RE: converting midi to audio
2009/05/08 08:35:04
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Welcome to the forum!
MIDI is just performance information (like what note was played at what time for how long and how hard) not actual sound. MIDI must be "rendered" using an electronic instrument like a synthesizer. A synthesizer might be an external dedicated hardware unit or it might be virtual instrument software running inside of SONAR.
The process for rendering the MIDI tracks to audio depends upon whether you are using external hardware synthesizers or software synthesizers in SONAR:
A) External Hardware Synthesizers: connect the computer's MIDI out to the hardware synthesizer's MIDI in. Set the MIDI track's MIDI output to the same output the computer has connected to the hardware synth. Connect the audio output of the hardware synthesizer to the audio input of the computer. Create a new audio track in SONAR and set its input to match the computer audio input you connected the hardware synthesizer to. Select the correct sound patches so the right sound will be heard for the MIDI track when the synthesizer renders it. Arm the audio track for recording. Go to the beginning of the song and hit record. SONAR will play the MIDI track which is routed to the external synthesizer, the external synthesizer will perform the notes it is told to play, and the audio will be routed back into the new audio track in SONAR. When you're done you will have an audio recording of the MIDI performance.
B) Internal Software Virtual Synthesizer: In SONAR use the insert menu to insert a softsynth. Make sure that the first audio output is selected, but deselect the MIDI track creation (because you already have a MIDI track). In your MIDI track select the new synth track as the MIDI output destination. Now when you press play the software synth will render the MIDI data into audio on the fly--you can use the bounce options to record the performance to another audio track if you'd like.