Hello,
First post here!
I’m checking out the trial of Cantabile and I’ve made some headway with some basic stuff like controlling Helix Native with my midi foot controller. My goal is to be able to run media players for backing tracks and midi tracks to automate Helix Native. Here is my issue, I have a song that has a bridge section that’s 150 BPM while the rest of the song is at 120 BPM. Also when I transition from the bridge back into the end of the song it slows down gradually over one bar from 150 BPM to 120 BPM. I would love to know how to get everything in sync if possible. As of now my midi automation gets out of sync at the bridge when the tempo gets faster because Cantabile’s metronome stays at 120 BPM. I thought I could just create states (120bpm section > 150bpm section > end section 120bpm) and set their behaviors with the BPM changes and with bindings change the states which would change the metronomes BPM. Everything does change but not the metronome (click). The audio and midi tracks were made in Studio One 5 and it’s easy to just have a tempo track to do this and everything stays in sync. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Leroy 
Hi. In your DAW export a MIDI file that has tempo information in. Set that as your master track and Cantabile will follow the tempo and time signature info embedded within it.
Hi Derek,
I did that and had no luck but… I just figured out that if I put a midi drum loop in a instrument track in the Studio One timeline and duplicate it through the whole song then “save as” a midi file Cantabile will follow and trigger my Helix as long as the “Master” midi media player is chosen in the Master Transport window.
Hey Leroy and Welcome!
Derek is telling it right. The media player that is set to “Master” and is loaded with a MIDI track that has tempo changes mapped into it will control the tempo of the transport and metronome of Cantabile. It sounds like the tempo mapping in Studio One did not print to the MIDI file. I’m not sure if you can upload the MIDI file (in a zip container) but if you can I can check it here for a second look.
Hope we can resolve it because Cantabile should do what you wish to do I think.
Dave
Hi Dave,
Thanks for you reply. I was able to get it working by doing what I mentioned in my last reply to @Derek. It looks like a Studio One midi track with just cc massages doesn’t have tempo info and won’t allow Cantabile to follow the Master track if its got tempo changes in the song. Its got to have actual midi notes in the track to export the tempo info. Now I’m going to try a build a basic set list with the audio and metronome going to separate outputs and midi automation tracks.
Thanks
Leroy
Hi, Leroy.
Apologies, but I was writing the above in haste whilst trying to get out of the door. You are quite correct that you need some other MIDI events in the track for most DAWs to export the tempo/timing info as well. Certainly true for Cubase anyway.
Normally my master track is also the one I have have sequenced note data in for my DMXIS light show triggers (which uses MIDI note numbers to select different light cues you have programmed).
So, by default, I have note data in there and it all works.
The only other thing to watch (true for Cubase) is to ensure that you master track is as at least as long as the slaved tracks, otherwise the slaved tracks will cut out when the master track finishes as the master track stops the Cantabile transport when it stops itself. (unless there is a way of stopping that I don’t know about, and allowing the slave tracks to run to completion?)
So for my DMXIS scenario, I simply ensure that I have a repeat of the last note used for the light cue right at the end of the track that is just beyond the slave tracks (I have them all set up in Cubase first before doing the exports for Cantabile). That way you guarantee that all media player tracks play to the end.
It is not a problem at track start, it is only when there are no more events in the track - this is when the transport stops.
HTH
No worries, thanks for the tip on the midi track length too its good to know!