Topic: Different Time Signatures in same MIDI file

[efk3]

I have a MIDI file that's in 4/4 time and during the solo section it ends with a bar of 6/4. No matter what I do I can't assign the entire solo section to one of the Main sections or Intros in "Midi to Song" application. Two beats on one side or the other get cut off. Isn't there anyway to deal with momentary changes in time signatures with this application? The bar of 6/4 appears correctly at the top of the timeline and the beginning of the next measure starts immediately after that. I can assign another section from that point on without a problem but I'm going to cut short the solo and it's in 6/4 measure because that's the most dramatic point in the song! I guess I could go into the MIDI file and change the whole song to 2/4 but I shouldn't have to do that. Maybe there's something in the application that deals with this change in time signature technique found in a lot of songs but I'm not seeing it. Any help in solving this problem would be extremely appreciated.

efk3

[efk3]

I solved this issue on my own. I found out that because each section (Intro, Main A, etc.) on all Yamaha arranger keyboards can only use one time signature, the Midi to Style application must follow suit and adhere to that standard. You can still use odd meter time signatures within a section so long as the entire section is divisible by the chosen time signature.

Unfortunately, there is a "catch 22" with trying to be somewhat backward compatible with several keyboards that span a 10+ year period of time so your customers can bring some of their work product with them to the next greatest iteration of Yamaha keyboard product. I understand that they don't want to lose customers but, by doing so they limit the advancement of using the current state of technology available. One example of this is the expansion memory in Genos2. Instead of giving you the ability to add a new expansion disk to the 22 discs you already have installed on your keyboard you must delete all 22 discs and then add back 23. What kind of sense does that make? Maybe that's why a certain segment of Yamaha keyboard customers was disappointed with the advancement of the Genos2 after five years. Some of those advancements they were looking forward to might have made it impossible for Tyros owners or even Genos 1 owners to bring most of their work product forward with them. Have a great day!

[mikf]

Don’t assume Yamaha are not getting this right. The things that are important to you Yamaha may not consider hugely marketable.
Arrangers, even the TOTL models, are largely bought by people who want to sound good playing basic stuff, and  things like 13/8 time signatures, multiple time signatures, vast memory space, etc etc mean little to the average arranger customer.
 I think Yamaha knows that if they want to sell significantly more arrangers the keys are — make it sound even better, make it lower cost, make it even simpler to operate. Adding features that suit only very advanced users may not be their corporate direction. Products like the DGX670 seem to me more like Yamahas chosen direction rather than making TOTL arrangers more acceptable to advanced users.
Mike

[DrakeM]

I believe this is the  free software you are needing.

http://www.jososoft.dk/yamaha/software/stytime/index.htm

I used it once for a style it worked great But once I saved the style, I could not edit it. If I tried to just lower the volume parts the whole style reverted back to ONE tempo. So I just have a note on my lead sheet to LOWER the style's volume.

I currently just use two different styles and tie them together with a Registration. I can easily make changes to them and save them with no issue.

I have not made a video of me using the style yet.

Here is a live recording using the registration the change happens at 3:18 and then reverts back to the original timing.
https://app.box.com/s/vk3xyh0lmvszsh33b753

Drake

[efk3]

Mike,
Don't get me wrong I'm immensely enjoying my Genos2. I'm not one of the naysayers. It's giving me most everything I'm looking for in a keyboard arranger considering I haven't bought a product like this in the last 15 or so years. I just retired as a high school choral director/piano teacher. I began buying MIDI and sampling technology to create background arrangements in 1986 when I was using a Linn 9000 drum machine/32 track sequencer, Yamaha DX7 and Oberheim Matrix 12 to help back myself up performing on the road for several years.
I'm not the type of person that is satisfied just leisurely playing a complex piece of technology like this. I like to put it through its paces and push the limits of what I can get out of it. In that pursuit I'm actually happy that it's not that much different from the original Genos because that gives me several years of all my predecessors online knowledge to help me get up to speed that much quicker. Take care!
efk3