Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: MIDI to MP3 conversion (Read 8278 times) previous topic - next topic

MIDI to MP3 conversion

Occasionally a question comes up in this forum about how to convert NWC's output to an MP3 file. The responses usually give methods for recording the output of a soundcard as it plays an NWC file (or a MIDI file exported from an NWC file). I'm not sure this website has ever come up:

http://solmire.com/

Solmire.com is an online MIDI-to-MP3 converter. The site allows the user to choose among fifteen different GM soundfont collections, including the great-sounding FluidR3 and Merlin Vienna fonts, and to mute one or more channels while recording. (You want music-minus-one? You got music-minus-one.) It's easy to use, it works extremely fast, and since it's purely a software conversion rather than recording a playback of the file, there's no chance of sound hiccups or other interruptions. I've found the results to be excellent. The only drawback I can see is that you can't use it live - you have to export your NWC file to MIDI and then upload the file. A small price to pay for a free service that makes your NWC file sound as though it had been processed through a close relative of Garritan Personal Orchestra.

Hope this helps somebody -

Bill

Re: MIDI to MP3 conversion

Reply #1 –
Bill:

Do you realize that every MIDI file you convert is added to their database for anyone to download?

Re: MIDI to MP3 conversion

Reply #2 –
I would recommend Timidity++.  Free, usable and powerful.

Re: MIDI to MP3 conversion

Reply #3 –

Quote from: Barry Graham –
Do you realize that every MIDI file you convert is added to their database for anyone to download?

No, it isn't, Barry. They only add some of the metadata, and some computations based on the music - not the music itself. And you can opt out even of that. Here's the policy, which is right on the front page of the site, directly under the relevant checkbox:

Quote
Terms: You can use SolMiRe.com for non commercial purposes. By checking this checkox you allow us to publish some interesting information we extract from your midi file (i.e.the image of the waveform and other visualizations, statistics about the notes and midi events, chords detected by our algorithm). By checking the above checkbox you declare that the file is created by you and/or you have received the express permission from the file's copyright holder for making the above data available to the public. Please note that in any case we will not offer the possibility to download any uploaded file, even if the above checkbox has been selected [emphasis added].

Phil, as good as Timidity++ may be, it isn't among the 15 GM soundfont collections offered at SolMiRe, so - given the purpose of this thread, which is to offer an easy approach to MIDI conversion to those who don't want to download and set up a softsynth - it seems irrelevant to mention it here.

Re: MIDI to MP3 conversion

Reply #4 –
Somewhat OTT, why doesn't Creative offer the Vienna software anymore. I have an XFi card which will handle fonts, but nothing to load it with.

Re: MIDI to MP3 conversion

Reply #5 –
Bill:
Yep - Didn't read the fine print.
I just saw my file in the database and requested it's removal.

Peter:
I don't understand!
I have an X-Fi card and load soundfonts into it with the Soundfont Bank Manager included with the card software.
There are plenty of good soundfonts freely available.
Here is a link to my favourite Chaos 8Mb sf.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3449356/Chaos8.zip

If you need help with loading soundfonts get back to me.
The X-fi software will allow you to record playback directly to wav or mp3.

Re: MIDI to MP3 conversion

Reply #6 –
Quote from: William Ashworth –
Phil, as good as Timidity++ may be, it isn't among the 15 GM soundfont collections offered at SolMiRe, so - given the purpose of this thread, which is to offer an easy approach to MIDI conversion to those who don't want to download and set up a softsynth - it seems irrelevant to mention it here.

Well - the title of the thread is "MIDI to MP3 conversion".  Solmire was announced as a way of performing that function, and I was suggesting an alternative.  Seems wholly relevant.

Re: MIDI to MP3 conversion

Reply #7 –
Barry

Thanks for your advice. The Bank Manager software wasn't installed, but it was easy enough to download it. And once I realised that I had installed the font in SynthA but was trying to test it with SynthB then everything was fine, with a much better sound than before.

Re: MIDI to MP3 conversion

Reply #8 –
I am using Format Factory (download from pcfreetime) - Working fine!

Re: MIDI to MP3 conversion

Reply #11 –
Not quite. The notes down from G below middle C have a flutter after brief interval. The flutter is proportional to the frequency of the note.

And the card has developed another fault today. The attack of the notes intermittently consists of  channel 10 like noises, before continuing with the proper sound.

Do you think I have a corrupted file?

Re: MIDI to MP3 conversion

Reply #12 –
One "usual suspect" could be some poor connection somewhere.
Are ALL cables and cards properly seated?