I purchased Music Creator 6 the other day and I started to learn how to use it. But now I am stuck when I try to record the original sound of a MIDI file.
 
I have been always a fan of anything Roland and I listen to the MIDI files using the soft synth Roland TTS-1 included with the program.
 
I want to create a little video with the Roland sound in it from my MIDI files.
 
But when I load a MIDI song and go to File --> Export --> Audio.... and I try to export it, the program creates a very small audio file -WAV, MP3, etc-, usually weighing 5KB or so, and it has no sound!!
 
I tried everything I could but no luck so far.
 
I am accustomed to programs like Synthfont, where if I want to record the audio from a MIDI file I just have to use the "Write to File" feature, to get the most pure sound.
 
My settings are quite simple. I use the internal soundcard of my laptop, a Conexant SmartAudio HD, and it always works like a charm.
 
But I just don't know the method to record audio directly from a MIDI file.
 
Any help would be appreciated. 
 
Many thanks

Welcome, Cose.
You may find this of interest:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun05/articles/sonartech.htm

It details some of the deeper capabilities of TTS-1.
As for your problem, it is a typical hiccup for new users.
There are several ways to export, but you must have an audio output from the synth selected.
If you select only the MIDI track, you will have no sound, and no data in the file.
My personal preference is to route all audio outputs to the master bus, and select that as the source for export.
This way, I know I am exporting a controlled mix, and I am capturing all of my sounds.
Don't get discouraged. MC6 is the entry level version, but it shares much of the capabilities, and complexities of its bigger brothers. Feel free to ask questions. That's why we're here.

Be sure you are highlighting the tracks......  If nothing is highlighted, it will look like it is doing an export, and the file will show up, but as you pointed out, it will be very small and have no sound. 

I like to export this way.....I click in the console view on the track numbers until ALL the tracks get darker (which means they are selected)... then I choose WHAT YOU HEAR as the export preset. 

To do an export there has to be AUDIO selected in the export...... midi will not export as music. Since I would almost totally now in the audio realm, this is not a problem. You can, however, if you are working 100% in the midi soft synth realm, simply freeze a track and then select it as well as the other tracks and you will be able to export everything that is in the project as music. 

RobertB


Welcome, Cose.
You may find this of interest:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun05/articles/sonartech.htm

It details some of the deeper capabilities of TTS-1.
As for your problem, it is a typical hiccup for new users.
There are several ways to export, but you must have an audio output from the synth selected.
If you select only the MIDI track, you will have no sound, and no data in the file.
My personal preference is to route all audio outputs to the master bus, and select that as the source for export.
This way, I know I am exporting a controlled mix, and I am capturing all of my sounds.
Don't get discouraged. MC6 is the entry level version, but it shares much of the capabilities, and complexities of its bigger brothers. Feel free to ask questions. That's why we're here.

Thanks for your kindness and help. I still have to learn how to route all audio outputs to the master bus. That sounds great and I try the method of dragging and clicking but it doesn't work that way. I am unaware about how to achieve that and I still have to figure it out. I will try to read the help documents in detail.
 
The link you provided features some good info about the Synth itself, and considering the fact I am a Roland fan.... It's noticeable that they set the standard (literally and figuratively) in some ways. I have been messing around with the options myself, and it's always helpful.
  
 
Take care of yourself and good luck. See yah'
 
 

Guitarhacker


Be sure you are highlighting the tracks......  If nothing is highlighted, it will look like it is doing an export, and the file will show up, but as you pointed out, it will be very small and have no sound. 

I like to export this way.....I click in the console view on the track numbers until ALL the tracks get darker (which means they are selected)... then I choose WHAT YOU HEAR as the export preset. 

To do an export there has to be AUDIO selected in the export...... midi will not export as music. Since I would almost totally now in the audio realm, this is not a problem. You can, however, if you are working 100% in the midi soft synth realm, simply freeze a track and then select it as well as the other tracks and you will be able to export everything that is in the project as music. 

 
Thanks Herb!!!! I highlighted all the tracks and freezing the tracks of the soft synth I was able to write the sound to an audio file. Your method worked like a charm. 
 
What I couldn't do was recording the sound from the default Windows MIDI handling setup. I thought using the same Freeze option would automatically affect the standard MIDI handled by Windows as well, but it doesn't.
 
I can't "freeze" the MIDI tracks that aren't handled by the TTS-1. I created an Audio track, but then I don't know what to do from there on.
 
At least I can record the sound of the Roland TTS-1, so it's not that bad and I can make that video now.
 
But when I need or want to mix different sounds from the MIDI handled by Windows -I got a pretty nice setup going- and the synth then I am still confused about what to do.
 
In this case it's important to consider the application and the method changes drastically -how exactly, I don't know yet-.
 
I'm certain that my knowledge about the program would be much improved in the upcoming months.
 
I am really thankful for your help.
Have a nice day.  

ps: I've been listening to some songs following the link of your signature, some neat stuff there. The TTS is named in one of the songs within RobertB account. The songs sound like proffessional music composition.

This may be of interest to you, in regard to converting the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth to audio:
 
http://www.cakewalk.com/Support/kb/reader.aspx/2007013079
 
but the MS GS Synth isn't the best choice. Most folks find the sounds less than realistic and TTS-1 and other synths usually sound better. Plus there's the difficulty in converting to audio, more so than with software synthesizers.
Good luck!

Since you have MC6... you will of course want to learn how to use the soft synths in it rather than the Wavetable sounds. 

MC6's synths sound better and freezing and bouncing the midi to audio is a snap.

57Gregy


This may be of interest to you, in regard to converting the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth to audio:
 
http://www.cakewalk.com/Support/kb/reader.aspx/2007013079
 
but the MS GS Synth isn't the best choice. Most folks find the sounds less than realistic and TTS-1 and other synths usually sound better. Plus there's the difficulty in converting to audio, more so than with software synthesizers.
Good luck!

Many thanks 57Gregy. The link you provided is excellent to learn some interesting things I didn't know. I can't record the audio following the advice in the article though. Just because MC6 works differently, and this is made more complicated by the fact that when using ASIO, Roland TTS-1 doesn't sound at all, and I can't record anything, it seems.
 
The reason is beyond me. I can record an audio file in a jiffy with Synthfont, Spider Player and XMPlay, but with MC6 only freezing the Synth works for me.
 
Maybe it is the method I use, or the fact that perhaps I don't know the exact steps, but it should be a pretty straightforward process.
 
I wonder if the cause is that -under MIME 32-bit- the mic is set as my Recording device? There is no other recording source listed. The options some fellow forumers mentioned, like recording "What you hear" are nowhere to be seen in my system.
 
Perhaps it's just me spreading my noobiness. I will try to make it work, but it is taking time.
 
Thanks for helping me, Gregy.   

Guitarhacker


Since you have MC6... you will of course want to learn how to use the soft synths in it rather than the Wavetable sounds. 

MC6's synths sound better and freezing and bouncing the midi to audio is a snap.

Yes! And it's working like a charm. I recorded some songs using the Freeze Synth feature and when MC6 creates the file I copy the WAV file to another folder -because it disappears if you don't Export it and you switch songs- to save my work.
 
For the Wavetable sounds I use really good Soundfonts, full GM ones. I installed a software driver which can be set as Windows' default midi synthesizer, and it works much better than the rather limited Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth included in Windows. 
 
BassMIDI driver has been successfully tested with up to 4.5 GB+ worth of soundfonts, and instead of trying to load everything into memory, it only loads the samples/instruments needed for what you are currently trying to play on your software or Windows.
 
So in that regard I don't get bad sound at all from other MIDI resources, but I love the unique sound and flexibility of the TTS-1.
 
Here you can see what this guy achieves with it.
 
He explains everything in great detail with short lines of text while the music plays.
 
"Crystallized Silver" Roland TTS-1 Remake 
 
http://www.youtube.com/wa.h?v=IEVgbCP0YVQ&hd=1
  
 
"U.N. Owen Was Her?" Roland TTS-1 Remake 
 
http://www.youtube.com/wa.h?v=HyxuuxUW2ZM&hd=1
Just amazing if you ask me.
I also uploaded a video showing that I managed to record the sound in MC6 just fine and how good the Roland TTS-1 can sound.
http://www.youtube.com/wa.h?v=PKSK6vfbJ5s&hd=1