Converting midis into mp3s using SoundFonts... help!!

Use this forum to discuss Midi Issues as they relate to Cakewalk.
eea76

Post by eea76 » Wed Jul 28, 2004 4:13 am

I need help doing this. I have midis on my computer that I'd like to turn into mp3s (or wavs) using soundfonts.

The soundcard that supports SoundFonts (SBLive 5.1) will arrive in a few days but until then I'd like to know the process involved. Once I download the SoundFonts I'd like to use, what exactly do I need to do in order for the soundcard to use them instead of the standard default midi bank?

I have a midi sequencer, Cakewalk Overture 2, but I'm not sure if that can do the job. I'm also currently looking at Home Studio. Can that do what I need it to? I was also told that the SBLive 5.1 comes with its own software that can do this alone. Is this true?

Can anyone help me with this? Thank you very much!


johns1952

Post by johns1952 » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:07 pm

I don't know about Overture. In Home Studio go to options/soundfonts. That's, of course, after Home Studio has been informed that you have a soundfontable card. Working thus within Home Studio means that once you load a soundfont with a particular song loaded up, that soundfont always loads with that song. There are some difficulties involved if you load a soundfont that uses any bank beyond the top one. I always just modify soundfonts I want to use with Vienna (soundfont-making and modifying softward downloadable from Creative) so they only use the top bank. Other people use other workarounds.

The software that ships with the card can, indeed, load extra soundfonts beyond your basic GM into memory but it is a pain to do it that way. What you can do with that same software is tell it how much memory to allow for soundfonts. (Need a memory upgrade? We're talking motherboard memory since the Live has no memory on it.) Home Studio works within that limit, but there is something out there called MegaFont that allows Home Studio to ignore that limit. I haven't used it. There are indeed lots of wonderful Soundfonts out there. And lots of bad ones, too.

Enjoy.

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