Tech: midi to mp3?

Subject: Tech: midi to mp3?
From: belfast
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 03:00 PM

Is it possible to convert a midi sequence to mp3?
If I have a midi in an ABCmus program, can I change it to mp3 and from there onto a CD?
Is this an idiot question?

Subject: RE: Tech: midi to mp3?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 03:04 PM

Not an idiot question, just one requiring long complicated answers already given in past threads. Not sure what search term you'd use to find it, tho, so it will probably be answered again! :~)

Basically tho I think the answer to your questions is NO. Not conveniently, not with good sound quality resulting, nope.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: midi to mp3?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 03:14 PM

Midi isn't a soundfile, but a series of instructions to your soundcard. Use something (you probably have a basic program bundled with the card) to record your soundcard playing the midi. You'll probably end up with a WAV. Convert to mp3. Yes, it's been discussed before.

Subject: RE: Tech: midi to mp3?
From: belfast
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 06:20 PM

I really did a search before starting this thread but couldn't really understand what was being said. I suspected that the answer was going to be 'no'. And I'll also confess that I don't know the difference between a WAV and an mp3. I probably never will.
Thank you for your replies.

Subject: RE: Tech: midi to mp3?
From: wildlone
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 07:07 PM

I might be wrong, but as I understand it mp3 is a compressed music format used to send music over the internet.
WAV or WAVE is the music format that is on vinyl or CD.
There are a few different programs for mp3/wav conversion I use MP3 doctor.
dave

Subject: RE: Tech: midi to mp3?
From: Bernard
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 07:45 PM

It's really irrelevant whether you want WAV or MP3, as the difficulty of converting a MIDI sequence to an audio file is the same for either. You certainly don't want to create an MP3 if you intend to burn that to a CD - the correct format is 16 bit stereo WAV at 44.1kHz sample rate.

'Full duplex' sound cards will allow you to record a MIDI file as you play it - 'full duplex' means the card can handle sound coming in and going out simultaneously.

Nero Burning ROM has a rudimentary WAV editor which will do the job...

Subject: RE: Tech: midi to mp3?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 08:07 PM

This thread will (likely) eventually be linked (see up the top) to previous ones on similar topics - this happens normally on Mudcat, but it does take some time (a day or two, depending on other commitments) for the humans to get A ROUND TUIT.

Subject: RE: Tech: midi to mp3?
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 08:11 PM

As stated above the simplest solution is to record the midi file as you play it, but there is another option.

There are software midi synthesisers that will create a wav file directly from the midi with no need to play the midi at all. Software synthesisers use software (as opposed to the midi synthesiser hardware on the sound card) to play a midi file. Essentially they generate a wav file with the appropriate sounds from the midi file and then play the wav file. Since they are generating the wav info anyway, it's a simple matter to just save the wav file and not bother playing it at all. The advantage of this is that it's faster than recording the midi as it plays in real time; if you're converting a lot of files this can be a real advantage. The only question then is that of the synthesis quality, but this can be very good for some software synthesisers. See the thread Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?, where I mention the Roland VSC software synthesiser which does this, but I'm sure there are others.

Mick