Midi with Cakewalk/Cubase

[pka4916]

I am using Cakewalk (unless there is a better package.
But if I open up a midi file, and save it right away,  the filesize goes down by a few Kb.
But also my Lyrics are gone.
I tried Midi format 0 and 1,  and both doing the same thing.
Does anyone else use Cakewalk for Midi files, or can tell me what I am doing wrong?

Thank you

ps.  if I placed this in the wrong section, please move it. 

[Janus]

Do you have an old version ?
Cakewalk is free now you can find it on the internet
It has also a lyrics ditor
Are the lyrics in the right format(normal tekst is not alaud)
You can test that by test the lyrics editor
Gr.Jan

[pka4916]

I downloaded the latest version from the bandlab website.

I did figure out that I need to save in Midi 1,  otherwise you loose 7-8 tracks for some reason.
But then it still fails.

I will attach the original and saved one,  and you see that there is 8 KB difference as well.
Also, when I press lyrics on the keyboard, the title becomes  "Untitled" instead of the song name.

Managed to get the volume for the main track down to 0, and it was honored by the keyboard,
but when I saved it a second time (since I was testing),  it wouldn't honor the volume.   so idk if it was just dumb luck.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Janus]

I have found it
There are different kinds of midi karaoke files

Tekst
Lyric
Sy***

Your file is tekst karaoke
You have  to convert it to lyrics karaoke
I used gnmidi for the job(free to download  from the internet

You kan look in cakewalk to test it
Go to the lyrics screen The lyrics Are usual on channel 4 in the melodie channel

And there is no need to saved it as a kar file
Save it as a midi file
There is no different between .kar or .mid extencion
The file is always a midi file


Gr.Jan

[Janus]

little more info

when you set the volume to zero
you have to look in the track to remove all old volume settings

Gr.Jan

[pka4916]

Thank you very much for the information.
Let me look into it.

[pka4916]

Tried that program,  but only have 1 option,  (not sure because it's a trial)
but noticed after conversion that it went from 18 to 10 channels and became a Mid 0 format and did't stay in Mid 1.

I don't know what is recommended?
Will I loose 8 channels of music? 

[Janus]

no all tracks are combined to one track
you always can  go back and restore the tracks
gnmidi also can do that
even you can use the bulk optie
all files in a map can be change from midi 0 to midi 1 or visa verca
Gr.Jan

[pka4916]

Thanks,
Guess I will have to play with it some more.
since I'm not sure if it was the right option.  (karaoke to Midi) i think the only option was
Will check once I get home, and have the keyboard there.

[pka4916]

Played around with that program, but seems like a big hassle.

I tried the demo from Cubase Elements,  and that one seems to work just fine for the lyrics once I edit a track.
Only thing i have issues with, is the volume..  they are all set to 0, and playing lol..  idk how to make a track for volume 0.
I can disable it, but then the score won't be there for that track.. 
Guess I can't win lol

[Janus]

Upload the demo
I can have a look on it

Gr.Jan

[pka4916]

it's a 15 Gb upload,  plus you need to get a trial key from their site, since it's connecting to your account and Hardware ID from your pc.
kind of a pain if you ask me.
you download the installer, and then it's a 15 Gb download within it.

[SeaGtGruff]

I haven't looked at any of the files you posted, and have only a very brief experience of using a crippled free trial version of Cakewalk SONAR before it was bought by BandLab and made available for free, so this is just a general comment, and might not have any bearing on your specific case.

Many DAWs have filters in their list of program options which you can select or deselect to control whether you want the DAW to filter out any particular types of MIDI messages when you are importing or loading a MIDI file, as well as when you are streaming or sending MIDI to the DAW from MIDI hardware or software.

You might want to look through Cakewalk's options to make sure you aren't filtering out any messages.

Also, my very brief experience with SONAR indicated that SONAR/Cakewalk separates all Sy*** messages that it encounters-- assuming they aren't being filtered out entirely-- and that if you want those Sy*** messages to be played back or exported at their proper times then you might need to make some changes in the option settings.

[pka4916]

Thank you.
I did look through the options, but not finding anything for it,  unless I don't know the terminology for it.
Also not sure if it's just Cakewalk itself, since I can mute tracks, but when i load it, it's back to normal,  and same with other settings.. it seems like that's all ignored.

[Janus]

Don't mute the track
Only set  the volume to zero
Another option is make a midi setup in your keyboard
and disable the melodie track, usual channel 4

Gr.Jan

[pka4916]

I can't set it to zero.  it's being ignored for some reason.
it seems that in the event list the volume for every note is set to 127
it's a pain to edit 100's of notes to change the volume to 0  in that editor.

[pjd]

MIDI channel volume is MIDI Continuous Conteoller message number 7.

When you look at the notes, you're looking at the MIDI note velocity.

Folks are suggesting a change to the MIDI channel volume. There is a volume for each channel (track).

Hope this helps -- pj

[Janus]

every midi file has a gm, gs or xg reset at start volume is set to 100
best set the volume controller to zero on the second measure
when the volume is set to zero before the gm,gs or xg reset
the reset overrules the settings
you can also set the velocity to zero
select all the notes in the track and change the velocity to zero
all selected notes are set to zero
when you mute a track it resets also the lyrics
i use a different way
most keyboards has 2 stereo outputs a and b
send the melodie channel usual channel 4 to stereo output b
use a simple extern mixer
it very nice to to have control on the volume on the melodie with the extern mixer

Gr.Jan

[pka4916]

I'll have to play with it some more.
I did change velocity, but it wiped out all my notes after I saved it :/

So much got changed over the years,  that I have a hard time finding everything.

[Janus]

are you shure
the notes are not wipe out by changing the velocity
you don't here them anymore but they are still present
did you select the total track ?
you have to select only the notes and change the velocity

Gr.Jan

[pka4916]

I did that in Cubase,  since I could not find it in Cakewalk.
I drew the velocity all the way down. and saved the new midi file.
Once I open the new midi file, the whole track is empty.

[Janus]

i use a notebook for playing karaoke files
connect the keyboard with a usb cable to the notebook
the software i use is vanbasco
the avantage is a better display of the lyrics
you can use all kind of kar files tekst lyrics and sy***
you can also mute tracks and transpose the song
and save the editet songs in a playlist

Gr.Jan