How Do I Convert Midi Files To Audio Files? Options

[starbert]

I am a Music teacher. I recently bought an ibook with a cd-rw drive. I would like to burn audio disks for my students - accompaniment for there lesson material. I have the accomp. done in midi files and I would like to change them to audio files....can anyone help me?
thanks
Starbert

[Levon River]

Well, I'm glad you're not THEIR English teacher.

First, since you''ve posted this in "Music with Macintosh on MacOS 9," I'll assume you're working in 9.x, and would have to suggest that the first and most obvious approach would be to get one of the free sequencer/Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) packages that are available (Digidesign's or the Cubase-related one), read the documentation, and use that.

If what you use supports VST instruments (and at least the Cubase programs all do), there is, e.g., a *greeat* free VST software piano called "mda piano" that you could use as a software synth to generate the sounds from the MIDI files you load into the program.

The documentation for the programs will tell you how to output and save the audio from that as audio files: aiff or wavs, mostly, although "Sound Designer II" format would likely be an option from Digidesign's free program.

There are also several free programs that will then convert those files to whatever format you need for your audio CDs--even to mp3s, if you want your students to all get iPods.

Hope this helps you get started at least.

[azusa]

Hi starbert
Try this: http://download.edirol.com/drivers/mac/vsc30t.sea.hqx
It's Roland Virtual Sound Canvas demo. It doesn't cost much. It works great.

All you have to do is drag a midi file over. Listen and adjust the music to your liking.
Click an audio converter button. Then drag that .aif file to Toast.
Hit burn CD, and it's done.