Converting MIDI to Audio

[brmidi]

Could you please help me?

I have Digital Performer 4.6 and would like to convert my 6 tracks of MIDI into 1 track of audio. I am using the built-in Apple synth with no other connected devices.

Although I've had 4.6 ever since it came out, I'm a total newbie since I've had very little time to learn the program.

Your help will be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you so much!!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

First question:

Do you still have the manual so if someone can help, they can reference page numbers?

Other questions and comments to follow.

[pkhata]

I think this is possible if you use an external ReWire MIDI synth like Reason--you can send MIDI from DP to Reason via ReWire and have the Reason audio come back into DP via a stereo audio track. Once you have any number of audio tracks, you can bounce them down to a single stereo or mono track. BUT, I don't know how you could do this (using only DP, that is) if you only have the Apple Software Synth. I don't personally see a way to record Apple Software Synth to an audio track entirely within DP.

I don't know if this helps, but you could simply hook the audio out of your Mac to the stereo in of an inexpensive digital audio recorder in the $200-$300 range. Or to the audio in of another Mac, iPod, etc.

The way the pros would do this is to run the output of a high-end hardware or software synth through a audio interface like those made by MOTU, M-audio, Digidesign, etc., which would then be recorded to the hard drive.

[brmidi]

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, I do have the manual. A couple of years ago, in an earlier version of DP, I was able to convert the MIDI tracks to 1 track of audio without any other software or attached devices and using only the internal Apple synth, but don't remember how I did it: and since DP 4.6 is a newer version, the procedure has probably changed.

Any further help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, I do have the manual. A couple of years ago, in an earlier version of DP, I was able to convert the MIDI tracks to 1 track of audio without any other software or attached devices and using only the internal Apple synth, but don't remember how I did it: and since DP 4.6 is a newer version, the procedure has probably changed.

Any further help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

You might have to get the output of the Mac and feed it into the input of your audio device. Lacking a Firewire or Audio device, you'd have to feed the out of the Mac into the In of the Mac - being sure that ALL input monitoring is muted or you'll get some feedback or looped audio artifact. Then setup a new audio track and route the Mac input to it.

It might be possible to set up an AUX track and buss it to an audio track, with the AUX track INPUT being the Apple Synth, but not having DP running, I'm not sure that's possible or not.

[williemyers]

I *think* there's a free audio app called JackOSX that might do what you need. I *think* it will allow you to route the Mac synth's audio output directly back to one of DP audio inputs, thereby creating an audio file of what once was a group of MIDI files. Search for JackOSX and maybe give it a try?

[cuttime]

If I understand the question correctly, you need to use Setup>Interapplication MIDI and set your inputs and outputs there.

Page 819 DP4.5 manual.

[bayswater]

I don't have V 4.6 so not sure it will work the same way but, unless I'm missing something in the questions, this is a simple thing:

You already have MIDI tracks, and an Instrument Track with the Apple GM module in it? If not just create an Instrument track, and put the Apple synth in the first insert. Set the output of the MIDI track to the Instrument track. Set the output of the VI to a stereo bus. Add a Stereo Audio track with the same bus as an input. Arm the new Audio track to record. Also turn on audio monitoring on the stereo audio track, and loop through your sequence to see if the everything is working. Turn off the monitoring, press Record, and the audio will end up on the new Stereo Audio track. No Aux tracks required or anything else required -- just a MIDI track, an Instrument track, an Audio track, and a bus to link the VI to the Audio track.

[brmidi]

Thank you for all your answers to my question.
When I get some time (my mother had a stroke) I'll try them out and see what works.
This is a great site and you guys are super!!
Again, thanks loads!!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Thank you for all your answers to my question.
When I get some time (my mother had a stroke) I'll try them out and see what works.
This is a great site and you guys are super!!
Again, thanks loads!!

I am very sorry to hear that, brmidi. I hope she has a swift and complete recovery.

[brmidi]

Hello to all . . .

By the way, my mother is doing somewhat better after her stroke so I’m able to get back to this sooner than I’d planned. Thank you for your concern.

After reading all of your wonderful posts, I’m still not able to get my MIDI converted to audio.
Since I am able to do it using Digital Performer 3.11 in Mac OS 9.2, could I send a screenshot jpeg of how the older version of DP looks when it's working and then, along with the screenshot, write out step by step how I do it and maybe someone can tell me why I’m not able to do the same thing in Digital Performer 4.6 using Mac OS 10.4.11?

Could someone please let me know how I can send the screenshot jpeg and where I can send it to?

Thank you so much!

[brmidi]

Hello to all . . .

After reading all of your wonderful posts, I’m still not able to get my MIDI converted to audio.

Below is a link to the screenshot of how the screen looked when I was able to convert MIDI to audio using DP 3.11.

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss31 ... oAudio.jpg

Below are the steps that I went through using the old DP 3.11 version.

Since I am able to do it using Digital Performer 3.11 in Mac OS 9.2, I was hoping that someone could tell me why I’m not able to do the same thing in Digital Performer 4.6 using Mac OS 10.4.11?

Here goes with my old DP 3.11 instructions that still work.

1. Launch song (MIDI tracks) in DP.

2. Go to the Sound control panel (in the Mac), click on Outputs, and MAS shows up. Click on MAS.

3. Go to DP and add a stereo audio voice track to the bottom of the MIDI tracks.

4. Set the input of the audio track to “sound manager aps 1/2”.

5. Click the record symbol immediately to the left of the input.

6. Click the play button next to each of the MIDI tracks.

7. Hit the record button in the control panel.

8. As the MIDI tracks are playing, you can see the audio track as it’s being recorded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the risk of sounding totally incompetent, why am I not able to do the same thing in DP 4.6 with Mac OS 10.4.11?

Why doesn’t MAS show up in the Output of the Sound System Preferences? The only thing that does show up is the “Built-in Output”.

Why doesn’t “sound manager aps 1/2” show up in the outputs next to the newly created audio track?

Could someone please use the above link to go to my screenshot and be able to help me out with step-by-step instructions for doing the same thing in DP 4.6?

Your help will be appreciated more than you can know.

Thank you so much!!

[Mr_Clifford]

Below are the steps that I went through using the old DP 3.11 version.

If, instead of using the Quicktime instrument, you use the DLS Virtual instrument in DP (which is exactly the same instrument, just hosted in DP), you can just route the output of that VI to a buss, send it to an audio track and hit record.

[Tritonemusic]

Here's a technote from MOTU's site. Hopefully, it will be helpful.

http://www.motu.com/techsupport/technot ... =quicktime

[brmidi]

Below are the steps that I went through using the old DP 3.11 version.

If, instead of using the Quicktime instrument, you use the DLS Virtual instrument in DP (which is exactly the same instrument, just hosted in DP), you can just route the output of that VI to a buss, send it to an audio track and hit record.

Thank you so much for your suggestions!

Since I already have my MIDI file completed (which was created in Band-In-A-Box) when I open the MIDI file in Digital Performer the completed tracks are all there.
How do I change the existing MIDI tracks to DLS Virtual Instruments? I tried adding a DLS Virtual Instrument track and then copying and pasting one of the MIDI tracks into it but I got an error message.