--- name: "midicopy" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "abcmidi" version: "2026_10_09-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/midicopy" --- # midicopy(1) Copy selected track, channel, time interval of a MIDI file to another MIDI file ## NAME midicopy - Copy selected track, channel, time interval of a MIDI file to another MIDI file ## SYNOPSIS **midicopy** \[**-ver**\] \[**-trks** *n1,n2,..*\] \[**-xtrks** *n1,n2,..*\] \[**-xchns** *n1,n2,..*\] \[**-chans** *n1,n2,...*\] \[**-from** *n (in midi ticks)*\] \[**-to** *n (in midi ticks)*\] \[**-fromsec %f** *n (in seconds)*\] \[**-tosec** *n (in seconds)*\] \[**-frombeat %f** *n (in beats)*\] \[**-tobeat** *n (in beats)*\] \[**-replace** *trk,loc,val*\] \[**-tempo %n**\] \[**-speed %f**\] \[**-drumfocus** *n m\] \[***-mutenodrum \[%d\]***\] \[***-setdrumloudness** *n m\] \[***-focusontrack** *n1,n2,... (from 1)\] \[***-focusonchannel** *n1,n2,... (from 1)\] \[***-attenuation** *n\] \[***-nobends***\] \[***-indrums** *n1,n2,...\] \[***-xdrums** *n1,n2,...\] \[***-onlydrums***\] \[***-nodrums***\] \[***-transpose** *n (semitones)\] input.mid output.mid* ## DESCRIPTION **midicopy** *is used to copy part of a MIDI file to another MIDI file. You can select* *a particular time interval, particular channels, and particular tracks* *or any combinations. If one or both of the run time parameters -from or -to* *are included, the program returns the playing time in seconds of the* *output file. Midicopy was developed by Seymour Shlien from the* *midifilelib distribution available from* *http://www.harmony-central.com/MIDI/midifilelib.tar.gz*. ## OPTIONS - **-ver** *prints version number and then exits* - **-trks n1,n2, etc** *Selects the tracks to be copied where the track numbers start* *from 1. If more than one track is specified, they should be separated by* *commas. You should always copy track 1 since by convention it contains* *information pertinent to all the other tracks. By default all tracks* *are copied unless you specify particular tracks using this run time* *parameter.* - **-xtrks n1,n2, etc** *Lists the tracks to exclude from copying. All other tracks are copied.* *This option does not work in combination with -trks.* - **-xchns n1,n2, etc** *Lists the channels to exclude from copying. All other channels are copied.* *This option does not work in combination with -chns.* - **-chns n** *Like above, it specifies the MIDI channels to be copied. By default* *all channels are copied. Channel numbers also start from 1.* - **-from n** *The program will copy all MIDI commands starting from midi pulse* *number n. By default it will start from time zero or the beginning* *of the MIDI file.* - **-to n** *Stops copying all events after midi pulse number n. By default* *the file is copied to the end.* - **-frombeat n** *The program will copy all MIDI commands starting from quarter beat* *number n. By default it will start from time zero or the beginning* *of the MIDI file.* - **-tobeat n** *Stops copying all events after quarter beat number n. By default* *the file is copied to the end.* - **-fromsec n** *The program will copy all MIDI commands starting from time n* *in seconds.* - **-tosec n** *Stops copying all events after time n in seconds. These two* *options (-fromsec and -tosec) do not work accurately if the* *MIDI file has more than one tempo command. Only the first* *one is used for converting seconds into MIDI pulse units.* *It is therefore preferable to use the -from and -to options.* - **-replace trk,loc,val** *This option should be used alone. Midicopy will copy the entire* *file verbatim except it will replace a byte by val, where the* *byte is located in the specified track (trk) and specified position* *(loc). Commonly this function is used for changing a particular* *MIDI program number (instrument) associated with a channel.* *You need to know the byte count in the track of that parameter* *in order to use this function,* - **-tempo quarter notes/minute** *All tempo indications in the midi file will be replaced with* *the above value.* - **-speed factor** *All tempo indications in the midi file will be multiplied with* *this factor. Values greater than 1.0 will speed up the music while* *lower values slow the music. The factor is a floating point value.* - **-drumfocus drum-code excluded\_drum\_velocities** *The selected drum line (specified by the drum-code pitch value) is* *highlighted by reducing the loudness of all other drum lines to* *the excluded\_drum\_velocities value. The drum-code value must* *be in the range of 35 to 81 inclusive.* - **-mutenodrum \[level\]** *All channels which are not 9 (drum channel) are attenuated to the* *given level. If level is not specified, it is assumed to be zero.* - **-setdrumloudness n m** *where n is between 35 to 81 inclusive and m is the loudness between* *0 and 127. The loudness of all instances of drum n are changed* *to m.* - **-focusontrack n1,n2,...** *The velocities of notes in all tracks except n are attenuated.* - **-focusonchannel n1,n2,...** *The velocities of notes in all channels except n are attenuated.* - **-attenuation n** *Specifies the amount the note velocities are reduced by either* *-focusontracks or -focusonchannels. Current default is 70.* - **-nobends** *Suppresses all channel pitchbend commands.* - **-indrums n1,n2,...** *Only allow percussions with codes n1,n2,...* - **-xdrums n1,n2,...** *Exclude the percussions with codes n1,n2,...* - **-onlydrums** *Only copy the percussion channel.* - **-nodrums** *Copy all channels except the percussion channel.* - **-transpose n (semitones)** *Transpose pitch for all channels except the percussion by n semitones.* ## EXAMPLE **midicopy.exe -trks 1,5 -from 2669 -to 8634 uzicko.mid fragment.mid** *Midicopy will copy tracks 1 and 5 starting from midi pulse position* *2669 and ending at MIDI pulse position 8634.* ## SEE ALSO *abcmtex*(1), [*abc2abc*(1)](/abc2abc/1.md), [*abc2midi*(1)](/abc2midi/1.md), [*midi2abc*(1)](/midi2abc/1.md) *,*yaps*(1)* ## AUTHOR *This manual page was written by Seymour Shlien.* ## VERSION *This man page describes midicopy version 1.40 from August 11 2024.*