Subject:Old - MIDI . . . . ACID Studio

Posted by: UKharrie

Date:2/7/2014 8:53:47 AM

Now that ACID Studio will come with Movie Studio, I'll want to use my old music Keyboard which has MIDI ( via DIN Connectors). I see from the "Features" I can "play along using MIDI..." ( or similar words ) .

However, I'm none too sure if that means MIDI using a modern native USB connection into the PC, or whether I can use my USB-MIDI Conversion dongle. This USB-powered device has worked with other software like CubaseGo but it was never very satisfactory. Having made my Music e.g. on the Piano-Roll, I want to play-back through the Keyboard (via MIDI), to get the best tones - as I believe the MIDI inside the PC is probably fairly basic in tone.

Another MIDI Question....where does the conversion take place from MIDI to PC ( i.e. in the PC )..?
Is it via the Motherboard sound-chips, or does ACID perform the conversion in Software?
I could buy a better Sound--Card, so I wonder if this might result in "better" tone, etc.? Indeed some I've see retain the DIN-style MIDI connections, so there would be no need for the Dongle, either, when inputting from the music-keyboard.


Any thoughts on this, as I don't imagine many folks are using much old-MIDI these days as music-keyboards come with USB...?

Subject:RE: Old - MIDI . . . . ACID Studio

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:2/7/2014 9:42:16 AM

If you're using the MIDI out on your keyboard then the keyboard has already done the conversion. Well, actually not even conversion. The MIDI data is merely a digital list of which keys you pressed, when you pressed them, how hard you pressed, and what sound patch was used. These numbers are merely passed down the MIDI connection in almost real time.

Same thing happens in reverse when the computer sends MIDI to the keyboard, and the keyboard then uses this data to "press the keys" for you, as if you had played it yourself.

If your computer has drivers for the USB/MIDI dongle installed then any software running on it should see it as a MIDI port, regardless of its physical configuration.

As far as the computer's built-in MIDI, the playback engine is probably quite good. It's usually just the default sound samples it has that may be poor quality or poorly recorded. You can always install new sound samples or even entirely new MIDI synth software. The sound card itself will have very little to do with the quality of the MIDI sound generated, though it may not be the greatest for getting the sound out of the line out/speaker out ports.

Subject:RE: Old - MIDI . . . . ACID Studio

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:2/7/2014 4:17:53 PM

Adding to what Kelly said, since MIDI is simply a set of instructions, a MIDI file created back in 1994 will sound just fine in 2014. It just all depends on what soft synth or hardware you throw that MIDI file through.

Subject:RE: Old - MIDI . . . . ACID Studio

Reply by: DrLumen

Date:2/8/2014 12:02:36 PM

I still have older gear that uses MIDI DIN ports. I run them through a MIDISport interface which converts them to USB - much the same way your dongle does. As long as you have drivers for your dongle interface you shouldn't have issues. I personally prefer using the DIN ports as I can route a keyboard to a synth module and play without having to power up the PC and software.

Your soundcard likely has a hardware MIDI synth onboard. Your mileage may vary with those though. Some sound ok while others sound like 1970's video game instruments.

While soft synths can sound excellent, from an instrument perspective, you are still somewhat limited by your soundcard. Even good soft synths can sound like crap if your soundcard introduces a lot of noise.

All-in-all, you should be ok though. Good luck if your soundcard is a soundblaster chipset. For the most part, I quit using Acid because it didn't like my Audigy.

Subject:RE: Old - MIDI . . . . ACID Studio

Reply by: pwppch

Date:2/9/2014 10:56:02 PM

ACID sends the MIDI input from your device to a softsynth in use and that has incoming MIDI routed to it on a track.

ACID records the MIDI data. You can then change the sound or the soft synth that Track is routed to.

Your sound card is only involved that it will produce the audio generated by the internal soft synths that ACID uses.

Peter

Subject:RE: Old - MIDI . . . . ACID Studio

Reply by: UKharrie

Date:10/4/2014 6:35:28 PM

Thank all, I've revisited this Thread.

The problem was that I'd had dongle-issues with MIDI. The easy-solution might be to buy a USB-Keyboard, but that goes against the grain for what is rather occasional use. ( I don't ever claim to be a Musician.).
I do understand the creation of MIDI instructions and where the Audio is actually created - It seems the Keyboard has the "better sound" when I playback from the PC. To get an audio file I use the headphone o/p and a SDHC-recorder in (dot)wav-mode.

On reading the original Q. now I'm not quite sure what I wanted - possibly the issue is that I didn't know what to ask, etc. - and still don't.