This should be fun

4 Mar 2009, 08:33

I have had the G6 for a week and as we all know getting around in the G6 at first is ..............

I got the G6 to replace my old SQ-80 Ensoniq that I use to play the back ground music in my one man show. Well I can see where the SQ is in it's own world, but all (400) of my GM midi files, the do play, but to have to go and fix all of the patches and drum maps ......

I think that Roland should remember that a few of us have been around and a GM format would make sence. The GM2 worked for 5 songs only.

To day I am going to try the music that I have in a wav file, I hope that it works great.

When I do my demo CD I can see fixing 12 tunes and adding guitar and voice to them, but I was hoping to not have to bring a computer to the gigs to play the old Midi songs.

If any have any Ideas I am open - by the way the patches are great and any new project will sound great.

Dusty

Re: This should be fun

4 Mar 2009, 10:46

I'm not sure I fully understand your problem here but let me see.

When you say the GM2 worked for 5 songs only do you mean that out of the 400 songs you have only 5 played with the correct sounds and the others all loaded but played piano by default, or do you mean only 5 would load into the G6?

If you mean that they loaded but played piano by default there is a sysex message that I used to make the keyboard go into GM mode on tracks that did this.

Please explain your prob a bit more.

Whine whine everywhere and not a drop to drink

Midi

4 Mar 2009, 11:46

Yes they (midi files) all did play but the patches were all over the place. I could fix them by changing the patches per track, but this would take some time.

I would think that if you used a GM midi file that it would play with out having to fix the patches. When I play them in my computer they sound just fine, even if the midi sound it self might be somewhat cheezie, at lest it is playing a piano not something else.

I do see that anything that I would do new will be great, but I was hoping to use it on stage to run my old files with out having hours and hours of re doing tunes.

I would like to know what you trick is to put it in GM mode.

Dusty

Re: This should be fun

4 Mar 2009, 12:05

There is no such thing as a "GM Midi file". GM and MIDI File (SMF) are 2 diferent things that can or not come together. Anyway, I understand what you're saying.
BUT if the GM or GS reset message is absent or is not present at the very beggining of the song, you risk to see exactly what's happening to you.
So make sure you have one of these there:

GM Reset (for any GM-compatible instrument)
SysEx String: F0 7E 7F 09 01 F7

Roland GS Reset (for a Roland GM/ GS instrument like the Fantoms)
SysEx String: F0 41 10 42 12 40 00 7F 00 41 F7

Re: This should be fun

4 Mar 2009, 12:23

What V-ceeOh just wrote is exactly what you need.. I'm not at my machine at the mo so couldn't list it for you.

I also find it worthwhile to load the songs in sonar/cubase first and remove all volume/pan/chorus etc data from the system view so that I can easily edit them on the Fantom.

Whine whine everywhere and not a drop to drink

I'll try again

5 Mar 2009, 09:57

What I have been doing is running SMF on a Mac Power book 190 using Master Tracks software and using a Roland Sound Canvas as the "sound Card" for the mac to play the SMF files. Then I play these files and sing and play guitar with them for my gigs. What I would like to do is to move these files to my flash drive, I know that I have to go floppy to my new laptop then to flash drive. Then to the G6 and use the G6 for my gigs, and put that Mac out of its misery.

I do have a version of Cubas that came with my Tascam U-122. Can I use this to enter the Gm reset codes. Also I have not hooked up the G6 and Cubas yet and I may find that I will need to update my Cubas program. As they say one step at a time.

I hope that I do not have to go and "fix" a show full of files, but if that is the way it goes it goes. Also thank you for your help. Dusty

Re: This should be fun

5 Mar 2009, 10:34

Yes you have to "fix" a show full of files, and literally it takes 3 second per song.

You add F0 41 10 42 12 40 00 7F 00 41 F7 to the system exclusive list at the beginning of the song and hit save.

If this is too time consuming for you I suggest you get a new keyboard

I don't use Master Tracks but there will be a way in there to add the sysex message which I'm sure someone will come along and explain to you soon.

If your only talking about 20-30 songs and are still confused I don't mind adding the sysex for you.

Whine whine everywhere and not a drop to drink

Thank you

6 Mar 2009, 07:36

I have been around midi for 25 years and this G6 is driving me nuts, I'm getting more figured out each day and I do have more then just 20 tunes, these were just on the old mac, but I have 450 that will have to come off my old SQ-80 Ensoniq and I will either put them in my computer program then save as SMF or connect SQ to G6, but I was going to worry about that at a later time. Thank you much for your help, I will get back to it next week. Dusty