Representation of MIDI data

 
 Main application window with trackname fields, mute switches and workspace


(1) Tempo button
(2) Cursor
(3) Mute switch
(4) Measures with MIDI events belonging to a MIDI channel not defined as a drum channel
(5) Measures with MIDI events belonging to a drum channel
(6) Trackname
(7) Info window : Type of currently open MIDI file
(8) Info window : Current MIDI mode of your MIDI device
(9) Meter button
(10) Key button
(11) MIDI channel for record
(12) Track number

Tracks and measures

If you open a MIDI file, it's contents is shown track separated and measure summarized in the workspace window.

Each track should contain MIDI events of one instrument, but you are not forced to do so. A track can contain events of any type (Sysex, Control changes, Note Ons...) and any MIDI channel 1 - 16. And of different types and channels at the same time. The first track (somtimes called mastertrack) is usually only used for text and sysex events. But you may use any event.

In other sequencer software, some special events which control tempo, key and meter are placed in that mastertrack. Inside MIDI Locator these events are hidden to you as MIDI events and shown as little tempo, key and meter buttons above and underneath the measures where they occur. So the mastertrack often looks like it is empty and a nice place to fill in a new track for the song. But you should keep the mastertrack clean of other events but sysex and text events. MIDI Locator will later merge the tempo info etc. back to the mastertrack, if you save your file. And a sequencer software, which doesn't hide the meta events would suddenly show meta and Note On events terrible mixed.


It seems like track 1 doesn't contain events, but many tempo buttons are in the ruler part of the MIDI Locator workspace. Here are tempo settings which are later saved by MIDI Locator as tempo meta events in track 1

Own key and measure settings are not used very often, so they can be found at the bottom of the workspace :


Meter and key buttons

Measure summarized view

Measure summarized means, that if a measure contains at least 1 MIDI event, a colored rectangle is painted. One measure could contain any number of single MIDI events.


Single measure

In the picture above you see that a track contains at least one MIDI event in measure 16. If there stand many rectangles together side by side, because of many MIDI events spreat out over many measures, the event's belonging program (instrument selection, program change event) is shown as text (e.g. Trumpet) in the measure's rectangles. The actual program change event which is responsible for the instrument here may stand far away in front of this measures.


Many measures with events of one MIDI channel show the program selection (instrument) of that channel

If one measure contains events of many MIDI channels (which could have different program selections) a unique color or text could in many cases not be found, or in other cases worry you. So those measures are shown with 3 color rectangles :


Measures with events of different MIDI channels

A MIDI file of older specification SMF0 must only contain one track, and all channels are merged in that one track. So if you open such file only one track is shown and it is 3 colored. MIDI Locator immediately jumps to it's split channel events function when opening such file to ask you if it should split each channel into a separate track.

Drum measures


Measures with events of a MIDI channel defined as a drum channel

If events in measures only belong to a MIDI channel which is defined as a drum channel, the measures are painted dark grey, and the program name of the drum set is shown as instrument text.

By default the only drum channel in a GM, GS or XG sound module/sound card is MIDI channel 10. But GS and XG allow further channels to be drum channels or channel 10 to be set to a normal instrument channel. To make another channel than 10 a drum channel, a privious sysex event (use for rythm part) is needed.


Example of a set use for rythm part sysex event in the MIDI editor

Please note that MIDI Locator uses drum instrument names (KICK1, SNARE1, CRASH 2...) instead of notes (C 0, C#0,D 0...) everywhere you could choose a Note On value for drum events.


From/To choice in event filter dialog