DGX 660 saving layered midi to USB

[Susie Q]

I have followed the Song Recording instructions for recording multiple midi tracks from page 44 of the DGX-660 manual.

I have followed the instructions on page 84 to save the user song to a USB.

When I open the midi file on my computer, there is only the one track I recorded. It's missing the other two tracks also recorded in the User Song.

Can someone tell me what's going on here? Thanks.

 

[Biggles]

Welcome Susie.

How does the file sound when played back on your DGX ?

You do strongly say that you followed specific procedures but the resulting file indicates that Page 46 was followed and only one track recorded and it was expecting that the other tracks would be recorded one by one.

 

[Susie Q]

Hi, thanks for responding.

When I play the User song on the DGX I can hear all three tracks I recorded. But again, only one exported to USB.

Is there a way to assign the tracks to one midi channel?

 

[Biggles]

I sort of expected that response from you, it is a decidedly odd outcome.

The exported file, can you advise what the file extension is?

The saving to usb as per page 84 does not indicate what if anything the process does to the file.

Re your MIDI to one track question, normal MIDI does not function like that, but Yamaha tend to operate to their own quirky MIDI standards with some keyboards.

You may be better exporting your performance as an audio file and then after importing it into your PC importing it in to a DAW. Or simply playing it via Audacity.

I am struggling to offer much else since Yamaha products are definitely not my forte and I hope that another member more used to Yamaha can offer you further guidance.

There is another option.

 

[Susie Q]

It has a .mid extension.

I need it to be a midi file so we can do some editing.

Maybe someone else will pipe in with help. Thanks.

 

[Biggles]

You do seem to be doing everything correctly and the MID format is the correct one.

I am inclined to think that it is a software bug in the Yamaha Operating System, this would certainly not be the only one since there have been quite a few posts here on difficulties associated with the recording functions of various Yamaha DP’s.

BTW
The option I wrote about is to use a PC and a DAW to record your performance and hence to ignore the onboard functions of the DGX.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

What software are you using to look at and listen to the .MID file on the computer?

Can you post the .MID file here so we can look at it?

 

[Susie Q]

I can't upload the file because it doesn't have an allowed extension.

I realize now that the DGX 660 can record a standard midi file, but it's saving as an audio midi file.

Is there any way to export the user song as a SMF? Thanks.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Yes, the steps described on page 84 of the manual are supposed to save the user song in SMF format (.MID). Note that the steps to save the user song in audio format-- described on page 85-- are very similar, so make sure you're using the correct option.

 

[Susie Q]

I did the steps from page 84. This is what I have done before too. But I did again to confirm.

I can't upload the file. On my computer the file shows with a VLC icon and says MID audio file (VLC).

I can see the information in Audacity, and it's all there. I have MidiEditor...but I don't have a sound card.

I emailed the file to my friend last week and he converted to an audio file and sent it back to me...but it was only one track.

Can I email you my file? Thanks again for helping me.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Yes, you can email the .MID file to me. By the way, I removed your email address from your last post, because if you post it like that then it makes it easier for spammers to get.

 

[Biggles]

Susie

If you do not have a fully fledged DAW then head over to BandLab, register with them and download the free DAW which is called Cakewalk.

Your MIDI file should open in Cakewalk with no problem.

Just make sure that it has the .MID extension, if it does not change it, you can ignore any warnings.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Yes, I think the MIDI file is probably fine, except that (1) the computer is identifying it as an "audio file" because the VLC media player is calling it that, even though it doesn't contain any audio data per se; and (2) your friend might have mistakenly converted just the first MIDI channel's data to an audio recording.

 

[Susie Q]

Thanks for everything. What a great help you have been. And you too, Biggles.