Using Midi Files

taichi · Post by **taichi** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 4:26 pm

When we download a midi file it is sometimes great to sing along with but not good when "playing along" to. Any tips/tricks please to "thin it out" a bit in order to play and hear our own melodies and other right hand stuff. And at the same time keep the parts of the midi that would enhance our playing. (like we do with styles)

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks

mazydazydinah · Post by **mazydazydinah** » Fri Feb 26, 2021 3:43 pm

Hi there, I have been doing this during lockdown. What I do, but remember I am also a learner as well lol. I go into the sequencer mode on the keyboard, load the midi and then you can turn down the volumes or cancel the volume altogether then that takes that instrument out. Save it, and then if all has gone well you will be able to load it back into the song mode and play and sing along with it., and everything should be a bit calmer. Hope that helps a little.

Marion

Biggles · Post by **Biggles** » Fri Feb 26, 2021 3:54 pm

Why not simply import the MIDI and let the Style Creator Bot do its thing to create a user Style which you can then edit in the normal manner?

Reuben · Post by **Reuben** » Sat Feb 27, 2021 12:37 am

I'm a big user of midis (more than styles in fact) and I tend to mute the main backing instrument (usually piano or guitar) to give me some space to play.
I think the amount you mute from the midi depends on the situation.
For fun at home or a sing-along leave most of it there because people want familiarity in that situation.
For a gigging musician delete as musch as possible because the listener wants you to be the attraction not the backing. In this case just leave mainly bass and drums and if you know how to use markers then put them in so you can repeat that chorus or whatever.
Deleting too much can also be problematic if you can't keep timing or know where you are up to. Sometime I will add my own cymbol tapping to the midi in quiet sections to help me keep in time and I always like to have midi lyrics on screen to give me confidence of where I am in the song.

Musicwithharry · Post by **Musicwithharry** » Sat Feb 27, 2021 1:36 am

Reuben wrote:I'm a big user of midis (more than styles in fact) and I tend to mute the main backing instrument (usually piano or guitar) to give me some space to play.
I think the amount you mute from the midi depends on the situation.
For fun at home or a sing-along leave most of it there because people want familiarity in that situation.
For a gigging musician delete as musch as possible because the listener wants you to be the attraction not the backing. In this case just leave mainly bass and drums and if you know how to use markers then put them in so you can repeat that chorus or whatever.
Deleting too much can also be problematic if you can't keep timing or know where you are up to. Sometime I will add my own cymbol tapping to the midi in quiet sections to help me keep in time and I always like to have midi lyrics on screen to give me confidence of where I am in the song.

I, too, use a lot of MIDI files. In fact, my PA700 is usually the band in duos and trios that I am putting together/playing with.

I delete the lead track altogether so a lead singer can sing the part.

I will delete the instrument solos as well, so I can use the M50 for the soloing.

If the trio has a keyboardist, I will either delete the main part for them, or I will have them layer with it. If I delete the part, I have to make sure that a hit-hat sound or something is playing during the keyboard part when they are playing it.

I generally just do the main guitar parts and solos on the M50 anymore, since I have programmed the rest of the song already.

It works well, but if you are gong to use MIDI files in a band type situation where the keyboard IS the band, you have to be strategic in what you delete so you still have fullness in the sound coming out of the main outputs on the mixer.

Biggles did suggest running the Style Converter Bot and I second that as well. It does not always work well, but you can at least give it a try and see if any work out for your that you can play as a style.

If you are going to transmit any MIDI signals to other sound modules, drum machines, etc..., make sure that you are palying the SMF in Song Mode. I have had considerable experience in the different tracks not sending MIDI signals right when you hit start. For some reason, I had to Mute/Unmute each track that I had MIDI going out on to other instruments. Siebenhirter, another user here in the Forum, suggested that I play the SMFs in Song Mode instead of Sequencer Mode, and it took care of the problem. I run at least an external drum machine to fatten up the drums on the PA700. I may add more MIDI gear as I go on, but with over 350 MIDI files created/modified, it will take much time to configured those additional instruments to play with the PA700.

Good Luck

Grace,
Harry

taichi · Post by **taichi** » Sun Feb 28, 2021 6:16 pm

Thanks Marion for kicking off OP and Harry, Reuben and Biggles too. As a result I have spent two days playing around with midi files. Downloaded a few to add to Reubens that he kindly donated. I am an Eagles and Creedence Clearwater fan and Reuben they were great.

After a shaky start I am at the moment over the moon with results. To start I used Style Bot as you mentioned and most of them turned out professional. (with room to improve via tweeking ??) Problem is I need to get more sheet music now.

Need to read manual regarding markers so thanks for that. Plan is to keep a book of my results and share with you. Must leave it there, its Sunday and a few beers. I have learnt a lot so thanks to you all. Songbook is great, I love it, the heart of Korg I think. But this project has added another dimension I hope.

taichi · Post by **taichi** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 6:57 pm

Update. First lot of midi files downloaded and converted to styles using Style Bot were excellent. (mostly). Saved to user 1 and 2 empty slots. Really pleased.

However I downloaded other Midi files and converted to styles. I played them today and they were very poor, even rubbish. Very disappointed and will delete them.

So, the difference must be the source of the midi files. What I have learnt is not to spend and waste a lot of time tweeking the bad ones. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear. Love that proverb.

You will all know this but just my update as promised. At the end of the day I now have some super favourite songs to play from the good ones. Like Harry said “see what you like” which is what I have done.

Thanks to you all for replying to post.

Musicwithharry · Post by **Musicwithharry** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 8:59 pm

taichi wrote:Update. First lot of midi files downloaded and converted to styles using Style Bot were excellent. (mostly). Saved to user 1 and 2 empty slots. Really pleased.

However I downloaded other Midi files and converted to styles. I played them today and they were very poor, even rubbish. Very disappointed and will delete them.

So, the difference must be the source of the midi files. What I have learnt is not to spend and waste a lot of time tweeking the bad ones. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear. Love that proverb.

You will all know this but just my update as promised. At the end of the day I now have some super favourite songs to play from the good ones. Like Harry said “see what you like” which is what I have done.

Thanks to you all for replying to post.

Thank you for your update. Using the Style Converter Bot is 'hit and miss' and it really does depend on the MIDI file itself. With that said, there many MIDI files that I have that sound GREAT and everything is in order, but when I try to use the Converter Bot on them, the results are much less than 'great'. I am not sure what the alrogithm is that Korg uses to make these files into styles...

I am glad that some worked for you

Grace,
Harry

taichi · Post by **taichi** » Mon Mar 15, 2021 4:59 pm

Harry

Just another update after a day messing around with midi files. Yes many of the midis saved sound really good to listen to as you say but only a percentage of them convert to a nice style. I have learnt again not to bother with the poor converted ones and to delete them from User.

But I have no problem with that, a percentage game as you said. At the end of the day I am gradually adding more songs to play, good songs too of all genres. Rock, ballad, traditional, gospel, jazz whatever.

I wonder how Marion is doing on this project ? Learning a bit by going into Menu and adjusting a few things via the manual and reading the posts here.

Thanks Harry

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