Converting .wav files to midi files?

There are a few pieces of software that claim to be able to translate solo instruments from a recording into a midi file. I have never heard that they were "great" at what they do. I figured out a line of gregorian chant I was using once and ran it though the "analysis" of (I think it was Cakewalk 9) and the Cakewalk made a 2 or 3 errors in a 4 bar piece of music with 16-18 notes. If I was "stuck" it might have been useful. As far as I know, there is nothing that will convert complex songs (ie, multiple instruments or harmony such as a piano chord) to midi.
 
Thought I might be clutching at straws there rjt. I was looking to convert an entire song with drums, guitars, bass, vocals...Clearly not going to happen.

Fingers crossed someone can help me synchronise the Roland VS-880Ex & Cakewalk then.

Thanks.

Rob.
 
Syncing the units shouldn't be too bad (although possibly frustating to start). If you are going to dump samples across the units (ie, dump wv files from the roland into the computer) you will need some form of sample accurate sync like word clock. Whether you are going to dump samples or not, you will need to sync the locations together... using midi time code or midi clock. After you do that you will pick one to me the master for controls and one to be the slave (via midi machine control)... so that when you hit (for example) record in cake the roland starts playing. I just struggled through this with a Yamaha aw4416. While a bit frustrating, I survived. Good luck!!
 
Yeah recording them as wv files was easy, a mate was here then who knew how, he synced it up to Soundforge & hey presto ya esta.

The problem now is syncing to Cakewalk & recording as midi straihgt off. My mate's buggered off to Argentina (bastard!) & I'm left much in the dark. Someone else is coming round to help but doesn't know much about the Roland. Well, One perseveres.

Thanks.

Rob.
 
Well, I just looked at sound forge and unless I missed something I didn't see anything there about sample accurate syncing. In my system, most of that is done on the sound card settings. You'll know you got it right if there is no poping, clicking or other noisy artifacts from the digital transer. What happens, is that the two clock sources... the one in the roland and the one in the computer slowly drift apart and cause a pop. That can happen pretty quickly, within a few seconds, or over a period of minutes. So if the transfer is flawless, good job, if not, let us know.

The midi syncing should be easier. You basically find out which systems either MTC or Midi Clock which your software and roland use. Pick one, (I am not sure why, but MTC appears to be a better choice... or so I am told). Pick one as your slave and the other as master. Make sure that the master is sending on a midi port and channel that the slave is receiving. Check to see the midi devices match on the two systems. Set the smpte rate... most people who are not scoring a movie use 30 frame non-drop. Set the slave to do whatever (either record or play... it shouldn't start to do anything... it is waiting for the time code to start, on my instruments, I get a message like "waiting for 30 fram non-drop time code"). Start the master and after about 1-2 seconds the slave should start. It will "jump ahead" so that is matches the master's position marker.

The breaker will be if the systems don't both use either MTC or Midi clock.... I think there are some work arounds, but I don't know what they are.

Hope this helps. Good luck!!
 
Thanks guys but I needed to convert the whole song not just one instrument. Anyway in the end I got round the problem by sending my demo registered post to my sister. It gets stamped along the way with the date which is sufficent proof (provided you don't open it) of the songs being previously written by you should someone try to rip them off. Or so I'm told.

Rob.
 
I am not an expert in this field, but check out some of the posts re: this way of copywriting your material, on the music marketing and songwriting discussions. It is not very helpful (e.g., you could mail a blank envelope to yourself and put music in it later. There should be better ways for your to document your creation!

Take care.
 
Yeah there are better ways but they require sheet music. And i have no way to get that just yet. Nothing risked nothing gained.

But thanks for the tip.

Rob.
 
If you are trying to copyright a song, sending a tape through the mail is no guarantee it will hold up in court, but it's better than nothing. BTW, if you want to copyright a song, all you need is a lyric sheet, a tape of the song, and the song's melody on sheet music--not the entire arrangement.

I can sit down with a guitar and figure out a song's melody and program (score) it into Cakewalk in an hour or two. So can you, or you can give a musician a few $ to do it for you. Now you have sheet music.
 
I am doing my first locally commercial cd now. Before I sell it, I will register it as a "collection" at the copywrite office. You can send in several tunes at once for the same fee. That, I have heard, is the best protection. If you go to the library of congress website, there is info on copywrites there.
 
Hey Tdukez,

Oh OK I didn't realise you just needed the melody. I can do that myself (I think). I'm in Spain btw but I guess the rules are the same.

Thanks.

dougeast
 
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