Converting MIDI to MP3

[RobertM]

Hello everyone,
On previous keyboards after recording to midi I've been able to use that source to convert to .wav on the keyboard and subsequently to MP3 on computer.
Has anyone been able to convert midi direct to MP3 on the SX900?
Thanks,
Robert.

[mikf]

To clarify, you don't actually convert midi files to audio, you play the midi on the keyboard and record the resulting audio output. I don't have an SX900 but I believe that on an SX 900 you can select the audio output format you want including MP3. And of course you could skip the midi step and just record the song as an audio, in the format you want, MP3 in your case.
Mike

[meyrick]

Hi RobertM.
If it just a straight conversion of Midi to MP3, you could try using NCH Sofware 'WavePad Sound Editor'.
It can covert Midi to MP3, and I believe it can also convert Midi to WAV. I am almost sure it will not work the other way.
Hope this helps
meyrick.

[EileenL]

As Mike says you can choose to record to WAV or MP3 on the SX900. Just play your midi whilst recording to Audio recorder.

[RobertM]

Thank you for your replies so far.
I usually record to MP3 as it's convenient, but sometimes need to correct or tweak and so use midi, then convert (re-record) to MP3 or .wav.
On the S975 this can be done as Eileen suggests, but on the SX900 and probably the Genos, it does not appear possible as record and play can't be opened together. I think the problem happens because of these two modes being integrated on the SX900.
However, sometimes a work-around is possible, and this is the point of my question.
Perhaps someone with an SX900 could try it, I'd be interested in their results.
With thanks,
Robert.

[mikf]

Robert, I don't get your question. Why do you think this can't be done on the SX - Eileen just confirmed that it could. If you might want to edit, you should always record to midi, then re-record after editing to  audio. I am not sure what you thought you were doing on the PSR975, but you cannot actually correct or edit audio on any Yamaha arranger, or create a midi retrospectively from an audio. You can only edit audio on quite sophisticated audio recording devices. And creating midi from an audio file needs very sophisticated software, which doesn't actually work too well.  Think about what it would have to do, separate all those sounds into separate instruments, allocate digital voices to emulate, and identify every effect applied to that voice, then create instructions for every note, how long, how much attack, volume, decay etc etc.  Almost impossible to get all that correct. Which is why creating good styles (which are just special midi loops) from audio recordings is difficult.
My guess is that you were always recording initially to midi on the 975, even if you didn't know it, because if I remember correctly the PSR975 could not record audio internally, only on to usb.
Recording the keyboard initially to midi should really be standard practice, unless you are recording an audio simultaneously, like a vocal or another instrument. Even then, it's probably still best to record the keyboard part to midi first, edit it if necessary, then play it back while adding the vocal or other instrument and ultimately recording the total to audio.
I wonder if you are understand what a midi file is, and why it is different to audio. A midi is just a set of digital commands that can by played on a midi compatible device. There is no sound. It's like me telling you to hit that C note on the piano hard or soft. It's just an instruction. That's why it is easy to edit.
Mike

[Toril S]

Mike explained it perfectly. I do this all the time. I first record my song in MIDI, then play the MIDI while recording it to audio. S975 records to USB, on Genos it stores on USER. Neither one has the option to record to MP3 format. But the SX900 does.

[RobertM]

Problem solved.......
Thanks Toril, you saw the nub of the problem and gave a simple straight answer.  Well done.
What I had been doing was starting the player first, don't know why, just getting old. That raised an error.
Eileen, thanks for your input. By the way, still use your past styles all the time, a great gift to all.
mikf, Most of your comments are answered in my first post!
Great forum,
Robert.

[Toril S]

Great! I like solutions😀

[Armand]

There is no program to directly convert MIDI files to audio format, such as mp3. As Mike rightly explained, MIDI is instructions, nothing tangible like the audio file.
The way to record MIDI as some kind of audio is through the keyboard's audio output, whatever it is. In other words, you record your performance in the memory of the workstation, you record it with your audio editor.
In years past there were software companies that offered applications that certainly turned out to be bad. They only converted parts of the file with poor quality. Best regards

[MadrasGiaguari]

Dear Friend,

thank you for the precious information.

In Genos, I played and recorded a song in Midi format. Then I started the same recorded song and at the same time I Quick recorded in Audio format (wav). Perfect: the Midi became an Audio.

Then I copied the Audio file (wav) on my Macbook, and in iTunes I used the function to convert it to Mp3 format. Perfect.  Now I can send to anybody, as the mp3 format is very commonly used.

What a lovely Forum!

Ciao

Angelo

[RobertM]

Hello Angelo,

Glad you had success with your method, however, the point of my original question was that on the SX900 it is possible to "simple record" three ways. They are midi, .wav, and MP3. Now, normally I record directly to MP3, great, play and record, copy the file to a usb thumbdrive, insert in car or any other player, and play.
If I find I have a recording which requires editing, then I record as a midi, correct, and then re-record (convert) to MP3. With my S975 I had been doing this dozens of times for many years, but when I tried the same way with MP3 I kept getting error messages..........and that was the reason for my question.
As you will see above I have to thank Toril for seeing my mistake, it was simply the sequence I used to convert the midi file.  All is well now with no further errors.
As you will see, in this respect the SX900 has the MP3 record feature which the Genos does not. (As far as I'm aware).

Regards,
Robert.

[MadrasGiaguari]

I agree, Robert: can't figure why Genos does not have the chance to quick record directly in the mp3 format.

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