MIDI Transfer from Cakewalk by Bandlab to Studio One

[Larry Jones]

Maybe I should post this in a Studio One user's forum, but I'm more comfortable here. I'm experimenting with Studio One (using the latest v. 6.6). A friend sent me a MIDI piano track that he created in CbB, playing along with a rough mix of one of my songs. He also sent the rendered audio version of the same track. The audio version syncs up on my S1 and sounds fine. The MIDI does not. It's longer than it should be, out of time, and sounds as if it's in a different octave (TBH, due to the no-sync thing, I didn't listen to it long enough to be sure what was wrong with the pitch).

He created the track with a piano in CbB/Kontakt, and I used Addictive Keys' grand piano. Could that be the problem? Would be nice if I could get MIDI tracks to match up across these two DAWs, as I like his playing but would rather have more control over the sound. My knowledge of the Dark Art of MIDI is like that of any guitar player: If it works, great, if it doesn't, switch to guitar.

Any ideas?

[Max Arwood]

Did you set the tempo before the import?

[Jimbo 88]

Sounds like the tempo is not the same and the piano plug in has a different middle C.  Find the correct tempo and transpose.  All should be good.

[Larry Jones]

32 minutes ago, Max Arwood said:

Did you set the tempo before the import?

 

4 minutes ago, Jimbo 88 said:

Sounds like the tempo is not the same and the piano plug in has a different middle C.  Find the correct tempo and transpose.  All should be good.

Thanks guys. The tempo in both DAWs was set the same. Also, the audio version of the piano track is in perfect sync. Also I received two other audio tracks (different instruments) that are in sync.

[Max Arwood]

Not in both. For audio and midi to login up it must be set to the tempo the the other guy did when he made it. Ask him for the tempo his daw was set to. 

[Larry Jones]

45 minutes ago, Max Arwood said:

For audio and midi to login up it must be set to the tempo the the other guy did when he made it.

Thanks Max. I've sent him a message asking for the tempo he was set to when he did the recordings. But question: Would this matter if the three audio tracks he sent (including the audio rendered from the very MIDI track that does not match) were in perfect sync when I dropped them into my DAW?

[Duncan Stitt]

Not a solution but a possible workaround. Create a new CbB project with the midi file for the piano, set to the tempo he used. Import the piano audio track and then mess around with the tempo till the audio track lines up with the midi track. (I've found, with midi, sometimes if one person's DAW was set at 120, I have to set mine at 199.96 or 120.03 to get everything aligned.) After you've got your audio and midi aligned, import your rough mix audio track, adjust your new piano sound to fit into that mix, and then render a new piano audio track and import it into your original project. 

[Promidi]

Tell your friend to save the MIDI from CbB instead of exporting the MIDI.

Saved MIDI files from CbB puts the tempo in the MIDI file.  Exported MIDI does not.

[Larry Jones]

@Duncan Stitt and @Promidi

Sorry for the delay (I've been away) and thanks for the tips. My friend's CbB was NOT set to the same tempo as my Studio One. He is doing another take at the correct tempo. After he sends it I'll see if I need to do more manipulation.