midi to wav file on Music Time Deluxe

[doug]

I would like to burn the sounds of my keyboard onto a CD from Music Time Deluxe - through a sound card (Audiophile USB) and computer. I don't see an export facility on Music Time. I see that files can be saved in Midi.

I'm on a PC with good speed. Any recommendations on software or how to do this using Music Time - to convert the Midi files to Wav files? I have never done it before. I would like to record live as I will be changing the keyboard sounds on the fly, in real time.

Thanks
Doug

[John Miller]

To burn "real" CD's, the MIDI-based files you currently have must be "transformed" into WAV files. WAV files are digital audio files which consist of real recordings of the actual sounds - much like a tape deck recording. To record your MIDI-based files as WAV digital audio files, you'll need to actually record your program file while it's playing. If you have a digital audio program like Sound Forge or CoolEdit, open that program up while MusicTime is running. You can also use the built-in Sound Recorder, but results will not be as good and the editing features are not very extensive. Check the Shareware Music Machine (http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/) for some shareware applications that you can try.

Press "Record" on your digital audio recording program, then press play on MusicTime. When it's done, press stop on the recorder. Save the resulting file as a WAV file. (Warning - this file will be BIG - it takes several Megabytes of space to record one minute of digital audio.) You may want to trim the beginning and end to remove the extra silence. You can also normalize (set volume) add effects like reverb and echo, and do other processing, depending on the program you have. Now you should be able to use your CD-Burner's software to make a CD of your WAV files.

[doug]

Thanks John. I don't have such software, so which one do you recommend? There are piles of them out there. I'd rather spend less than $100.00

Doug

[Nor]

It would so nice if GVOX would make a feature in Encore, MTD and MTpro from the File menu: "Export as: .WAV" I think FINALE and SIBELIUS have already as a built-in plugin that do that.

[John Miller]

The program I mentioned costs 25$, and has a free trial period (without technical limitations) of 30 days.
You can find it on

http://www.pistonsoft.com/midi2mp3.html

There are so many various features you may or may not want in your digital recording software.
Many are just basic recording software, whereas others allow you to manipulate the wav file created.
Your first decision is what features you want in the software then find one that has a demo or a time limited use of the software to make sure you are making the right choice,
Some include utilities to convert the wav file to an MP3 file.

[doug]

I guess I need step by step instructions. I want to record exactly what's on my keyboard, including on the fly changes to the keyboard sounds, ultimately to a wave file using Music Time and Audiophile external box.

I did a brief test of the Direct Midi to MP3 converter but it seemed to pick up some other keyboard sounds. I got the notes but the sounds of another instrument from who knows where.

Another question. I have an old Yamaha YPP -35 which is OK and works fine. How do I direct Music Time or this new Midi to Wave program to choose my particular keyboard sound rather than what the default is (which I don't like)?

In the Windows - Staff Sheet - Program Name - Choose Instrument grid there are instrument numbers from 1 to 128 . How do I tell Music Time to play my particular keyboard sound - say strings - which Yamaha calls 05H in the manual? There is no 05H listed in the grid.

In the Music Time - Choose instrument - do I have to load some kind of driver of the Yamaha so that it picks up my keyboard sound? Or do I strictly want an analogue to digital conversion of some kind.

[stavro]

First off, you can use a program such as GoldWave to make a decent recording from MusicTime or any program for that matter if your soundcard supports a function typically described as "loopback". Obtain GoldWave from http://www.goldwave.com, it's not free but has a trial. Once downloaded and installed, create a new wave file large enough to hold your recording using CD quality settings (44.1 Khz 16-bit), and then on any Windows version besides Vista, double-click the volume control which will show you the mixer for your soundcard. Go to the "Options" menu and choose "Properties", select "Recording" and ensure all the checkboxes are selected, these are the various input devices your soundcard can record from. Hopefully, a loopback function will be present after you have selected ok, if it is you'll need to select it, and take out the checkboxes from other input devices if your soundcard allows you to select more than one.

Put the volume for the loopback device about at the second notch, but experiment a little. Goldwave is fairly self-explanatory, it has LED style levels which shouldn't be peaking in the red. You'll next need to view the default "Playback" mixer volume control again, simplest way is to just double-click the volume icon in the system-tray once more. Go to "Options" and "Properties" and like the recording mixer scenario make sure that you have every device listed by selecting all the checkboxes, then ok this, afterwards you should have a large mixer, mute any device not used, like line-in or especially microphone, this is just to be safe and possibly get a cleaner sound. Also, experiment a little whilst recording, but typically the mixers of the devices your recording from should be at max or very near so.

Now, simply start GoldWave recording, check the help if you don't know how, and then press play in MusicTime. It should work very successfully. If your recording from a software synth, I recommend that you add a blank page before the music in MusicTime just to be safe and avoid a temporary skip who tempo problem.

Finally, GoldWave defaults to saving wave files which are the best to record a CD with using your favourite burner software. Apologies that I have not dealt with the volume mixer in Vista, but this guide works on every other version of Windows. Hope it helps.

[polarbreeze]

"Audacity" is what you need. It's free and has a very extensive feature-set.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net

[Loubourib]

Hello Doug

You were unhappy with a WAV file made from an MTD 'recording' originating from your Yamaha digital keyboard.

The reason the MIDI file does not sound as good as your digital keyboard is that the playback of a MTD file is done using the sound card on your personal computer; it does not reflect the (presumably) much better sound card on your Yamaha.

To understand this, you must remember that a MIDI file is nothing but a collection of data about notes ('MIDI events'). The data is then used to generate sounds through a MIDI synthesizer. So when you make a real-time MTD recording, the actual quality of the playback depends entirely on
- what kind of MIDI data your keyboard produces and how much of this data your MIDI program actually records ( MTD does not save all the data output from a sophisticated MIDI keyboard, nor does it include all of the MTD data, such as lyrics, when saving in MIDI format);
- the means used to translate the MTD file data into sounds. It doesn't matter how good your digital keyboard is, if MTD then uses the (probably appalling) MIDI synthesizer on your computer sound card.

If you want a recording to reflect what your MIDI key board actually played, connect a microphone to your computer's 'MIC IN' and use relevant software (such as 'Audacity') to record a WAV file. Or try connecting the AUX on your keyboard to the 'LINE IN' on your computer. Better still, connect the AUX on your keyboard to your sound system and output the sound system to your computer. Do not use MTD at all.

By the way, there are many ways you can improve your computer's MIDI playback:
- play back the MIDI data through your digital keyboard (connect computer's 'MIDI OUT' to keyboard's 'MIDI IN') to use the keyboard's superior sound card;
- output the (poor) computer playback to a sound system (connect your computer's 'LINE OUT' to the the sound system's 'AUX') ;
- do both : output the data to your MIDI keyboard and output the keyboard's sound (AUX) to your sound system (AUX);
- improve your computer playback capacity by downloading quality soundfonts. Soundfonts are software that emulate a synthesizer; you can get very decent sounfonts, such as GS_GM_Bank, free on Internet. Unzip the download and copy the .sf2 file into Windows / system32 / Quicktime. Then open Quicktime, go to /Edition / Prefs / Quicktime Prefs / Audio, and choose 'GS GM bank'.
To listen to your MTD files with the new soundfonts, save them in .mid format and open this .mid file with Quicktime.

Why not just buy a better sound card?
Because MIDI capacity is not a priority for sound card manufacturers. State-of-the art sound cards do not carry a quality synthesizer and it may be difficult if not impossible to load soundfonts into them.

Sorry this is a long post. I hope you will find it useful.

Loubourib

[Loubourib]

You seem to assume that MTD (or Encore) can only play MIDI on the (standard) computer sound device.

No, Andre, but getting a new MIDI device into the output dialog is not easy, and people may want to try the easier recipes first.

You will find an interesting discussion about MIDI sound rendition in the Encore forum: 'Looking for good timbres for work in Encore' http://www.gvox.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=752.

MIDI playback is a vast subject, and most of it boils down to this: computer makers do not think it worthwhile to include quality MIDI hardware/software. It takes a lot of adding and patching, and also luck and time and know-how, to succeed in improving MIDI playback on a standard computer. And if you do, the person you will send your MIDI files to may not be similarly equiped, and all your efforts will be lost.

So recording MIDI output to create .wav or .mp3 files is presently the only solution, but people need to know that they should avoid recording their digital keyboards through Gvox products if they are aiming at quality audio output, because Gvox products focus on making scores, and include only basic MIDI features to that effect. BTW I totally agree with this policy.

Another problem is that there is no standard for clock ticks - the number of possible time units in a quarter-note. So if you record MIDI data from an instrument on, let's say, 96 clock ticks per beat, to software functioning on 240 clock ticks (which is precisely my case), some notes will be displaced or not heard at all. It's a pity because recording MIDI keyboards could make such smart and small MIDI files instead of the horrendous audio files.

MIDI music is being killed for the general public, yet on the upper end it is used extensively, with expensive software, to create most of the music on TV and films.

[Denkster]

[quote=doug on Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:50 pm""]I guess I need step by step instructions. I want to record exactly what's on my keyboard, including on the fly changes to the keyboard sounds, ultimately to a wave file using Music Time and Audiophile external box. [/quote]
I made illustrated step by step instructions; two simple approaches, no costs.
http://www.denkster.nl/manuals/Opnemen.htm
It is in Dutch, but I think you'll get the hang.

kind regards
Eveline

[mikehalloran]

QuickTime, from Apple will do what you want using the Export command. Although bundled with Macs, it is available for free in a Windows version, too.

[NikoZ]

I used many midi to mp3 converters, and many of them didn't suit me because of their lack of functionality. MIDI Converter Studio is the best program for me. Well, it's just my opinion.

[Andre]

I have created .wav and or .mp3 files using Myriad's Harmony Assistant.

This program could in theory be a replacement for Encore/MTDL, but I've never managed to use it's score editing facilities.

I use only the "Virtual Singer" function, in case I need pronunciation help in my training aids, keeping score and lyric editing in Encore. Then output can only be .wav or .mp3
One could of course create these audio files based on instrumental midi files.

FWIW, I generally distribute the training aids only online - and when the lyrics are not included MIDI is OK. I experienced with burning CD's and/or cassettes for the non-internet choir members, about one year ago, but it's really too much work (and an enormous volume). Rewritable CD or DVD's are not an option since too many readers do not read them.

[q]

I used many midi to mp3 converters, and many of them didn't suit me because of their lack of functionality. MIDI Converter Studio is the best program for me. Well, it's just my opinion.

On the Mac Audio Hijack works great, and can capture audio from nearly any application, including Encore, QuickTime, Safari, other browsers, etc. And you can save to a variety of audio formats.

q