Software samples for MIDI, what do I need to know?

[Vigilante]

Hey guys, I have just enough knowledge of MIDI to be dangerous to society. But I have a few questions I need cleared up.

First, here is a sum up of what I know.
I know a MIDI file is not sound, but instructions of what to play.
I know that most all sound cards have a MIDI (or WDM??) driver that handles the MIDI playback. These sound cards, I guess, have built-in samples of the instruments?

My question is, if I play a MIDI file that is simply piano, but the piano samples on my sound card, or wherever, are no good, can I download quality samples and make THAT my MIDI driver? So that I don't have to buy a super-fancy sound card just to get better MIDI playback?

Or can I upgrade the samples my PC uses already with new ones? Even if it's just one instrument, like getting new piano samples or something. What are my options?

Lastly, can you post some links to what is the best, or most popular web sites or software I can download to have quality MIDI music. I don't care about price, I just want to see what's available, whether hardware or software or audio equipment.
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This question coincides with my recording thread, in that, say I do eventually want to mix live recording with MIDI. Well it will obviously sound like crap to record a voice or instrument, along with the cheesy midi sounds from my PC.

Can I do this stuff? Or do I have to buy like an audio MIDI sequencer device to map my MIDI music OUT to the device and then back IN to the PC to have the good sounds? I'm a little confused.

And then my last question is, really, the last, say I wanted a MIDI keyboard. Should I just buy a controller which has a keyboard and no sounds? I guess this IS called a "MIDI controller". Or should I be looking for a full-on keyboard which has all the samples built in, like a Yamaha S90 or something. I assume if I buy just like a 61 MIDI controller, I would still have to have something, software or hardware, to give good samples right? And obviously a MIDI controller with no samples would be a ton cheaper then buying a full-fledged performance keyboard/synth.

Thanks a ton!!

[TimOBrien]

You just need a sampler VSTi.

rgcaudio.com has "sfz" that will play back soundfonts.
Computer Music magazine has a free sampler in every issue's DVD.
You can pick up other free samplers from links over at kvraudio.com
Or you can go buy a commercial one like Kompakt, Kompakt, Halion, etc....
Some will even play in "stand-alone" mode without a sequencer program.

Yes you can just use a keyboard controller. I use an M-audio Keystation49 that has no built-in sounds, connects using USB and it works just fine.

[Vigilante]

Ya that puts me on the right track. And speaking of "VST", I see that used all over the music scene "VST plugin". Maybe I'm lazy but what is the concept behind that?

As for those pages you sent, I'll have to look around. But I'd rather not download these plugins instrument by instrument. And I don't care much for custom sounds. Is there like a thing you can buy which just has quality samples for all the normal MIDI instruments? And the PC will use this for all MIDI playback no matter what audio program plays it? In other words, without installing a plugin for a specific player.

thx

[thametalmasta]

hey vigalante

what you are referring to is a "sound box"
something roland became very popular for...

most keyboard players today buy two things now. a "sound box" and a large rectangle with lots of controllers on it (ie: a keyboard). the keyboard has no sounds, just how-ever-many keys on it that turn on when you press down and turn off when you lift your finger up. these "on's and off's" run from a midi cable out of the keyboard into the "sound box". the sound box translates the data (on's and off's) into sound so like a... virtual musician basically. the sound box is then ran into a mixer or speakers or a stereo, or even head phones, and out comes sound. sounds are choosen in the sound box usually with a knob, and the sounds that the sound box decides to play are choosen by banks and ports and channels and all that techno mumbo jumbo.

but anyways...

you need a sequencer that can play midi files very specifically... you need a program that will play a midi, BUT allow you to choose where the "midi data" is going to. currently, all of the midi data on your computer that gets played, is being directed to your "microsoft gw synth" which comes with windows. it is a basic midi interpreter ("sound box") for playing back generic sounds that the midi file is telling it to play. what you want to do is play back those same midi files through a program that lets you direct the midi output to a midi port on your computer (hopefully you've got one). which will have a midi cable hooked to it (the computer) going into some sort of sound box (something with way better sounds for the midi to trigger). then the sound box will have an audio output to listen to those sounds, which have to be ran back into the computer with audio cables (Depending on your audio interface). if you have a basic computer with basic sound card, this would be your mic or line input. to listen to this, you would have to modify your windows sound properties to allow you to listen to whatever is coming through that port. you can easily do this by going to the sound properties in control panel, switch to recording mode, and "select" which channel you wish to monitor (unmute it and make sure its volume is turned up). if you have a more sophisticated audio interface, then you can do lots more (such as record what you hear, in real time).

the main thing you need to realize is that, the world isnt big on pc-based/driver-based midi "translators" (sound boxes). the world makes them as little machines with midi in and outs.

but, with the rise of digital recording, someone along the line invented VST instruments. and with those (and a little bit of.... well lots of work), can play back midi files in stunning realism. (some vst instruments are actual recordings of the instruments that your midi files are trying to impersonate). for instance... toontrack's drumkit from hell superior allows one to take midi data (either from a drum trigger, digital drum pad, or even a midi file), and translate that into a real drum kit (no kidding, 85,000 drum samples with drum bleed, dynamics (velocity detection) and the whole nine yards).

one word of advice after reading my post....
google is your friend

cuz i learned all of this pretty much on my own in a day

good luck with everything



by the way, vst plugins are something way different than vst instruments. there are 3 main types of "plugins" for pc sequencers (digital multi track recording software). there are Direct X, RTAS, and VST. Direct x is pretty much supported by any audio recording software made for windows. RTAS plugins are for Protools only, and VST is generally the steinberg/cubase realm. these plugins emulate real hardware gear you'd find out in the field. such as a compressor/limiter/gate. reverbs, distortions, choruses. you name it, there's a plugin that does it. in fact, there are plugins that change your sound in ways that no machine or box with circuirt boards could normally do (conventionally that is). and now, we even have plugins, heh... get this, that can let you use your outboard gear IN THE COMPUTER DURING MIXING. yeah, check out waves qclone, it will blow your mind (allows you to use any equalizer you can touch in person, as an equalizer inside of the computer, in real time).

so a vst plugin is basically a module written for a recording program that takes sound in, changes it, and spits the sound back out in the same track/channel (in the recording software) that its placed in. like an insert. or like hooking your guitar to a guitar pedal and then from pedal to your amp. the guitar is the "track/channel", the pedal is the plugin, and the amp is the recording software.

WEE

hey, i wrote too much.