Odd output from Dtabs to Roland DT HD-1 drum tutor software

[ThinAirDesigns]

I am a new drummer and I have been recently using Anvil Studio to create practice pattern 'songs' to be loaded into the Roland DT HD-1 drum tutor softare. While Anvil may be perfectly servicable, I do actually hate the insanely confusing interface as compared to the far more elegent DTab.

For those who may not be familiar with it, the Roland DT HD-1 drum tutor software allows one to load MIDI files into it and then play along on the Roland Vdrums while the software scores you on how well you have done -- sort of more complex, more realistic and less 'gamey' version of Rock Band.  As a learning drummer I find it an insanely useful practice tool.

Yesterday I downloaded the trial version of DTabs and instantly discovered a frustrating behavior:

Below are two double images, each showing a shot of a simple Dtabs score above it's accompanying output in the Drum Tutor software.

In the first image I have filled in the first 3 + beats of the first measure. The output in the Drum Tutor software is as expected.

Image #1



In this second image, I have merely added one more HH note on the 4th beat of the same first measure. The output in Drum Tutor shows an entire 2nd measure added to the 'song'.

Image #2



It matters not the instrument (Bass, snare, etc), it matters not how many measures in the 'song' - in Dtabs, if in the last measure, any note is place after the 3+ beat, it is read in the drum tutor software as tacking an empty measure on the end. This blank measure of course keeps me from creating looping, continuous practice patterns.

The DT HD-1 software loads simple files like this from other authoring tools just fine without this oddity.

This is frustrating since I so dearly love the Dtabs interface as compared to the Anvil interface and want so support the product through purchase.

Suggestions? Thanks
JB

[ThinAirDesigns]

Ok, as a further update:

Here is a image of an illustrative score in Dtabs and what it look like when opened up unedited in Anvil:



It appears that Dtabs is outputting a midi  'quarter note' as each hit and thus it hangs over into the next measure.  This would explain why any note entered into Dtab on the 4+ beat would cause the empty measure, but it doesn't explain why it would do the same on the 4 beat (as that quarter note should fall entirely within it's own measure).  Perhaps the note from Dtabs is just a bit *over* a quarter?

JB

[kevin]

Howdy, some interesting feedback there.    It's been a while since i've looked at the midi exporter, but I wouldn't be surprised if each note is a 1/4 in duration.  Easier to implement like that.    Won't be able to really have a look at this until next week at the earliest really. 

[ThinAirDesigns]

Thanks Kevin.  I went ahead and bought the software 'cause I really, really like it.  For now all I'm doing is when I'm done creating the score in Dtabs, I open in Anvil and replace the one or two notes in the last measure that are screwing my loop up.

I'll be interested in what you find when you get time and hopefully you can find an easy fix.  I'm a programmer myself so I understand the effort that some of these small things can take.

Great product.  Very well done.
JB

[kevin]

Been looking at this problem tonight, and yes it does export all notes a 1/4's.   Although this doesn't seem to be problem in some midi to notation app's i've trying it with, which seem to render them just fine.  Although i'd imagine those app's apply some sort of clean up upon load. 

Will have a go at tweak up the output, but i'm skeptical of how well it'll work..