I just created a pattern with 6 scenes by importing 6 different MIDI files to my Montage. The song I am working with has a time signature of 7/4. I created the MIDI files by exporting them from Cubase 11 Pro.

The pattern scenes all imported with a 4/4 time signature. I then had to go through all 6 scenes manually and change each scene’s signature to 7/4 by hitting Record, changing the time signature, and then hitting Stop.

This was surprising because the Cubase project has its time signature set to 7/4. I would have hoped that the MIDI files would have had that same time signature. Was there something I could have done in Cubase to make the MIDI files import as 7/4? Was there anything I could have done on the Montage?

Hi Michael,
Here’s how you might approach this to get the results you desire. You want to import your Cubase data to the MONTAGE to the linear “MIDI Song” feature. This will allow the linear structure used by the DAW to translate to the MONTAGE sequencer (linear-to-linear). This method will include the Time Signature, the Tempo, and any Time Signature changes that occur in the Cubase data.

Once the data is loaded to a MONTAGE “SONG” you can use the Pattern’s “Edit/Job” function, to split the data into empty MONTAGE Pattern Scenes. Below we’ll show you how to prepare each Scene for the data.
Caution - the following limitations are in affect:
All measures of any one Pattern Scene will share one Time Signature
All Scenes of a Pattern share the same (current) Tempo.

From the HOME screen of the Performance you are using
You are going to grab the measures from the linear Song, and use them to create the Pattern Scene.

If you have separate files for each… instead of loading each .mid file directly to a Pattern, load them to a Song (or it might be better to assemble all the different sequences into one long entity while still in Cubase — then divide them into Scenes after loading them to a MONTAGE Song).

When you record in the DAW (Cubase Pro 11) you should record (or assemble) a linear song structure, you’ll want to bring the entire structure into the MONTAGE as a MIDI Song, then divide the MONTAGE Song into Patterns.

When creating Pattern Scenes from Song data… create the Pattern Scene (empty). Here’s how:
You’re going to create the framework for the Scene by calling up an empty Pattern…
Set the Time Signature and Length
This will create an empty Scene ready to receive your data.

Here’s how:
Say your first Pattern Scene is 8 measures of 7/4
From the HOME screen
Press [RECORD]
Touch “Pattern”
This should recall an empty Pattern, Scene 1
Set the Time Signature = 7/4
Set the Length = 8 measures
Press [STOP]

Now you can use the “Edit/Job” > “Song/Event” > “Get Phrase” Job to grab the first 8 measures of 7/4 to fill the Scene 1 structure you’ve created.

Your Song appears at top portion of the screen
Set the measure range

Your target Pattern and Scene destination appear at bottom.

Execute.
Rinse and repeat for each Scene, setting the appropriate Measure range.

Let us know.

I just tried what you suggested and it works.

It seems, though, that I still have to set the time signature manually for each Scene of the Pattern. And yet, the time signature is specified in the MIDI file because it comes up 7/4 when I import the MIDI file as a Song.

I think a useful feature request would be to have the Load .mid File feature of the Pattern editor pay attention to the time signature specified by the MIDI file. Would Ideascale be the right place to suggest this? If not, where else?