Midi and Kar question
Hi, I have recently received several hundred .mid and .kar files and after doing some research on the net, this is my understanding. If I have misunderstood something, I would appreciate known what is the correct interpretation. The reason for wanting to understand this is that I would like to perform with my guitar and would like to have some backing tracks to help in the background with drums and other instruments. However, I am deeply disappointment at the quality of the sound of both the mid and kar files and wonder if there is a way to make the instruments sound more realistic instead of toy like instruments.
Here is my understanding;
Midi files are created similar to a computer program in that it creates commands to sound like a particular instrument, the length of time a note should be pressed, etc. etc. but it does not record the actual sound. The sound is generated by a sound card inside my computer and thus it makes the sound called for by the midi file.
Kar files are created the same way except they have an additional option which allows for the video display.
In other words, neither the Mid or Kar files store real instruments. Now, is there a way for me to make the sounds sound like real instruments using my computer? If not, why are these formats so popular when the sound is so inferior to real instruments. It could be that a software program might do that but I'm not familiar with any. Lastly, is there a place that sells backing tracks created with real instruments. Thank you for helping me understand this.
Here is my understanding;
Midi files are created similar to a computer program in that it creates commands to sound like a particular instrument, the length of time a note should be pressed, etc. etc. but it does not record the actual sound. The sound is generated by a sound card inside my computer and thus it makes the sound called for by the midi file.
Kar files are created the same way except they have an additional option which allows for the video display.
In other words, neither the Mid or Kar files store real instruments. Now, is there a way for me to make the sounds sound like real instruments using my computer? If not, why are these formats so popular when the sound is so inferior to real instruments. It could be that a software program might do that but I'm not familiar with any. Lastly, is there a place that sells backing tracks created with real instruments. Thank you for helping me understand this.
ASKER
Thank you for that. This clears up the difference between MId and Kar. I first thought that KAR were done with real instruments but that doesn't seem to be the case. So basically what you are saying is that it would not be wise to spend the time to review the hundreds of MID and KAR files that I have because even if I bought the program you mention AUDACITY, the finished product would not be acceptable in a live professional setting. Is that correct? Instead, you recommend buying the tracks from KaraokeVersion. So my final question is; are the tracks from Karaoke Version produced with real instruments or are they also Midi?
camtz what do you use to play the background sounds? Software?
Audacity is free open source by the way.
Trying to picture you playing your guitar with background music.
I have watched many buskers and am familiar with creating my own music using a keyboard and or synthesizer recording this and using a trigger Foot pedal to control playback called looper and pedals
Looper & Sampler Effects Pedals
To keep the music going there are no accessories more versatile than looper and sampler effects pedals. Allowing you to record rhythm loops as you play, and play them back as you continue jamming, these pedals add layers to you music, helping you effortlessly create uniquely songs and sounds.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Looper---Sampler-Effects-Pedals-Effects-Pedals.gc
They created their background music and use a mixer
this is my favourite busker using the Loop and Pedal with a couple of mixers he records the first loop live then if you watch he presses the pedal then it plays back while he plays a different piece., Very cool
Awesome Electric Violin - Ed Busking Chester
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUO6kYLb6As&index=26&list=FLTbE_VoNpPAT25Isv81Pn6A
Digitech JamMan looper phrase sampler pedal guitar lesson ( youtube video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbbtKZTFblE
I also have Ejay it is software to create your own drums loops
http://www.ejay.com/us/product
Most buskers have drums and beats to play with.
Would you be interested in Kits?
The portable kit includes four sensors that attach to any part of a live set: could be a guitar, a microphone, an arm. Each sensor then connects with standard music software to dictate a different light or sound action based on the performer’s movements,
THE PLUG + PLAY KIT IS FOR MUSICIANS WHO STAND ALONE—TO DELIVER ALL THE LIGHT AND SOUND DRAMA OF A FULL BAND.
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1672914/an-instant-one-man-band-kit-twists-and-slams-the-solo-show
Just giving you some ideas
cheers
Audacity is free open source by the way.
Trying to picture you playing your guitar with background music.
I have watched many buskers and am familiar with creating my own music using a keyboard and or synthesizer recording this and using a trigger Foot pedal to control playback called looper and pedals
Looper & Sampler Effects Pedals
To keep the music going there are no accessories more versatile than looper and sampler effects pedals. Allowing you to record rhythm loops as you play, and play them back as you continue jamming, these pedals add layers to you music, helping you effortlessly create uniquely songs and sounds.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Looper---Sampler-Effects-Pedals-Effects-Pedals.gc
They created their background music and use a mixer
this is my favourite busker using the Loop and Pedal with a couple of mixers he records the first loop live then if you watch he presses the pedal then it plays back while he plays a different piece., Very cool
Awesome Electric Violin - Ed Busking Chester
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUO6kYLb6As&index=26&list=FLTbE_VoNpPAT25Isv81Pn6A
Digitech JamMan looper phrase sampler pedal guitar lesson ( youtube video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbbtKZTFblE
I also have Ejay it is software to create your own drums loops
http://www.ejay.com/us/product
Most buskers have drums and beats to play with.
Would you be interested in Kits?
The portable kit includes four sensors that attach to any part of a live set: could be a guitar, a microphone, an arm. Each sensor then connects with standard music software to dictate a different light or sound action based on the performer’s movements,
THE PLUG + PLAY KIT IS FOR MUSICIANS WHO STAND ALONE—TO DELIVER ALL THE LIGHT AND SOUND DRAMA OF A FULL BAND.
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1672914/an-instant-one-man-band-kit-twists-and-slams-the-solo-show
Just giving you some ideas
cheers
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ASKER
BillDL - I am extremely appreciative of the time and effort you put into this. I have now visited Karaoke-Version and have a pretty good idea of how it works so I will definitely be registering and buying some of their material. The most helpful thing for me out of all of this is the fact that I now understand the difference between .Mid and .Kar files and why they sound the way they do. One problem I foresee with Karaoke-Version is that I only play and sing Latin & some classical music (like Malaguena, Granada etc.) and from what I have seen so far, Latin music seems to be limited. So one option is for me to learn a few American songs (after all, I am an American now and I live in America which is the greatest country on the planet. Your expertise has been enormously helpful and I will be going over this material for some time so as not to miss anything. I will also download Audacity and play around with it to see if it can help me.
ASKER
An excellent explanation. Thanks again.
Thank you camtz. I am glad that this has been of some help to you.
I love Malagueña. It has been played and sung by so many artists, in so many different forms, and even in languages other than Spanish, since it was composed by Cuban Ernesto Lecuona in 1928. I like the versions that have powerful rhythmic content like this one by Liona Boyd rather than the more orchestral and fancy versions like this by Pepe Romero. Or, were you talking about the traditional Mexican Mariachi-style song La Malagueña / Malagueña Salerosa? I can't play either style because I work in a hands-on job where I keep breaking my nails and can't do the rasgueado strum properly.
Yes, I think that you certainly will find it a lot more difficult to find good quality backing tracks in "Spanish" styles of music, and that is a pity. I hope you can find some.
I think maybe it is time for you to create your own backing tracks. To record to a computer you usually need a device (an "external sound card") that allows you to connect a microphone and a guitar cable. It connects to the computer with a USB cable. You then use software referred to as Digital Audio Workstation or DAW software to capture the input to multiple tracks that you can then mix together and save as an audio file. Audacity is a basic version of this kind of software, and there are other free versions of applications like MixPad. There are others:
http://music.tutsplus.com/articles/7-free-digital-recording-apps-for-windows--audio-5485
http://www.audio-issues.com/home-recording-studio/free-audio-recording-programs/
You have to pay for the device that connects to the computer, but there are budget ones if you search for "budget usb audio interface".
I love Malagueña. It has been played and sung by so many artists, in so many different forms, and even in languages other than Spanish, since it was composed by Cuban Ernesto Lecuona in 1928. I like the versions that have powerful rhythmic content like this one by Liona Boyd rather than the more orchestral and fancy versions like this by Pepe Romero. Or, were you talking about the traditional Mexican Mariachi-style song La Malagueña / Malagueña Salerosa? I can't play either style because I work in a hands-on job where I keep breaking my nails and can't do the rasgueado strum properly.
Yes, I think that you certainly will find it a lot more difficult to find good quality backing tracks in "Spanish" styles of music, and that is a pity. I hope you can find some.
I think maybe it is time for you to create your own backing tracks. To record to a computer you usually need a device (an "external sound card") that allows you to connect a microphone and a guitar cable. It connects to the computer with a USB cable. You then use software referred to as Digital Audio Workstation or DAW software to capture the input to multiple tracks that you can then mix together and save as an audio file. Audacity is a basic version of this kind of software, and there are other free versions of applications like MixPad. There are others:
http://music.tutsplus.com/articles/7-free-digital-recording-apps-for-windows--audio-5485
http://www.audio-issues.com/home-recording-studio/free-audio-recording-programs/
You have to pay for the device that connects to the computer, but there are budget ones if you search for "budget usb audio interface".
Hi camtz
I found another place that you can customise and then download MP3 backing tracks, but they are more expensive than the www.karaoke-version.com ones, the range looks to be more limited, and the bottom of the window that you use to customise the instruments is hidden off my screen at the bottom. It might be worth a look, but I don't think there are many (if any) Spanish / Latin American tracks and from the previews I don't think they are any better than the ones on www.karaoke-version.com.
http://www.yamahamusicsoft.com/en/instrument/Guitar/Electric+or+Acoustic+Guitar/category/Custom+Audio/catalog?keyword=¤cy=USD&nav=2&pageSize=60&sort=title
I haven't ever searched for other sites that offer this kind of service, but it might be worth your while searching for "custom backing audio tracks" to see what else is offered. I only discovered the Yamaha site while looking up details of a guitar.
I found another place that you can customise and then download MP3 backing tracks, but they are more expensive than the www.karaoke-version.com ones, the range looks to be more limited, and the bottom of the window that you use to customise the instruments is hidden off my screen at the bottom. It might be worth a look, but I don't think there are many (if any) Spanish / Latin American tracks and from the previews I don't think they are any better than the ones on www.karaoke-version.com.
http://www.yamahamusicsoft.com/en/instrument/Guitar/Electric+or+Acoustic+Guitar/category/Custom+Audio/catalog?keyword=¤cy=USD&nav=2&pageSize=60&sort=title
I haven't ever searched for other sites that offer this kind of service, but it might be worth your while searching for "custom backing audio tracks" to see what else is offered. I only discovered the Yamaha site while looking up details of a guitar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI
Even if you convert them to another format, they aren't going to sound like live band instruments.
In fact, a MID file really just contains instructions to the computer and sound card to render a certain tone at a specific pitch, for a certain length of time, at a certain velocity that translates into volume, and other instructions such as lyrics that can be rendered by certain media players. The computer and sound card does all the work. You can sometimes get a reasonably realistic kick drum or fretless bass sound in a MID file, but the more harmonically rich the instrument is that the midi file is trying to emulate, the less it will sound like a real instrument. The "lead guitar" or "electric guitar" voice will usually sound like the bagpipes or a peruvian nose flute, and the "acoustic guitar" will usually sound like a muted glockenspiel or something. They are too rich in harmonic overtones to be emulated truly, and the bent string of an electric guitar is almost impossible to render accurately.
I have used the occasional MID file to play guitar along with, but only after individually muting all the instruments other than drums, bass, and occasionally keyboard using free Midi playback software by van Basco (http://www.vanbasco.com/karaokeplayer/). Basically I was just using the midi file as a "click track" with bass for the groove. I would never even think of using a MID file as a backing track in a live situation, because it would sound amateurish. Most karaoke MIDI tracks are keyboard-rich, and that is the one instrument that sounds truer than others in files that you download.
You can get a lot of backing tracks on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=guitar+backing+tracks
If you want an audio file you either have to use recording and editing software like Audacity to capture the audio that is being played back through your computer as you play the video, or else use a browser plugin program that allows you to capture, convert, and save the audio content as a useful audio file like MP3 format. I use Audacity for things like this but, as I haven't ever used YouTube Downloader programs I cannot recommend any.
I believe that one of the best sites to buy backing tracks is http://www.karaoke-version.com. It provides a good search function and you can preview snippets from the various versions of songs recorded by real players and singers. You need an account to purchase songs, but you can re-tweak and then download the song as many times as you like. In the interface you can change the tempo and pitch, mute certain instruments (including vocals), then download your edited version in that form as an MP3. You can go back and change the selections, pitch, tempo, etc, and download again. As long as you name each MP3 with a useful name, you could download each instrument as a separate MP3 and then mix back again in multi-track software (read the copyright). The songs aren't very expensive at all, although some are better than others. If you choose a popular rock song, it is often the vocal rendition that lets it down, but the same is true of any band copying a very popular song anyway.