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The Musician Forums => Music Technology & Pro Audio => Topic started by: bunny rabbit on May 15, 2006, 01:12:03 AM

Title: MIDI Help
Post by: bunny rabbit on May 15, 2006, 01:12:03 AM
Is is possible to remove instruments in a midi file? (i.e. playing only the drum parts) I'm trying to use those midi files kasi for practice. Is that possible? Thanks!
Title: MIDI Help
Post by: KitC on May 15, 2006, 02:06:15 AM
Yes. Open the midi file in any sequencer software such as Cakewalk Pro Audio/Sonar, Cubase/Cubasis, or even Voyetra, and either delete or mute the track/s you don't need. Save as a new midi file so that you don't overwrite the original. When deleting the drum tracks, it is preferable to leave closed hat or side stick notes intact as a metronome reference.
Title: MIDI Help
Post by: bunny rabbit on May 15, 2006, 03:10:35 AM
thanks bro! ayaw ko na gumamit ng cubase. nakakalito. hehehe any other programs that can do the same job? btw, is it possible to convert mp3 to midi? tapos delete na rin ng instruments?
Title: MIDI Help
Post by: KitC on May 15, 2006, 03:44:08 AM
Quote from: bunny rabbit
btw, is it possible to convert mp3 to midi? tapos delete na rin ng instruments?


The only software known to convert mp3 to midi is located between the ear to hand interface.
Title: MIDI Help
Post by: starfugger on May 15, 2006, 07:02:10 AM
my experience in midi is limited, but so far this is what i learned. sometimes when u load up a midi file in cubase or whatever DAW you're using, you get just one track where everything is comped together.  not to worry as this kind of midi track can be expanded or broken down into its basic elements (drums, bass, guitars, melody, etc.). the exact procedure escapes me but the others can help in case you bump into this  kind of MIDI file.
Title: MIDI Help
Post by: KitC on May 15, 2006, 10:16:00 AM
Quote from: starfugger
my experience in midi is limited, but so far this is what i learned. sometimes when u load up a midi file in cubase or whatever DAW you're using, you get just one track where everything is comped together.  not to worry as this kind of midi track can be expanded or broken down into its basic elements (drums, bass, guitars, melody, etc.). the exact procedure escapes me but the others can help in case you bump into this  kind of MIDI file.


These midi files are known as type 0 files, all midi data is contained in one track. Midi 0 files can only have a maximum of 16 channels whereas Midi 1 files can have multiple port/channel data. In Cubase VST, you usually use the 'Explode Channels' to separate the data into individual channels/tracks. In Cubase SX, the command was changed to 'Dissolve Part'.
Title: MIDI Help
Post by: bunny rabbit on May 15, 2006, 04:25:06 PM
ohh.. so any other programs/applications that i can use aside from the ones above? freeware/shareware sana. cheapskate ako eh. hahaha!
Title: MIDI Help
Post by: KitC on May 15, 2006, 04:53:04 PM
Quote from: bunny rabbit
ohh.. so any other programs/applications that i can use aside from the ones above? freeware/shareware sana. cheapskate ako eh. hahaha!


For freeware, you can try: Anvil Studio (http://www.anvilstudio.com/). Sonar 5 has a downloadable demo (http://www.cakewalk.com/Support/kb/kb2005298.asp), it's 54 megs so if you're on dialup, use one of those download managers like DAP.

If you have an Audigy, I know it comes with some free sequencer software, but if you're used to Cubase/Sonar, the OEM soft appear rudimentary in comparison. Step up to better soundcards such as M-Audio and these sometimes come with light, but fully functional, editions of major software sequencers. Emu, for example, bundles Cubase LE, Sonar LE, and Ableton Live LE as well as Wavelab Lite.
Title: MIDI Help
Post by: bunny rabbit on May 15, 2006, 10:57:05 PM
thanks bro!!!
Title: MIDI Help
Post by: 3650guy on May 15, 2006, 10:57:38 PM
Quote from: KitC
Quote from: bunny rabbit
btw, is it possible to convert mp3 to midi? tapos delete na rin ng instruments?


The only software known to convert mp3 to midi is located between the ear to hand interface.


ever the purist talaga si Kitc.  yes and this interface can never be duplicated by any processor in the next decade or so and will remain pretty much a standard.

anyway to try and answer the question.  even a highly compressed format such as an mp3 file is a highly complex waveform. and how the software will decipher which is the bass part and what tone to use. which is the drum part and how will it decipher the complex rhythm and meter it correctly, what is the melody part and how will it decipher pitch bends, vibrato etc.  really staggers the programmers mind.   and I think this software will remain a holy grail of  programming challenges...
Title: MIDI Help
Post by: KitC on May 16, 2006, 01:36:54 AM
Quote from: 3650guy
anyway to try and answer the question.  even a highly compressed format such as an mp3 file is a highly complex waveform. and how the software will decipher which is the bass part and what tone to use. which is the drum part and how will it decipher the complex rhythm and meter it correctly, what is the melody part and how will it decipher pitch bends, vibrato etc.  really staggers the programmers mind.   and I think this software will remain a holy grail of  programming challenges...


Well, there were and are software with pitch detection algorithms but they mostly work on mono sound sources. Worse, you sometimes have to manually identify what the sound source is because we're still a long way off from timbre detection.

Mp3's are not exactly the ideal media for music transcription because they mask portions of the sound wave during particularly loud sections. This could cause errors in transcription. Then there's also double tracked instruments that are slightly detuned, 2 (or more) different instruments that sound similar timbrally, and all that jazz. And I haven't gone into just intonation yet...