Midi Files

[Billy Berg]

I must be missing something basic. Can import and play and edit MP3 files now. I can also import midi files but cannot get them to play. Any ideas?

[kozikowski]

Midi files aren't sound files. Midi files are instructions to a Midi player how to produce the music, like a player piano. You put the roll of paper in and it plays music. Put the same roll of paper in a different piano and you get the same song, but different piano sounds. Midi is the roll of paper.

Midi playback is usually associated with a sound card inside the computer. The sound card knows how to make piano sounds and is just waiting for the midi file to tell it how, how many notes, what kind, how loud, when, and for how long. All those values are burned into the Midi file -- for up to sixteen different instruments.

It's possible the latest Audacity will play Midi files by associating itself with your sound card, but the sound card must be Midi compliant and you have to marry the two services.

I'm guessing no.

Koz

[steve]

Since version 1.3.6 Audacity MIDI files can now be imported, cut-and-paste edited, then exported.
Audacity does not play MIDI files.

[kozikowski]

<<<Since version 1.3.6 Audacity MIDI files can now be imported, cut-and-paste edited, then exported.
Audacity does not play MIDI files.>>>

Can I count on no hands the number of people who might want that?

Koz

[Billy Berg]

Thanks both
My Mac plays midi files, so from the info you've given me I need to link Audacity to this midi player... am I on the right lines?

[steve]

Can I count on no hands the number of people who might want that?

It can be quite a useful feature for some users (I believe that it was added in response to requests from quite a few users).
Where it comes in handy is if you are working in a DAW with both MIDI and Audio and you are performing sample editing in Audacity. In such cases it will be common that the audio needs to be in synch with midi events. Although Audacity does not support playing MIDI file, it does allow you to Import them and see the midi events, so you are able to edit the audio clips and line them up with the displayed midi events.

My Mac plays midi files, so from the info you've given me I need to link Audacity to this midi player... am I on the right lines?

It depends on what you are wanting to do.

It may be easiest to play the MIDI file in your media player, and record it with Audacity. The recording will then be an audio file which can be edited in Audacity.