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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 39
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 39 |
I'm an active user of BiaB, but never did very much with PowerTracks. Now I'm thinking of buying tunes from midi-hits.com, and using them as backing arrangements.
I've seen discussions on the net about using Cakewalk's Sonar to edit Midi Hits, but I've already got PowerTracks and wonder if PT will handle what MH requires.
Since I'm very much of a MIDI newbie, I'd like to post the MH requirements here and ask forum members if PT will do. I will be using the latest version of PT on a desktop Dell with a high-end audio card.
So here's what MH requires:
-- a sound module with a minumum of 64 notes of polyphony
-- support for GS programming code
-- at least 16 channels
-- support for the "Full GM" specs
Will PT do the job? or do I need Sonar?
Thanks for any guidance you can provide.
Steve Kobb
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900 |
PT will do the job, no problem
By the way, no need to pay for MIDI tracks - there are thousands out there for free download. Just Google what you want
Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
YES, Powertracks can handle each of those 4 specifications given.
--Mac
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259 |
I'm also a PT newbie but I've learned quite a bit in a short time. Pick something that's pretty simple and play around with it in PT. I have the printed manual for PT, but I've learned more by "doing" than reading. PT is a very powerful program. I had a glitch with one midi file that I downloaded though. It would always leave 4 blank bars showing on the screen although it played from Bar #2 as was written in the notation. I ended up asking tech support about it and they suggested that I try importing the file in Real Band instead. There was no problem there. FWIW
Stan
Cornet Curmudgeon
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,345
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,345 |
I've used midi-hits quite a few times with PT.
They have some very nicely done midi files.
Mick
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 350
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 350 |
Quote:
I've used midi-hits quite a few times with PT.
They have some very nicely done midi files.
Mick
+1 . . . and they're legal.
Sometimes a commercial source is the only source for a correctly prepared GM file (like TranTraks and MIDI-Hits). Other source that has decent files and often has hard-to-come-by tunes is hittrax.com and YamahaSoft.
I have had problems with drum tracks "disappearing" (not playing) with Midi-Hits files and PT on a Vista system. Making sure that the latency is correct generally fixes it. If not, quantizing the note durations* on the drum track (ch10) does the trick.
Paj
8^)
*When quantizing for this, always start with the the shortest durations and work your way down. It doesn't hurt to "undo" in between quantization attempts. Make sure you keep an archival/duplicate original of the file or the drum track before you start.
Last edited by Paj; 08/11/09 01:48 PM.
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 350
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 350 |
A follow up, because recently all my drum tracks have stopped sounding with Midi-Hits (and ONLY Midi-Hits) files, no matter what program I use to play them. Here's an email I sent to Midi-Hits, after I read a FAQ item on their website which attempted to explain the missing drum phenomenon:
Your (Midi-Hits) explanation:
Your explanation:
"Why am I not hearing the drums when I play the file in my computer?
There is a very serious issue when using Vista, Windows Media Player and General Midi and/or GS Midi Files. For some unknown reason the Vista does not load in the GS Wave Table when opening up the Media Player. As a result, there are no guidelines for the Media Player to play GM or GS midi files - meaning it does not know that channel 10 is reserved for drum sounds. So it's a hit or miss. This problem does not occur while using the XP operating system. Microsoft has published a page on their website declaring this problem.
We have found some fixes around this: 1. Download and use Apple's Quick Time. Quick Time is Apple's version of the Media Player and it's free. Ironically, Quick Time does load in the GS Wave Table and plays the midi files without a problem. 2. Get a professional sound module (rather than use the computer's sound chip). The sound module will come with a driver that will load up into Windows. 3. Worst case you can install XP. This will, however, require you to reinstall all your software. XP and the Windows Media Player does load in the GS Wave Table."
My question:
WHY ONLY FILES THAT I PURCHASED FROM MIDI-HITS? That's right, WHY ONLY MIDI HITS FILES? Files I purchased from YamahaSoft, TranTraks, HitTrax, Trycho, or files I make myself with a sequencer program or BIAB don't have this problem? How do you explain that? Does it have anything to do with that monstrous SysEx header that you put in front of your files? Why do you send a pitchbend message on channel 10? Note duations of 1 ppq?
Hey, I'd be the first to get on MS, but ONLY MY MIDI-HITS FILES ACT THIS WAY.
THIS ONLY HAPPENS WITH MIDI-HITS FILES.
Sincerely,
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 350
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 350 |
Back to the original posting, and how to get Midi-Hits files to play correctly with PT (and other programs) under Windows Vista, if the drum track(s) are not sounding: (1) Load the sequence into Synthfont and resave it. www.synthfont.com(2) Load the newly saved sequence into PT and play it, edit, etc. (3) If the drums seem to skip/miss beats, quantize the drum track DURATIONS (start with 32nd notes). BTW, steps 1 & 2 also work as the short/quick way to fix Hit-Trax sequences that seem to be missing instruments. The long way is, while in PT, to right click on the info/header of each non-sounding track, select the "Patch Select Dialog" option, and click on the [Send] button. Then, resave the file. Paj 8^)
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