Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
MIDI files
I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I can't find it. With Sound Canvas out, I thought it might be good to revisit it anyway. Does anyone have any recommendations on where to get HQ MIDI files?
Comments
What type? Songs? Drum loops? There are a lot of free resources on the web, or you could record your own MIDI data with something like Fiddlewax Pro or Nlog Midi synth.
http://groovemonkee.com/collections/midi-loops. Free loops in the middle top of page.
When i had my Yamaha SW1000XG in working condition i was frequent visitor to this site.
http://www.xg-central.com that still appears to be up and running
I know it's 'XG' but it should play back just fine on Soundcanvas iOS too, many nice tunes there...
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Not sure but at the Xgrid page it is saying this. The instruments and effects in the XG-MIDI files are written for XG compatible devices and will not sound correct if played on any other system. The mp3 files will sound correctly on all audio devices, because the original XG-MIDI files were recorded in audio (wav) and converted to mp3.
Now if sound canvas has the ability to turn off program change messages Xg files would work better, I still wonder if many of them would not also sound ok on a GS module?
They sound decent on GM devices but the sounds have different character (Roland vs Yamaha), but still same type of sounds, XG is after all 'extension' of original GM, GM2 and XGLite are pretty close.
XG drums, are they on Ch16, if they are, you may need some to reconfigure? Yami's standard was 16.
Korg does have drums on channel 10 but if you play a lot of midi files made on other systems than korg the files are totally unrecognizable many times. There are work arounds that fix it most usually but If you wanted a midi file keyboard , Korg would definitely not be my choice. Yamaha midis do work very well in contrast.
XG allowed drums on any channel if there was need to use multiple drum kits at once.
But yes there will be some compatibility issues especially regarding the use of insert effects.
As for finding GM Midi-files it's not too hard to use Google to find what one needs.
I'm looking for songs, loops, etc. I've searched online and found a number of sites, but most have been pretty low quality, so I was hoping to find something that was a notch or two beyond that. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take a look at those.
I'd really like to find some candidates for me to comp over with lead guitar or keys. It would also be interesting to find some ways to collaborate with MIDI.
Recommended commercial brands: The Loop Loft (IRL drumming converted to MIDI), Sample Magic (all of its new major sample packs include MIDI, and it carries MIDI-only packs - drums and melodic), and ModeAudio (around 50 midi loops included per sample pack; drums and melodic; good taste, IMO).
Here's a write up on S.O.S.
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct00/articles/netnotes.htm
I recall purchasing some pro midi files from machines at local music stores back in the day of 3.5 inch discs. They were really good.
I believe it was from this company which was mentioned in the SOS article.
http://www.hands-on-midi.com
"Uptown Funk" sounded pretty good. $5 US per track is expensive though. Free is always good, but man, you gotta admit, is it a lot if work and you usually get what you pay for.
If you know your way around a computer at least you used to be able to find the temp played midi file containing a portion of their demos to at least get you started.
Also I just remembered another trick I used to do... In Guitar Pro, you can export to midi files. Some of those transcriptions are pretty good.
http://www.guitar-pro.com/en/index.php?pg=mysongbook.
Their pro stuff is around $2-3 US per track, but again, good quality... just listen to "Money For Nothing" to get a taste. You can also download free gp tabs from the normal tab sources and convert to midi files.. Some people put a lot of work into these...
I haven't noodled with this in a while, so please try before you buy. Playing and transcribing my favs used to great fun for me,, which is why I don't mind paying for songs that have a lot of play.
Thanks for reminding me of this! I need to revisit here in the near future.
Hope this helps out!
Thanks all for the suggestions. Free is always appreciated, but I don't mind paying for higher quality either.
@samu Wow. Yamaha SW-1000XG. Didn't think anyone else in the world had one of those but me...
I also had the PLG-150AN for my SW1000XG, wish I could get it for the iPad including the superb editor.
I'm hoping Yamaha will release a full Virtual AN1x(PLG-150AN is 1/2 AN1x) for the iPad, same goes for Nord, wish i could have the Micro Modular on the iPad...
Many wishes and I know I will have to replace my iPad soon too
I had the PLG-150VL. Had a full DSP Factory setup. The SW1000XG was a great unit.
I’ve got a Yamaha QY700 and a Korg 05R/W in the attic.
Agreed - if your set-up doesn't read certain XG messages it will just ignore them.