Re: Aftertouch bug in FTS

Hi there,

I'd like to mention a bug for FTS users.

Hope it is okay to mention it here as I want to get
to anyone who is using the beta, and I know a fair
number do on this list.

If one used the FTS 1.09 beta to record to a midi file as one
played, while playing from a keyboard with aftertouch,
then the midi files one records will probably not play
back correctly.

A keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch will be okay.

The fix is to tick

"In | Options | More Options | When playing midi files,
correct for incorrect channel pressure format in midi
files saved from earlier version of FTS 1.09 Beta preview".

and play your file in the FTS retuning midi player.
You can then record it in FTS as you play it.

No-one has yet reported this bug, but I expect it
applies to a few.

It arose because of a way of processing midi messages that
is appropriate for the Windows API but not for save to a midi
file, and because FTS was using that for any message it didn't know
how to interpret.

It would also be possible to write a little program to change them
all automatically, or add a button to FTS to press
to fix a midi clip saved from the old beta, which
would make it possible to fix them without having
to play them and record them again.

I should also mention that I have fixed the bug
to the extent that the midi save will be okay as
regard timing, but the aftertouch won't yet be
quite as one would want it to be.

One would want it to apply to all notes played then
on - that will need some extra work as the notes
could be relayed to any output channel, and each
midi in channel will have its own level of aftertouch,
which FTS will need to remember, also some other
ramifications to deal with because of some of the
extra features in FTS.

One possiblitiey is to have an option to convert the channel pressure
type aftertouch into polyphonic aftertouch before sending
it on, as then one will be able to
relay notes with varying amounts of aftertouch
simultaneously on the same channels - anything to
help reduce likelyhood of running out of channels.

This is the next thing I'll be working on for a
few days (also needed for the retuning midi player),
and plan to do all the controllers in one go, if
possible.

Beta download page
http://members.tripod.com/~robertinventor/ftsbeta.htm
Also has links to What's new and the bug fixes sections.

Robert