Post by JohnG on Jul 5, 2011 13:59:29 GMT
Channels, tracks ... what's the difference?
Yea, too right, confusing isn't it? Well not really but then I would say that wouldn't I? What I'm going to do here is to create some example files and post them to the "Members' MIDI files". Look out for files beginning with JGex.
Can I give you a simple explanation of the difference? We use the word channels when we're talking about sending and receiving data using MIDI. We use the word tracks when we're talking (usually) about a software sequencer and separating the data we're creating or editing into manageable parts. So several tracks could end up on one MIDI channel.
Let me put it this way. When you're sending data to a MIDI player, sound module, synthesizer, whatever via a MIDI cable (or USB etc.) then you must instruct the MIDI instrument that is playing the music which channel is expected to play which voice e.g. channel 10 = drums, channel 3 = bass. By default MIDI gives us 16 channels to play on. Some devices (my MU128) can handle multiple sets of 16.
When I'm creating a MIDI file using a software sequencer (I use XGworks) I have 99 tracks to record onto. So, for instance, I could record (or split) all the different sounds I'm going to use for my drum kit on channel 10 (standard MIDI channel for drums) onto separate tracks (within the sequencer) so I can edit them easily. So I might have snare on track 1, hi-hat open on 2, hi-hat closed on 3, hi-hat pedal on 4, crash cymbal on 5, snare tight snappy 6, snare snappy on 7, kick tight 8, kick room 9 (I think you've got the picture by now?). Now whilst I tweak (edit) the velocities (how hard they're hit) and the timing to make them sound just right, drum by drum, I can 'solo' each in turn so I can hear them with and without the rest of the kit. What I will need to do as I move each drum sound to a separate track is to instruct the sequencer to send the data from each of these different tracks to just one MIDI channel, channel 10.
Next I want to record my piano sound but, being a bit of a one handed keyboard player, I want to record the left hand and right hand parts separately. I've decided to use track 1 for right hand and track 2 for the left in the sequencer but, since they will both use the Rhodes piano sound, when being played, I'm going to set up both tracks to transmit (to the sound module) on MIDI channel 1. This is a very common way of splitting a piano or harpsichord part.
So, I've taken a standard MIDI file from the MidiMart collection, filename = "am-a.zip" (download it from the website in the A section in the usual way). I've stripped off all the instruments apart from the drum kit and the reult is JGex0A01.mid and JGex1A01.mid. The files are in MIDI file format 0 and 1 respectively. You'll see that the data is on track 1 (depends on your sequencer) but it points to MIDI channel 10. I want to edit various drum sounds so I've stripped all the various drums out to different sequencer tracks. But you'll see that every track points to MIDI channel 10. The example is JGex0B01.mid and JGex1B01.mid, again MIDI file formats 0 and 1 respectively. They can be found in the JGexAB01.zip file at www.midimart.net/uploads/JGexAB01.zip
These example files only show the splitting up of the drum channel not of left and right hand on piano.
Please note that even though I have extensively edited the original file the copyright of all files remains with MidiMart.
© John L. Garside, 2007.
Yea, too right, confusing isn't it? Well not really but then I would say that wouldn't I? What I'm going to do here is to create some example files and post them to the "Members' MIDI files". Look out for files beginning with JGex.
Can I give you a simple explanation of the difference? We use the word channels when we're talking about sending and receiving data using MIDI. We use the word tracks when we're talking (usually) about a software sequencer and separating the data we're creating or editing into manageable parts. So several tracks could end up on one MIDI channel.
Let me put it this way. When you're sending data to a MIDI player, sound module, synthesizer, whatever via a MIDI cable (or USB etc.) then you must instruct the MIDI instrument that is playing the music which channel is expected to play which voice e.g. channel 10 = drums, channel 3 = bass. By default MIDI gives us 16 channels to play on. Some devices (my MU128) can handle multiple sets of 16.
When I'm creating a MIDI file using a software sequencer (I use XGworks) I have 99 tracks to record onto. So, for instance, I could record (or split) all the different sounds I'm going to use for my drum kit on channel 10 (standard MIDI channel for drums) onto separate tracks (within the sequencer) so I can edit them easily. So I might have snare on track 1, hi-hat open on 2, hi-hat closed on 3, hi-hat pedal on 4, crash cymbal on 5, snare tight snappy 6, snare snappy on 7, kick tight 8, kick room 9 (I think you've got the picture by now?). Now whilst I tweak (edit) the velocities (how hard they're hit) and the timing to make them sound just right, drum by drum, I can 'solo' each in turn so I can hear them with and without the rest of the kit. What I will need to do as I move each drum sound to a separate track is to instruct the sequencer to send the data from each of these different tracks to just one MIDI channel, channel 10.
Next I want to record my piano sound but, being a bit of a one handed keyboard player, I want to record the left hand and right hand parts separately. I've decided to use track 1 for right hand and track 2 for the left in the sequencer but, since they will both use the Rhodes piano sound, when being played, I'm going to set up both tracks to transmit (to the sound module) on MIDI channel 1. This is a very common way of splitting a piano or harpsichord part.
So, I've taken a standard MIDI file from the MidiMart collection, filename = "am-a.zip" (download it from the website in the A section in the usual way). I've stripped off all the instruments apart from the drum kit and the reult is JGex0A01.mid and JGex1A01.mid. The files are in MIDI file format 0 and 1 respectively. You'll see that the data is on track 1 (depends on your sequencer) but it points to MIDI channel 10. I want to edit various drum sounds so I've stripped all the various drums out to different sequencer tracks. But you'll see that every track points to MIDI channel 10. The example is JGex0B01.mid and JGex1B01.mid, again MIDI file formats 0 and 1 respectively. They can be found in the JGexAB01.zip file at www.midimart.net/uploads/JGexAB01.zip
These example files only show the splitting up of the drum channel not of left and right hand on piano.
Please note that even though I have extensively edited the original file the copyright of all files remains with MidiMart.
© John L. Garside, 2007.
