MIDI Import Options Query

[Mr.Mxyzptlk]

I'm in the process of getting the EastWest Opus Orchestrator to record on separate tracks within Mixcraft. I've watched a few vids on the topic and one guy has achieved this in Cubase. I've almost figured it out but there are a couple of things I need to implement. I need to ensure that the MIDI import option is set to MIDI tracks? I've included the image from his Cubase video below:



Does anybody where I can access the equivalent function in Mixcraft (if it exists?)

I also need to ensure that it is pointing to Opus...



Again, where would I be checking? I'm assuming this is the Instruments Tab? Any pointers would be much appreciated if there are any dual Mixcraft/Cubase users out there. Many thanks!

[CactusMusicBC]

This was something that I just figured out last week.
I had a midi file from Cakewalk and it had used Xpand 2 using 4 instruments as it is multi channel. Mixcraft doesn’t have plain old midi tracks. Actually so far I only found Cakewalk and Cubase have midi tracks.
I had to dig around but Heres what you can do.
You create the instrument track
Now you create another instrument track but you open the select a new instrument dialogue and you will see on the list the options to send the new track to the other track.

Only problem so far is Mixcraft doesn’t seem to have any midi channel assignments so not sure about that. It’s fine if the midi comes from another application that does assign channels.

[cactus-head]

Hi Mr. Mxyzptlk,

Are you importing a MIDI file and want it to separate into multiple tracks and assign Opus to each track automatically? Or are you outputting from an external software or other source and want to capture the performance or information on individual tracks? It's a little different of a process between the two goals.

I'm just not sure what you mean by:

I'm in the process of getting the EastWest Opus Orchestrator to record on separate tracks within Mixcraft.

[Mr.Mxyzptlk]

Hi Mr. Mxyzptlk,

Are you importing a MIDI file and want it to separate into multiple tracks and assign Opus to each track automatically? Or are you outputting from an external software or other source and want to capture the performance or information on individual tracks? It's a little different of a process between the two goals.

I'm just not sure what you mean by:

I'm in the process of getting the EastWest Opus Orchestrator to record on separate tracks within Mixcraft.

Hi Cactus,

Similar to the MIDI drum recording thread, I want Opus to record on separate tracks within Mixcraft. When I copy the MIDI from Orchestrator, it creates the individual MIDI tracks but it doesn't name them and I get no playback??

[cactus-head]

Hi,

This is mostly speculation based on experience with past version of EW and general VST knowledge as I don't own the product. Is this a standalone exe or is it a plugin?

I glanced through the EW Opus Orch. manual and from what I understand, you record performances for each instrument inside orchestrator. The "export function" is dragging that MIDI performance for each instrument into your DAW. It is only the MIDI information that is brought over to Mixcraft. If my understanding is correct, you would have to have an instance of EW libraries loaded onto each track with the appropriate instrument set up ahead of time and then drag the corresponding MIDI file to that track to play back the instrument.

Dragging the MIDI file solely won't create a new EW instrument or name it. It's only the recorded MIDI input that gets dragged over so if it was dragged to an empty space (not a track) in the MC time line, it would create a new track with the default MC instrument (probably the acoustic piano). That's why I suggest already having a track set up with the instrument you want to play back and dragging the file directly there.

One thing I can't find in the manual is how do you playback all of the recorded performances at once inside the plugin for all of the instruments? If that can be done, I don't see why the export would be necessary except if you wanted to play other instruments from other libraries.

My experience with EW products is: due to the complexity of the instruments being made up of multiple samples, internally each instrument uses multiple MIDI channels to playback a single instrument. In order to successfully playback a MIDI clip on a track, each track's playback has to be set to channel 1 or else there will be missing parts of the instrument's samples. I'm talking about older products with the old Play interface. The Opus interface may have corrected that. But it's a place to start if playback is weird.

What might also work is let's say track 1 is the Orchestrator. You record all of your different sequences inside orchestrator. You add as many lanes as there are instruments you are playing back to track 1. You drag each instrument MIDI to each lane. You set each lane MIDI channel to whatever the input is for that instrument in orchestrator.

[Mr.Mxyzptlk]

You can use both as a standalone and a VST within Mixcraft. I think you've pretty much summed it up quite well. I don't think Mixcraft is optimised to get the most out of EW stuff. There may be some kind of workarounds such as creating the track within Opus, copying the MIDI back into Mixcraft and then reloading/naming each articulation manually within the track. But I'll look at your suggestions as well.

[cactus-head]

I recently got Opus Orchestrator and I think I have an answer now. It's along the lines of what I wrote before but now that I actually have it in front of me it makes more sense.

1. Create an Instrument track with Opus as the plugin and Orchestrator loaded as the instrument within Opus
2. Select your orchestrator preset - for example Ancient Battles 01
3. Make sure your MIDI keyboard is connected or you are using MCs virtual keyboard to play your part
4. Make sure you have Perform selected for Orchestrator
5. Make sure the [BYPASS] button in the lower right hand corner is grey or off.
6. Play the keyboard (your performance)
7. When done, drag the little hand with the REC next to it to an empty area without tracks in mixcraft. It will transfer your performance and the sequenced instruments to individual tracks. However, like I suspected in the previous post, it defaults to the piano or whatever track instrument is set as the default instrument. Don't worry, it's easy to address this

orchestrator drag performance.jpg (267.66 KiB) Viewed 2199 times

8. Add as many lanes as there are instruments in the preset to the opus track. In the case of Ancient Battles 01, there are 12.
9. Drag Loop select all of the clips in the individual tracks and drag them up to the lanes on the opus track.

Once everything is dragged up you can delete the tracks if you don't need them. Use the mixcraft transport to playback your performance. You can mix and balance the instruments within the plugin itself.

MC 10 635 orchestrator lanes.jpg (613.09 KiB) Viewed 2205 times

If you wanted to double the instruments with other libraries, you could of course leave copies of the original clips on all of the tracks and just assign your own instrument to those individual tracks

[Mr.Mxyzptlk]

Hi Cactus,

As always, awesome work. Thanks. I'll have a go at this later after the footie. I was with you up to steps 8 and 9 though?? If I've already got the tracks, why do I need to create the lanes also? And won't I need to rename those also?

I also want to take the performance completely out of Opus when created and just have it as regular tracks within Mixcraft.

[cactus-head]

So if you want it as just regular tracks (no opus) you don't need steps 8 and 9. Likely the drag to MC will open them all up with Piano as the default instrument (depending on your MC preference settings: Preferences > Plug-ins > Default Virtual Instrument Preset )

Steps 8 and 9 are if you wanted to play back the performance through opus on a single track without loading an instance of opus on each of the individual tracks that get created when you drag and drop the performance.

And all of the clips inherit the names of the instruments from opus but the individual tracks do not.

[Mr.Mxyzptlk]

Ah ok, gotcha. Think I'm with you now. I'll have a play around. Thanks again!