suggestion for markers in song chords

[jan1kow]

Dan
I like your recent addition of the midi file markers feature.
Is there any possibility that these can also be added during the composing of the song chords function.
So when we make song chords we can add a marker that can then be exported into a midi file.
ie
If we are making song chords to export them into midi files function and we also want a markers function it will be much easier adding them into the required song chord bar numbers before the song chord is exported into a midi file.
Then the midi file can be opened with markers already in place?
jon     
uk

[pax_eterna]

+1

[Lionel]

++1

[Vasik]

+++1

[jan1kow]

Dan
can you make this function.
jon

[Dan]

What about  Main A, Fill In 1, Ending..... markers to be added?

[pax_eterna]

Markers for MIDI files - all DAW sequencers (well most anyway) can insert a "jump to" marker as you know Dan, I guess we are asking for vA to either recognise the embedded markers and be able to access them, OR have vA have the ability to create, set and save the markers to the midi file.

Is that what you were asking? If not can you be a little more specific in your question?

Dennis

[Dan]

Hi Dennis,

The vArranger 1.16 beta recognize the embedded markers of midifiles, and allow you to jump to them smoothly at anytime, even while playing.
I will detail all the 1.16 new features soon.

For now, vArranger doesn't edit the midifiles, so you have to use your DAW.

What Jon is asking is on the Song Chords feature. You can create your song entering the chords on the grid, and then export it to midifile.

He asks for vArranger to export some markers too.

[pax_eterna]

Ahh okay Dan, fair enough...where are the tabs on the main screen? Or are the "part and fill tabs" used when a midi is playing? I have not tried this as yet....

Personally, and what you wrote being the case, I cannot see the need in the Song Chords...it is playing a style after all, and one can easily jump to any variation fill or whatever at any time while playing.

Markers in midis as you know are VERY useful as they can allow a midi to be played more or less with the same freedom as a style based song...

I use them all the time for those moments when the crowd suddenly decide they want to dance to a song you are playing during the last 8 bars of the song!!!!!!

Dennis

[Dan]

Try to open a midifile who own markers with vArranger.

You are right, they are on what you are calling "part and fill tabs"

It is one of the 1.16 additions



John is using the song chords export to help himself to create midifiles based on some styles.

[jan1kow]

pax_eterna
I play for ballroom/latin and sequence dancing 3-4 times a week often to the same dancers who attend all dances.
(Some of these dancers also go to other dances every day).
This requires many hundreds/thousands of songs. Normally a 5 minute dance will need 6  songs because I make things hard for myself by not repeating a standard 32 bar song and making medleys of 3x32 bar songs with 3 different songs in same medley. Then on the second dance another 3x32 bar medley.
In a 2 hour gig I will go through about 120 songs this way. Now my repertoire is over 3000 songs.
There is no way my memory will remember all the chords to play on my left hand to this amount of songs so this is where I export the vArranger "song chords" into a midi file, add additional custom accompanyments tracks etc Then play the melody or singing accompany to them with karaoke lyrics added. This year I have been learning /making song chords for about 6 songs a week = about 200 this year so far.
So for me 6 songs a week becomes too much to remember so I use VA song chords midi file export feature.
Thanks for this Dan . But now you give me more work because I like the new markers function, but I need to add them to me existing old files.   
I already only sleep 4-5 hours.
jon
 

[pax_eterna]

That's cool Jon...I already figured all that from Dans simple statement - I've been doing this for a long time so usually brief explanations are plenty

I run a different system in that I use PDF charts -as there are some songs especially classical that you just HAVE to have the dots for it!!! As well as some of the more obscure jazz tunes I do!

I was not saying your use was wrong, just for me, reading markers in  MIDI was enough I can totally "get" what you are trying to achieve...

Dennis

[jan1kow]

pax_eterna
Cool. I sometimes explain more than needed. lol
jon

[jbg31792]

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Re: suggestion for markers in song chords
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2012, 12:09:49 PM »
Quote
What about  Main A, Fill In 1, Ending..... markers to be added?

Nov 27, 2014

Hi Dan,

Playing guitar with vArranger and using SONG CHORDS, if you added these markers would I be able to assign these markers to my foot controller and move from, say the last verse before the ending in SONG CHORDS, back to a bridge in the middle of SONG CHORDS?
Then, the SONG CHORDS would automatically play to the ending by itself.

Thank you,

John 

[jbg31792]

Or, what would be really cool, would be to add controller functions for each of the 4 variations in vArranger.

Then, for example, regardless of where I'm at in Song Chords, I could click on the controller assigned to Variation B
And I would go back to to the last Variation B in Song Chords.

Thanks,

John

[Lylo]

It's not possible to put some marker same the midifile because the song chord use the patterns of style,  it's not linear, for exemple we can't see the time of the songs.

Your second idea is not good, the patterns A, B, C, D are variations,  we can use this variations with the song chord on, it's useful.

[jbg31792]

Happy Thanksgiving Lylo,

If I export a Song Chord to a midi file, directly from the vArranger, what is the simplest way to insert markers  so the vArranger can recognize the markers?

I'm very weak about inserting markers as I've never used midi files with markers before vArranger.

Also, I've never used a DAW before.

Merci,

John

[jbg31792]

I'm trying to export a SONG CHORD into a midi file in vArranger, but can't find any directions on pp 12 in the vArranger manual on how to do this.

Are there any vArranger instructions explaining the correct way to export a Song Chord into a midi file?

Also, in the MARKERS section in the manual it states:

The third option is to use the control usually assigned to variations in key arranger. To do this,
use an editor of MIDI files and name tags, so that they contain: Intro Intro 1 or 2 or 3 or Intro or
Ending Ending 1 Ending 2 or 3 or 4 or Ending Main Main A or B or C or Main Hand D or Fill In
Fill In 1 or 2 or 3 or Fill In Fill In Break.Par example, if the marker is called "Main C" or "Solo
Guitar Hand C", you can go to the position of the marker by pressing the button or pedal
assigned to variation 3 arranger.
5.12 STATUS

Does this mean that after I've exported a SONG CHORD into a midi file using the vArranger, and after I've used a midi file editor to name the  marker"name tags" Main  A or B or C or D, and after I've assigned my midi foot controller to variation 3; then, when I'm playing a SONG CHORD, every time I press the midi foot controller pedal assigned to variation 3  - that I can go back and forth to variation 3 while the SONG CHORD is playing?

Thank you,

John

[ovation99]

<Does this mean that after I've exported a SONG CHORD into a midi file using the vArranger, and after I've used a midi file editor to name the  marker"name tags" Main  A or B or C or D, and after I've assigned my midi foot controller to variation 3; then, when I'm playing a SONG CHORD, every time I press the midi foot controller pedal assigned to variation 3  - that I can go back and forth to variation 3 while the SONG CHORD is playing?>

I think you have almost got it right. So as I see it, it goes like this:-

Enter your song chords and variations etc, then click "Export to Midifile"
Then open the exported midifile in your DAW (Cakewalk, Cubase etc) and inert you markers at the appropriaite points and save the midifile.
Now back to VA2 and load your midifile and you will see your markers appear where the intro, variations and endings used to be, which can assigned to whichever controoler you use.

I'm sure somebody out there will correct me if this is wrong, but I hope this helps.

[jbg31792]

Thanks Ovation99, that helps me to understand.

But once the converted vArranger song chord that has now been converted into a midi file is loaded back into vArranger, and I see the markers appear where the variations A B C D, intros and endings used to be, will I be able to view this new midi file scrolling and displaying the chords on the grid just like the Song Cords do?

Also, I'm missing the step between clicking export to midi file and opening

[jbg31792]

(Sorry about that): and opening the midi file in my midi file editor. After I click on export to midi file, am I supposed to get confirmation from vArranger that the song chord has been exported?

Thanks,

John

[jbg31792]

I have this Midifile editor called GNMIDI that I installed and never used. I've updated it and this was copied from the GNMIDI manual.
Do you think this is compatible with vArranger to assign markers to the song chords after they have been exported to a midi file?

Thank you,

John

Markers
the drop down box contains marker text found in the MIDI file which are sorted by time. During
playing the marker directly before current playing position will be displayed. After selecting a marker
GNMIDI operations 74
(c) 1997 Günter Nagler
from the box the player jumps to the marker position in the song. Markers usually define beginnings
of sections (e.g. intro, refrain, verse) or notices to positions in the song (e.g. contra point, scalar
transposition ...).
Stop
stops playing the song
Play
starts or continues to play current song
Pause
pauses current song
Backward
jumps to position 30 seconds before current position
Position slider
the slider shows current song playing position relative to song duration. The duration between the
position markers is 30 seconds. You can drag the thumb by clicking left mouse button on the thumb
and move the mouse. The player will jump to the position where the mouse button is released.
Forward
jumps to position 30 seconds after current position
3.57 Insert Marker
This operation is only available while a MIDI song is played and the player is currently paused. Use the
MIDI Player Status dialog to move current play position to a location where you want to add a marker
(e.g. intro, refrain, verse, scale transposition ...). Use the pause operation to hold this position and
then start the insert marker operation.
A dialog opens where you can enter a text that describes the mark (single line). Then use OK button to
write the marker into the current active MIDI song (be sure that the correct MIDI file is active if more
files are open).
The new marker will be known to the player only when you play the new result MIDI file.
Abort the dialog using cancel if no modifications are wanted.
75 GNMIDI

[ovation99]

I have never used GNMidi, but I know it has been around for a very long time.
From the text that you posted, it looks like you can insert markers, but whether VA2 can read them is another matter.
The only way to find out is to try it.
You've got nothing to lose 

[jbg31792]

Thanks, I will try it.

But does that mean that the scrolling feature within song chords will not work together with any midi file, regardless if the midi file was created from a song chord or not?

This is a B   I   G  question for me.

Thanks,

John