Midi Thread

[monkey69962000]

HeyPg,

I have been postin a lot lately, almost as much as i did in the summer. Well, MIDI thread i think is a good thing to start here.

MIDI file- data file, not music. It tells the computer synthesizer what notes to play with the data on the file. Sounds techno if no synthesizer installed.

Well i am looking for an easy synthesizer for free to use with my Band in a Box. Any help? i cant find a good driver that plays guitar and bass.

Also, here is a place to post any questions or recomendations about MIDI files, how they work, what places to get them, what files you think are good, and what software and hardware goes good with MIDI.

Hope you use this thread,

Monkey

[GregP]

Hrm. Well, swing by KVR Audio if you think this is something you want to get involved in... a very helpful bunch!

I can tell you that they'll likely advise you to stay away from too much Band In a Box, though. It's not really creative, flexible, or inspiring. It can get the job done if you just want to mock up a track, but beyond that...?

Look into different hosts like Tracktion, energyXT, Cubase SL, or Cakewalk's range (including Home Studio)... that's where you want to be.

They'll give you the flexibility to record your audio AND your MIDI, in a very real and personalized way, unlike BIAB.

Regarding Hardware

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If you really want to get into this, the first thing you need which will cover both your audio and MIDI needs is a proper soundcard that can handle both. The one Dugz Ink mentioned in the other thread is a good idea if you're sure you want a firewire interface. Otherwise, the Audiophile 2496 is still the industry standard for entry-level. The best? Not necessarily anymore... but it's reliable, well-known, and still sounds great.

Then, if you want to control MIDI with hardware, you can start off with a cheap consumer-grade keyboard that has MIDI OUT, or your guitar if it's MIDI capable (I think most have to go through a conversion box before it's actual MIDI information, though I don't know much about MIDI guitar). If you have the dough, I suggest something with 61 keys, and some faders/knobs for controlling your virtual effects and instruments.

Regarding Software

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Really, all you need is the host. Most come with some plug-ins to get you started, and then you can visit KvR to find more free plug-ins than you could handle, including a number of freeware amp simulations. Eventually you will probably want to move to commercial stuff, but some people continue to stick to their freeware. At least you'll be better educated about plug-ins after trying out a bunch-- your commercial purchases will then be more informed

Regarding MIDI

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I wouldn't bother worrying about using the sounds of any synths that are in your price range. Your hardware will basically be a 'controller' with no native sounds (unless you're using a consumer-grade keyboard which WILL have sounds, but you'll turn them off. ), and you'll be triggering virtual synths and samplers within your computer.

Once you have a host, they're all capable of programming and processing MIDI.

You can find and download hundreds of MIDI files off the net, many of which are actually probably violations of copyright law. But as long as you're just using them to see how things are done, I don't see any major harm done. There are also companies that sell MIDI (Groove Monkee, for example, has great drum files) files to get you going.

I dunno if I'm getting the conversation rolling in the right direction or not... I'm more addressing your needs than talking about MIDI... sorry about that. !

Greg