Project export

Cubase
1

I’m trying to rebuild a Cubase project in an MPC

To that end, I was hoping to be able to export the entire project as a MIDI sequence which would at least contain tempo, track and basic note on/off data to represent audio events, as opposed to track by track.

So far I’ve drawn a blank. Any suggestions?

2

Hi,

File > Export > MIDI File.

3

Thanks for the reply Martin, but I was aware of this method already and it hasn’t done the trick: all this results in when I import it is a MIDI file with the tempo of the project, no other data. I think this is a track specific export method. I’m looking for a method to export a multitrack MIDI sequence which even approximately corresponds to the Cubase project.

4

I think you’ll find there is no issue with MIDI file export… Cubase is exporting the MIDI file correctly. Did you try using the Type 0 option in the MIDI export options?
In my opinion, the issue is likely be on the MPC side. Perhaps a MIDI channel or Omni mode issue? I’m not familiar with that unit so cannot advise in detail.

What is the precise procedure you use to import the MIDI file into the MPC?

5

Yes, didn’t seem intuitive as I’m looking for a multitrack result but I just tried it - no luck.

Incidentally I had a blank MIDI track in the project which I’ve just deleted - and now the MIDI export option is greyed out. This is bizarre: Cubase is effectively a sequencer, so the idea that it can’t export a MIDI sequence without actual MIDI tracks makes no sense to me…

6

In my opinion, the issue is likely be on the MPC side. What MPC are you using? Don’t you have to put the MPC into a special SMF mode (standard MIDI file mode) in order to play a MIDI file? You might find you can play a standard MIDI file but it may not be possible to edit the file. I’m not familiar with the MPC machines so cannot advise in detail.

Did you already look for standard MIDI file in the MPC manual?

What is the precise procedure you use to import the MIDI file into the MPC?

7

Hi,

Export MIDI File is not track specific. It exports all MIDI Tracks. Make sure you have no Export Locator Range enabled in the Export Options dialog.

Are you sure, you have MIDI or Instrument tracks in your project?

Could you attach some screenshots, please (the Project page, the Export Options dialog)?

8

Tempo map, sequence length, time signature, track count, automation - this is all MIDI.

So I guess what I’m looking for - at the very least a blank multitrack MIDI sequence corresponding to the project, with MIDI notes representing audio events on the individual tracks, to be assigned to the relevant audio files later - is not possible.

9

If this function is greyed out it means that you have no MIDI tracks in the project.

10

Doesn’t matter. If there are no MIDI tracks the option is greyed out.

This is perfectly possible, as long as you have at least one MIDI track in the project.

11

Thanks Martin. There’s no MIDI tracks - as I said above I’m looking for a way to reassemble the audio events sequence track by track in an MPC, so I was hoping the MIDI export would provide me with a basic (Of Blank) multitrack sequence. I see now this isn’t possible without converting all the events in all the audio tracks to MIDI information in the variaudio/hitpoints section of the sample editor, which is even more labour intensive than just replicating the sequence manually in the MPC and dropping in the audio - so I’ll just go back to that approach.

12

Thanks for the assistance Stingray, it’s an MPC X. I think what I’m trying to do - create a map of the entire project as unassigned MIDI events to be filled in - is just not possible.

13

I don’t know what you mean by unassigned MIDI events to be filled in. If you use a dummy MIDI guide track you should be able to easily create a map of the entire project. But I’m not at all sure what you are trying to do.

By the way, to create MIDI notes from hitpoints, I suppose you are already familiar with the ‘Create MIDI notes’ command. This allows you to create a MIDI track with notes corresponding to all the hitpoints. Maybe this could help you.

14

Yes but I’d need a dummy track for every audio track, a bit of a slog when there’s a large track count…

15

You could simply do a quick export audio mixdown and then create your dummy MIDI track from that using the ‘Create MIDI notes’ command for hitpoints.

16

What I’m trying to do is rebuild the Cubase project in the MPC.

So ideally what I would be working with is an exported MIDI sequence, which has the tempo and time sig and any tempo changes.

And a track count matching the tracks in the Cubase project, with the track names.

And (wishful thinking) MIDI notes at the points in each track where the audio events would start - note on/off for the duration of the audio events would be even better but one can only dream.

Does that make sense?

Making hitpoints to convert to midi notes seems excessive as I’m only looking to have markers for when the audio events start in the timeline, not detailed MIDI information within the audio events… I’d be importing the raw audio into the MPC directly from the Cubase project audio folder.

Any further suggestions welcome!

17

Hi,

As far as I understand it, you could do something like a SampleTracks, where every single SampleTrack would contain the audio event of the track (I expect, you use one sample – maybe multiple times – per track, right?).

Is this what you are looking for? Then you would be able to export the MIDI file. The SampleTrack would do the job within Cubase and also you would get the MIDI data already.

I asked for the project screenshot. This might help us to understand your use case and your approach.

18

Thanks Martin The SampleTrack approach sounds interesting but unfortunately I’m on Cubase 8.5 so I don’t have this feature. (Posted here as the Cubase 8 forum looks fairly sleepy, I thought what I was looking for would be generic enough). I don’t use multiple repeated samples though - it’s more like a conventional audio track which has been cut into smaller sections, so the evends don’t repeat.

19

It makes sense but may be a bit painstaking to do. Try something like the following to speed up the process:

  • Open a MIDI part in the Key editor. Select any MIDI note and press Ctrl + C to copy it.

  • Activate ‘Use Video follows Edit mode’ in the Transport menu

  • Select the first audio event of the first track. Then use a macro like this:

Edit - paste
Navigate - Up
Navigate - Right

  • Assign a keyboard shortcut to the macro and then step through the events on the chosen audio track.The macro pastes a MIDI note at the beginning of each audio event, automatically selecting the next audio event to the right on the chosen track.
  • Solo all the newly created MIDI tracks and adjust left / right locators to cover full range of track.
  • Use ‘Merge MIDI in loop’ to get all MIDI notes on a single track.
  • The result is a single MIDI part containing all the notes. Delete all the source MIDI parts afterwards.

There may be an easier way but this is all I could think of right now.

20

I’m going to try this later, very thorough, thanks Stingray.