MIDI Tuning ?

[HomeMadeHitShow]

I'm new to MIDI though not new to computers or recording.

I got everything working, MicroKorg through m-audio interface to PC. However when I converted the file to WAV and sent it to my recording device to play along with guitar I found a problem.

The MIDI tracks were not tuned the same as the guitar. So I tune my guitar using a POD XTL tuner which has been pretty accurate. But the MIDI "C" chord on the piano was clearly out of key with the guitar "C" chord.

Note I was using a free Grand Piano sound font through SFZ for the MIDI

Any thoughts ?

Thanks

Tony

 

[DavidK]

Any thoughts

?

Yes, Something is out of tune Intonation is a state of mind

OK:

1. How do you know the pod is accurate?

2, Different timbres have different intonation

3. I assume you can download free software tuners. Cakewalk has one in Sonar, my J-Station has one, I have never tried either.

If you ever go to see a quartet or a symphony, you will notice that people tune frequently yet nobody has a tuner. The oboe does but I dont think they know how to use it. We tune to the leader, or the oboe or the piano.

The piano cannot move ( in theory). A real piano cant in a concert, so you tune to it. If you go to a church and the piano is REALLY low, tough. You tune low.

The proper way to tune is to tune to the piano. Assuming it is in tune, that is your benchmark. In a string quartet we say "who has a good A" and we tune to one person. If we all had tuners it would be disaster because we would interpret the readings differently and a tuner is not always correct.

In the symphony we tune to the oboe. You could leave the same tuner out and ten oboe players would blow different A's, its timbre and perception. The only thing you can do is adjust to the A of the oboe player at the moment. THEREFORE the only REAL way to tune is for you to tune to the piano.

If you are asking if you can tune a soundfont, I have no clue. Some synths can adjust the A. In the US we tune to 440, in Europe orchestras tune to 443!!!!!!!!!!

Ask a woodwind player about violin tuning and they will turn red: " Those idiot violins always tune sharp". Well, we tend to because it makes our instruments brighter, but they also percieve it is sharp because of the timbre.


This ends my lecture on tuning, I bid you good day.

 

[noisewreck]

It's not a MIDI timing problem at all. What you're describing is a samplerate mismatch. If you recorded the MIDI outputs of the MicroKorg at say 48kHz, and then dropped it into a project that's set at 44.1kHz, it would play back slightly slower and at a slightly lower pitch. And vice versa.

 

[noisewreck]

Err... I just noticed it says MIDI tuning and not timing in the topic. So disregard my note above. Well, whether you can tune the soundfonts or not depends on what you're using to play them back. If the sampler has global tuning controls (most do) then you should be OK.

 

[DavidK]

If the sampler has global tuning controls (most do) then you should be OK.

Yes, most do. My answer was more philosophical.

I doubt a Soundblaster has that.

 

[HomeMadeHitShow]

DavidK I certainly understand your answer. Here's one response. How do I know the POD XTL is tuning correctly. Well in many ways I don't but what I do know is that the POD reports "E" for the "E" string on the guitar and my PSR home keyboard and my MicroKorg + I have 2 other guitar tuners that match closely with the POD. So they are all consistent which is the key point you are making.

However my MIDI file is coming out slightly off, slightly but noticeable even to my untrained ear. One thing I need to try is to switch to the built in MIDI for a test because it could be the Sound Font I'm using that's off key. (I don't have a SoundBlaster btw I'm just using SoundFonts through SFZ).

Thanks

Tony

 

[Dags]

Well in many ways I don't but what I do know is that the POD reports "E" for the "E" string on the guitar and my PSR home keyboard and my MicroKorg + I have 2 other guitar tuners that match closely with the POD.

Well, that pretty much rules the POD out as the problem

However my MIDI file is coming out slightly off, slightly but noticeable even to my untrained ear. One thing I need to try is to switch to the built in MIDI for a test because it could be the Sound Font I'm using that's off key.

I don't know if this is possible, but check that the tuning for your soundfonts set to equal temperament, with A tuned at 440Hz.

Dags