IDEA: MIDI Capture

[Carol Haynes]

I have a program that plays music from a score by using midi data to play via the built in MIDI soundcard interface. I can't save the midi dada as a file though.

Anyone got any idea how to capture the midi data stream and output the file as a MIDI file?

[Cavalcader]

Carol, have you experimented with Hubi's MIDI LoopBack device? You might be able to redirect the program's output using his virtual MIDI ports.

[Carol Haynes]

Thanks for the suggestion but it only appears to support Win 95 and 98.

Actually I was pointed at http://www.midiox.com/ which has a program called MidiYoke which works in a similar way (a driver that allows you to route MIDI signals where you want).

My biggest problem now is finding a way to quantize the music in such a way that it comes out looking like music, and also to sync the midi time code between apps. There are no options in the appliation which is source of the music to do with time codes and I can't seem to get my sequencing software  to lock to any external clock.

C'est la vie!

[Cavalcader]

My biggest problem now is finding a way to quantize the music in such a way that it comes out looking like music, and also to sync the midi time code between apps.

How does it come out now? Does the timing vary in such a way that it's unrecognizeable compared to the original, or does it just require editing afterward?

There's also a powerful-sounding program called GN MIDI, and the author has a boatload of free (mostly single-purpose) MIDI utilities as well that cover some of the individual features of GN MIDI.

[Carol Haynes]

Thanks I'll investigate GN MIDI looks like a lot of useful stuff - too much to digest at a quick glance!

[noth(a)nk.you]

I recall playing with NoteWorthy Composer several years ago.  If you're willing to switch composers ($39US), it'll save your score to a .mid file.

[Carol Haynes]

Thanks - yes I have seen that before but actually I use Finale 2006 (which can do the same).

What I was trying to do was transfer music I have bought (from www.sunhawk.com) into a MIDI sequencer to play it back with more control and better sound. Sunhawk use an application called Solero to display the score (and allow printing of the licensed number of copies). As an extra it plays the score via a very basic midi interface but allows almost no control over what you can do to make it sound better.