midi files

does anyone understand them?

i have cubase but they midid file sounds rubbish unless i pay a man £7.50 per track to record it for me. Id really like to undertsand what it is he does and what i need to record my own tracks from midi. I thought VST done this but apparntly not.

Id prefer to ask people on here as other forums reagrding this come back with technical jargony speak and i prefer to keep things black and white

any one know how this is done

I'm not using cubase, but isn't a midi file just a sequence of notes that is played through a vst plugin - whether thats a synth or sample trigger or whatever. Shouldn't sound of anything on its own, so the vst must be set up wrong if its not playing properly.
Unless you did what I kept doing, recording midi sequences far off the end of the virtual keyboard. That doesn't work.
Whats happening to your recordings?

im not getting anything.....Im not even sure i have the correct set up. I can play midi files through windows media player and they sound rubbish. what do i need to make them sound good?

You basically need a good midi output sound card. I select on cubase in the "out" bit of midi tracks "Microsoft Wavetable GS Synth" or something like that, and the midi files play fine with the proper range of instruments. I am having troubles recording midi as audio in Cubase but that is a different problem if anyone fancies helping me with that!

Originally Posted by Warthog

You basically need a good midi output sound card. I select on cubase in the "out" bit of midi tracks "Microsoft Wavetable GS Synth" or something like that, and the midi files play fine with the proper range of instruments. I am having troubles recording midi as audio in Cubase but that is a different problem if anyone fancies helping me with that!

can i fit this to a laptop?

This is where I set it, does this help?

Originally Posted by blueto

can i fit this to a laptop?

its a part of the soundcard, I'd have thought even onboard sound on a desktop has a decent enough midi synth, but I am not sure about a laptop, maybe they have worse onboard sound.

helps allot. im of to try it

I midi through a sound module/keyboard. The midi files choose the instrument and the sound mod/GM keyboard has the sounds, which are then amplifed or recorded as I need. Palying midi through the pc just uses the basic pc sounds. Oh and I connect usb to midi convertor and input to a midi sound mod/keyboard

Originally Posted by Mike2165

I midi through a sound module/keyboard. The midi files choose the instrument and the sound mod/GM keyboard has the sounds, which are then amplifed or recorded as I need. Palying midi through the pc just uses the basic pc sounds

Well yes, unless you have a decent sound card which I do. I think the issue is that Ross is using a laptop which might have very basic on-board sound.