Newbie Metro SE Problems

[woodgnome]

Go slowly with me....

Myself and the kids are learning various instruments (Flute, Sax, Classical Guitar, Piano) and occasionally have to take exams for which accompaniment is required. To do this I've been using G7 to create the score, export a MIDI file and play it through the Yamaha electric piano. I need a decent way to edit the MIDI file(s) and bought Metro SE.


1) Having first tried the demo I find that I can't get any MIDI track sound output using the full version. Sound is enabled and clicking on the piano keyboard in Metro SE produces nothing (the metronome sound is OK). I've also noticed that the bank/program is set to blank.

The demo version runs properly - I get the instrument sounds out and I can see bank/program names. It looks as though I'm missing something to do with MIDI instrument definition but can't see why/what to do in order to get any useful sound output from Metro SE.

2) I'd also like to be able to change instruments to overcome the limitation in MIDI instruments supported by G7.

Having tried the demo I can see how to change the instrument but never managed to get this change to stick. It always reverted back to the original on playback. I sort of figured that this might be a limitation of the demo but am not sure now.

On a similar vein I thought that it would be possible to select a different set of instruments by opening a Cakewalk .ins file. I've tried doing this with Metro SE but if I go down the File, Open route it doesn't allow me to select the .ins file (and yes, I've made sure these file types are associated with Metro SE). If I double click on them I get a message telling me it's not supported in the SE version.

I'm beginning to think that Metro SE won't support my simple requirements. Is the only option to purchase the full version? This seems like overkill for what I want.

Cheers

[Jerm]

Perhaps you should download the 6.1 pre-release because that is the same version as the demo.

[Jerm]

This is not a complete answer to all your questions but to open .ins file you must use the open function located in the program names dialog (setup menu). This is because it requires you to specify which MIDI device the names will be associated with before you open the .ins file.

To associate programs and banks with a given track simply specify them from the popup in the graphic editor. This will place them in the track. Save your document. It is possible that your MIDI instrument is not set to do multi-timbral setups. If this is the case you should set your MIDI device into a multi-timbral mode. For more info consult your users manual.

[woodgnome]

Using the pre-release version of SE has fixed the no sound + ability to re-designate MIDI instrument used for tracks.

I'll have to wait on getting longer MIDI leads to try the .ins suggestion (computer and keyboard in different rooms).

Thanks.

[woodgnome]

I thought I'd cracked the MIDI instrument change, but it still doesn't stick. I can change the instrument but on playing it reverts back to the original.

Bum.

[Jerm]

I thought I'd cracked the MIDI instrument change, but it still doesn't stick. I can change the instrument but on playing it reverts back to the original.

This is hard to diagnose with the information that I have. I am now presuming that you are sending MIDI to internal-outputs (Quicktime Instruments). This problem usually stems from the fact that users are changing the program on different tracks yet both tracks are assigned to the same MIDI channel. When this happens all sounds on that channel will change. To overcome this assign different MIDI channels to different tracks (use the output popup of the tracks window).

[woodgnome]

You're correct in assuming that I'm sending to the QuickTime set.

I have 2 tracks - a solo, which I want to be a flute and the second being the piano accompaniment.

In the tracks window the flute is showing on channel 1 and the piano on channel 2.

When I play this back, however, the tracks window stays as is, but the graphic editor for the flute track switches back to Tenor sax (as does the sound output). The tracks and graphic editor windows therefore show different instruments for the same track (and changing in the tracks window hasn't achieved any lasting change).

Saving, closing and opening the file shows the first track to be a tenor sax.

[Jerm]

Wood,

That is better. It sounds to me like you have recorded a program change in your flute track. That is bad if you want it to be a flute track. Go to the event edit and option-click on filter. Then select program-change. This will filter all events (in the list editor only) except program-change. If you see a program change in there, select it by placing a check mark in the left most column and then delete it. Alternatively you can switch the graphic editor display to program change and delete it from there.

[braj]

He may have them on different tracks, but if they are on the same midi channel, they will both play the same instrument. This kept happening to me the other day until I realized what I was doing wrong. I kept setting the instruments to what I wanted and Metro kept setting them back, or setting all to my latest selection. It definitely sounds like a midi track setting issue to me, I just went through this confusion myself.

[Jerm]

Braj,

That is correct. That is why I recommend setting each track to an individual Metro output and not leaving the track set to original. For example, set track 1 to internal-1 and track 2 to internal-2.