FreeStyle lets you import Standard MIDI files into Sections in a Document. This is Especially useful for transferring sequences from other sequencers into FreeStyle. Selecting Import into section displays a standard open file dialog. FreeStyle then lets you match the tracks in the Standard MIDI File with the Players in your Document. Unlike opening a Standard MIDI File from scratch, when you import into an existing document you have the option of either assigning a track to an existing player, or of creating a player from a player template. The standard MIID file will appear as a new section in the current document.
If you are having trouble importing complex sequences: Many sequencers let you work with “sections”, “chunks” or “sub-sequences”. The Standard MIDI File format has no provision for storing multiple sections within a single file. The answer is to save multiple files, one for each section in your sequence. FreeStyle lets you import all of these SMFs at once using the “Import into section” feature.
Here’s an example describing exporting a group of files from Performer, and importing them into FreeStyle.
In Performer, pick one section to be the “master section”. The master section should have the basic track layout of the entire document, should have program changes at the start of each track, and should define a tempo and meter. Export this section by making it the play enabled section, and using “Save As” to save it as a type 1 Standard MIDI file.
Now in the finder create a folder named “My sequence chunks”. Save each of the other sections as a Standard MIDI file in this folder.
In FreeStyle using the “open” command in the file menu, open up the “master” file. Choose appropriate player templates for each of the tracks in the master file. This will create a document with the same layout, tempo and time signature as the master file. Next, import all the other sections using the “Import into section” command in the file menu. To import all the SMFs at once, check the “Import all in folder” check box in the open dialog.
