midi beginner

[mike b]

Hi all,

I'm new to the midi world. Can you guys advice me on a few things?

1) From reading various posts on this board, I take it I can send standard midi files to my TD-8 module via my computer and expect to hear them?

2) But will I also be able to play along with them by muting their drum section out similarly to the way one can do with the TD-8's build-in patterns and songs. Also, would the muting need to be done within TD-8, or should the midi file already be edited by an external sequencer program before being sent to TD-8 for play?

3)Finally what hardware/software would I need to achieve this? I'm using a PC with a Sound Blaster card. My understanding is that I would need a midi cable and some kind of sequencer sofware (I notice Cakewalk is mentioned often on this board. Which package do you have experience with and would recommend?).

Am I on the right track? Is it relatively straight foward to setup and configure everything? Will I also be able to do individual patch dumps and uploads (to share sets with others, etc.,)?

I have lots of really cool midi files that I would love to play along to. But I'm wondering whether I can do the same type of editing to them that I can do to TD-8's build in stuff. Thanks in advance.

mike

[BINARY]

1. Yup.

2. I'm not sure I fully understand, but if I do, yes. You can record yourself as MIDI and playback through the TD-8. I think it would be best if you had already transferred the MIDI to actual audio, that would just make life easier.

3. You'll need an adapter for your soundcard, originally referred to as an MPU-401 adapter(I think...), but just tell them at the store that you need a MIDI adapter for your computer, and they'll get one for you. About 12 bucks. For software, any MIDI recording software will do for the midi part, then to later get into the wave recording, you'll need some software that will record and edit wave.

You're on the right track. It is pretty straight forward, with some minor tweaking involved, depending on which software you use.

Not sure about the patch dumps, never tried it with Cake. Anyone....?

BINARY

[mike b]

Thanks for the reply. As a follow up question, you advice that I save my midi files to auctual audio because it's easier (rather than sending midi directly). But will I be able to remove the drum beat from the original source and replace it with mine on TD-8 if I run an audio file directly to my TD-8? Someone here said audio (e.g. .wav) files couldn't be edited inside TD-8. Or did you mean convert "edited" midi files to audio (perhaps with removed tracks, etc)?

At any rate, thanks again.

[BINARY]

I think I have misunderstood your original question. What I thought you meant when you referred to MIDI files, was a midi file of drums.

There was a post here not too long ago that asked this very question, and I, misunderstanding that question also, said it wasn't possible.

From what I understand (someone correct me if I'm wrong) the TD-8 has a limited ability to playback MIDI files (non-drum). I think you get like, 4 channels or something...?

I've never tried to do this, so I'm not the best person to ask on this.

You are correct, you can't import or edit WAV files with the TD-8.

So in answer to your original question, you can drop out the drum tracks on the MIDI files, and I think you can playback the MIDI file and play drums along to it with limited capability. Hopefully someone else can chime in who has better experience with this and let you know what those capabilities are.

BINARY

[Blades]

I'll offer up an opinion here.

Binary, yes there are only a few available General Midi instument parts aside from the drums. In the td-10, you have Drums, Part 1, part 2, and bass. The internal sounds are so so.

You are right about the midi cable, just about any computer store or music store should have that at less that $20 -it will connect to the joystick port on the soundcard.

My opinon is this:

If the sound card can support sound fonts (like an Sound Blaster Live), then I would run the midi from whatever sequencer (n-track is good for cheap - $29? or PG Music's Power Tracks Pro for about the same - both of which can do midi and audio) though the sound card's sound font sample set (free all over the net and included with the card), send the audio output from the Sound card to the td-8 mix in input. This way, you could use decent sounding instrument samples, as many as 32 simultanious sounds, cancel out the drums, and play along as you wish - all without any converting to WAV files first.

If the sound card can't handle sound fonts, you have two other choices.

1. Download a software synth, like Yamaha's sy-something or other - you can get it at http://www.yamaha-xg.com/ssynth/index.html I think it's free for like 90 days.

2. Get an "SBLive Value". These can be had from some of the small computer chop shops for about $45. They come with just the drivers...no software bundle. If you are going to get into MIDI in the long run, this would be a good place to start, especially with the soundfont support. You can then record the midi from your td-8 as well and even trigger different drum samples if you choose.

Hope that helps.
Blades

[mike b]

Thanks for your replies and all of the helpful info guys!