Midi Versus MP3

[Sam Howe]

Hi Cid
MP3 is great for compressing Wav files but midi files are great if you want to create or edit your files. You will need a sound module and a sequencer to play back and edit your midi files either software or stand alone sequencer. Depending on the sound module you purchase you may also need a midi interface to conect your sound module and sequencer together.

I am a singer guitarist and I use a Roland SC88 Pro Sound Module on stage together with Emagic Notator Logic Gold which I find excellent For audio and midi. On stage I run everything from a laptop.

On the midi file side of things here is a bargain that no one should miss. Profile Music (phone: UK 0115 9245454, email: sales@radiomusic.co.uk) in the UK are to cease there midi production side of things. They are offering 1200 professional midi files on CD for only 30 pounds sterling plus postage and packing, their files are excellent and a bargain not to be missed.

I hope I've been of some help to you and hopefully it wont be to long before MTU create their CDG/MP3 format now that would be great.

Regards Sam Howe.

[BANDL]

I very much prefer MIDI files over MP3 to produce Karaoke songs. There is much more flexibility to MIDIs and there is absolutely no vocals. One big plus is that MIDIs usually have a melody line that can be adjusted to be very prominent for the actual synchronization of the music & lyrics and then turn down to any level (or completely eliminated) to make the final "cut". When I go from midi to WAVE I put the WAVE file through at least one filter to get some reverb and "big room" sound in the final sound file.

I still have not found an MP3 file that I have been able to succesfully remove all the vocals (I have Vogone, Internet Audio Mix and Diamond Cut, none have done a really good job).

I use Digital Orchestrator Pro from Voyetra and DC Art 32 from Diamond Cut for MIDI and WAVE files handling purposes respectively. I think they are great.

Sam,
Thanks for the tip on Pro Music, I will give it a look.
I have a list of about 600 MIDIs (most are Latin music) that I am willing to share with anyone interested in this type of music.

Happy Karaoking!

BANDL