SonicCell as SMF player ... prepping SMF files?

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dansgold
Posts: 868
Joined: 22:54, 25 June 2004
Location: California USA

SonicCell as SMF player ... prepping SMF files?

Post by dansgold »

Hmmm, I need to find time to experiment with this, but comments are hereby solicited.

I am keen on using my SC as a playback device for SMF sequences ... OK no biggee, as it is an SMF player.

My concern regards any experiences with actually creating SMF files, getting them on a USB stick, playback ... your whole process.

One giant Q is how do you manage to get all of your patch changes correct? Certainly one could insert the standard MSB/LSB messages, but that's always a hassle in my book.

If I use the DAW-integrated editor to set mixes, patches, etc. ... export an SMF from the DAW ... do those mix and patch messages get exported on a per-channel basis as well (I need to experiment, but perhaps somoeone already knows and can address any gotchas or workarounds)

Kind of vague, I know ... but all comments are welcome.

TIA
GaryW
Posts: 4
Joined: 10:36, 13 March 2008
Location: Hertfordshire, England

Re: SonicCell as SMF player ... prepping SMF files?

Post by GaryW »

I don't have a Sonic Cell, but MIDI Files store patch changes, etc. for each midi channel. The big difference though is the format of the MIDI file determines how these are set. A format 0 MIDI file stores all 16 channels as a single 16 channel file. Format 1 MIDI files have a distinct "track" for each MIDI channel.
HansT
Posts: 15
Joined: 22:47, 24 June 2007
Location: Hamar, Norway

Patch change headache

Post by HansT »

hey,
I don't have a SonicCell myself, but I'm used to working with the Fantom X. One tip could be to make a performance setup for each song and insert MSB and LSB+prog change to select the whole performance instead of just the patchnumber for each of the parts (you can of course do both).

To do this you need to select something called performance control channel on the SC and set this (ex.ch 16).

On you midifile (in the beginning of the song before any note is played) put MSB 085 and LSB 00 (user performance) and then the performancenumber to be called up (1-64) in the SCs usermemory. Remember to use the correct performance control channel in these messages. Also remember to ad some time between these messages to make sure the sound engine get the midi messages correctly.


Hans T.
BobFtl
Posts: 2
Joined: 05:39, 29 January 2009

SMF player Sonic Cell

Post by BobFtl »

Hello,
I am using the Sonic Cell as an SMF and MP3 player and it works great. It will read SMF type 1 or 0 from a USB stick. I use the playlist editor to put songs into groups and I set the playlist to pause between songs. Using sonar 4 I got the instrument def files from the factory CD and tis makes choosing patches a breeze as they are all listed in sonar. If you are using GM, the GM section will play fine although the bass is hotter than usual and I have to reduce controller 7. The GM drumkits are OK but there seems to be an inherent room reverb on the kicks that is anoying to me. The kits can be edited with the Sonic Cell Editor.
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