Ask about using mp3 & ogg

[Raindropmemory]

Thanks for very clear answer about legal issue, but...
Man, I have a question again!!

I don't know what Sounfonts is!
I try to read document about Soundfonts in some website, but that doesn't make me enlighten or anything! I assume that it's something like sound sampling that I can patch over general Midi sound, right? (Well,...that's all I know)

1. What is really Soundfonts and how it connected with MIDI in terms of file and sound output?

2. Which programs should I use to create that?

Thanks again!

[Raindropmemory]

After a few hours of searching and downloading some Soundfont and program(I use SynthFont), now I find out how it works!

But still lack of good soundfonts resources website

[denzil]

But still lack of good soundfonts resources website

Some are here. Also MadTracker forums have compiled a nice list of sites with samples/soundfonts.

[DaFool]

Yeah, the best part about SynthFont is the ease where you can set different track layers to different soundfonts. So you can get unique sounds even from the same midi file.

[Guest]

The file format (MIDI, MP3, or OGG) doesn't matter much... if you don't have permission, then you're not allowed to use the music. (Also, we dropped midi support a while back.)
.

PyTom why did you drop midi support.I've never understood people's hatred of midi music.Midi music when done well can be quite entertaining and it dosen't take up much space and comes up quicker than .wav , mp3 files.

[Twar3Draconis]

If you needed to, you could convert MIDI to OGG. So, it's pointless.

[PyTom]

The reason was that it was causing games to crash when run on x86 Macintoshes.

[Gamesmaster]

The reason was that it was causing games to crash when run on x86 Macintoshes.

I didn't know that certainly wouldn't want that would we.The only other comment I have on this subject is about midis and copyright law.Every month thousands of people make art based on popular cartoons, comics and manga and send them into magazines to be published or keep them in private collections.They put these in under the name of Fanart.Companies don't bother to sue because
1.It's good publicity for their product
2.It's quite flattering
3.The people doing it aren't doing it for profit and gain nothing but the
enjoyment of sharing their art with the world.

My point is that midi would be an extension of that wouldn't it.You're not gaining anything monetarily for this.It's not like you're selling your games.The people that make midis aren't getting any money for making them.In other words it's just good, clean, fun.As long as you give the people props for making it.

[Twar3Draconis]

Still Gamesmaster, MIDI is not always an extension of that. Understand that the individuals that don't make money off of MIDI are those that make it in the form of music that can be found in copyrighted products. You are bound to find people who make MIDI for profit, that are complete of their own ideas and composition.

[DaFool]

I concur with Twar3Draconis.

midi is just a format for saving music. Gamesmaster, you are only referring to fan-made transcriptions of popular, anime, and classical music.

Unlike the late 90s, many semi-pro music workstations nowadays only need software synthesizers and can do away with many hardware workstations.

I myself compose mostly original pieces, and only borrow from popular folk music when necessary to convey a certain mood, and even then it's clear what the inspiration was.

If I were to take any of my midi files, send them to Alessio, Mihel, yummy or other professional musician in these forums to render on their equipment, the result will be professional.

In fact, with Synthfont, I'm getting there already. Look out for my soundtrack in the upcoming release of Project Nattsu...I made every effort to remove traces of the 'midi feel' from the music. But everything was composed entirely through midi.

[monele]

The comparison is not the same Gamesmaster. People *draw* fanart. They create something by basing it on something else. The musical counterpart is remixes. Taking something and reinterpreting it your way.
So... if you compose your midi, fine, as long as it's not a pure copy of an original, it should be good (just as good as fanart, I'd say). But taking a midi you haven't done is just like taking a fanart you haven't drawn. There's no way you could use that how you wish without asking for permission ^^;

I hope I haven't misunderstood the topic ^^;...

[Gamesmaster]

Still Gamesmaster, MIDI is not always an extension of that. Understand that the individuals that don't make money off of MIDI are those that make it in the form of music that can be found in copyrighted products. You are bound to find people who make MIDI for profit, that are complete of their own ideas and composition.

True I didn't consider the rare original musical score.Alright I can see your point now.I will make a note of asking for permission on the songs I use from now on.

concur with Twar3Draconis.

midi is just a format for saving music. Gamesmaster, you are only referring to fan-made transcriptions of popular, anime, and classical music.

Unlike the late 90s, many semi-pro music workstations nowadays only need software synthesizers and can do away with many hardware workstations.

I myself compose mostly original pieces, and only borrow from popular folk music when necessary to convey a certain mood, and even then it's clear what the inspiration was.

Besides the JazzAlley I haven't ran across much original midi music sites.So that's why I wasn't thinking much about it.But you're right about original music you definitely should ask for permission on those.I tried getting into making midi music myself but I couldn't read music to save my life.So until I find something to make the learning of it easier I will stick to other people's.

[DaFool]

Besides the JazzAlley I haven't ran across much original midi music sites.So that's why I wasn't thinking much about it.But you're right about original music you definitely should ask for permission on those.I tried getting into making midi music myself but I couldn't read music to save my life.So until I find something to make the learning of it easier I will stick to other people's.

Aspiring musicians generally provide only the final renders of their music. If they were to release their midis publicly, someone could easily steal them and create their own renders. That's why most midis you see are transcribed from sources whose copyright is already secured (e.g. no one could argue that this was, for example, Madonna's music)

Midis play differently on different soundcards, that's why rendering them is essential...so that you can be assured what you hear on your system will be replicated for others.

I knew nothing about midi music when I first started in visual novel making nine months ago. But when I posted a demo with midi music files, people gave helpful comments and a small discussion about midi ensued. That was when I realized that midi was not a limitation.

I can't read notes either (I only know what is higher or lower lol), Anvil Studio is by far the best freeware midi suite I use. The beauty of it is how you can easily fine tune even the shortest (1/16, 1/32) notes. (monele once commented he couldn't edit my midis since they were too detailed, despite what I believe he has a superior software setup).

I would practice more if I were you. I reading an article which mentioned how nowadays people get caught up with manipulating sound samples that they lose touch with basic composing -- best done using a midi suite. I couldn't agree with that article more. With midi, you can fine-tune how the notes synchronize and create harmony, then you can use soundfonts and in good hands, the resulting music will sound like it was really composed, rather than remixed (I also found some negative reviews of Garageband, which is why I'm not so jealous now.)

[vlint]

You might want to check out Wikipedia for some copyleft classical works (I see some Debussy on there).

Also, cpdl.org (the Choral Public Domain Library) is a great site for Public Domain Midis (or CPDL, rather, meaning derivative works must have the same license). However, the CPDL license only applies to items on the CPDL server, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

cpdl.org is a wiki, and it's used a lot. So, there's a lot of cool stuff there (and you can add your own, too).

[azureXtwilight]

Uh... if you don't have the artist's permission, you can't use the music (legally). (Or you'll become a pirate.)

Hmm... How about using a free royalty album?