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Topic: Midi to MP3 problem (Read 4241 times) previous topic - next topic

Midi to MP3 problem

I tried to convert a midi sequence into an mp3 file according to method given by Barry Graham in the user tips under midi to mp3 Reply #7, but was unsuccessful.  He uses musicmatch jukebox which records the midi file as it plays from NWC, and converts it into (Wave?). I can't seem to figure out how to set midi as the recording source in the windows volume control mixer as per his instructions. I am using Windows XP and have a  Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card. Can anyone help.
Many thanks. e-mail add is Fitzclan6@aol.com  or leave message on user tips. Thanks again.

Re: Midi to MP3 problem

Reply #3 –
Marsu,
Thanks for the reply. You were right, I meant to say forum not user tips. Still haven't resolved my problem though. Awful tired of reading at this point. Something tells me that Fred N. might have some info although from what I've read he uses Cool-edit.  I'm a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to computers. If I don't have concise instructions in understandable language, I'm afraid I get lost pretty quick. The tip you pointed me to assumes that I know more than I do about this contraption. I would still like to know about the Musicmatch thing as I already have the program and have been able to understand the mechanism well enough. The problem I have seems very simple to overcome if someone who uses Musicmatch could walk me through setting the recording source to midi in the windows volume control mixer.

Re: Midi to MP3 problem

Reply #4 –
Hi Duncan,

Heard my ears ringing... :)

The issue is not, I think which bit of recording software is used; whether it's CoolEdit or MusicMatch or even the awful SoundRecorder, you still have to get the midi audio into the computer's "wave device."

I think NoteWorthy Support pretty much "pinned down" your problem. Here's what I'd suggest: Start a longish file playing in NWC or in your midi-player of choice. Now bring up the mixer applet (double-click the little speaker icon in your taskbar). Click Options -> Properties. Click the "Recording" button. You'll see a window that says "Show the following volume controls" with checkboxes for each. Check them all for now, click OK.

At this point you'll see a bunch of volume control "sliders", with little checkboxes under them. Check/uncheck them one by one, until you find the one that starts the little "LED VU meter" next to the slider lighting up. This will be your midi recording device. It might be called "Midi" or it might (as on my system) share the input with the "Line" or "CD" slider. In any event there's not much point in proceeding until you've got signal to this point, as indicated by the LED "lights" next the the slider in question.

Got it so far? Now go back to MusicMatch or other wav recorder/editor.

Good luck!
Fred

Re: Midi to MP3 problem

Reply #5 –
Hey Fred,
Thanks for your help.  I wasn't sure wether or not you'd pick up on that mention or not. Glad you did. Even with NoteWorthy Support I may not have gotten it.
Just a note for others with the same problem though, On my mixer applet(Santa Cruz Turtle Beach sound card),there are no VU meters to tell you that you are recording. I had to try recording in each control seperately until I found the right one.  There is no choice for midi either. When I got to the last volume slider (called Stereo Mix)all was well with my world. Doesn't take much sometimes.
Now I shall try to record from my Yamaha keyboard. I realize that I will have to again change the recording device to Line-in in order to do that. While the sound card is pretty good, the synths on the Yamaha are truer and there are many more to choose from.
I must say that the Musicmatch is quite easy to use once you get the hang of it.  Am I to understand that the result is an MP3 or am I now in wave format? I haven't yet tried to burn anything to CD. When I checked out the saved file in the music library of Musicmatch, it was called an MP3.
I greatly appreciate the help you have offered. Thanks again. DF

Re: Midi to MP3 problem

Reply #6 –
Am I to understand that the result is an MP3 or am I now in wave format? I haven't yet tried to burn anything to CD. When I checked out the saved file in the music library of Musicmatch, it was called an MP3.

If the file extension is mp3, it's most likely an mp3. (There's possibly an option somewhere in MM to determine whether the output is wav or mp3. Wav always has to be created first, even if the final output is mp3; apparently MM just creates the wav as an intermediary, converting to mp3 on the fly.)

You can verify by looking at the file size; wav will run about 10 megs per minute (stereo), whereas mp3 will be one tenth to one fifth that size (1-2 megs per minute), depending on bitrate (loosely translates as "fidelity").

Current versions of the Adaptec Easy-CD writer software can accept either wav or mp3 as input when burning CDs; it essentially does the reverse action, converting from mp3 to a wav intermediary "on the fly."

One thing I've found is that if your source is mp3, you'll want to be careful about having other processor-intensive applications running at the same time; the result can be buffer under-run, which is a fancy way of saying you've just made yourself a nice shiny drink coaster. ;-)

Re: Midi to MP3 problem

Reply #7 –
Duncan:

Sorry I haven't been back to follow up on your problem.
(I've been busy getting a plastic tube replacement for a leg artery).
But it seems Eric, Fred and others have helped you out along the way.

In Musicmatch under Options > Recorder you can set the Source to CD, Line In, Mic In or System Mixer (which you now understand thanks to Eric, Fred and co.)

You can also set the Quality (output) to MP3 (various bitrates and formats), WAV or Windows Media WMA.

Musicmatch can also be used to burn your CDs using the current playlist (which can be a mix of wav and mp3 files).
The burned CD will contain only wav files ( the mp3's will be converted to wave).
 

Re: Midi to MP3 problem

Reply #8 –
Barry wrote: I've been busy getting a plastic tube replacement for a leg artery.

Ouch! "Busy" is an interesting euphemism. Here's wishing you a speedy and uncomplicated recovery.

Fred