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View Full Version : Tracks Staves and Channels


David Teall (medman)
07-25-2007, 11:10 AM
I have been using Composer for some time now, but I've suddenly hit a blind spot on terminology when using my MIDI files created with Composer on other MIDI equipment.

Lots of printed information in MIDI files refers to Tracks. I seem to remember from the first version of Composer that MIDI Tracks and Composer Staves are the same thing. Have I remembered correctly? Can you have an unlimited number of Tracks/Staves in a MIDI file?

As I understand it, a Channel is nothing more than a label attached to a Track/Staff that enables it to be intercepted and played back by a specific MIDI player. Is that correct? As I always play my files through a Yamaha Keyboard or a Backtracker MIDI player, both of which handle all the Channels and all the Voices, does it actually matter which Channel is assigned to which Track/Staff?

Are there any conventions on assigning channels? On downloaded MIDI files, Channel 1 often contains no music - it's just blank. Why is that? My Backtracker can mute a chosen Track which appears to default to Track 4? Is there some convention to put the Melody in Track 4?

Sherry Crann (sherry)
07-25-2007, 08:01 PM
Howdy David,

Tracks are indeed the same thing as staves, but we changed to the term "Staff" because most musicians understand "staff" readily, but "track" is not as notation-oriented.

For most MIDI players, the channel assignment won't matter, but for some sound libraries (such as Garritan Personal Orchestra) it will matter.

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On downloaded MIDI files, Channel 1 often contains no music - it's just blank. Why is that?
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I think you may mean "Track/staff 1". I see that a lot, as well, and I think it's because often folks will use that track to keep information about the file, such as the file name, the author, and other attributes about the file.

I'm not sure about the history of the convention of putting the melody in the 4th staff, except to say that I've noticed that as well. Maybe someone else can enlighten us both here http://www.notation.com/discus/clipart/happy.gif

ttfn,
Sherry