I hope this is the best place to post this. I have some MIDI files of piano concertos that I can play on my digital piano. However, if track 1 and 2 are used (they usually are), I have to move heaven and earth to find an empty track where I can "play along" with the other tracks. It would be so much easier to play along if I had either Track 1 or Track 2 empty. Is there some cheap[/b] software out there that will simply move the info on one track to another track in that same MIDI file? That's really all I want to do! Thanks to anyone for helping me out.

Rick

Hi Rick,
It would be helpful to know how you are currently playing your MIDI files. It sounds like you're playing the files from your digital piano. Is that correct? Could you tell us more about your digital piano? Also, when you refer to track 1 and 2, do you know if the information on those tracks are being played back on two different MIDI channels? (I suspect that they are)

Most multitimbral keyboards (keyboards that can play more than one sound/MIDI channel at a time) should be able to do what you're trying to do. However, there may be a polyphony (how many notes your keyboard will play at once) limitation. It's hard to help you without more information.

Steve,
Speaking of recording, can the "new" CD recorders/players that are available now, be plugged directly into a keyboard (Kurzweil PC88) for recording on to the CD? (like I've done many times with a cassette deck) Thanks for your time.

I read your profile you have a technics right?

I just hope that your digital piano has this function.This should work.

A) Load your MIDI file into your piano.
B) Go to the Sequencer menu and try to find something like COPY TRACK TO TRACK.
C) Copy Track one to an empty track except for track ten.
D) Find DELETE TRACK and erase the track one.
E) Then save it into a new disk.

By the way,
I re-read your post and I realized that you don't need an empty track to play with the other tracks.
You can just play on top of the music play by the sequencer or mute those tracks with the parts that you want to play.

Hi Eldon,
Yes, most CD recorders can indeed record a direct signal from a digital piano. Although there are many fine models available, I recommend the Tascam units -- my experience with them has been very positive. A good yet inexpensive model would be the CD-RW4U.

One note: these units will not record an acoustic piano by themselves (I know that's not what you asked). However, with a small mixer and at least one condensor mic, making a decent recording of an acoustic piano on CD is possible as well.

Regarding Rick's situation, iyi bir piano might be right. But I'd still like to know more about his set-up (I don't know much about Technics digitals). If his keyboard doesn't allow for more than 2 sounds (2-part multitimbral), then he's right -- he needs to merge the two tracks which would free up one part for him to use while playing along.

Iyi,
It would be nice if I could do that, but something tells me I won't be able to. But you have the right idea. I just thought I would do this "channel switching" on the PC.

Steve,

I have plenty of sounds. And my terminology is probably bad. But I think that each of the 16 tracks that shows up on my display correspond to a MIDI channel. For a given file, there are always some tracks left open. I can play along on those tracks, but with severe limitations. For instance, after setting the sound for that track to piano, etc, you hit start and begin playing. If I want to hit stop for any reason, I have to immediately reset all those settings (including the volume!) for that track!! If I could play along on Track 1, then that doesn't happen (it's like the default sound setting anyway). I can stop and start all I want, with no repercussions. Hope this helps. Thanks.

Rick,

You can download and try a free sample of Noteworthy composer at this link

http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/composer/evaluate.htm

Normal convention is for the "MIDI" right hand to be on track 1 and the "MIDI" left hand on track 2.

Since track 1 and track 2 are "playing" the smae instrument (technically have the same patch) there is no reason that the two of these can't be combined on to track 2 and play together leaving track 1 open for you.

Brian