Arts >> Music >> Digital Music

How to Convert Audio to MIDI Control Signals

The musical instrument digital interface, or MIDI, protocol enables communication between electronic instruments and computers. MIDI recordings are digitized musical scores, containing data about specific parameters of a performance including tempo, volume, pitch and length so that a computer can describe the performance to a synthesized instrument with MIDI capabilities. Several applications allows users to convert polyphonic, single instrument audio files into MIDI recordings.

Instructions

  1. Digital Performer

    • 1

      Open Digital Performer and click "New" in the start-up window to create a new project.

    • 2

      Press Command-Shift-M to create a new MIDI track in the project window.

    • 3

      Locate the desired audio file on the computer's hard drive. Click and drag the audio file onto the track labeled "Audio-1" in the Digital Performer project window.

    • 4

      Click "Soundbites" on track Audio-1 and select "Pitch" from the drop-down menu to create pitch segments in the audio file. Highlight the pitch segments, right-click and select "Copy" to copy the data to the clipboard.

    • 5

      Click on the track "MIDI" in the project window to activate the region. Right-click and select "Paste" to paste the pitch segment data from Audio-1 to the MIDI track.

    • 6

      Click "File" and select "Save as." Choose "Standard MIDI file" and select "OK."

    Logic Studio

    • 7

      Open Logic Studio and select "Empty Project" to open a new project.

    • 8

      Locate the desired audio file on the computer's hard drive. Click and drag the audio file onto track one in Logic Studio.

    • 9

      Double-click on the audio file in track one, and click the "Factory" tab in the Sample Editor window.

    • 10

      Select "Audio to Score."

    • 11

      Click "Process" to transform the audio into MIDI data.

    Cubase

    • 12

      Open Cubase and select "New" to create a new project.

    • 13

      Locate the desired audio file on the computer's hard drive. Click and drag the audio file onto the track "Audio #1" in the Cubase track window.

    • 14

      Double-click the audio in track one, and click "Pitch & Warp" in the side bar to create pitch segments in the audio file.

    • 15

      Highlight the pitch segments in the audio file, and click "Function."

    • 16

      Select "Extract MIDI." Set the destination as "first selected track," and click "OK."

Digital Music

Related Categories