Synth-DIY Yahoo! Groups Archives

MIDI Data Error

2015-06-30 by cmancus1@...

Hi All,

I am relatively new to the Disklavier world having recently bought a MX-84 with DKC5R. Its old, but it plays beautifully for the price.

When i bought the piano, my intent was always to hook up an old laptop i have to it permanently and download free midi songs and lets them play for hours. After more work than i would have ever imagined, I finally got the hook up to play properly. Windows and MIDI do not seem to get along well.

Anyway, now my question to the group is when i play a playlist, out of nowhere i get a message on the DKC5R that shows "MIDI Data Error - press stop to continue". The music keeps playing without incident for the most part. When i press stop, there is a slight skip and then the music continues without incident except this message will pop up again eventually.

I have also had a few MIDI files cause the piano to go haywire and play seemingly random notes. I think this may be because the recording is using other than piano instrumentation on midi channels 1 and 2 but im not sure of the either.

I would greatly appreciate any help with this as my greatest fear is that i will break the DKC5R and then be stuck with no way to fix it.

If anyone needs to know how i went about getting the MIDI and Windows to work, just let me know and i am more than happy to share. It took a lot of trial and error.

thank you

Carl

Re: [disklavier] MIDI Data Error

2015-06-30 by Carol Beigel

As I recall, that Disklavier only played ESEQ files from a floppy disk - the Yamaha proprietary version of MIDI files.  As for MIDI files in a playlist, they all need to be the same type; like all MIDI format 0, or all MIDI format 1.  Personally, I would load the free software and convert all the MIDI files in a playlist to ESEQ.  If you cannot do that, then use MIDI format 0.  Details are at www.midiplayertools.com.  Use Fontana’s software to do these conversions and make backups.  Also remember that the Disklavier can only see 99 of anything = like 99 folders or only 99 songs in a folder.

Carol Beigel

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> On Jun 30, 2015, at 8:34 AM, cmancus1@....com [disklavier] <disklavier@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> 
> 
> I am relatively new to the Disklavier world having recently bought a MX-84 with DKC5R.  Its old, but it plays beautifully for the price.
> 
> 
> 
> When i bought the piano, my intent was always to hook up an old laptop i have to it permanently and download free midi songs and lets them play for hours.  After more work than i would have ever imagined, I finally got the hook up to play properly.  Windows and MIDI do not seem to get along well. 
> 
> 
> 
> Anyway, now my question to the group is when i play a playlist, out of nowhere i get a message on the DKC5R that shows "MIDI Data Error - press stop to continue".  The music keeps playing without incident for the most part.    When i press stop, there is a slight skip and then the music continues without incident except this message will pop up again eventually.
> 
> 
> 
> I have also had a few MIDI files cause the piano to go haywire and play seemingly random notes.  I think this may be because the recording is using other than piano instrumentation on midi channels 1 and 2 but im not sure of the either.
> 
> 
> 
> I would greatly appreciate any help with this as my greatest fear is that i will break the DKC5R and then be stuck with no way to fix it.
> 
> 
> 
> If anyone needs to know how i went about getting the MIDI and Windows to work, just let me know and i am more than happy to share.  It took a lot of trial and error.
> 
> 
> 
> thank you
> 
> 
> 
> Carl
> 
> 
> 
>

Re: MIDI Data Error

2015-06-30 by cmancus1@...

thank you Carol. that is correct that this version only plays eseq files from floppy drive, however, it plays midi files through the midi in just fine. As far as 99 file limit, when feeding the piano files it is done on an individual basis isnt it? Disklavier has no idea i have a playlist with 1000 files.

As far as the MIDI format 0 you mentioned. I will have to research this as it sounds like maybe that is my problem. How does one tell what MIDI format a file is written in?

thank you for responding

Carl

Re: [disklavier] Re: MIDI Data Error

2015-06-30 by Spencer Chase

couple of questions. does the error occur in the same lace in the same file every time? you can get all sorts of junk files on the internet. if you have a file that causes problems, send it to me and i'll see if there are any strange things in it.

you can convert a whole folder of files into type 0 using a utility i wrote. if a file is already type 0 it will not be harmed so you do not need to know what type the files are, just do the whole batch. you can get the program from the download page of my web site this is a trial version that will do just 50 files. if you want to continue to use it, you just need to ask me to send the unlock file.
http://spencerserolls.com/Files4Download.html

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On 6/30/2015 6:05 AM, cmancus1@... [disklavier] wrote:

thank you Carol. that is correct that this version only plays eseq files from floppy drive, however, it plays midi files through the midi in just fine. As far as 99 file limit, when feeding the piano files it is done on an individual basis isnt it? Disklavier has no idea i have a playlist with 1000 files.

As far as the MIDI format 0 you mentioned. I will have to research this as it sounds like maybe that is my problem. How does one tell what MIDI format a file is written in?

thank you for responding

Carl

-- 

Best regards, Spencer Chase
67550-Bell Springs Rd.
Garberville, CA 95542 Postal service only.
Laytonville, CA 95454 UPS only.
Spencer@spencerserolls.com
http://www.spencerserolls.com
(425) 791-0309

Re: [disklavier] Re: MIDI Data Error

2015-07-01 by cmancus1@...

I thought maybe that was the case, but it doesn’t appear to be consistent that its one file at one particular spot. I need to run a few more tests to see if it happens that way. I know one thing for a fact and that is that the piano only midi files that I downloaded from a competition play perfectly, whereas others seems to have periodic errors. I am going to convert all the files and see what happens. It looks like there is no way to direct the converted files from your program to a different directory, right? It’s a great program and thank you for allowing us to use it.

One other possible error i am trying to trouble shoot is maybe my usb - MIDI cable has a glitch.

Re: [disklavier] Re: MIDI Data Error

2015-07-01 by carl schmidt

I had multiple problems with my laptop connection.  I was using a cheap usb to midi cable at first.  It caused many strange unexplainable problems.  Someone suggested buying a better quality cable and after I did that all the problems suddenly resolved.  So I would recommend that as your next step... 

Carl 

Sent from Yahoo7 Mail on Android

From:"cmancus1@... [disklavier]" <disklavier@yahoogroups.com>
Date:Wed, 1 Jul, 2015 at 21:10
Subject:Re: [disklavier] Re: MIDI Data Error

I thought maybe that was the case, but it doesn’t appear to be consistent that its one file at one particular spot.  I need to run a few more tests to see if it happens that way.  I know one thing for a fact and that is that the piano only midi files that I downloaded from a competition play perfectly, whereas others seems to have periodic errors.  I am going to convert all the files and see what happens.  It looks like there is no way to direct the converted files from your program to a different directory, right?  It’s a great program and thank you for allowing us to use it. 

 One other possible error i am trying to trouble shoot is maybe my usb - MIDI cable has a glitch.

Re: [disklavier] Re: MIDI Data Error

2015-07-01 by Spencer Chase

if you don't have either a Yamaha, Roland or M-Audio USB midi adapter, don't even bother to experiment until you have one. the cheap Chinese garbage is worthless. you are welcome to send me files to examine for strangeness. i doubt it is the problem but there can be strange events in files that cause problems. the midi spec says that if a device does not know what to do with an event it does not understand that it should do nothing. pretty obvious and i'm sure Yamaha does that but who knows. if there is strange stuff in the file it should behave strangely at the same point in the same file but who knows what odd combination of things might effect this.

i have several versions of a program i call midi cleaner. different versions leave different events and remove the rest.

MIDI 1 to 0 outputs the files to the working folder only. just cut and past when you are done. if you sort by date, all the new files will be together since the program makes new files with new dates/times.

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On 7/1/2015 4:10 AM, cmancus1@... [disklavier] wrote:

I thought maybe that was the case, but it doesn’t appear to be consistent that its one file at one particular spot. I need to run a few more tests to see if it happens that way. I know one thing for a fact and that is that the piano only midi files that I downloaded from a competition play perfectly, whereas others seems to have periodic errors. I am going to convert all the files and see what happens. It looks like there is no way to direct the converted files from your program to a different directory, right? It’s a great program and thank you for allowing us to use it.

One other possible error i am trying to trouble shoot is maybe my usb - MIDI cable has a glitch.

-- 

Best regards, Spencer Chase
67550-Bell Springs Rd.
Garberville, CA 95542 Postal service only.
Laytonville, CA 95454 UPS only.
Spencer@...
http://www.spencerserolls.com
(425) 791-0309

Re: [disklavier] Re: MIDI Data Error

2015-07-05 by cmancus1@...

Bought an IConnection usb MIDI converter and it solved the problem of it stopping playing. No more cheap Chinese ones. thanks for suggestion

As far as the MIDI data error, it is still happening but not consistently. Doesnt effect the playing other than a temp burp when it first occurs, so i guess ill let it be for now

Thanks

Re: MIDI Data Error

2015-07-07 by George Frederick Litterst

Good morning, everyone.

A few comments about the problems mentioned in this thread.

When playing MIDI data from an external source, it should make no difference as to whether the source MIDI file is Type 0 or Type 1. In either case, the data comes in according to the MIDI serial protocol, one message at a time.

The incoming MIDI data stream can have as many as 16 channels of data. Disklaviers with a built-in tone generator will normally play one or two channels of data on the piano and will play the remaining channels using the tone generator. Since the MX84 does not have a built-in tone generator, your piano will just play one of the 16 channels of incoming MIDI data. If your MIDI file is an ensemble file that has other voices than the piano voice, you may hear unexpected notes played on your piano. In particular, if your piano responds to drum track notes, the notes will sound as though they are quite random and inexplicable.

I don’t know why your piano is getting a MIDI data error. I presume that it is possible that it is receiving more data than it can handle. Simple files with just a piano part and no SysEx messages should be just fine.

Regards,
PianoBench

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> On Jul 5, 2015, at 12:36 PM, cmancus1@... <mailto:cmancus1@rochester.rr.com> [disklavier] <disklavier@yahoogroups.com <mailto:disklavier@yahoogroups.com>> wrote:
> 
> Bought an IConnection usb MIDI converter and it solved the problem of it stopping playing.  No more cheap Chinese ones.  thanks for suggestion
> 
> 
> As far as the MIDI data error, it is still happening but not consistently.  Doesnt effect the playing other than a temp burp when it first occurs, so i guess ill let it be for now
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
>

Re: [disklavier] Re: MIDI Data Error

2015-07-07 by Spencer Chase

i have various "midi cleaner" programs that i wrote that remove sysex and other messages from midi files. the most severe version leaves just not on and off messages and pedal controllers. intermediate versions leave patch or instrument definition messages as well as text including lyrics. i will give a few versions to anyone who wants to try them. i think i have three versions that seems most useful.

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On 7/7/2015 7:16 AM, George Frederick Litterst PianoBench@... [disklavier] wrote:

Good morning, everyone.

A few comments about the problems mentioned in this thread.

When playing MIDI data from an external source, it should make no difference as to whether the source MIDI file is Type 0 or Type 1. In either case, the data comes in according to the MIDI serial protocol, one message at a time.

The incoming MIDI data stream can have as many as 16 channels of data. Disklaviers with a built-in tone generator will normally play one or two channels of data on the piano and will play the remaining channels using the tone generator. Since the MX84 does not have a built-in tone generator, your piano will just play one of the 16 channels of incoming MIDI data. If your MIDI file is an ensemble file that has other voices than the piano voice, you may hear unexpected notes played on your piano. In particular, if your piano responds to drum track notes, the notes will sound as though they are quite random and inexplicable.

I don’t know why your piano is getting a MIDI data error. I presume that it is possible that it is receiving more data than it can handle. Simple files with just a piano part and no SysEx messages should be just fine.

Regards,

PianoBench

On Jul 5, 2015, at 12:36 PM, cmancus1@... [disklavier] <disklavier@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Bought an IConnection usb MIDI converter and it solved the problem of it stopping playing. No more cheap Chinese ones. thanks for suggestion

As far as the MIDI data error, it is still happening but not consistently. Doesnt effect the playing other than a temp burp when it first occurs, so i guess ill let it be for now

Thanks

-- 

Best regards, Spencer Chase
67550-Bell Springs Rd.
Garberville, CA 95542 Postal service only.
Laytonville, CA 95454 UPS only.
Spencer@spencerserolls.com
http://www.spencerserolls.com
(425) 791-0309

Re: [disklavier] MIDI Data Error

2015-07-07 by George Frederick Litterst

Good afternoon, everyone.

Sounds like Spencer’s programs could be helpful in the case of the MX84.

Regards,
PianoBench

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> On Jul 7, 2015, at 12:13 PM, Spencer Chase lists@... [disklavier] <disklavier@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> 
> i have various "midi cleaner" programs that i wrote that remove sysex and other messages from midi files. the most severe version leaves just not on and off messages and pedal controllers. intermediate versions leave patch or instrument definition messages as well as text including lyrics. i will give a few versions to anyone who wants to try them. i think i have three versions that seems most useful. 
> 
> 
> On 7/7/2015 7:16 AM, George Frederick Litterst PianoBench@... <mailto:PianoBench@...> [disklavier] wrote:
>>  
>> Good morning, everyone.
>> 
>> A few comments about the problems mentioned in this thread.
>> 
>> When playing MIDI data from an external source, it should make no difference as to whether the source MIDI file is Type 0 or Type 1. In either case, the data comes in according to the MIDI serial protocol, one message at a time.
>> 
>> The incoming MIDI data stream can have as many as 16 channels of data. Disklaviers with a built-in tone generator will normally play one or two channels of data on the piano and will play the remaining channels using the tone generator. Since the MX84 does not have a built-in tone generator, your piano will just play one of the 16 channels of incoming MIDI data. If your MIDI file is an ensemble file that has other voices than the piano voice, you may hear unexpected notes played on your piano. In particular, if your piano responds to drum track notes, the notes will sound as though they are quite random and inexplicable.
>> 
>> I don’t know why your piano is getting a MIDI data error. I presume that it is possible that it is receiving more data than it can handle. Simple files with just a piano part and no SysEx messages should be just fine.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> PianoBench
>> 
>> 
>>> On Jul 5, 2015, at 12:36 PM,  <mailto:cmancus1@...>cmancus1@... <mailto:cmancus1@...> [disklavier] <disklavier@yahoogroups.com <mailto:disklavier@yahoogroups.com>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Bought an IConnection usb MIDI converter and it solved the problem of it stopping playing.  No more cheap Chinese ones.  thanks for suggestion
>>> 
>>> 
>>> As far as the MIDI data error, it is still happening but not consistently.  Doesnt effect the playing other than a temp burp when it first occurs, so i guess ill let it be for now
>>> 
>>> Thanks
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> Best regards, Spencer Chase
> 67550-Bell Springs Rd.
> Garberville, CA 95542 Postal service only.
> Laytonville, CA 95454 UPS only.
> Spencer@spencerserolls.com <mailto:Spencer@...>
> http://www.spencerserolls.com <http://www.spencerserolls.com/>
> (425) 791-0309
> 
>

Re: [disklavier] MIDI Data Error

2015-07-08 by cmancus1@...

Yes, agreed

Spencer, i would greatly appreciate a copy of them and once again, thank you for your help

Carl

Re: [disklavier] MIDI Data Error

2015-07-08 by Spencer Chase

I posted a couple of midi cleaners in a zip file at the location found at the end of this e-mail.
Midi_cleaner.exe leaves only the following events in the files:
note_on, note_off, control_change, patch_change, text_event, copyright_text_event, time_signature, set_tempo, key_signature, key_after_touch, channel_after_touch, pitch_wheel_change, track_name, instrument_name, lyric marker, cue_point

Midi_cleaner_note_pedal_only.exe leaves only the following events in the files:
note_on, note_off, control_change, text_event, copyright_text_event, time_signature, set_tempo, key_signature, track_name

get it at:
www.spencerserolls.com/midi_cleaners.zip

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On 7/7/2015 7:47 PM, cmancus1@... [disklavier] wrote:

Yes, agreed

Spencer, i would greatly appreciate a copy of them and once again, thank you for your help

Carl

-- 

Best regards, Spencer Chase
67550-Bell Springs Rd.
Garberville, CA 95542 Postal service only.
Laytonville, CA 95454 UPS only.
Spencer@spencerserolls.com
http://www.spencerserolls.com
(425) 791-0309