Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!scea!peter_alau@playstation.sony.com
From: Rob Vawter <robert_vawter@playstation.sony.com>
Newsgroups: scea.yaroze.programming.sound
Subject: Re: Drum Problem
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 11:04:57 -0700
Organization: SCEA News Server
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Message-ID: <353E3149.78D0@playstation.sony.com>
References: <6fvqeh$6ne42@chuka.playstation.co.uk> <35327B19.C3536A78@netmagic.net>
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Elliott Lee wrote:
> Richard isn't the only one with this weird problem, and even I may
> be doing something wrong.  I have several MIDI files that I made
> and converted with SMF2SEQ.  For the first 8 measures, everything
> plays back fine (drums, bass, pads, leads, etc.).  But, then after
> that I start losing instruments.  The drums disappear, then the bass,
> then other parts of the song.  Weird.  And I was using the GM set
> on the Yaroze boot disc.
> 
> I thought that it may just be my keyboard (Korg) when I saved the
> song as an SMF, but then I created something in CakeWalk sequencer
> and the same thing happened.
> 
> Is there something wrong with SMF2SEQ where the notes are missing
> their key-off events and so the sounds being played suck up all
> available voice channels?  Is there a prohibition against throwing
> too many events on a single track (e.g. a complex percussion section
> easily has dozens of notes per measure)?

There is nothing wrong with smf2seq. Most likely your problem s caused
by unneeded messages in your smf (messages which are not used by the
MIDI library and whose inclusion causes playback glitches). Cakewalk is
a notorious sequencer for this - make sure you remove all MIDI messages
NOT used by the PlayStation.

Used messages:
Note on (off is volume ifs zero)
Program Change
Pitch Bend

CC:
(0) Bank change
(6) Data Entry
(7) Volume
(10) Pan
(11) Expression (similar to vuolume - changes the program volume in the
VAB header)
(64) Damper - listed in the docs, but I think this gets stripped by
smf2seq.
(91) External Effect Depth (reverb)
(98) Nrpn
(99) Nrpn
(100) Rpn - listed in the docs, but I think this gets stripped by
smf2seq.
(101) Rpn - listed in the docs, but I think this gets stripped by
smf2seq.
(121) Reset all controllers - listed in the docs, but I think this gets
stripped by smf2seq.

Aftertouch is usually a big killer.

- SPUguy