New to BM2, need some help importing midi files into BM2

Siegfried

Hello forum,
I bought BM2 because I hoped it would be more powerful and more flexible that garageband.

Things I did with garageband:
I took one of the drum loops and recorded some additional guitar tracks.


What I hoped I could do in BM2:

Take some midi-files from the internet and use them like the drum loops in garageband.

So, here is my question:

- Is it possible to import some midi files from the internet and play them in BM2?
- Is it possible to use midi files as backing track(s) while recording additional tracks?

I've tried the following:
I got a midi file of Love Cats (The Cure) http://www.angelfire.com/biz5/midi4you/images/lovecats.mid
and tried to import it to BM2.

I imported it into BM2 but I couldn't even manage to play it in BM2.

I found the "HOWTO: Importing and using a MIDI file", but it was not much of a help.

So, how can I play this midi file in BM2 while recording an additional track?

Best regards
Siegfried

dubhausdisco

Hello!
When you import a midi file into BM2, the sequences all show up on "Main" tracks.
Create a "drum machine" instrument with a suitable preset for your song. Then find the drum sequence from your imported midi file and touch and drag it onto the drum machine instrument in the sequencer. Press play to make sure it's working so far.
Then create an "audio track" instrument. Make sure "monitoring" and "record arm" are selected in the audio track settings and you should be good.
Any other questions feel free to ask!

Siegfried

Hello dubhousedisco, thanks for Your answer,
but I can't get it to work.

I've done the following:
Created a new project, a drum machine.
I choose an empty preset.

Test1:
I imported the midi file, I got 13 additinal tracks.
I chose one track, which I think could be the drum track and moved it to the
empty drum machine track.
But, when I hit play, I can only hear the metronome.

Test2:
I choose the empty drum machine track, hit the plus sign and import the midi file to this
track. (I get lots of midi signals in the track)
So I think I've imported all the midi stuff to this one track, right?
But again, when I hit play, only the metronome is sounding.

In both test scenarios, I am expecting to hear the midi music playing.
Am I missing something?

Best Regards
Siegfried

MicGee$

U have to load instruments on all the tracks the midifile makes. It works fine, in fact we transferred a ton of midifiles from logic pro to it using filezilla a while back. What is hard is using the limited sound library to recreate the song properly...but with iaa on its way maybe some good news is coming... There is using audiobus, but if you are hung on midifile import audiobus useage may be hindering to you, until you start getting more familiar with how bm2 works.

MicGee$

Iaa and ipad 4 is going to do things for music on ios! Wait and see

Siegfried

Hello MicGee$,
thanks for Your Answer.

> until You start getting more familiar with how bm2 works.
I hoped that I could use BM2 as a simple midi-file player.
Seems I was totally wrong. So findig some acoustic (non-midi) drum loops
might be easier than to combine the midi trak with instruments.

I thougt that every midi aware software (like BM2) could play midi just synthing the midi with the general midi instruments.

So for a start, I should take one drum track of the midi file and bring it together with an instrument, right?

It seems to me, BM2 is the first App which makes it neccessary to read the manual;)

Best Regards,
Siegfried

MicGee$

Problem is ...beatmaker 2 just places the individual midi tracks of the midifile on the sequencer, it does not however make instruments for them, just places the data and tags the type of track on the track name....piano, guitar, drums and so on. There are no gm kits in the keyboard instrument on bm2, so you will be placing drums. So bm 2 has a ways to go to be very useful here...as even audioshare can do midifile playback. Not great but it can.

dubhausdisco

The new update which is right around the corner has GM mapped sounds...

Siegfried

Hello dubhausdisco,
> The new update ... has Gm mapped sounds
OK, So I'll wait for that.

Best Regards,
Siegfried

uncle808us

I'm Having the same problem imported a midi file selected and move the track into a drum track created in BM2. Hit play nothing but metronome. Also GM tracked the drum set, Rock fusion 1. Why won't it play back the midi drum track?

MicGee$

General midi will not have the same mapping as the regular patch...also midi files do not contain actual sound...only sequencer information

uncle808us

Thanks DUB:
This worked kind of a long way to do it. Compared to other apps. The way the hype for BM2 sounds you'd think it could do something like this simply. But this app seems over priced for a glorified drum machine. IMO.

MicGee$

For $20 it's sick

MicGee$

cant wait to see what bm3 provides