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Topic: confusion, confusion.....! (Read 5424 times) previous topic - next topic

confusion, confusion.....!

hey everyone

I have got a general MIDI keyboard, and I use noteworthy to produce scores, but I also compose using software such as cubase and cakewalk etc. anyway when ive made a song and saved as a midi file, the instrument sounds are really acky, but ive heard from someone that it is possible to route it all through your keyboard, so the intruments on the finished MIDI recording sound more realistic. so... in noteworthy I set the playback device as Roland MPU-401, but then when i press a note on my keyboard, i hear no sound come out of my pc speakers, and also if I play back a score I hear no sound coming through my pc speakers..! what exactly am I doing wrong?? basically as an end result, I want to save my song that ive composed as a MIDI file, and I want the instruments in that MIDI file to sound realistic :-) is this possible, or have I gotta stick with rubbish sounds?

thanx for your time ppl! :-)

- R.L

Re: confusion, confusion.....!

Reply #1 –
You have to route the audio from your external keyboard back into the line input (or in some cases the mic input) of your soundcard. Then you need to use the mixer applet to choose that input for recording (and/or playback) and set levels appropriately. To record the "cool" sound from your external keyboard, you'll also need a wav recorder such as CoolEdit. (The one that comes with Windows is only good for up to a minute or so, since it doesn't write directly to hard drive and is therefore limited by available RAM.)

Re: confusion, confusion.....!

Reply #2 –
hello
im looking for rock piano sheet music along time
please if anybody knows where i can fine it.. tell me.
tnx
(pearl jam..metallica..RHCP.and more)

Re: confusion, confusion.....!

Reply #3 –
You don't say what kind of keyboard you have. Does it include a synthesizer? Does it include its own speakers and amplifier? Does it have a headphone jack?

If the answer is "No" to all of these questions, then you are forced to use the synthesizer sounds supported by your sound card. Once you get the necessary connection between your MIDI keyboard and the computer, you can use the Echo feature in Tools | Options | Record in NWC to trigger your internal sound card sounds using the external keyboard.

Note that the quality of sounds you hear when a MIDI file is played is primarily dependent on your sound card. The MIDI file only contains performance data (what notes to play, how loud, when, and what kind if instrument). The sound card's capabilities ultimately determine what you hear when playing the MIDI file.

Re: confusion, confusion.....!

Reply #4 –
in reply to adva's question, you could try oddrealm.com :-)

ok thanks for all your replys. My keyboard is a
Yamaha PSR-270. It has its own speakers and a headphone jack. What do you mean by synthesiser? and amp? its has two lists of songs on it, one list for normal use, and one list titled 'GM voice'.
Is it therefore possible to create and song on my computer, and save it as a WAV file, but with the realistic instrument sounds intact? thats basically what im trying to do. Would this be possible without buying a new soundcard?

So basically when I have my song in cakewalk or whatever, make it play through my keyboard, out the headfones socket, into my mic socket on my computer and record it on a WAV app? If so, how exactly do I get my song playing back through my keyboard?

thanks everyone!

R.L

Re: confusion, confusion.....!

Reply #5 –
A synthesizer is the device that creates the sounds you hear when you play MIDI files, and when you play the keys on your PSR-270. Your PSR-270 keyboard does not include a real piano, trumpet, snare drum, or any other kind of analog instrument inside of it. It synthetically creates these sounds using what is commonly referred to as a synthesizer. The actual technology used by a synthesizer can and does vary, but it always is about reproducing sounds from digital performance data. The notes you enter into NWC fall into the realm of digital performance data.

If you want to hear your PSR-270 through your computer speakers, you will need to connect the audio output from the keyboard into a "Line In" jack on your computer's sound card. If your computer sound card does not have a Line In jack (most do these days), then you probably will not be able to get a satisfactory sound from the keyboard into your computer.

You can also use a digital, MIDI connection between your PSR-270 and your computer, using the PSR-270's MIDI input and output ports. You need a special MIDI cable that connects your PC to a MIDI in and out cable (see http://www.hosatech.com/SBC195.htm for an example). Once you have the cable, and the supporting device driver installed, you can then use your MIDI keyboard with other MIDI software, such as NoteWorthy Composer. If you plan to go this route, look around this forum for more on this. Here are some links to get you started: https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=1581, https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=1625

Re: confusion, confusion.....!

Reply #6 –
oke doke, I already have a MIDI lead, and have successfully set up my external keyboard to work with noteworthy and various other midi programs, but the sounds are sh*t lol. So, correct me if im wrong, I need to buy a new soundcard, then the instrument sounds in noteworthy will be more realistic, then I can save my song as a MIDI file, and then convert it to a WAV... so the end result will be my groovy song with realistic sounding instruments? If so, can anyone recommend a soundcard within the sorta £30-£40 price barrier which will fit my needs? thanx every1!

R.L

Re: confusion, confusion.....!

Reply #7 –
Assuming you are happy with the sounds of your PSR-270, and your sound card has a "Line In" input, why wouldn't you just use it?

Re: confusion, confusion.....!

Reply #8 –
because playing my keyboard through the line in socket will only let me record what im playing at that particular moment to a wav file wont it? I want to create songs a track at a time like you can in cakewalk and cubase. Is this possible with your method? thanx for your help!

R.L

Re: confusion, confusion.....!

Reply #9 –
There is a difference between composing a song and creating a WAV file of your song. If it were me, I would try to use the equipment already in my possession. As far as I can tell by loking at your keyboard specs, your keyboard supports multi-timbral, multi-channel MIDI operation. Therefore, you could use it:

1) while composing, or writing, your songs with NWC or other MIDI composition tool, one part at a time

- and -

2) while capturing your completed song to a WAV file

Your strategy may differ from mine. You might want to spend some time with your keyboard's user manual to learn more about it and then decide.

Re: confusion, confusion.....!

Reply #10 –
What I want to do is compose a song track by track in some MIDI program or other, then convert the result midi file to a WAV file... BUT if I were to do that at the moment, the drums would sound like cardboard boxes, and the piano like god knows what... so I need the instrument sounds to be realistic when im composing and in the finished MIDI file, so that it will sound good in the final WAV file. Thats why im asking whether a new sound card would be the answer, because then when im creating my song, the instruments will sound cool, so when I convert the song to WAV, it will sound wicked! I hope you know what I mean, the sound card I have at the moment is a sound blaster 16, which is really as basic as you can get! thanx everyone for helping me to sort this out! I just need to get over this last hurdle! :-)

R.L

Re: confusion, confusion.....!

Reply #11 –
Let's start like this.

A MIDI file contains NO sounds. None. And a WAV file contains no notes -- just sounds that might correspond
to some particular combination of notes played
on some instrument -- or might correspond to the traffic
noises on a busy street, or words spoken in an angry
debate in an election committee meeting.

The MIDI file is like a list of instructions, something
similar to:

at 1:15:00.00 PM, start the trumpet playing high "D".
at 1:15:00.10 PM, stop the trumped.
at 1:15:00.11 PM, start the trumpet playing high "E".
...

and so on.

Think of it as an electronic score. Give it to a good
musician with a well-maintained instrument, he will play
it and it sounds great. Give it to a kid with a kazoo, and,
well, cover your ears.

Noteworthy is the "word processor" for the score. Your
sound card or synthesizer is the electronic musician.

So: create your MIDI file, ignoring how bad it sounds. So
long as the notes are right, the musical score is good.

Then put the MIDI file on a floppy disk and take it to your friend with the very expensive synthesizer, and let _him_
create the WAV file (that is, let his synthesizer follow
the electronic directions to "perform" the music (all of this, of course, being done by computer programs in the
computer, sound card, or synth) and record the result in
a WAV file.

So there are two questions:

1) What hardware, software and method will you use to
create the MIDI file? (perhaps Noteworthy Composer)

2) What hardware, software and method will you use to
perform the MIDI file and record the result?

With this distinction in mind, some of the answers people
have been giving may make more sense.