Hi, absolute beginner here, very first post!
I loaded a midi file into Music Creator, but when I try to play it I have no sound (I know, I know, this must be a very stupid question)
I would like to use Music Creator nice instruments to play the midi file. How can I do it?
 
Thanks

Told ya this should be a stupid question... from the help files:
 
Symptom: When you attempt to play back a project (.cwp) or a MIDI file (.mid), the playback meters move and the timeline scrolls, but there is no sound from the speakers or headphones.
Solution: The project only contains MIDI data and needs to be routed to a software synth (Insert > Soft Synths), a hardware synthesizer, or the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth.
 
Sorry about that. Still want to use MC to replace default midi instruments. Is there a way to do that?

Which MC do you have? 

Each one has different abilities and the newer versions of 5 & 6 have the cakewalk sound center synth which uses samples rather than algorithms to make the instrument sounds. 

Yes, you can replace the default midi (aka General Midi) if you have the better synths like Kontakt, Cakewalk Sound Center, or one of the many, many others that are available. 

Default/general midi sound bad so this is highly recommended that you do in fact, replace them with better sounding synths..... and most especially when you work on your new projects..... just start with the better ones. 

The old demo projects were created mostly with the really old synths and they are for demo purposes only...... so you can learn. 


I think if you run a project in MME driver mode it will want to use the wavetable synth in the factory sound card..... don't let it do that. Select the TTS synth so you at least use the general midi stuff. 

Have fun... if you get stumped, ask questions.  We love messing with uhhh, I mean,  helping new users. 

Welcome to the forum.
Sure, just change the patch (instrument sound) in the track pane. One of the tutorials goes through exactly how to do that.

Thanks for the answers. I just got me Music Creator 6 yesterday! I intend to create backtracks so my fancee and I can play and sing over them. I play the guitar, she plays the bass and piano. Since there was a good discount I got the bundle with Studio Instruments and lots of Sound Factory extras. I am still getting used to it.
I downloaded a U2 "With or Without You" midi file and tried to make it sound better. I spent a good amount of time yesterday changing synths and instruments, but could not make it sound better than Genreal Midi. When I used MC6 to play it on our Yamaha Digital Piano it sounded very good, though. But still it is not the sound of a real band.
Is MC6 used for live performances? I guess using backtracks would be just like playing karaoke, but with instruments, right?

well, to answer your question directly, yes, some people use MC for live performances playing it for backing tracks like karaoke.  but that's not the strength of its design.

its strength is to record instruments (all instruments including or not vocals, guitars, bass, MIDI, etc) and to mix those into a stereo output for burning onto a CD or for streaming mp3's on the internet or iPods.

you CAN create backing tracks and play them in MC live and some people do this, but personally I don't trust using a computer as a live instrument for backing unless I had a killer rig and probably a backup rig as well.  I'd rather put them on an iPod or burn them to a CD and plug THAT into the board for backing tracks.  but that's just me.  others can and DO use MC for live performance (personally I think there are other applications available which are better suited for that purpose).

now, to back up and address your concerns about the sounds - which is a completely different issue from your question....

Soundcenter is a decent softsynth and has some decent sounds, but face it, it's not a Yamaha Digital Piano.  Look at the cost difference between the Soundcenter and the Yamaha.  do you honestly think you'll be getting the same quality sounds out of it?  you shouldn't.  basically you get what you pay for.

there are better softsynths available such as Kontakt, Komplete, East-West, Ivory, Sampletank, MOTU softsynths/samplers, etc.  the samplers are going to be more realistic sounding and much more expensive than what you have.  some samplers cost thousands of $.  some are hundreds.

I personally use Kontakt 4.  Kontakt 5 is now out and I have not upgraded, but K4 was not cheap even tho I got it at a student discount for $300, IIRC.  regular price is like $500?  East-West Platinum is $1000.  GPO Orchestra is $150.

Kontakt is the most versatile and has the most widely available 3rd party samples to purchase, IMO.

but bottom line - the sounds are decent in Soundcenter, but there are better sounds available if you don't like them, but you have to pay for them. 

Ditto to what Beagle said..especially about using MC in a computer for live shows.

The midi tracks I have downloaded from the net have a characteristic "fake, stiff sounding midi sound" to them even when you replace the general midi (GM) sounds with better synths and samples. 

One of the other guys who used to hang out here a lot (Robomusic) used to create backing tracks for his live show with downloaded files. I do believe he spent quite a bit of time editing the midi tracks to get them sounding more natural. 

If I was planning to use the downloaded midi tracks in a live show, I would probably keep the bass and the drum tracks, but replace the synths with better sampled sounds... then I would try to record my own guitar and piano tracks so they sounded more natural. The bass and drums will generally be OK with the stiffer midi notes. Guitar and keys not so much. 

I use a variation of this on many of the songs I record these days that are original. A combination of midi and audio tracks and the result is quite natural sounding. 

And yeah, the better the sample library, the more money you have to lay on the counter to get it. 

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge. I started a new thread abou using MC6 in live presentations. I hope the tiltle is more meaningful.