Archive for the ‘Music’ Category
I had almost uploaded MidiToWAV version 2, but all final moments, I found BASS.DLL. And it changed my mind.
It can connect MIDI device much faster than what I did (actually, BASS does not connect to the device) and as you already know, that can replace your SoundFont. This makes the MIDI sounds much better. Therefore I want to use it in my program.
There was a problem I encountered now.
There is nothing to do for end-users, but for programmers.
BASS_ChannelPlay(chan, FALSE);
FALSE, it means that it will not loop. But it does, after all. It seems to ignore it if timer is running.
If anyone knows how to stop the loop MIDI playback, I would like to know it. Cpp, Pascal, C # … Any code is appreciated.
What I can see is that I need something like very precise timer.
There was another problem.
You must have SoundFont. If you have a newer PC and your soundcard is not Creative Labs, you may not have it. But there are many websites offering free SoundFont. Just download it and load into MidiToWav. You do not need to install and do this and that. Without such a hassle. If you have a sound card, it works.
Since BASS does not use hardware, MidiToWav does not do that either.
I tested the New Audio components, and it was Huuuuuum. It’s hard to say. It is very strange thorny or trigger sound when I play. Quite annoying. But it worked very well to encode the WAV file to another.
So I will include WAV file encoder with MidiToWAV.
If you’re wondering, I still cannot record sound with New Audio components. I gave up.
There is one more thing I must write.
As you can see previous posts (MidiToWAV), I used the SKIN, but in the meantime, SKIN manufacturer updated its components and it began to stop working in my program. So I decided not to use these things.
It looks good but functionality… Nothing but heavy.
Anyway, it’s a bit delay for a new version. 
MIDITEST is a program that can play MIDI files and use the SoundFont in your system and even replace it with another if you want it.
You must have at least DirectX3 or newer. People tend to have much newer nowadays. If you have Windows7, you have DirectX11.
I found BASS.DLL (http://www.un4seen.com/) handling MIDI decently and in addition it can read and play SoundFont.
Actually, it was an example program with some programming language in the package I downloaded from the BASS website and I modified a bit. It is what you have here.
Since the original files were open source, so you have them too, I think. I just put a few buttons, and wrote a few lines of code – really just a few lines.
You can either download the software files or source code in Delphi. You can download both if you wish, of course.
When you start this program, you see the SoundFont your computer is set to. If you cannot see it, your computer does not use it at all. If you have a newer computer, it’s so sadly. But you can do it with this program.
The SoundFont is quite large if you want a good sound. And I would not include it in this package. Fortunately, BASS website is such that you can download it for free.
These files will not be updated in the future.
miditest Exe (323 KB / includes everything you need)
Hashes
MD5: DD1A5C88E5768D6C3026D947A4220B05
SHA1: C4F65604A27021249E611A5D2D4D8E655DBDE20B
miditest Source (136 KB / includes everything you need to compile with Delphi)
Hashes
MD5: F2026F54D38CBB487722761E2E24C9D7
SHA1: 66B960368AA35AC9401383186EC862878087096A
I changed my mind about New Audio Components. I felt that I gave up too easy.
Their audio capture still does not work anyway.
On the other hand, I deleted Audio Lab.
I received some information via e-mail. Actually a few. One person told me about CPP and Delphi components, ActiveX and such.
Thank you very much for you to care about this software.
I looked at the things the one recommended.
New Audio Components v.2.5 (for Delphi)
Their (or his) Demo “Recorder”, did not record anything. I changed my Windows’ mixer setting, but it did not work either. So I did not want to try more. I threw them to the Trash.
AudioLab v.4.3.1 for Visual Studio, Cpp Builder, Delphi…
This is heavy duty! And it worked, I could record the sound. It was very easy, too. But how to do more than very simple? Their demo works but “So what?”, I must say.
Their help is not at all helpful, but they explain so many classes they have done. Easy but a bit more advanced demo could not be wrong.
It is free for Non-profit products, but without source code. They have made some silly dialogue, too. They were a little rush of new version or what?
Without the help that really helps, also demo as not good enough. What if it is really good! There is nothing to do with me but I think they will lose many customers.
And I could not play the MIDI file with it. They want to say it’s “Audio Stuff” blah blah blah …
It feels like this is pretty useless.
I still have it on my computer, because it is free, but I do not think I will use them.
I’ve made a little progress.
This is the next version.
Small numbers at the end of the version number can be a little more then when I release it.
A new interesting feature there. Do you see it? I do not mean to Skins. You can record sound from other audio sources. So far, I have tested with YouTube, Internet radio, DVD, CD, Windows Media Player, RealAudio Player, Quick Time … and it worked!
Once again.
Thank you, you told me about it, Mr… It was actually quite fun to examine them.
I have uploaded “Bach02.ZIP” content to:
http://www.esnips.com/web/BachConcerto.
They are re-sequenced and re-recorded and and even a bit better sound, I think anyway.
Now you can download for each MP3 file.
Concerto for Two Harpsichords and Orchestra (BWV 1060)
- Allegro
- Largo ovvero Adagio
- Allegro
Concerto for Three Harpsichords, Strings and Continuo in C Major (BWV 1064)
- Allegro
- Adagio
- Allegro
Everything you can download here: http://www.esnips.com/web/BachConcerto
Now I have appropriate soundcard driver for Seven and tested MidiToWav on seven.
And it works!
If you use Seven, you can use any version you want.
XP users have almost the same frontend as a precursor. Only larger buttons now.
Both images are MidiToWav running on Vista.
Read the rest of this entry »
You have downloaded MidiToWav, but it does not work. Unable to record WAV files …
Still some people have problems with the Windows mixer. So I made video.
Here you can see how you adjust Mixers setting.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.
As usual, it plays Jingle Bells when you click on the link below.
Jingle Bells
Because of the plug-in does not work, you must click on the link this year.
PURITY – Virtual Sound Workstation
Also available for Macintosh.
PURITY is a next generation of digital musical instrument workstation and PCM sound module software. PURITY is designed to realize and surpass the hardware musical instrument workstation perfectly on computer-based music production environments offering higher sound quality and more usability.
You must give the manufacturer your email address to download the demo. Try it! It is superb! You can download it from http://www.luxonix.com/
72.17 EUR if you are interested.