MIDI File Player

[Steve W]

I have removed my efforts to help others understand and resolve this issue.

[Centripidity]

One of the problem files is here:

http://vm.centripidity.com/misc/Format% ... 20Demo.mid

It wouldn't load in VM for me either, but it did open in Logic. I saved it out of Logic as Type 1, which loaded properly in VM and played back all the parts. Now I'm going to set up a multi channel split.

That’s interesting. I originally saved that file from Logic as a type 1 and it wouldn’t load in VM so I used a Windows program to convert it to type 0 but it still wouldn’t load. So, you seem to be saying that loading the converted type 0 into Logic and re-saving it as type 1 works.

I wasn’t sure which file formats the module can load as there doesn’t appear to be any documentation for it.

[Steve W]

I have removed my efforts to help others understand and resolve this issue.

[Centripidity]

I have some stand-alone MIDI players and they load these file but not the VM MIDI File Player.

HUH? You already said this:

Anyone have any experience with the Cherry Audio MIDI File Player module? I can't get it to load my MIDI file, which loads fine in other players.

Did I say something that led you to believe I didn't understand you the first time?

Sorry, Steve, certainly not aimed at criticising you in any way. I was just restating the issue that the file is readable by other MIDI file players but not VM so there seems to be something different about VM and standard MIDI files rather than necessarily being a Logic or or Apple issue.

[huggermugger]

That’s interesting. I originally saved that file from Logic as a type 1 and it wouldn’t load in VM so I used a Windows program to convert it to type 0 but it still wouldn’t load. So, you seem to be saying that loading the converted type 0 into Logic and re-saving it as type 1 works.

OK so this time I exported a single clip from Logic as Type 0 and it opened and played in VM. Puzzling.

I wasn’t sure which file formats the module can load as there doesn’t appear to be any documentation for it.

Surprising that there's zero documentation for this module. It has a few features that deserve an explanation.

[Centripidity]

The other thing I should mention is that when I open the file in VM it throws an array out of bounds exception so there is something in that file that, whether or not it follows the MIDI spec, the VM module is not handling properly.

[Steve W]

I have removed my efforts to help others understand and resolve this issue.

[Centripidity]

Here's one source: http://www.music.mcgill.ca/~ich/classes ... ormat.html .

Its from 1999, so there might be more updated details somewhere. Still, the header, chunks, structure, etc. is basically the same.

Yes, that's old but you're right, that shouldn't make a difference. As far as I know there haven't been any changes to the file standard that would stop it being backward or forward compatible. The standard says that there may be new chunks and meta-events in the future so any software should be written to ignore any data it doesn't recognise. Such data will always have its length embedded in the chunk or meta-event so it's possible to write code to ignore it.

It looks as though Logic is putting something in the file that VM can't handle.

I sent the file to CA and they sent me back a copy that had been imported and exported from some other DAW and which now works in VM. So, I should be able to work out what the difference is.

Thank you to everyone for all of your help.

Peter

[Steve W]

I have removed my thanks and expression of optimism.

[Centripidity]

Thanks for sharing the results. I hope this helps find an easy solution for additional files.

Yeah, there is an easy solution in the short - medium term in that I've found I can load the Logic MIDI file into Reaper, re-export it and VM reads it with no problems.

Curiosity got the better of me I so a wrote a little program to read a midi file and produce a text file description of what's in there. There are a couple of more obscure meta-events in the Logic file that Reaper stripped out so perhaps that's the issue.