I am on Windows 11, with Cubase 14
I have the latest versions of HALion Sonic and full HALion 7 installed. As far as I know everything is up to date…including instrument libraries, media bay services, etc.
Scenario 1
Set Cubase Prefs to Import MIDI for HALion Sonic in GM mode.
Import a standard general midi file.
Hit play, and Cubase/Sonic freaks out. It sounds terrible, at the wrong tempo, notes are sticking, etc.
Start another instance of any plugin that supports GM file playback. I.E. HALion 7 with the GM multi preset. AND/OR attempt to change the imported tracks to a physical MIDI device (Fantom/Montage/Whatever); then, swap the tracks over, and it still sounds horrible/wrong tempo, etc.
Attempting to reconnect the imported MIDI tracks to other VSTi plugins doesn’t work either.
This is broken if the MIDI file is imported into an existing project, AND/OR if imported as a brand new project.
Note: This wasn’t broken in Cubase 13.
Scenario 2
Change Prefs to Instrument Tracks…
MIDI import works as it should if I go with Sonic Instrument Tracks instead of MIDI Tracks > GM Mode Sonic in the Rack.
Scenario 3
Change Prefs to MIDI Tracks…
Import a SMF…
Notice that the tracks are imported with the proper MIDI channels set…
Start an instance of Sonic in the rack and put it in GM Mode…
Select all of the tracks, hold alt-shift and connect all of the tracks to the Sonic instance.
Note that the tracks properly attach to the Sonic instance, the proper channels are preserved, and everything will play back as it should.
BUT, if I wish to change these tracks to point to a physical MIDI port (Such as an external Fantom XR), I run into problems…
Notice how Cubase forced all of the channels to 1 after I batch swapped them (select all tracks, hold shift-alt click) to the FANTOM-X MIDI port! This automatic routing error needs to be fixed.
In theory a quick batch swap to channel ANY should be good enough…but this is now broken in Cubase 14 and 13. The only way to fix this mess is to snoop each track to see what channel events are using (or go with channel ANY), and manually change all of the MIDI channels one by one! Please reinstate the ability shift-alt-click to change the MIDI Channel for batches of selected tracks.
Scenario 4
Imagine importing many GM files in a single project along the timeline to create a ‘set of up to 128 songs’. Each import goes into a folder of his own. Project Logical Editors, Marker Tracks, Macros, and a special automation track have been setup so that a MIDI program change will hide all but the present song and set the cursor ready to play it.
Thread discussing how to craft such a project (forum link)
Cubase Pro 11 Sequencer switching instrument tracks live? - #54 by Brian_Roland
As you can imagine, there can be hundreds of MIDI tracks in this case.
So…
I used a project logical editor to select ALL MIDI tracks in the project.
I attempted swap their routing output in one move (alt-shift-click/select Fantom-X).
Cubase HUNG UP. I went out to dinner for a couple of hours, got back, and it was still locked up!
Replicated the lockup several times.
If I limited selections to a dozen or so tracks, it did not lock up.
It did still force all of the tracks to channel 1 any time I tried to move them to a physical MIDI port.
My work around for now is to set this project up with Cubase 11…as it would take HOURS to go through and individually change all these MIDI channels to what they should be (or ANY).
! But maybe my simple PLE workaround can help you.