Offset on MIDI file import

Hi everyone,

When I’m Exporting MIDI Files, no matter the export and import options I use, there is always a Grid offset on import.

The only thing I use is the Import Dropped File as Single Part so it only imports it as an Event and not creating a new track.

When Export Locator Range is disabled upon exporting the file, the offset on Import equals to the gap between the start of the project and where the start of the first Event, no matter what Import options I use.

When Export Locator Range is enabled upon exporting the file, the offset on Import equals to the space between the left locator and and the start of the first Event.

All I want is the MIDI file to drop where my pointer is and not several bars further.
I know Export Locator Range will only export what’s between the locators, but can’t we just export an event without having to locate the selection with P ?

Please ignore all the above, I don’t usually post things like this, I know this is the intended behavior for MIDI export.


Also, the Import to Left Locator and Import/Export Markers options don’t seem to be working at all.
Maybe I am missing something ? What are these options supposed to do ?

Do you use drag&drop or “import Midi file”?
With “export locator range” enabled, I can drag and drop the MIDI file w/o problems and it gets positioned to my mouse pointer (or the nearest grid). If I use “import”, I get two (!) new MIDI tracks as a result, with two MIDI events of different length (WTF?), positioned at song start.
With “export locator range” disabled, I get an offset of two bars with drag and drop, and with “import” the event gets positioned at the original location. Except when I have “Import to left locator” enabled, in which case it gets positioned two bars right from the left locator… :crazy_face:

BTW, is there any way to import a MIDI file on the selected MIDI/Instrument track, and not have it create a new track (when using “import->MIDI File”?

Actually both are the same thing, except when you enable Import Dropped File as Single Part in Preferences > MIDI > MIDI File.
Instead of creating the tracks it creates only one event and merges the data from all the tracks. This is only for drag and drop. Apparently the other options are for classic Import, not for drag and drop.

In fact, the Export Locator Range will create a MIDI file of what is between the Locators only.
That means, if there is a 3 bars gap between the Left Locator and the first MIDI Event, the resulting file will have the same length as the Locators, and the gap will remain. In other words, the start of the file will be the Left Locator.

When Export Locator Range is disabled, it will export the whole Track starting from the very first bar.
Exporting the whole track length is actually good for when you want to save a whole arrangement and you have multiple tracks. Upon Import, it will create the same number of tracks with all the Events at their original position in the song.

So, if we want to make short MIDI files for drag and drop, we need to enable Export Locator Range, select the events individually, press P to set the Locators, then Export them one by one.
That’s very tedious.

A feature request has been posted for a more convenient use :