Putting original music into magix

promytius1 wrote on 5/14/2013, 11:12 AM

It seems to me that MIDI is a universal interface for music; I do not have a midi instrument. Is there a program that can take say typed-in input and convert it to a midi output? Like a music composition program?

Someone shock me and tell me there's like 100 already in the program!

I'm on 2013 Premium now, and I just keep finding more ways to do things! It's great!

So what's the easiest way to write music into the program?

Thanks so much.

 

Comments

Procyon wrote on 5/14/2013, 11:54 AM

You can create MIDI compositions in the Vita MIDI Editor.  You can use an external MIDI keyboard/controller, but if you don't have that, you can use the computer keyboard or "draw" the notes in.  If I'm not mistaken, some of the latest versions of MMM have a graphical keyboard interface as well.

In Vita, you will find a nice selection of MIDI instruments to choose from, and you can add other VSTi's (purchased or free) to the program.

Vita and the Revolta synth each have their own default composition.  Other than that, there is no library of MIDI compositions available in MMM.  You can import other MIDI tracks into Vita, however you cannot easily manipulate multiple MIDI instruments in one track in Vita.  I wrote a tutorial on how to separate them into individual MIDI tracks, but it is very tedious.

If you can play the keyboard, playing music on an extrenal MIDI keyboard controller is probably the most efficient method.

promytius1 wrote on 5/14/2013, 3:46 PM

That's great, thanks. I am not a keyboard player, but I will try to borrow one with a midi interface; I think someone also has a conversion thingy to attach it to the PC.

Imagining this though, I can see myself playing one note and then thinking about the next one; how painful is it to edit out all the silence? All the mistakes! How painful is editing?

Itf it's all with those tall rectangular or long thin regtangular objects on that fullscreen grid that pops up,  that is exactly what I mean by "painful" I've tried dragging and moving and drawing, and it's just too hard to see anything and control it - I mean it doesn't even look like music!

Tell me there's an easier way to edit!

No, be honest. :) 

Thanks again for the help.

 

Procyon wrote on 5/14/2013, 7:16 PM

Sorry....MIDI editing with a graphical interface doesn't get any easier.  Making snap judgements about it before you spend any real time with it is only going to be discouraging and self-defeating.

"...it doesn't even look like music."  That's right...it's not supposed to.  It's called a "piano roll" for a reason.  It more closely resembles the punched paper piano rolls used in old player piano's.  Or, if you'd rather...you can think of them as the old punch cards for running a computer program - after all, MIDI is a computer language.

In Vita, in the Options menu, you will see an option called "Step input".  This will allow you to use a keyboard controller, or the computer keyboard, to enter notes one at a time.  This way, you wouldn't have to be able to play the keyboard in real time.

promytius1 wrote on 5/14/2013, 8:03 PM

"Step Input"!

That sounds perfect; thanks!

I just tried the piano roll thing, and while tedious it did result in a very pleasing piece. I also discovered by accident that the arrow tool can create a box and grab what is in it. And Ctrl C/V works too, so getting better.

Thanks for the kickstart! Very much appreciated. Oh, and the piano roll metaphor also helped to understand a way to visualize it!