Midi Volume

[clare]

When recording a Midi and playing it on my laptop the volume is very low. I have got one programme that brings up the volume by supposedly 50%, but I still need more volume. Any suggestions please. I have the S950.
Regards Clare

[andyg]

What are you doing exactly. Are you recording a MIDI song on the keyboard, putting that on a USB stick and expecting the laptop to play it? That won't work, as the MIDI file is note data only and the laptop cannot make the sounds that the keyboard has.

You need to record the AUDIO from the keyboard. So record the MIDI song as usual, rewind to the start. Plug in a USB stick and set the USB recorder to record. Then play back the song and it will be recorded to the USB stick as a WAV file. You can then take that over to the laptop and play it. You should use an app like Audacity (free!) to trim off the inevitable silences at the start and end of the WAV file and also to use the app's NORMALISE function to bring the song up to maximum level. With a free add-on called LAME Convertor, Audacity can save those WAV files as MP3.

Andy

[clare]

Hello Andy
As it happens I always put my midi recording and play it on my laptop first. It does play okay
but the volume is lower than an MP3 , but thanks, I will try what you suggest.
Regards Clare

[Mike Bracchi]

Clare,

If you get low sound from your laptop whilst playing a midi file that would suggest that your sound-card offers you either FM synthesis or wave-table syntheses ... if you click on the speaker icon in the bottom right of your screen it will open the 'volume control' window, go to option and then properties and make sure the 'SW Synth' volume control is adjusted to high .... that should do it and give you more volume for your playback

All the best.

[clare]

Thank you Mike
Regards. Clare

[andyg]

I stick by what I said. You cannot play a MIDI file created on the 950 and expect it to play back properly. It will play, yes, but all you'll get is a low quality approximation of the original sound, together with all the associated problems of low volume etc. Your beautifully crafted blend of the 950's grand piano and strings will come out sounding worse than a 1990's entry level keyboard!

If you want decent playback on your computer, the only way is to record and playback audio. Give it a go, I know you'll be delighted with the results.

It's also worth mentioning that when recording things this way, it's wise to set any EQ adjustments you might have made on the keyboard back to factory defaults. You can then apply a better set of EQ parameters in just about any audio editor, free or commercial.

Andy

[Mike Bracchi]

I stick by what I said. You cannot play a MIDI file created on the 950 and expect it to play back properly. It will play, yes, but all you'll get is a low quality approximation of the original sound, together with all the associated problems of low volume etc.

Andy

Sorry Andy, I wasn't trying to call into question what you wrote ... you are, of course, perfectly right and I agree with you 100%; the sound quality of midi files played back through PC's and laptops leave a great deal to be desired

[andyg]

No worries Mike, but I think we know that there is a good deal of confusion amongst owners between MIDI playback and audio playback on computers.

Perhaps Yamaha and other manufacturers should make it clear in the manuals that MIDI files created on a given keyboard will only work properly on an identical or similar spec keyboard (and even then there may be voice matching problems), and that playback on PC's and laptops will not give the same quality results. There's one guy over in the states who recorded a whole bunch of material on his organ (in proprietary format, not even SMF), copied the files to his PC and then simply burnt a batch of CDs with the data files on for his friends. And he wondered why they couldn't play back on a CD player. He's now been converted to audio!