Apple Logic Pro /LogicExpress Discussion

How would I go about importing MIDI files into Logic Pro 9?

Did you try creating an instrument track (not an audio track) and then dragging and dropping the file onto that track?

Steve

On 11/05/2010, at 3:39 PM, Brian wrote:

> How would I go about importing MIDI files into Logic Pro 9?
> 
> 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Drag and drop onto the Logic icon.  If that doesn't work, open an empty project and drag the .MID file onto that.  Works in Garageband as well.  You can also drag a GB project into Logic and everything you did, including volume automation and track effects, is preserved.

--- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "Brian" <brianmc7@...> wrote:

>
> How would I go about importing MIDI files into Logic Pro 9?
>

Has Logic 9 changed in regards to the importation of MIDI files compared to Logic 8?  

The default instrument sounds chosen by the program are sometimes bewildering.  Would it kill them to include a General Midi soundset - Heck there's already one resident on the Mac, the DLS synthesizer, but Logic pretends it doesn't exist.  

--- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "k_e_moeller" <mkarl2@...> wrote:

>
> Drag and drop onto the Logic icon.  If that doesn't work, open an empty project and drag the .MID file onto that.  Works in Garageband as well.  You can also drag a GB project into Logic and everything you did, including volume automation and track effects, is preserved.
> 
> --- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "Brian" <brianmc7@> wrote:
> >
> > How would I go about importing MIDI files into Logic Pro 9?
> >
>

Logic is far more than an general midi player. choose any instrument 
you want to play the midi once imported.


-----Original Message-----
From: conslaw2 <my99quest@...>
To: Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, May 13, 2010 10:03 pm
Subject: [Logic_Cafe] Re: Importing MIDI Files

 
Has Logic 9 changed in regards to the importation of MIDI files 
compared to Logic 8?

The default instrument sounds chosen by the program are sometimes 
bewildering.  Would it kill them to include a General Midi soundset - 
Heck there's already one resident on the Mac, the DLS synthesizer, but 
Logic pretends it doesn't exist.

--- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "k_e_moeller" <mkarl2@...> 
wrote:
>
> Drag and drop onto the Logic icon.  If that doesn't work, open an 
empty project and drag the .MID file onto that.  Works in Garageband as 
well.  You can also drag a GB project into Logic and everything you 
did, including volume automation and track effects, is preserved.

>
> --- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "Brian" <brianmc7@> wrote:
> >
> > How would I go about importing MIDI files into Logic Pro 9?
> >
>

For sure it's a lot more than a general midi player. Yet, as a general midi player, it's awful. Logic assigns instrument sounds from the Garageband soundset, and the Garageband soundset doesn't include a full General Midi 128 sound bank.  So what happens is that when a midi file is imported into Garageband or Logic, an instrument might be assigned to a midi track that sounds nothing like the General Midi standard. Sometimes this results in a happy accident, sometimes it sounds like a cat run over by a snowmobile.  Like I suggested before, this doesn't make sense because every mac has a GM soundbank in the form of the DLS synthesizer,the one that Quicktime uses to play back General Midi files. That GM soundbank is pretty good.  It apparently has some Roland GS and Yamaha XG extensions, something lacking in the GM4 module of my Key Rig softsynth.

I think General Midi gets a bum rap.  You can learn a lot about a song by listening to its general midi parts.  It would be very useful to be able to import a general midi sequence and know that it would play back close to the way the creator intended.  You can then spend your time putting together vocal tracks or adding effects rather than going through every single instrument and replacing it with a different EXS-24 instrument.   



--- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, GAmoore@... wrote:

>
> 
> Logic is far more than an general midi player. choose any instrument 
> you want to play the midi once imported.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: conslaw2 <my99quest@...>
> To: Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thu, May 13, 2010 10:03 pm
> Subject: [Logic_Cafe] Re: Importing MIDI Files
> 
> Â 
> Has Logic 9 changed in regards to the importation of MIDI files 
> compared to Logic 8?
> 
> The default instrument sounds chosen by the program are sometimes 
> bewildering.  Would it kill them to include a General Midi soundset - 
> Heck there's already one resident on the Mac, the DLS synthesizer, but 
> Logic pretends it doesn't exist.
> 
> --- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "k_e_moeller" mkarl2@ 
> wrote:
> >
> > Drag and drop onto the Logic icon.  If that doesn't work, open an 
> empty project and drag the .MID file onto that.  Works in Garageband as 
> well.  You can also drag a GB project into Logic and everything you 
> did, including volume automation and track effects, is preserved.
> >
> > --- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "Brian" <brianmc7@> wrote:
> > >
> > > How would I go about importing MIDI files into Logic Pro 9?
> > >
> >
>

I'm with you on this one. GM is a great sketchpad, and while it's certainly aeons behind the sounds at our disposal today, it's great for interchangeability. Slap in a file and it defaults to the correct sounds. As you go through it, you can certainly replace "001 - Grand Piano" with another, superior VI piano, but right out of the box you have the appropriate voicings. 

Anyone know of a GM-based program for Mac, even one that uses the built-in GM set? I remember years ago Band In A Box used to use GM. \


On May 14, 2010, at 3:15PM ~5/14/10, conslaw2 wrote:

> 
> 
> For sure it's a lot more than a general midi player. Yet, as a general midi player, it's awful. Logic assigns instrument sounds from the Garageband soundset, and the Garageband soundset doesn't include a full General Midi 128 sound bank. So what happens is that when a midi file is imported into Garageband or Logic, an instrument might be assigned to a midi track that sounds nothing like the General Midi standard. Sometimes this results in a happy accident, sometimes it sounds like a cat run over by a snowmobile. Like I suggested before, this doesn't make sense because every mac has a GM soundbank in the form of the DLS synthesizer,the one that Quicktime uses to play back General Midi files. That GM soundbank is pretty good. It apparently has some Roland GS and Yamaha XG extensions, something lacking in the GM4 module of my Key Rig softsynth.
> 
> I think General Midi gets a bum rap. You can learn a lot about a song by listening to its general midi parts. It would be very useful to be able to import a general midi sequence and know that it would play back close to the way the creator intended. You can then spend your time putting together vocal tracks or adding effects rather than going through every single instrument and replacing it with a different EXS-24 instrument. 
> 
> --- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, GAmoore@... wrote:
> >
> > 
> > Logic is far more than an general midi player. choose any instrument 
> > you want to play the midi once imported.
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: conslaw2 <my99quest@...>
> > To: Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Thu, May 13, 2010 10:03 pm
> > Subject: [Logic_Cafe] Re: Importing MIDI Files
> > 
> > � 
> > Has Logic 9 changed in regards to the importation of MIDI files 
> > compared to Logic 8?
> > 
> > The default instrument sounds chosen by the program are sometimes 
> > bewildering. Would it kill them to include a General Midi soundset - 
> > Heck there's already one resident on the Mac, the DLS synthesizer, but 
> > Logic pretends it doesn't exist.
> > 
> > --- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "k_e_moeller" mkarl2@ 
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Drag and drop onto the Logic icon. If that doesn't work, open an 
> > empty project and drag the .MID file onto that. Works in Garageband as 
> > well. You can also drag a GB project into Logic and everything you 
> > did, including volume automation and track effects, is preserved.
> > >
> > > --- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "Brian" <brianmc7@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > How would I go about importing MIDI files into Logic Pro 9?
> > > >
> > >
> >
> 
> 

Voice over site: http://www.bob-vo.com
Art site: http://www.bobbogoldberg.com







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Why don't you set up a template file with the instruments pre-assigned 
- either exs24 or whatever GB instruments are thrown in for free with 
Logic? Then every import just make a copy of that file? It will make 
for a higher quality sound and a more consistent sound.

I think the reason I do not do what you are talking about, is that I 
have yet to hear a midi file from the web that sounded any better than 
a amateurish attempt. The critical timing and feel are usually 
completely lost. The effort it would take to fix the midi file is more 
than it would be be just to make it from scratch.