MIDI files

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jayo2005

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Hi I have midi files that i use when I gig. Most files would have been purchased from various places. I am looking to replace the midi tracks with real instruments. I have cakewalk sonar x3. What would be the best way of doing this would it be by using vst instruments or samples?? Has anyone done this if so could you give me a tutorial on doing this in sonar
 
So those MIDI files that you're playing when you gig are playing virtual instrument sounds.

Sounds to me like you're just trying to replace whatever you're using with better virtual instruments. You still need the MIDI tracks to make it work. And they're not real instruments that you're going to be using, just samples (most likely) of real instruments.

Is the aim to have something you can gig with that's an audio file? Or something that you can gig with that's a MIDI file playing a better class of virtual instrument?

I'm not sure why you'd go the former route.

And what instruments are we talking about here anyway?
 
We use Session Drummer in Sonar X3 for our drum tracks - it requires a MIDI track to tell it what samples to play.
I would do what we did - watch Youtube video tutorials as they provide visual and audible instructions.
What did we do before YT anyway lol....
 
Can you clarify what you mean by "replace the midi tracks with real instruments"? How are you playing them now, and how do you want to play them?

For instance, are you sending the MIDI tracks to a keyboard or other external sound module-- which is what I'm sort of expecting since you said "that I use when I gig," which implies while you're playing live.

If you're just wanting to let other members of the band play the parts corresponding to some of those tracks on their instruments, then it should be as simple as muting those tracks and/or not sending them to whatever external sound source (keyboard or sound module) that you're currently using to play them.

Or if you're talking about changing the virtual instruments being used to play those tracks-- for instance, replace the General MIDI instruments with better-sounding instruments-- then if you're still wanting to send the tracks to an external sound source you'll probably need to change the Bank Selects and Program Numbers for the tracks so they select better-sounding patches on your keyboard or sound module. Or if there aren't any better sounds available on your device then you could assign those tracks to high-quality virtual instruments that would be produced by your computer rather than by your keyboard/sound module.

It's tough for us to make appropriate suggestions without first having a clearer picture of what you're doing now and what it is you're hoping to accomplish.
 
I'm using my down time to replace my old cubase tracks with real 'real' instruments. I'm replacing my old faithful outboard midi driven sounds with internal sample based sounds for pianos, strings, some brass etc, and putting in real guitars, basses, sax, flute, clarinets and pedal steel, because we have those instruments in the studio. In particular electric, especially distorted guitars never sounded convincing, so gradually they're getting better. I can see that replacing external synths and keys with better internal ones is worthwhile, but I suspect that to do a decent job, a slightly more sophisticated sequencer will be needed, because of the editing.
 
I was using a Korg Pa60 for playback on stage. The korg is gone bust now and Ive been using an ipad for playback which I really like. The midi files were just converted to mp3 using a 3rd party tool ( not great). I am looking to replace the midi tracks with better sounding instruments, also have all files same volume and export as mp3. A lot of the midi files I have would have been edited for the soundbank in the Korg pa60 ( sound good in the korg pa60 but play in anything else sound terrible). Some files now sound better than others on the ipad so I want to go thru my whole set list. Type of music would be from 60's to current stuff. So session drummer and Virtual instruments would be the way to go would it?
 
It sounds like it.

I'd recommend keeping copies of your original MIDI files, just because it might be nice to have them available in case you ever want to control/output to another keyboard or sound module or make changes to them-- but that's me; I like to keep everything!

You should be able to reassign the tracks from an external MIDI device to virtual instruments. They'll still be MIDI tracks but they'll be controlling the VSTis.

Then it's up to you whether you keep them as MIDI tracks or record them to audio tracks. Again, I personally would keep a backup copy of the MIDI tracks, in case you ever want to make changes to them and record new audio tracks.

Anyway, if you're going to assign the tracks to VSTis then you shouldn't need to worry about changing the Banks/Programs, because whatever VSTi you assign a given track to will control the sound. I don't have Sonar, but from what I've read/seen Cakewalk has some great VSTis.
 
There's a lot of really nice sounding drums in Session Drummer in X3, and I think you can get by with what is supplied with the software. You can also mix the drums on a mixer to adjust each drum/cymbal to your preferred level for the song. The you can export the final drum track to a .wav file then convert to mp3.
I haven't used synths in Sonar for ages as we are guitar based. You may need to insert a second soft synth like TTS1 to load your synth tracks but I'm not sure. Again the samples I've heard others do for synths are pretty good - if you can find the library/source.
Again, YT is a good source for tutorials.
 
Not sure of your software, but a long time ago, computer based sequencers actually used a proprietary format for their MIDI files. Then you would have to convert the to GM MIDI. Make sure if this is the case that they are not stored in some format that cannot be read. If they do use their own method to store the MIDI files, see if you can "export" them out to GM MIDI or check to see if there is some way to convert. Some things may be missing (key word may) like aftertouch, velocity, effects, etc. and any send messages, but probably most of what you need will be there.

The only other issue you would really have would be drums. Drums tend to be a little more involved as the mapping there is not always 100%. You may have to tweak those to get the right instrument to the right (MIDI) note. Most of the time, if you find the right note for a row of notes, you can select and move the whole section, not as bad as it sounds.
 
It's funny about MIDI. It was introduced in the early 80s wasn't it? Yet we've not been able to come out with anything more advanced. There was talk in the late 90s about something called IE1944 or something that was supposed to be the new MIDI. But I notice everything's gone back to MIDI. I used to collect old analog synths. some Pre-MIDI. Gee it was a pain converting the ones with DCB and CV/Gate to get them to speak with the MIDI chain. one day I got so sick of always having some unit to fix (the Oberheim OB-8 was the WORST culprit, how many hours with a multimeter and a jewellers screwdriver I spent under the hood of that! I decided right there on the spot to sell the lot. Anyway, the Roland JP8000 had come out that had alot of my favourite analog sounds on it, the prophecy was amazing and look at what you can get now, synths that do anything the old ones can and more, like the Roland Jupiter 80 and the TB303 emulator thats just like the real thing! we never thought that possible back in the mid / late 90s! Sorry to go off topic a bit , what did happen to that IE1944 or whatever it was called?
 
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