What is the best way to convert MIDI's to files like .mp3 or .wav

[Screamapillar]

I want to convert some MIDI files from TNT MIDI pack to .mp3 or .wav in order to listen to them on my phone. What is the best way to do it? 

[Graf Zahl]

You can use GZDoom for this, it has a console command "writewave" that can convert a MIDI to WAV.

 

[DoomPlayer00]

I use Keppy's Midi Converter myself:

https://github.com/KeppySoftware/KMC/releases

[thiccyosh]

You can use Audacity. That works too.

[Doomkid]

I use VirtualMIDIsynth + rlndgm.sf2, gives a perfect MP3 every time at a reasonable filesize

[Hitboi]

I use SLADE3 to convert, the version I'm using doesn't support converting MIDIs to MP3 but it can convert a MIDI to WAV.

Edited May 6, 2022 by Hitboi

[Loud Silence]

4 minutes ago, Doomkid said:

rlndgm.sf2

Is this one better than Florestan Basic GM GS (fixed SCC1t2.sf2) you shared before?

[Smoothandz]

1 hour ago, thiccyosh said:

You can use Audacity. That works too.

 

You would have the "audacity" to suggest this... haha? ^{(I'm a warehouse of bad jokes, come see me sometime)}

 

But on a serious note, maybe Mr. @leejacksonaudio could share some of his years of wisdom? 

[Alex S.]

I render my MIDIs in two ways:

 

1. If I'm doing serious production, I run them through GarageBand on my Mac. That will put out an MP4 or AAC. Should I need to convert that to MP3 etc, then I put the MP4/AAC through ffmpeg or use QuickTime for it.
2. On a Windows computer, I like NCH Switch Sound File Converter with a good SoundFont like SGM 2.01a

Hope this helps :)

[Wavy]

If you want to listen to them on your phone, I'd suggest using a mobile MIDI player instead.

 

Can't say for iPhones, but for Android there's this one which I use personally. You should also grab RLNDGM.SF2 that Doomkid mentioned above.

[leejacksonaudio]

1 hour ago, Smoothandz said:

But on a serious note, maybe Mr. @leejacksonaudio could share some of his years of wisdom? 

 

Well, I can, but i don't do anything the easy way.

 

After i've got my MIDI file done, I make a copy of it and add an Audio track to it in Cakewalk by Bandlab. I then record the output of my SC-88Pro into the Audio track. Once I've got a good take, I'll export the audio to a WAV file. If I need to convert the WAV to MP3, I use fre:ac to do the conversion.

 

Don't hesitate to ask questions if you have any.

[Clippy]

I'm posting here to remember this thread

[Lippeth]

1 hour ago, Wavy said:

If you want to listen to them on your phone, I'd suggest using a mobile MIDI player instead.

  

Can't say for iPhones, but for Android there's this one which I use personally. You should also grab RLNDGM.SF2 that Doomkid mentioned above.

This is my exact setup for MIDI on the go!

 

For turning MIDI into audio formats one of the several methods I use is to record Sekaiju's playback into a DAW either using my audio interface's loopback or a hardware synth's MIDI input. It's tedious doing it in real time but I like being able to monitor everything and not be limited to just one playback synth or soundfont.

[TheMagicMushroomMan]

My phone can play midi files without any extra apps. Do you have an Android phone?

[Ravendesk]

I personally just use foobar2000. You'll need FluidSynth plugin, it allows you to select any .sf2 soundfont you want to use for playback, it's pretty convenient.

Select it in the Preferences window and you're good to go. To create actual mp3 files just select the tracks and right-click convert (you'll need LAME encoder I think), it'll use whichever soundfont you have currently selected.

[Doomkid]

11 hours ago, Loud Silence said:

Is this one better than Florestan Basic GM GS (fixed SCC1t2.sf2) you shared before?

It is VERY similar, but I feel like Rlndgm has an ever so slightly smoother sound.

[ducon]

timidity can convert a midi file into an ogg file:

> timidity ../Doom/Doom\ midi/D_Bunny\ -\ End\ Game.mid -Ov -o essai.ogg
Playing ../Doom/Doom midi/D_Bunny - End Game.mid
MIDI file: ../Doom/Doom midi/D_Bunny - End Game.mid
Format: 1  Tracks: 13  Divisions: 89
Copyright: QMUS2MID (C) S.BACQUET
Track name: Quick MUS->MID ! for WinTex
Playing time: ~66 seconds
Notes cut: 0
Notes lost totally: 0
> file essai.ogg 
essai.ogg: Ogg data, Vorbis audio, stereo, 44100 Hz, ~128000 bps, created by: Xiph.Org libVorbis I
> ogg123 essai.ogg 

Périphérique audio : Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) output

Écoute de : essai.ogg
Ogg Vorbis stream: 2 channel, 44100 Hz
Location: essai.ogg
                                                                                
Terminé.

Of course, it’s scriptable.

[Remilia Scarlet]

I just use my own command line program, an older SC-55 SoundFont I have lying around (not Scc1t2.sf2), and LAME (or opusenc or oggenc or whatever format I'm targeting).  If I'm feeling fancy, I might do some additional mastering with SoX or Steinberg's WaveLab as well.

midi123 -s /path/to/soundfont.sf2 -f /path/to/midi.mid -o wave-file.wav
lame --preset cd wave-file.wav

Half the time anymore I just use my program to listen to the MIDIs directly, though.  I only render them to wav/mp3/opus/ogg when I plan on taking them with me on my phone.

[Screamapillar]

On 5/6/2022 at 10:02 PM, Graf Zahl said:

You can use GZDoom for this, it has a console command "writewave" that can convert a MIDI to WAV.

 

Hey, thanks for answering, from what I've seen, it seems to be the best option. But I would like to ask, how do I exactly do it? I know that when I type in console, some instructions pop-up, but what exactly should I do? When try to follow instructions, it shows me it can't load gzdoom.sf2, despite the fact it is avaiable in gzdoom soundfonts folder. 

[Graf Zahl]

Unless you want to use a specific synth or sound font, just make sure the MIDI is either in some WAD/PK3 or loaded with -file, then type "writewave midi.mid midi.wav"

If you want to use a specific synth (say, you want to use OPL) you have to pass more parameters.

 

[ChopBlock223]

On 5/6/2022 at 10:02 PM, Graf Zahl said:

You can use GZDoom for this, it has a console command "writewave" that can convert a MIDI to WAV.

How long have I missed this handy feature?

Silly question, but will it just write the MIDI to WAV for the data that it contains, or will it record for as long as you're playing?

 

On 5/7/2022 at 12:16 AM, Wavy said:

If you want to listen to them on your phone, I'd suggest using a mobile MIDI player instead.

I recall using one years ago, but it wasn't flawless. Maybe I'll try this one.

 

 

[Screamapillar]

6 hours ago, ChopBlock223 said:

 

I recall using one years ago, but it wasn't flawless. Maybe I'll try this one.

I actually installed it recently, and while it plays midis, they sound really off. Not sure why

6 hours ago, ChopBlock223 said:

 

15 hours ago, Graf Zahl said:

Unless you want to use a specific synth or sound font, just make sure the MIDI is either in some WAD/PK3 or loaded with -file, then type "writewave midi.mid midi.wav"

 

Thanks, I did it, but when I typed in D_STALKS, it showed that it cannot find MIDI limp. I played the midi pack with TNT wad itself btw. 

 

[Graf Zahl]

17 hours ago, ChopBlock223 said:

How long have I missed this handy feature?

Silly question, but will it just write the MIDI to WAV for the data that it contains, or will it record for as long as you're playing?

 

 

It will play through the MIDI once at maximum processing speed and write the generated output to a file. It normally only takes a second or so. What this function does is hooking up the MIDI synths with a wave writer output instead of the sound system as its consumer.

 

11 hours ago, Screamapillar said:

Thanks, I did it, but when I typed in D_STALKS, it showed that it cannot find MIDI limp. I played the midi pack with TNT wad itself btw. 

 

That can happen if D_STALKS is not a MIDI. Did you by any chance load some music mod that uses different music formats?

 

Edited May 9, 2022 by Graf Zahl

[Wavy]

13 hours ago, Screamapillar said:

I actually installed it recently, and while it plays midis, they sound really off. Not sure why

Is this about the MIDI player I linked above?

[Screamapillar]

2 hours ago, Graf Zahl said:

 

That can happen if D_STALKS is not a MIDI. Did you by any chance load some music mod that uses different music formats?

 

No, I used TNTmidi.wad, which lists its tracks as type "music (midi)". 

[TimeOfDeath666]

On 5/8/2022 at 3:18 AM, Graf Zahl said:

Unless you want to use a specific synth or sound font, just make sure the MIDI is either in some WAD/PK3 or loaded with -file, then type "writewave midi.mid midi.wav"

If you want to use a specific synth (say, you want to use OPL) you have to pass more parameters.

 

Is it possible to use writewave with the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth? Outside of doom, I literally can't find any way of converting midi to audio using the gs wavetable synth, besides recording the midi playback myself in real time.

Edited June 19, 2022 by TimeOfDeath666

[Spie812]

The best option on Windows is probably to use the VirtualMidiSynth GUI.

 

On my system I use this beautiful horrible midi conversion bash script.

#!/bin/sh
out=$(echo "$1" | sed 's/\.mid$/.mp3/i')
timidity -EFreverb=d --quiet=3 -Ow -o - "$1" | lame --quiet -b 192k - "$out"

 

Edited June 19, 2022 by Spie812

[ducon]

You can use $(command) instead of `command`, and basename instead of sed.

Edited June 19, 2022 by ducon

[Spie812]

50 minutes ago, ducon said:

You can use $(command) instead of `command`, and basename instead of sed.

Eh, sed allows me to be case insensitive for .MID files. $() does look nicer though.

Edited June 19, 2022 by Spie812

[ducon]

Then, maybe the -a option of basename will do the job.

`` is now obsolete, and a problem when you have to embed backquotes.

Edited June 19, 2022 by ducon