Midi to OGG using VSTs -problem

[Pet Terry]

Hallo.

I'm trying to convert some midis to OGGs using VSTs and soundfonts, however, I've ran into some problems.

I'm using FL Studio 5 and basically the process goes like this: open up a midi, add Edirol Orchestral VST, assign correct instruments to midi channels. Sounds easy enough? Well, it has worked fine before, until now.

I've got some midis that aren't made by me, but The Scorposer. I assigned the Orchestral VST instruments to match the original instruments in the midi and thought I'd listen to how the track sounds. Well, it sounded all wrong. I couldn't figure out what was going on until I noticed that the Orchestral VST instruments had changed. For example, channel three was supposed to have marimba in it, but it kept changing to timpani roll. Cello section became viola spiccatos, classical trumpet became tuba staccato etc. etc. Some of the instruments remained unchanged, though.

I have no idea what is going on. Perhaps the midi has some weird settings that change the instruments. Anyone have any idea how to make the VST instruments remain unchanged?

I don't know if FL Studio has something to do it, but it lacks some quite useful features. For example, pitch bends are nearly impossible to do it when making midis. Perhaps I should finally switch over to some other composing program?

Any help helps! Ta.

[Nikolas]

99% your problem is that the midi files contain "program change" info. Try to delete all that info.

Sadly I don't use the program you use, so I can't help you there, but I'm pretty sure that if you find "program change" and delete it you'll be fine.

Alternatively if you can't find it try to delete the 1st bar and see what happens. Usually the program change lies on the first event or bar of the midi track and if you delete that everything will remain unchanged.

As for which program you should use, I use Cubase and there are many others like Logic, Nuendo, Cakewalk, most of which do pretty much the same job. But the cost quiet a lot. I PMed you about it.

[Pet Terry]

Thanks, I'm quite sure that is the problem. It seems to change the VST instrument according to the patch of the midi channel, so for example when the patch 12 in midi is, in Edirol Orchestral's Key & Percussions it's timpani roll. The problem is that I have no idea where I find the program change-info in FL. I'll keep looking.

EDIT: I found a workaround which requires quite a bit of extra work. FL Studio sucks.

[Nikolas]

EDIT: I found a workaround which requires quite a bit of extra work. FL Studio sucks.

Cool! Glad you did!

As for sequencers, I told you: Mainly Cubase and Logic. Nuendo is extremly expensive nad pro for multimedia purposes and I actually didn't even consider downloading it pirated... while I do sometimes other things, this just seems too much to have even for free... (Do I make any sense here. Mods stop me!)

[Vel]

Yes, as Nikolas pointed out, that must have been the problem.
And as a side note, FL studio adds all kinds of midi events at the beginning and at the end of the midi file it has created, like pitch bend sensitivity, volume, pitch bend, etc.