MIDI with inseparable LH/RH

[longtalker]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm trying to learn a Bach choral for the piano using the Learning Mode (3-step lesson) on my keyboard (a Casio LK-215). I found a MIDI that sounds very much like the original piece, but when starting it in Learning Mode (e.g. the "Step 2" button), the left- and right-hand parts are not separated but they are on the same track, such that I cannot rehearse the two hands separately.

 

I played around with the "Navi. Ch" option - usually, setting it from its original value of 4 to a 2 enables MIDIs that are written with LH and RH on two separate staves to also have "separable hands" in Learning Mode. But any values I tried led to the same result, i.e. all notes on a single channel/track. If I open the MIDI in MuseScore, the notes appear to be all over the place, and not separated into RH and LH staves - but on the other hand, so do other MIDIs which *do* have separable LH and RH parts!

 

Also, strangely, some of the keys that light up when I start the piece in Learning Mode are NOT in the piece when you play back the MIDI normally, and don't really make any sense in there (they're in the wrong key).

 

Any suggestions on how to "fix" this MIDI (uploaded here) and make it usable with the Learning Mode would be *very much* appreciated - thank you in advance!

 

[Brad Saucier]

Hi longtalker,

Download AP60 (1) from here

 

http://www.casio.com/support/driverdownloads/musical_instruments.html

 

 

The zip file contains a midi file "JESUSBLE"   Set navi. channel to > 2.

I hope that helps.
 

[longtalker]

Hi Brad, thanks for your suggestion, however that MIDI is (i) an incomplete version of the choral, and (ii) not scored for piano, so the harmonies are simplified by comparison to the version I had, and which I uploaded.

 

Could you please tell me how I can make the LH and RH parts separable on the keyboard, assuming that they are somehow separable also in the internal structure of the MIDI I uploaded?

 

Thanks!

[Brad Saucier]

Hi longtalker,  

 

I was concerned that you might want a full version of the score but the one I suggested is all I could come up with.  Perhaps some more searching could turn up something.  

 

The file that your in need of will contain the right hand part on one track (any # other than 1) and the left hand part on the next lower track. This is how the LK-215 knows the left from right hand.  The NAVI CH setting tells the keyboard where to look for the right hand channel.  It then automatically looks for left hand data on the next lower channel.  Your midi file compiles all of the piano data into one track (track 1). The LK-215 cannot distinguish left from right in this case.  

 

About fixing your file:  It would be very difficult, I'd say almost impossible, to properly separate the notes of that single track into left and right hand tracks.  Maybe there is some software out there that can do it. I don't know of any.  I would suggest continuing to search for a midi file that is recorded as two tracks (left hand and right hand).

 

I hope this helps.

[longtalker]

Thanks very much for your helpful reply Brad. I was hoping that this would be another example of a MIDI that *appears* to be recorded on a single track when opened in music notation software, but then play LH and RH separately on the keyboard (with setting navi ch.=2).

 

I guess it's now a matter of either finding software that can separate the notes (most lilely doesnt exist), doing it manually, or finding another MIDI of this piece (although I've searched all over already).

 

I'd be prepared to learn both LH and RH at the same time, unseparated, but there's also the problem of random notes lighting up when I use the MIDI in Lesson Mode, notes that otherwise can't be heard when I just play back the MIDI !

[Brad Saucier]

Your midi file was showing some controller data along with the note data.  My guess is the Lesson system might be misinterpreting some of that data as notes and as a result some keys are lighting that should not be.  Although I would think Casio has engineered the thing to ignore controller data.  IDK It's a theory.

 

Try this. It isn't what you really need but it's worth a shot.

 

http://www.jsbchorales.net/sets.shtml

 

Its a zip set.  There are two midi files starting with 0147 in there that's the choral.  These are 8 track recordings.  You will have to keep changing the Navi Ch to get all of it to show up.  It starts with channel 8 down to 5 and jumps to another 4 tracks.  It's confusing but it's something.  

 

Sorry I couldn't help more.

[longtalker]

Wow, thanks, I thought I'd dug up every MIDI version of this, but apparently there really are many of them!

 

This version is interesting, as you say it's divided into 8 tracks/channels, which show up nice and separate in MuseScore (see attached) and they also play separately, upon setting the right Navi Ch. It's not ready to be used in lesson mode simply because the part of each hand is divided (for some reason) into different voices, but I guess it's now just a question of inferring which 4 channels need to be united to form the LH, and which (remaining) 4 should merge to create the RH. I've done this before with MuseScore, now I just need to figure out which notes should go to which hand.

 

Thanks again, I really appreciate your help!