I know it’s something simple, please help. I downloaded a Midi song from the web and loaded it into the MOX6 sequencer via USB flash drive and went to mixing mode to change some of the voices on several tracks. I then stored (saved) it. When I go to the top of the song and hit play the voices change back to the original, I can see them change back in the mixing screen when I hit play. What am I doing wrong?

?????

Thanks.

UPDATE: After several hours of fiddling, I am having no luck either in Cubase OR in the MOX sequencer with downloaded SMF files.

In Cubase AI 6, I get no playback audio after changing the voices from the Halion (which defaults when I import a SMF) to the MOX VST voices. I’ve tried different Cubase projects and templates that come up when I open Cubase. I can open my saved project template and record and playback audio and Midi, that all works fine. So I don’t know why I’m having this problem. Could it be some kind of script that runs in the Midi file? How do I look at/edit it?

As mentioned above I can’t make the voice changes save in a SMF song loaded in the MOX, they change back to original voice as soon as I hit play. And I lose playback audio in Cubase after changing the voices there.

Please help. I’ve gone over the manual and am stumped!

OK I figured out how to do this on the MOX by using Track Select> Job> Erase Event> PC -So by erasing the program change in each track I am able to save the new voice in each track that way. That still doesn’t explain why I lose playback audio in the same song imported into Cubase after changing the voice in each track. Next I’m going to save the changes in the song on the flash drive from the MOX then load it into Cubase and see if it works but if anyone has comments or suggestions thanks in advance.

When you download a SMF (Standard MIDI File) typically in GM format, there are instructions contained in what is referred to as the SETUP BAR. Basically, in one measure out in front of the start of music playback is all the coded messages that “reprogram” the receiving tone module. These messages are System Exclusive, Program Change and Control Change messages.

This is necessary, and I’ll explain why. GM modules became popular because they could be made very inexpensive. They could be made inexpensively because the manufacturer could eliminate one of the very expensive components. A GM module ( and the whole GM spec supports this) does not have to STORE user settings. The type of memory that STORES voices, and backs up your sequences, is expensive in manufacturing this type of gear… Particularly the user rewritable memory. By not having this type of user memory GM modules could be made incredibly inexpensively… Thus gained wide popularity.

GM modules could be a set of 128 normal and 8 Drum Kits that were “preset”. At the top of each GM song the author would reprogram the sound engine via System Exclusive and Control Change messages. Every one know the Program Changes of a GM file mean that as long as the receiving module has a GM sound set the first program change is Grand Piano, the second is Bright Piano, the thirty-third is acoustic bass, etc, etc., etc.

But there are messages for tuning, filter settings, amplitude envelope settings, etc., etc., etc. the author must cleverly program or reprogram the available 128 sounds for each composition.... All of this programming is represented in the very first measure of a properly prepared GM file. And it can get very, very detailed. In Yamaha’ XG extension to GM, you could even tune an individual drum within a kit using NRPNs (non-registered parameter numbers - a type of coded message)… (your MOX has user memory, the expensive kind, to store all the minute details)

Translating and reading the System Exclusive messages, and the coded messages in this Setup measure does take some getting used to, but you can either remove it, or change it, but you cannot ignore it. It is what the original author programmed into the tracks to control the receiving device.

Messages in the TRACK will immediately cause the tone generator of the synth to change. You select a Voice, then you start playback.... the file’s data then begins to be read, when it reaches that measure/beat/clock boom, the module has no choice but to follow the instructions in the track. This is why you see the Voices change once playback begins. That’s a Program Change message being “played back”.

You view the coded messages in the track
Go to the main SONG screen, press [SONG]
Select TRACK [1]
Press [EDIT]
You can now see each event and message, scroll down to advance, the Measure, the Beat, and the Clock ticks are counted… There are 480 clock ticks per quarter note.

As I mentioned you can change this data to serve you, you can remove it… Because the MOX is not an inexpensive synth module, it CAN STORE your settings in its internal memory, it can store your Voices, it can store your sequence, etc., etc. you can eliminate the original authors settings and create your own.

Just to get you started Control Change messages are basically your Controllers like volume, pan position, effect send amounts, filter settings, Attack, Sustain, Release, etc.

The programmer must set the Volume of each Track to create a musical balance between the musical parts.
cc007 is main channel volume - i initially every track is reset to a volume of 100, then the author must place a Control Change event to change the volume setting.. If he/she wants it louder or softer.

The MOX has its own mixer that automatically documents the volume setting that you use. In fact, the MOX mixer remembers the Voice you use, the volume, the pan position, the effects send amounts, the filter settings, etc. etc., all those thing she author has to manually place in the SETUP BAR, are automatically store with the MOX sequencer when you press the [STORE] button.

Last thing I’ll say is, the quality of the MIDI files you find on the Internet vary widely… And I’m not talking about the musical performance in this case, I’m talking in the data setup department.. A properly prepared GM file is typically neatly done, with all the proper Bank Select and Program information included, but quality can be all over the place.

If you have questions or get stuck, post back here.

Thanks so much for your quick answer. I now know how to load, edit/remove author-programmed track info in the MOX and I got the song set the way I want it. I stored it and it plays back fine.

BUT..... Since I gig solo sometimes and want backing tracks for that, I want my workflow to go as follows:

Download the song file and finish it in Cubase, then save it as SMF to my flash drive and load it into the MOX ready to go. Can I edit the author’s track info/change the voices in the track via computer using Cubase or the MOX Editor? I feel like it’s easier to do it on the computer instead of in the MOX,.

Thanks for your help!

UPDATE:
In Cubase I imported the SMF that I edited in the MOX and can edit it further (I wanted to edit the drum track) but why do I ONLY get playback audio in Cubase when the MOX is in song mode? And why does it sound different when I switch songs on the MOX while Cubase is playing back. All the voices change. What’s going on there? Sorry if it’s a stupid question........

Thanks