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Topic: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav (Read 9703 times) previous topic - next topic

Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Good afternoon, (or morning, depending upon which side of the planet you reside),

I have been using NWC for some time now, primarily to created printed scores for my music group. Until recently, I have been giving the band members a (data) CD with the .nwc files on them for so that they can 'follow' the music (not all are proficient sight-readers). This works fine, with them all using NWP to play them back on. However, what I would like to be able to do is to create (audio) CD's for them, so they can be played back via domestic HI-FI gear.

I understand that I need to convert the .nwc files to .mid files (which NWC allows me to do) and then convert them to .wav files before burning them onto CD's.

I was thinking of buying 'MAGIX mp3 maker' to help with this process but no-where on the packaging does it mention that it can convert .mid to .wav.

Does anybody know if this software will acheive this?

Also, what is the difference between midi type 0 and type 1?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #1 –
Why don't you try synthfont, a FREE software program that allows to to open your midi files, and play them using sound fonts, even if your soundcard doesn't support them. There is thousands of realistic sounding soundfonts to download. With this software, you can also save the file to a .wav, .mp3, .ogg, .flac, or .app. Now say for example, you have more then one instrument in the song, let's say one staff is violin and the other is piano, there is an option that will let you pick a soundfont for each seperate staff. So I use AJH Piano for the piano and Campbell's Strings for the strings. When I download a soundfont (.sf2), I put it in the synthfont folder in program files. That way, when I want a sounfont,it will always be there.
joshers2005

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #2 –
Thanks for the advice.

I'll just grab a coffee and then do some surfing...

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #3 –
You are [glow=teal,2,300]Welcome!![/glow]
joshers2005

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #4 –
I forget what the difference is between Midi type 0 and Midi type 1. Why? Always use Midi type 1, and you can't go wrong. Erm... I believe Midi type 0 is, as we mathematicians say, surjective. It puts things together, inextricably. So I would suggest 2 things: use type 1, and maybe wait for a clearer answer.
 

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #5 –
G'day Phil,
another method avoids the MIDI file altogether...

If you use a recording package like, say, Audacity, or the recorder that came with your sound card (many do) or even Windows Recorder (though it needs some tweaking" you can go straight to a .wav file by starting the recorder and then telling NWC to play.

This avoids the problems that NWC has with exporting some things like Fermatas and Breath marks to MIDI.

Lawrie
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #6 –
As far as converting .nwc files to .wav files for an audio CD, I agree with Lawrie-start Audacity recording and then start NWC playing.  Audacity lets you export from its native format to .wav, .mp3 or ogg Vorbis.  The quality of sound you will get from NWC depends on your playback device.  Synthfont gives good results but I think Lawrie would agree since we both use this primarily for playback that the Yamaha softsynth (S-YXG 50) is hard to beat with anything but the most expensive sample libraries or hardware synths.  And now that Yamaha has discontinued it, it can be found free on some web sites.  A search of the NWC archived posts will give you some web sites where it is available for download.

The difference between MIDI type 1 and type 0 files is this:  Type 1 has a separate track for each MIDI channel; Type 0 has all events for all channels in one track with each Note On and Note Off and other event having its own channel ID byte.  The data is not inextricable into separate channel-defined tracks in a Type 0 MIDI file as long as your sequencer supports this function, as most Win sequencers do.  My school computer is an iMac, not powerful enough to run OSX, and most of the older Mac sequencers that will run on Mac OS 9.2 will not import Type 1 MIDI files, only Type 0 files.  It seems from my limited experience with newer Mac sequencers (like Metro) that they will import and export Type 1 and Type 0 MIDI files equally well.  There is actually a third type of MIDI file, Type 2, that is rarely used.  It uses a separate track for each song in a multi-song file.  Each of the separate tracks is a Type 0 MIDI file contained within the single Type 2 MIDI file.  This is mostly used for MIDI "jukeboxes" and I think in some games.

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #7 –
If your sound card is full duplex you should be able to record the output direct from NWC.

You can use the Wave Editor that comes with Nero or record the output from the System Mixer using the free version of Musicmatch Jukebox.

With Nero you can record as a wave and convert to mp3.
With Musicmatch you have the choice of several recording formats.

My preference is to record to wave in Musicmatch then adjust, clip and normalize the wave in Cool Edit.
The enhanced wave file can then be converted to mp3 in Musicmatch.

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #8 –
Many, many thanks to you all for the help you have afforded me.

The solution I have adopted is to simply use the Windows Recorder function and set NWC to PLAY. I did have some problems with the 60 second limit, but after using EDIT|INSERT to extend this, I've now got a 5 minute template. The results so-far seem to be just fine.

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #9 –
I use a very simple but completely effective program to produce .wav files,  which can be easily copied to CDs   It will createa a .wav file from any sound going through your PC - you select the source
 it is called Ripvinyl  ( www.ripvinyl.com ) and costs £6.38 in UK. You can try it out for free.  I found it easier to use than other equally good programs.

Tony

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #10 –
Another Freebie way to do the same thing is to use Creative Wave Studio.  If you have a soundcard made by Creative, the program was probably part of the installation.  Just open it and set it to record, then play back your midi from NWC.  When it finishes, simply go back to CWS, turn off the record command, and save the file.  You can trim the silence at the beginning and end quite easily, by highlighting the sound wave, then using Edit/Crop to selection.

The advantage of CWS, or Ripvinyl, or Nero Wave Editor, is simply that you don't have to worry about time limits on the recording. 

There are a number of downloadable programs that will then convert WAV to MP3 if the recording program won't.  Just Google for convert WAV to MP3.

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Josh –
Why don't you try synthfont
Because when you go to its download page, it just says that the next version will "soon" be available. But it does not let you download the latest version, or any other version for that matter. :(

Re: Some basic help & advice needed regarding .ncw --> .mid --> .wav

Reply #12 –
Synthfont download.

Try it now - works for me.