midi to wave mixdown in Pro audio9

[Eaglion]

Hi i am new to this group.

I am a partime musician doing some solo project in my home studio. Mostly play electric guitar, e-acoustics,e- bass, and Yamaha prs 220 midi keyboard.

I am using an old PC (PIII -500/256 mb/ 2x 80Gb 7200 HD) with SB live value soundcard which i am planning to replace it with P4-2.4/2GB mem/2x 80GB 7200 HD and audiophille 2496 or similar soon.

Now my question is. I am still using the demo version of CW pro audio 9. I record all my guitar tracks in my GNX3 guitar workstation then transfer them to CW. I add midi drums, keys etc to them in CW. When i want to make a final mix down it only mixes the waves but not midi track. So i have to record midis with the SB's recorder at "what you hear mode" while playing back single midi track with CW. re edit the new track, remix etc consumes to much time.

Is there a way that i can mix down midis and wave at once? or a way to convert midi tracks in to waves directly within CW.

 

[BloodShark]

Is there a way that i can mix down midis and wave at once? or a way to convert midi tracks in to waves directly within CW.

Instead of 'What U Hear', choose 'MIDI' on your Audio HQ Mixer, then create a new audio track and record only the midi tracks (solo them) to this new audio track.

 

[Eaglion]

I actually remmeber trying it. I think something had gone wrong the. Either it recorded as midi or it ignore the soundfont and used GM sound or not recorded anything at all. I can't remember now. It has been a very long time since i tried it and gave up doing that way.

How should i configure input output settings then.

 

[Wife]

Midi to waves

In order to make wave files from midi files, you must plug the outputs of your midi instruments into CW and record those inputs as audio tracks. Mute the inputs after arming them, and listen to the playback from your midi tracks. This is the only way to convert midi to waves. Good luck, and let us know if this works for you.
Lynn
www.wifemusic.com

 

[dachay2tnr]

Re: Midi to waves

In order to make wave files from midi files, you must plug the outputs of your midi instruments into CW and record those inputs as audio tracks. Mute the inputs after arming them, and listen to the playback from your midi tracks. This is the only way to convert midi to waves. Good luck, and let us know if this works for you.
Lynn
www.wifemusic.com

Sorry, but this information is incorrect. There are quite a few ways to covert midi to audio. Recording a midi instrument as audio is only one way.

Another way is as Blood Shark descibed, and another way is using a DXi (which requires Sonar, however).

Eaglion, you can not mixdown midi. Cakewalk will only mixdown audio, and as such, your midi tracks have to be converted to audio before you can mix them down.

However, you should not have to go outside of PA9 to covert the midi to audio. Try what Blood Shark suggested. The input to the audio track should be your sound card.

 

[Wife]

midi to waves

In regard to the post from dachay2tnr, once you plug the outputs from your midi instruments into your soundcard you have gone outside of Cakewalk. I still don't know of any other method that will do this. Even the Cakewalk site advices this method. Perhaps we're getting hung up on semantics here, and we're actually saying the same thing. Either way, midi files must go through your sound card are a converter to become wave files. If I'm wrong, I apologize, but if you successfully convert midi to wave any other way I will happily applaud you and be willing to learn from my fellow recordists.
Lynn

 

[James Argo]

Well, it doesn't have to get out of the PC if you are using SB Live! (or any Soundfont capable cards) with non DXi version of Cakewalk. Try this...

Insert new audio track, on your existing project (which contains MIDI parts).
Mute all MIDI track except the one you want to record. It's better to raise the volume to the max to obtain better headroom (we can adjust the volume again once the MIDI has been converted to audio track).
Go to windows' mixer (that's it... double click the small speaker icon on taskbar near clock). It will open the Playback mixer setting. Click options --> Properties --> Recording. Select MIDI (or synth, NOT "what you hear").
Back to Cakewalk, arm the new audio track (remember, all MIDI tracks must be muted except the one you want to convert to audio). Hit Record button.
Repeat the procedure untill all MIDI tracks recorded as audio into their own audio tracks.
Do the mix... That's it...


Jaymz

 

[dachay2tnr]

Re: midi to waves

In regard to the post from dachay2tnr, once you plug the outputs from your midi instruments into your soundcard you have gone outside of Cakewalk. I still don't know of any other method that will do this. Even the Cakewalk site advices this method. Perhaps we're getting hung up on semantics here, and we're actually saying the same thing. Either way, midi files must go through your sound card are a converter to become wave files. If I'm wrong, I apologize, but if you successfully convert midi to wave any other way I will happily applaud you and be willing to learn from my fellow recordists.
Lynn

Most midi instruments have both audio out or midi out connections. If you use the audio out connections (your method), then you are simply recording audio and there is no need for a conversion.

However, you can also record using teh instrument's midi out. In that case you are actually recording a midi track within Sonar/Cakewalk. This method has a lot of advantages for later editing, or for using different sequencers for your sound source. However, this method will require, at some point, that the midi track be converted to an audio track. You can do this by sending the signal back out to the instrument and recording the audio out. Or you can use your sound card, or a DXi.

Additionally, you can create a midi track without even using an external instrument at all by simply writing out the part in Staff View or Piano Roll View. Here again, the midi must at some point be converted to audio for mixdown.

If you have a sound card that contains a midi sequencer (as the SB Live does) you can use that as your sequencer and record the output. If you have more current recording software (e.g., Sonar, HS2004) you can also use software synthesizer (DXi) to record the midi track.

My point is simply that capturing the audio out from an external instrument is not the "only way to convert midi to waves."

 

[BloodShark]

Re: Re: midi to waves

My point is simply that capturing the audio out from an external instrument is not the "only way to convert midi to waves."

Just complementing: you just need the MIDI track itself. No need of any external instruments.