruffle some feathers but I don't use the sequencer in the O at all. I use and external DAW for midi files and use the O as a sound module. In the DAW I strip out the program changes and also use the OASYS instrument definition file to select instruments in the DAW. Workflow is very fast this way.

I've been using Linux and Rosegarden for midi files until now, but I'm thinking about playing live a bit and imho a laptop is distracting. The O sequencer, despite being inferior to just about everything on the market best I can tell from this forum, is actually just fine for what I'm doing: looping some measures so I can learn a song, and use the O factory sounds for bass and drums over some midi. The O has got a big screen, I like its "locate" button for starting over, and I don't lose my concentration by switching screens. ymmv .

[rkarlberg]

BTW, searching the forums leads me to believe that few people use mid files with the O. If there's a song I want to play piano on, and the drums and bass are layed out already in a mid file, what are the alternative approaches to play it?

I use MIDI files a lot with my Oasys. This is one area in which the sequencer works really great. Aside from the problem you discovered where the programs keep getting reset, but Mike's answer is of course the right way to handle that.

There are TONS of midi files available, and the O has such great sounds that you can really get some good results. And for playing along, it's easy to loop or turn on/off any of the tracks.

Someday soon I plan to get the Karma Oasys software which will allow me to extract patterns from a midi file and turn them into GEs...