Any Rick Wakeman fans in the group?

[wally]

I'm starting to get my fingers around Rick Wakeman's "Merlin" from his "Legend of King Arthur" album, and I found a very nice MIDI of the piece that I can use to follow the lights. However, the MIDI file I have has the piano divided across six tracks. I need to have it consolidated into two tracks for left and right hand, but my copy of Cakewalk is honked up on my PC.

I haven't yet become proficient at using the CVP's own capability for consolidating the tracks -- I have done this kind of thing on my CVP-96, but haven't investigated this feature on the 209. Any advice on how to approach using the CVP to do this? Or, should I give up on this approach and get Cakewalk working again?

[ClavinovaGuy]

Hey Wally,

It's pretty easy to combine tracks on the 209. Let's imagine that you want to combine tracks 1 and 2, creating a new track 7. To do that, go into Digital Recording, Song Creator, and do the following:

1). Go to the CHANNEL tab
2). Scroll down to "MIX"
3). Choose "1" in SOURCE 1
4). Choose "2" in SOURCE 2
5). Choose "7" in DESTINATION
6). Press "EXECUTE"
7). Save

If you need to combine another track with the newly-created track 7, you'd just go through the same process, using track 7 as one of the sources.

Hope that helps. Post it when you're done ;)

[wally]

Thanks, Clav.

But, actually, I knew that part. What I'm looking for is a bit more complex. How can I take the music from Track 3, between measures 46 and 59 and mix it to the same measures in Track 1; then take the music between measures 60 and 72 from Track 3, and mix it to the same measures in Track 2?

[ClavinovaGuy]

Owwwww - that gives me a headache - LOL!

Well, the cheap and sleazy way to do it might be to make a copy of the tracks you want to copy those measures from, and in the copy, delete everything except for those measures. Then do the MIX. It's a little putzy to do all those deletes on the 209, but doable. Might be quicker to do that in a PC midi editor.

BTW, I'm ecstatic. Just heard from Yamaha, and they're going to replace my keybed. The key breakage problems have been the only thing that detracts from an otherwise amazing instrument.

[wally]

Alright, I got Cakewalk (Home Studio 2002) working again on my PC, but I'm feeling MIGHTY discouraged. As I described previously in this thread, I'm trying to copy notes from track 3 and merge them to the same measures in track 1. But, I'm not making good progress. I haven't been able to figure out how to do such a simple thing in Cakewalk.

Anyone got the magic decoder ring?:confused: :confused: :confused:

[Midi Magic]

Hi Wally

I don't know cakewalk that well :confused: in fact I always use Notator :) on my old Atari. It is still the best software for music. I could do that in 30 seconds using that software. :) Still that does not help you. :mad:

How about making a copy of the track you want on to a spare track. Then, delete all of the notes expect the ones you want to keep. Then either use cakewalk or the CVP to merge the new spare track with the one you want the new notes on.

[lasershow2000]

Wally --

Wish I could help you out with the Cakewalk problem. I can combine 2 tracks on my 207 but that's the limit of my MIDI track-combining ability.

I just had to chime in when I saw the title of your post. I am a big Wakeman fan, mostly "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" and "King Arthur", though "6 Wives" and his Yes work is always enjoyable. I did find "Return to the Centre of the Earth" was practically unlistenable, though.

My 7-year-old son also likes "King Arthur" and especially "Journey" -- maybe because they are so over the top and cinematic.

Do you have a MIDI of "Journey"? I found one that ends about 3/4 of the way through. It is not perfect, but still very pleasant to play along with (or TRY to play along with ;).

Best of luck with "Merlin"!

[Midi Magic]

Hi

I have never found any Rick Wakeman Midi files but I have found a great site for ELP - Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I just love their Pictures at an Exhibition.

http://home.modemss.brisnet.org.au/~mlevoi/elp.html

[Midi Magic]

Hi Wally

Have you seen this midi site?

http://home.maine.rr.com/abajoran/midis.htm

It has a lot of Rick's songs on it.

[wally]

Thanks, Midi. Yes, that's the site I got the Wakeman files from. They're not the best quality files, but I only use them for "following the lights," and just about any file is good for that.

Also, thanks for the ELP link. I used to be a fanatical ELP nut, and used to play several of their songs.