How to save file as wav or wmp

[Sara Jo Dunstan (sjactress)]

Could someone explain how I transform my .not file INTO a .wav or .wmv file?
Thanks.

[Clyde (clyde)]

Hi Sara,

The simplest and least cost way of doing this is to play the .not file through your computer sound card, and then record the output from your sound card.

The reason why this works is that most sound cards have a midi to wave convertor on them.

Using your Computer's sound card may not give the best results, as it really depends on the quality of your sound card.

If you have a midi compatible keyboard, you can play the midi output from your sound card (or on a floppy disc) on your keyboard, and record its output.

There are many programs around that will convert midi to wave format. Don't know of any free ones, and price proably really relects the sound quality. I use the Roland virtual sound card (VSC-3) which comes free with Band-in-a-Box (or you can get it from www.pgmusic.com (http://www.pgmusic.com) for about $30).

Hope this gets you started .... Clyde

[Sara Jo Dunstan (sjactress)]

Thank you, Clyde, for trying to help, but I didn't actually understand a word of that! HOW do I "play the .not file through my computer sound card, and then record the output from my sound card"? I wouldn't have the slightest clue as to where to begin. If you can give me a step by step, I'd really appreciate it. I'm not really too worried about the sound quality, as I only use the "Grand Piano" voice (all the others sound too fake, and I only play piano anyway).
Thanks again!

[David Jacklin (dj)]

Hi, Sara Jo:

It sounds like you're already using the voices on your computer's sound card as the sound source for your music.

Microsoft gives you a digital sound recorder under the Start/Programs/Accessories/Entertainment menu called, with great creativity, "Sound Recorder". It's been lobotimized to record only 60 seconds at a time, but it will play back any length of .wav file, so you can fool it by loading a longer .wav file and recording over it, then saving it to a different name, so you keep your original longer file.

Use the Start/Progams/Accessories/Entertainment/Volume Control applet to set your recording source as the Wave/MP3 source (or perhaps the Midi source, depending on your sound card; try both); set the volume slider on the Volume Control mixer to about 2/3rds.

Load your .not file into Midinotate and begin recording on the Sound Reorder, then start playback in Midinotate. When it's done, stop them both, and save the .wav file in Sound Recorder.

Voila!

Get enough of those together and you can burn them onto a CD, provided your computer has a CD-RW drive.

[Clyde (clyde)]

Hi Sara,
Based on your reply, I gather that you may not be familiar with the various file formats, and how they work. Let me try and give a simple explanation:

(a) .not file. This is MidiNotate (Composers) own file format and it store all the note, stave, part, lyrics stuff. Pc's and generic windows programs can't do very much with that file (apart from copy it). The only programs that can make sense of them are the MidiNotate group of programs. These programs, besides displaying score on the screen, and printing it out, also generate a 'midi' output.

(b) 'midi' file. This file is fairly standard way of communicating music. It doesn't actually have sound on it, but is more like the old pianola roll which has holes in the paper for when notes are switched on and off. A midi file has standard instructions for when notes are on & off, and what instrument and how loud. But there is no actual sound wave in the midi file.

(c) 'wave' file. This file is a series of numbers that describe the shape of the actual sound wave. Its like looking at the sound wave pattern on an oscilloscope, or in the old vinyl records the shape of the grove on them.

To be able to go from a '.not' file to a '.wav' file, you need to go through the steps of producing and converting these three files:
eg:
1. Composer converts from a '.not' file to 'midi'
2. Your sound card converts from 'midi' to 'wav'. (other programs like Roland Virtual sound card do this conversion as well).


If the above is reasonably clear, then the question I have for you, is:

Are you able to play your '.not' files so you hear the sound on your computer (assuming you have speakers on your system)?'

If the answer is No, then you have a problem at stage one of the process - ie, going from a not file to midi.
If the answer is Yes, then I think your problem is how to convert from midi to wav.

A test I would apply on your computer is to save your Composer score as a 'midi' file and then double click on that saved file. If 'Windows Player' plays that for you - then you are almost there - at least your computer is translating midi to wav.

Apologies for being long winded - there are many things happening in going from a '.not' file to '.wav' and if you are having problems, its a matter of trying to isolate where things are getting messed up. The initial step is to halve the problem, by making sure your computer will play a 'midi' file.

If I have missed the point of your question, please let me know, and perhaps try to clarify it for me. It maybe that others on the forum have better understood, and may like to jump in and answer your question.

cheers ... Clyde

[Clyde (clyde)]

Hi Sara,

I have been wondering if your original question maybe against the background of some other scoring and music programs that provide a direct output from the scoring program to a wave file.

I regularly use some of these programs (eg Band in a Box), but in actual fact some write out a midi file and then uses a 3rd party midi to wave program that is integrated with the program to do the conversion from that intermediate midi file to wave.

It all appears to be happening in one easy step, but there is a lot going on behind the scenes.

One of the advantages of separating the steps (as in Composer) and allowing the user to generate the wave file from the midi file, is that the user can select a program that has sound samples that they like. There are many specialised sound samples around, eg pipe organ, orchestral etc, and depending on your need your can utilise these.

Judging by the Composer forum discussion on sound fonts, it appears that there is a lot of interest in people being able to select their preferred midi to wave conversion methods.

cheers ... Clyde

[Sara Jo Dunstan (sjactress)]

Clyde,
You are fantabulous, let me just say. And no, the whole explanation among the .not to .midi to .wav files WAS NOT apparent to me before, so thank you for explaining that in layman's terms so I could somewhat understand it.
Yes, I can hear my compositions just fine when I push the play button in Midinotate Composer. All I want to be able to do is take that exact sound and send it to, i.e., Windows Media Player so I can e-mail it to my fam/friends. I'm going to try the file path you gave me and see what I can come up with. Thank you again, and if I'm still lost, I'll repost with more info.
THANK YOU!

[Clyde (clyde)]

Hi Sara,
Pleased it all made sense to you.

Incidentally, you can send your 'midi' files (ex Composer) to you family/friends & they can play them on their computer.

Windows Media Player on their computer will play midi files (as well as wave files). It will use the midi to wave facilities on their sound card to play the midi file.

Cheers ... Clyde

[Mark Walsen (markwa)]

Hello Sara and Clyde,

Also, you can send your Composer .not files to family/friends and they can view and print the score as well as play the music, using the free MidiNotate Player available at www.notation.com/MidiNotatePlayer.htm (http://www.notation.com/MidiNotatePlayer.htm)

Cheers
-- Mark

[ave550]

I need instruction how to begin taping items on floppy discs. Thomas Avery @ ave550#Comcast.net

[Clyde (clyde)]

Hi Thomas

Composer does not have any direct midi to wave file conversion, as that requires sound modules that convert notes to a particular sound of an instrument.

There are several ways you can do this:
(a) The cheapest is to just record the output of your sound card as your play the songs in Composer. The quality depends on the quality of your sound card.
(b) use a software conversion program There is a reasonably cheap one that comes with some music programs call Roland Virtual sound card.(VSC-3) (see: http://www.pgmusic.com/scpro.htm) or the other end of the spectrum is the Garritan Orchestral sounds (http://www.garritan.com/). Both of these products work with Composer.

Once you get into working with wave files you need to have a program that allows you to adjust things, and a freeware program that is ideal for this is Audacity. (see http://audacity.sourceforge.net/). The program is easy to use, but I have written some notes on how to get started with it at my website: http://www.getstartedhere.info/index.php?Prg=Course_Audio

Hope that helps ...

Cheers ... Clyde