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Topic: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths (Read 11355 times) previous topic - next topic

MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

** Note ** I know this isn't really related to Noteworthy, but I figured I would post here anyway. Many people have had problems with MIDI to wave (including myself, took 2 years to figure this out) and hopefully this will be a solution that others can use. Use at your own risk! :)
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1) To download the Yamaha SYXG midi driver, go to (http://www.yamaha-xg.com/ssynth/index.html))
Install it, then continue

2) After having a wavetable MIDI driver installed, go to
(http://www.ntonyx.com/vac.html))
and download the virtual audio cable. Install this program, then continue

3) For a wave editor, go to
(http://www.goldwave.com/release.html))
(Or use another program of your choice)

4) Open the control panel (My Computer / Control Panel) then click on Multimedia

5) Under the Audio tab, change the Playback device to "Virtual Cable 1 Out" and change the Recording Device to "Virtual Cable 1 In"

6) Click the MIDI tab and make sure that the Yamaha (or other softsynth) is selected

7) Open Noteworthy Composer (or other MIDI program) and select the song you want to record -- Make SURE you know the duration of your song

8) Open GoldWave (or other program) and click on File / New. Type the length of your song (plus a few seconds) and hit OK

9) A window should pop up labeled "Device Controls" -- if not, click on Tools / Device Controls

10) In the device controls window there should be a small icon that looks like a dot and a checkmark, click that and go to Device. Set the Output and Input to the "Virtual Cable 1 Out / In" respectively

11) Hit record on the device controls window and switch over to Noteworthy (this is why you need a few extra seconds) - hit play in Noteworthy.
** NOTE ** If you can hear your song playing through the speakers, you have done something wrong. Make sure the Multimedia settings in the Control Panel were done before any other programs were opened.

12) After your song is over, you can save it as a wave file, then convert to MP3 if you wish. A good converter is AudioCatalyst. It can be downloaded here:
(http://www.xingtech.com))
Click on MP3 Audio, then go to "Purchase and Download Now"

To get your sound back, go to Control Panel / Multimedia and change the "Virtual Cable" settings in Playback and Record to their default
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If anyone has any additions or corrections, please let me know. Good luck!
-joe

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #1 –
Ohmigod, isn't there a simple way to do this. So many acronyms, drivers, converters, editors, correct and incorrect sequences, files, codes and to top it all there seems to be 127 shareware options. I just want to convert my lil ol midi file to wav so I can burn it to cd.
Ron

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #2 –
Joe Eidson's posting is quite helpful. For those of you who don't understand why it is so complicated: "Converting" MIDI to WAV is like "converting" sheet music to sound at your local bistro. To do the latter, you have to hire a band with the proper instruments. To do the former, you need software that can access a digital database of musical instrument sounds (if you have one), or synthesize them digitally (if you don't).

This is very unlike, say "converting" an MS Word document into Wordperfect format; in this case, the fundamental information is much the same, only how it is arranged in the file is different.

There are a variety of software programs that can "convert" MIDI to WAV, with more or less acceptable results, depending upon the versatility of the sound database or synthesisis. Those of us who already have such capability would know it. Joe E's posting provides a (relatively) simple and not-too-bad-sounding method, for those of us who don't already have the capability.

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #3 –
NO you just have to download winamp.
There you go to the output otions an choose the "cd writer output plugin". In that way you can convert your files much easier......

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #4 –
my god... you people have to make this seem harder than it already is. just list a freeware midi to wav converter!

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #5 –
Musicmatch Jukebox freeware version.

Now how to do it could be a little harder!

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #6 –
OK
Some one tell me how to use musicmatch to play midi files?
????

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #7 –
You can't use Musicmatch to play the midi file but you can use it to record the playback from a midi player as an mp3 by setting the Source as the system mixer and Output to mp3 - bitrate of your choice.
Make sure the mixer is set to record midi.
Play your midi through a midi player and record in Musicmatch. (Thanks to Steve Pearson for this tip).

Full function sequencers and some soft synths (VSC) can produce a wav file from midi playback.
There is no software where you click a button and the midi file gets converted to mp3.
It must be recorded from playback.
There are software converters like Audio Compositor that render midi files to wave but even these are slow.
It's easier to record the midi file to .wav in a wave editor like Cool Edit or the Windows wave editor and then convert to mp3. Musicmatch does the conversion between wav and mp3 quite well.

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #8 –
OOHH!...I PUT MY COMPUTER TO PLAY SOME MIDI SONG.THEN I INSTALL MY CASETTE RECORDER IN MY SOUND CARD AUDIO OUT{I USE MY COMPUTER}I USE 1/4 CONNETOR CABLE AND TWO MALES
IN MY CASETTE RECORDER. THIS PRODUCE MP2 FILE. THEN CON-
VERT IT TO MP3 OR WAVE USING FILE SELECTOR. BY THIS WAY
I MAKE CD FROM LP OR CASETTES. AND DRINK A CUP OF COFFE.
REMEMBER TO USE DB POWERAMP MUSIC CONVERTER FROM  ILUSTRATE.

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #9 –
A program called WinGroove converts MIDI to WAV well. I used to use it all the time.

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #11 –
Please correct me if I'm wrong.  (But make sure that the Caps Lock key hasn't been pressed first.)

My understanding has been that if you don't use a software wave generator as described in the first post of this thread, but instead use your soundcard and winamp or some other software to capture the output, you will be running the signal through the soundcards d-to-a converter and then back through its a-to-d converter, with concommitant loss of accuracy.

This could be particularly true with the Creative Live! series, as they are 48kHz internally, and if you want 44.1kHz (as for a CD) there will be an additional re-sampling step which can introduce various artifacts into the resulting wave file.

Cyril

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #12 –
The Apple QuickTime Player Pro (not the free version, but the one that costs $29.95) can internally record MIDI to WAV, and many other formats such as MP3, using its own wavetables.

The way to do it is tricky: Start the Player, "open movie" of type "audio file", and choose your MIDI file. Then "convert" it to QuickTime "movie". From there, "export" the movie to an audio file of type AIFF at best fidelity (44khz, 16-bit stereo or mon if you prefer). Then, open "open movie" of type "audio File" and choose the AIFF file you just created. Now, "export" the AIFF file to an audio file of type WAV (or MP3, or whatever) at the fidelity of your choice.

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #13 –
Cyril - you are correct

that is a really bad way of doing that (although not as bad as holding a microphone up to your speakers)

Using a software program that directly outputs the MIDI file to WAV is the way to go. The trick is finding the one that sounds the best and is cheap/easy to use. Wingroove may not sound the best (good though), but it's virtually free and easy to use.

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #14 –
 
The method offered in the user tip is not advocated to be the best anyway. Just a simple one.

I tried Audio Compositor for instance. It can use a single set of soundfonts only and produces irresistible noise. I guess it magnifies the noise levels found in the sf's samples.

On SB Live, I have found the full-duplex recording method acceptable so far.

I'll be glad if you submit your opinions to the mentioned user tip for the benefit of future readers.
 

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #15 –
I just used MusicMatch to record a MIDI file I was playing with Noteworthy - quick, painless, free.  Make sure the mixer record setting is set to Record MIDI and go.

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #16 –
I made my wav. file by going into noteworthy and opening my
saved song and started playing it and then clicking on my sound recorder.

Sound recorder is found on START menu on my computer.

Then, after playing I clicked SAVEAS on my sound recorder and it saved my composition under documents which can be found under PROGRAMS from the start menu and played there also by pressing F5.

Then, to make my CD I downloaded the Real One Player.  Go to Make your own CD's and try to find AUDIO.  Save your composition in audio first of Real one Player.

Then, just put in a blank music CD and click on your track and your composition in the BURN CD section of Real one Player.

Now you have saved your composition to your blank CD.

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #17 –
When some of the MusicMatch users say "set the mixer record setting to Record MIDI", what exactly do you mean by "mixer record setting"?  I am having trouble finding that setting.  Maybe win2000 is different in this mixer thing?  Please help.  Thanks!!

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #18 –
Do you have a speaker icon in the system tray in W2000.
If so right-click on this icon and open the volume controls.
Click on Options > Properties> Recording and enable the MIDI box.

That's how it works in W98.

In Musicmatch select System Mixer as your recording source!

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #19 –
Thanks Barry for the help.  Yes, Win2000 has the volume control, but in the properties dialog box under recording, there is no MIDI box.  So I guess it is different.  I will try some more.

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #20 –
just get modplug tracker.

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #22 –
Why make this sound so hard. Simply play your midi file through what ever and record it on your computors  basic sound recorder

Re: MIDI to WAVE - instructions for wavetable synths

Reply #23 –
Mainly because, if you have a collection of songs that lasts 30 minutes, it will take 30 minutes to record it, whereas Timidity and similar programs will allow you to do it in a few seconds.
Also lots of topics on this forum have pointed out the shortcomings of the built-in Windows recorder.

RObin