Working with midi files

[Tyros5Mad]

As I have said elsewhere, I do love playing live and I do that occasionally here where I live to entertain the folks. I live in a retirement village.

But when I do songs for YouTube I try to do the best I can and playing live plus changing registrations plus changing vocal harmony on my Perform VK plus singing is too much for my brain, so I use midi files that I make myself or straight out cheat with MP3/cdg files.

So here's what I do. I have thousands of midi files containing lyrics and that's what I want - the lyrics already in the file.

1. I open the file in PSRUTI (excellent program from Heiko Plate), thanks Heiko.
2. I optimise the XG data and compute the chords and transpose if I need to.
3. I play it back,  I don't care if it sounds bad or good because I don't need the music. I just check that the chords and lyrics are there.
4. I will enter the proper song name, artist(me) and words by original artist using the extras button in PSRUTI.
5. Next I use MixMaster (excellent program from Michael Bedesem) to remove all the channels, thanks Michael.
6. Now I have a file with only chords and lyrics.
7. I open this file in Producer (another excellent program, this one from Peter Wierzba/Michael Bedesem), thanks guys.
8. I add in the Genos style I want to use and the fills and style changes where I need them.
9. I play back all the time to my kbd and check and modify the file till I am happy with it.
10. Now I save the file, load it in the Genos and expand it (Genos multi record midi - chord - expand).
11. Now I am ready to add the vocals and any right hand parts and record it to an audio wav file in the Genos.
12. I take the wav file over to the computer and convert it to an MP3 using Switch, a free converter from NCH Software.
13. That's it, I am now ready to make the video.

So what do you guys do? I am always happy to take advice.

Regards,
Richard

[dinapoli]

I usually play live when I want to change a song, when I want to sound like the original version of a song I use midi files, I can't compete with the original version of a song.  I just pick up the mike and sing, I can entertain better without faking anything, I tell the audience when I seat at the keyboard I am really playing.