The latest and greatest in audio to MIDI?

[BertKoor]

<tl;dr>
Your midi file: https://www.bertkoor.nl/kvraudio/lmv_exported.mid
which might not load in Tracktion Waveform, so here is a (zipped) Waveform 13 project which includes a converted version: https://www.bertkoor.nl/kvraudio/lmv_transcription.zip

<long story>
First obstacle was getting your MP3. Eventually just recorded it as an audio track while playing it in a web browser. Note to self: remember turning off the metronome when recording audio from the interface outputs.

In the DAW (GarageBand, but any DAW, even Tracktion Waveform could do as well) I added a click track to edit the tempo map. First I wasted some time attempting to split the audio in chunks, thinking GarageBand could stretch them into bars of equal length for your desired tempo, but finally decided to accept the slightly wobbly tempo as it was. It's probably easier to stretch parts of a bar in an audio to required length. Maybe next time...

Then pencilled in the midi notes. First one bar, used that with copy-paste for the others. The note structure is all the same in the song. Until you get there and notice it's slightly different. The result is you get your notes all with the same velocity snapped to the grid. I don't think any Audio2Midi program does that. Maybe with bulk-editing functions you can get that, but I found it easier to just pencil in all the notes. As said, copy & paste is my friend.

It took me some troubles to extract the midi from GarageBand. That's an even longer story involving a nearly defunct tool called 'gb2midi' and eventually Reaper to convert that to something Waveform accepted. The Waveform project should be totally portable, using only standard plugins. It would sound better with a piano sound, but that's afaik not a standard instrument. So I made an ugly 4OSC patch.

Yeah, it sounds ugly, totally lifeless. I'd probably rather use the audio "as is" to continue a project.

You know the flaws:
* Background noise. Do I hear people chatting?
* Uneven playing. Especially the lowest notes played by the thumb are often a bit quiet. And at 'difficult' parts (move left hand back over half the neck) there's some notes missing.

This can all be fixed with tried and tested production techniques:
* Make a better recording, even possible with nothing but a phone. Just be alone in a silent room.
* Difficulty with playing? Then cheat! Record the low notes separately from the other notes. Record the difficult parts in... parts! Punch-in, comping, etc etc.

I'm curious what you're going to do with it. Talk with your friend, let him fill some voids. Especially around bars 30-32 it's uncertain what he meant to play.

[lmv]

That is extremely generous. Many thanks. I'm in debt with you.

It sounds good. I am doing it with a slightly different approach. Something slower and never with more than one note at a time, and every single "beat" has a note. So it not only looks, but also sounds cleaner, tidier. Your midi contribution is going to help me a lot because I really struggle to find the right notes by ear. Lack of practice, obviously.

I didn't open the Waveform project. I can't! I don't have WF 13, I only have 12 and believe I won't upgrade any time soon.

My friend sent another file with tabs, saying the other one was wrong. Hum. But he only changed two chords, and not much. Something like from D# to D7.

I'm curious what you're going to do with it.

Uh, so am I. Still thinking about it. I like to create my own arrangement based purely on the basic tune. But he wants me to preserve the chords because it's part of his creation. Grumble... I find that pretty frustrating. But I'm not ready to give up. I am planning to clean it all up, then maybe change it just a little and complement it with a couple other instruments. I'm thinking about using a wee bit of percussion, maybe bongos, and make it sound all sound somewhat "tropical," like an island breeze. I think he would like that. Or maybe he wouldn't.

[BertKoor]

I just hope it helps you.

NB garageband seemed to suffice from the same 1st note bug which troubled Tracktion 1.6 20 years ago. That was the last Tracktion I tried. Waveform 13 was the only (free) option I could install today... I think. Did you assume a v13 project won't work in v12, or you tried and it threw an error? The .mid file you need sits in the zip archive within folder "imported".

Enjoy!

[lmv]

Yes, I tried. It won't open it. But that's OK. I have the MIDI file. Thanks again.

[osiris]

I'll just say try and layer your track over the midi (FL does this) because ever audio to midi I've used just can't get quantization right. Not even FL's own Newtone.
Neural Note you have to fidget with the parameters or you get what looks like a dot matrix printout from 1990.

[dubdisciple]

Well, I don't have Melodyne and I can't afford it. I am not a pro. I'm just trying to do a little project for fun with a friend.

I know it's an old post, but someone searching may have same issue. Melodyne essentials is often offered bundled with other products. Although you cannot edit polyphonic material, it will analyze and export polyphonic midi information.

[Rubenasjoka]

Wow I didn't even knew tools like this exist. I tried Abletons built in function a couple times did not like it. Always try to do it by ears and eyes tbh.