Making midis

Hey, I'm a newbie to a good sum of things in the music world. I've seen a great number of songs turned into midis. Now, whether it's video game music or a song by a band or whatever it seems to have ended up in a midi format via someone's efforts. My question is how is that done? What process is it that turns a song into a midi? Is there a program that converts the songs into midi or what?

The only way i know of doing it ( im a computer noob), is using a program like : Guitarpro, or Powertab. You have to tab out the song parts, then export it as a midi file. you go to file- export- midi. And you save it on your hard drive. There are probably other programs, but i dont know of them.

Ok, thanks. I'll give that a try. Do I have to already know how the song is played or is there some way around that?

Ya and then There's all the midi studios.... made for your computer like by magix or microsoft....
As far as I know... They are all done by hand tabbing out the notes (in tab or sheet music) by people who know a lot about music, and who have way too much time on their hands. But their could be companies or sites that just do that.....

lol, yes you have to tab them out by hand, all the ones ive done i've tabbed them. I think you can import ACII files though ,i have the name wrong probably. And all that is is a file that is able to be opened by the program, with the music on it, and it goes into the right place.

You do not have to tab out the music.

Those files are most easily made in a MIDI sequencer such a Cubase, Logic Audio, Cakewalk, Sonar,... If you happen to have a MIDI keyboard you can simply play all the parts and record them that way.

Alot of inspiring songwritters and composers do it because it's the best way to learn how to compose, especially if you want to learn why a band sounds so good. Usually it's done by buying complete sheet music (bass, guitar, voice) and then copying it to powertab or something. Drums are pretty easy to figure out. Advice to anyone who really wants to learn, figure out each part by yourself and use a midi sequencer or a notation software. Midi is an easy check yourself too because it plays back and if something doesn't sound like the original then you know it's wrong.

Man, that sucks for me. I'm using midis to learn songs, though in a different manner. I've been importing them into things like fruity loops where they tell me what the notes are and all that. Main reason I asked in the first place was because I couldn't find some songs I really wanted to learn and I figured if I could convert or something like that then I'd be able to learn them. Too bad for me that I kinda have to know how to play the songs in the first place.

Just look for an online database of MIDI songs. If the songs you're looking for are somewhat popular, I'm sure you'll be able to find them online.

Cryptic- what songs are you looking for?

Unfortunately the songs I'm looking for aren't exactly in a mainstream radio play genre. Things like cryptopsy (open face surgery, slit your guts, cold hate warm blood) Cannibal corpse (hung and bled, grotesque, standard corpse material) Opeth (bleak, advent)a lot of stuff really, which is why I was trying to find out how midis are made. I wanted to learn to make midis so I can throw them into fruity loops and basically get the whole notation right there and basically have an accurate transcription of the song. Though I wasn't exactly dumb enough to think that there'd be a simple way about it, though it does surprise me a bit to see several songs in midi format though tableture is no where to be seen.

lol your right , not mainstream'ish. I hardly ever see tabs for any one those bands, but there are 100 different version for blink 182 songs, haha.

I think often when you see midi files of bands like that, they are from the bands offical tab books, which i think someone mentioned before.

So I'm screwed basically, unless I find someone that can make the songs I want into a midi or I suddenly get the materials necessary. Well, thanks anyway.

What songs do you want by those bands? I'll do them for you, when i have the time

When you've got time eh? Well, if that's the case, there's no rush and I don't want you to feel like you've got to have these ready asap, but I can give you a list. I'll make it as short as I can for convenience as there was quite a few that I wanted.

1. Cannibal Corpse - Hung and bled, Sanded faceless, mutation of the cadaver, grotesque, stripped raped and strangled

2. Opeth - Bleak, in the mist she was standing, under the weeping moon, silhouette, advent, the night and the silent water, april ethereal, credance, prologue, closure, to rid the disease

3. Cryptopsy - Voice of unreason, cold hate warm blood, depths you've fallen, faceless unknown, slit your guts, graves of the fathers, phobophile, abigor, open face surgery, serial messiah, pathological frolic

4. Samael - after the sepulture, macabre operetta, with the gleam of the torches, total consecration, bestial devotion, celebration of the fourth, son of earth (original version), baphomet's throne, flagellation, crown, ceremony of opposites (original version), shining kingdom, angel's decay, jupiterian vibe, liquid soul dimension, moonskin, born under saturn, a man in your head, together, ways, the cross, us, supra karma, I, nautillus and zeppelin, radiant star, winter solstice

5. Dimmu Borgir - Arcane lifeforce mysteria

7. Goratory - Mutilate and modify, retrograde defication, pus filled maggots

Ok, I'll stop now before I get any more carried away. I've got others in mind, but those are the ones I want above all others. Sorry it's so long. As I said take your time with it and I apreciate the offer to help me out. Thanks.

midi's are great!

Alright cool, i'll se what i can do:)

I'll start after i get a malmsteen tab to someone else on the board

Ok, thanks man. I owe you.