KVR Audio

geekboy · Post by **geekboy** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:37 pm

Does anyone know how to play midi files easily with good default sounds?

I'd like to play midi songs (Stevie Wonder, for example) like I can with the QuickTime player, but with sounds like the ones that are in my Sonic Synth VSTi. (With QuickTime, you simple click a midi file and it plays back all the parts automatically -- you don't have to cut the midi sections up and assign them to different instruments, etc.)

Even accompaniment software like Jammer or Band in a Box sound ridiculous with their default sound engines. Any ideas? I'd love to be able to use the Sonic Synth I bought, if it's possible.

THANK YOU!!!!!

zeoy · Post by **zeoy** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:42 pm

check the www.titanicsf.com site. They offer a free huge sound font (~150 Mb uncompressed). (There are also some demos) There is always the free sfz soundfont player and ofcourse the Traction NFR to serve you as a host.

SecondSkin · Post by **SecondSkin** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:45 pm

Did you happen to get the OmniSound bundle with Sonic Synth 1??? Omnisound is a complete GM (edit: general midi) soundset, and probably the best around. Alternatively, you could get sfz (free soundfont player, check out instruments at the top right of this page) and download some free soundfonts.

C00kie · Post by **C00kie** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:45 pm

geekboy wrote:I'd like to play midi songs (Stevie Wonder, for example) like I can with the QuickTime player, but with sounds like the ones that are in my Sonic Synth VSTi.

You need to set up a GS/GM compatible sound bank in your Sonic Synth. Just select the 128 patches and save them in the proper location so Midi Program Change messages work as expected. A lot of work...
Edit: there seems to be such a bank available, so not much work after all!

Then you can use about any host loaded with the Sonic Synth. Maybe TobyBears Minihost will do.

olepro · Post by **olepro** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:05 pm

128 patches in sonic synth would be very ram-hungry

C00kie · Post by **C00kie** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:09 pm

olepro wrote:128 patches in sonic synth would be very ram-hungry

When playing a GM midi file there will be max 16 in use at the same time, must be possible!

pljones · Post by **pljones** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 6:39 pm

One of the problems with having a generic MIDI file player made from VSTis and a mini host is that so many SF2 sample players don't understand that MIDI Channel 10 is drums. sfz, for example, doesn't support this part of the MIDI standard (sfz+ does, though).

Standalone players (like SynthFont and TiMidity++), in general, do.

Of course, if you're prepared to tailor the play back each time you load a file, any SF2 sample player (that is multitimbral) will do - although you may have to disable patch (bank/prog) changes.

olepro · Post by **olepro** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 8:01 pm

When playing a GM midi file there will be max 16 in use at the same time, must be possible!

Yes, but you dont know which sound you midi files wil be using.
So you have to have all 128 sounds at your disposal and every patch loaded will use ram no matter if it plays or not.

pljones · Post by **pljones** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 8:10 pm

olepro wrote:and every patch loaded will use ram no matter if it plays or not.

That depends on the software you're using. sfz+ in DFD mode, for example, only loads exactly the samples required, for as long as they're needed. In "PRxx" mode, it loads the whole preset. In "SFxx" mode it does, indeed, load the entire file.

olepro · Post by **olepro** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 8:48 pm

Yes i know it depends on the VSTi, but COOkie talked about sonic synth and my answer was routed to him.

You need to set up a GS/GM compatible sound bank in your Sonic Synth. Just select the 128 patches and save them in the proper location so Midi Program Change messages work as expected

Good sound "engine" for generic midi files?