Batch or Bulk Intrument change

[clavguy]

Hello again everyone
I downloaded a big MIDI file online. It has many different instrument tracks. I want to change them ALL to Acoustic Piano. Is there any way to select them all and change them all in one fell swoop or do I have to select and change each "one by one"?

Thanks in advance
Pierre

[cactus-head]

Hi,

The only way I know of in terms of bulk changes is to change the default GM instrument when a MIDI file is loaded. Since Pianissimo basically only is a piano, for example, go to:

File > Preferences > Plugins > Default General MIDI (GM) Instrument choose Pianissimo or some other Piano only VST. Click [OK] after choosing your instrument.

Then load your MIDI file either as a new project or just drag it into Mixcraft. All of the instruments will open using Pianissimo. You can change the default back to Accoustica instruments at any time - even after having loaded and automatically changing your MIDI file and tracks.

[clavguy]

Hi,
Thanks for the info.. But that does not always work. Some MIDI files have instrument data embedded in them so they still load in with their instruments. And, if what you are saying is true.. why don't then load up now with the default MIDI instrument set as you stated?

Thanks
Pierre

[cactus-head]

Hi,


Below is a link to a video of what I meant:

https://youtu.be/QS_iXo7Lpuw

Once the default GM instrument is changed, whatever patches (instruments are contained in the plugin, are the only instruments that are available to added to tracks. By limiting the instrument to Pianissimo (in this example) no matter what instruments are in the MIDI file, Pianissimo can only assign a piano because it does not have other instruments as options.

MC 10 Default General MIDI (GM) Instrument.jpg (106.63 KiB) Viewed 1200 times

[jwmix]

Try the music (audio/midi/sound) data controller, which is really the Windows PowerShell ISE, when
the ISE is being used as a music (audio/midi/sound) data controller.

And the posts are at the Mixcraft url below:

https://forums.acoustica.com/viewtopic.php?t=31236

Remember, the post reader (usually) needs to walk before the post reader runs.

So read the posts, especially those about doing midi-in-text usage. Then create a new post in the
Tips and Tricks forum (so no one is bothered with midi changes in this forum) and hopefully,
someone will pop up to help.

The midi-in-text apps, used in the music data controller examples, are:

midicsv.exe which creates a csv file (where each line is a midi event's actions) and the lines that
the post reader will need, well, will look like:

2,0,Program_c,0,73
3,0,Program_c,0,72
4,0,Program_c,0,33

and so on

But when the music data controller reads the same midi-in-text csv file, then the needed data will
loook like:

To correctly keep the PowerShell's outputted format,
the PowerShell output is also placed within a code section too.
(Not code, just the formatted outputted data.)

Code: Select all

Track Timing MidiEvent Channel ProgramNumber
----- ------ --------- ------- -------------	
2     0      Program_c 0       73           	
3     0      Program_c 0       72
4     0      Program_c 0       33

for the Program Change midi event. Notice how easy it is to read via the music data controller?

And a hint, you would need to change 73,72,33 each into a 0 (via PowerShell or even in notepad).
Then use the other midi-in-text app, csvmidi.exe, which reads a csv based midi-in-text file (like
the one that the post reader will create), to make the newer Acoustic Piano (only) midi file.

It's all a super simple run, after walking for a while.

There are also other midi-in-text lines that the post reader might need/want to change too,
plus other unneeded CC number's (which are used mostly for other controllers/VSTs actions).

2, 0, Title_t, "Acoustic Piano"
2, 0, Control_c, 0, 0, 0
2, 0, Program_c, 0, 0

3, 0, Title_t, "Acoustic Piano"
3, 0, Control_c, 0, 0, 0
3, 0, Program_c, 0, 0

Control_c actions can happen anywhere within the midi file (even Program Change too) and watch
those channel numbers too (just a simple midi demo here).

Anyway, DPI and XML reading/writing are also covered examples (with many more different item posts
still to come), for the music data controller.