Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?

Subject: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 05:29 PM

Now that I have an MP3 player that can make copy tapes, I want to get all those MIDIs into MP3s and onto tapes. Can it be done without going through something like Total Recorder?

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 07:03 PM

The Roland VSC midi synthesiser can directly convert MIDI to wav files without the need to play them - much faster than recording the playing version. (Virtual Sound Canvas (VSC) is a software synthesizer that lets you play music files without an external sound module, using only your computer.). It can convert a playlist of midi files in a single run. You could then use a batch converter to convert the wav files to mp3. My copy came with some other software, but I think you can get it separately.

There may be other midi software synthesisers that can convert directly to mp3 instead of wav, but I don't know any offhand.


Mick

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 19 Jun 03 - 05:14 AM

A problem with MIDI is that how it sounds depends on the sythesiser (often a built hardware one on a soundcard) used to play it. I'd imagine a Roland product would give excellent sound but you could still end up with wav/MP3 files sounding rather different than you intended if you arranged things for what ever MIDI device your computer has and then converted them through the software Mick suggested (or similar programs if they exist).

You could find it a bonus though. The MIDI on my SB Live is poor (though not as bad as some) and I would expect this VSC to produce much better results.

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 25 Jun 03 - 07:19 AM

I MAY have a solution but it would take some experimenting before I could comment too much further as to details. There's some Freeware called Hubi's Loopback ??? (I did come up with the real name in a thread a few months back) that allow you to electronically record the OUTPUT of your soundcard. Hubi has all sorts ox exotica around this subject but I've never had the time - or expertise - to delve very deeply.

Sounds like a job for Jon F to me.

Cheers, Jon

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Jun 03 - 07:37 AM

Thanks, John.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: IvanB
Date: 25 Jun 03 - 03:13 PM

Susan, if you use WinAmp as a player, there's an MP3 output plugin that'll write an MP3 file to a directory of your choice as the MIDI file is playing. This can be done on a batch basis by enqueueing a batch of MIDI's in WinAmp and starting them to play, with the MP3-output dll chosen for output (sound will still play, but you could mute your main volume if you wanted to do this overnight for instance). The one drawback to this is that the program writes a .wav file first and leaves it on the computer after it's encoded to MP3, so a disk could fill up pretty quickly. You might want to work in smaller batches, eliminating the .wav files before converting another batch. If you can find the CD-ROM I sent you when you got your computer, both WinAmp and the MP3-out plugin are on it. The out-MP3.txt file gives pretty explicit instructions for the process. This is the only free way I've found (I've been looking since you posted this query) although there are a few shareware programs that'll do it both silently and in batch mode. All seem to work in real-time, however, so it takes as long to convert as to play the MIDI.

Although TotalRecorder also works, its automatic file naming mechanism isn't set up to grab the input file name and use it - you have to set up naming rules such as date/time, etc., so it would be a headache to do many MIDI's that way.

BTW, the installation file you need for the plugin is out_mp3.exe.

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 25 Jun 03 - 03:25 PM

Should have mentioned about the VSC software conversion to wav - this is much faster than real time playing eg a one minute midi melody took just over 1 second to convert to wav.

Mick

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Jun 03 - 05:27 PM

Ivan, that sounds like something to try. I knew you'd be on this one! Thanks.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: IvanB
Date: 25 Jun 03 - 06:30 PM

Guest, MCP, I dug out my old copy of VSC (v. 1.55) and it had problems installing on Windows XP. When I did finally get it to install it came up with an 'Entry Point not Found' error when I tried to run it. Try as I might, I couldn't find any documentation on the error or any way to get it to run. Since I'm pretty sure Susan has XP as well, I gave up on that route. I also have Acid Wave which will do the conversion as well, but I was looking for a free or inexpensive answer to the query.

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 25 Jun 03 - 07:02 PM

Ivan

The version of VSC I have is 3.23 (came free with Band In A Box) and is running fine under XP.

Most recorders have an option to source Midi or WhatYouHear and you can easily create wav files and use one of the free wav->mp3 converters. The drawback is (like using WinAmp as above) that you have to do it in real time.

You might like to look at the page Midi Realizers for some other converters to wav. (I've had a quick look at the WinGroove download - conversion is quick - limited to 30s of realtime in trial - inbuilt synthesis didn't sound so good, but I haven't really checked).


Mick

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: IvanB
Date: 25 Jun 03 - 10:18 PM

Susan, if you use WinAmp to do your conversions, I suggest you go to Chun-Yu Shei's MP3 Output Plugin and download that Chun-Yu's plugin. You'll have to scroll down the page to find it. The Nullsoft 1.1 plugin doesn't allow any file naming choices, it automatically gives the file a number (according to its place in the current playlist) and prepends that number to the file name. With Chun-Yu's, you can go into the configuration dialog and enter filename templates, allowing you to have the same names for the MP3's as the MIDI's, except for the extension.

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 04:31 AM

I haven't made any further progress and the WinAmp solution sounds great! Does it bypass your soundcard in terms of quality? If the sound it produces is acceptable then I guess it doesn't matter a jot.

I used Wingroove for a couple of years when the Compaq PC I acquired refused to let me instal a decent soundcard. It has its own set of sounds which (on average) are much better than FM synthesis used on many cards. Not a patch on a really good card though - I must admit that in terms of folk instruments I've never come across a card that sounds remotely like a real fiddlele though.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: IvanB
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 08:52 AM

John, I don't know the technicalities of whether the soundcard is bypassed or not, but on my system the MP3 file sounds exactly like the MIDI when I play it. Since MIDI is a somewhat limited format, I didn't expect to improve the sound at all. And I agree with you about the fiddle. I've used cards from several different makers and have never been satisfied with any of the "orchestral" strings on them.

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: IvanB
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 10:40 AM

I should add a caveat here: I'm using WinAmp v. 2.80. This technique doesn't seem to work in WinAmp 3.0 nor on v. 2.91, which is the only WinAmp2 version available at the WinAmp site. If anybody should want to use it and can't find an older version of WinAmp to use, I can send you one as long as you've got an email address at which you can receive a file of a bit over 2mB.

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 11:17 AM

Thanks-- I will take you up on that as soon as I get some other computer issues resolved.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: MIDI to MP3 Conversion?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 31 Jul 10 - 07:20 AM

It should be noted nowadays that Linux has a whole bunch of different apps that will do this.