Converting Midi To Audio...

[voicegenius]

Do you guys convert your midi to audio all the time? Is this common practice? I just find if I have to change something, it's so easy to recall and fix as opposed to recording it as audio... I would think it would only be good to convert when it's time for final mixdown... But hey, what do I know?

[psycho_monkey]

it's good practice to do so before you archive the session.

In future years, you may not have the same synths installed (or if hardware, available) so assuming you want to be able to reload the session, printing midi as audio before doing the final mixdown is good practice.

Personally, I tend to bounce as soon as I'm happy with an arrangement. But I don't rely on midi a whole lot.

[voicegenius]

Originally Posted by psycho_monkey

it's good practice to do so before you archive the session.

In future years, you may not have the same synths installed (or if hardware, available) so assuming you want to be able to reload the session, printing midi as audio before doing the final mixdown is good practice.

Personally, I tend to bounce as soon as I'm happy with an arrangement. But I don't rely on midi a whole lot.

You have a point because I used to use Reason and I recorded a couple of cool ideas I wish I would have dumped to audio... Like you said, I don't even have some of the samples/synths I used in some of the tracks on my drive anymore... Guess I'll start doing this from now on... thumbsup

[MikeSV]

I've had problems loading old projects because synths got moved around to different locations on the hard drives and it is a pain in the ass to have to go through sessions and try to find the synth used, not to mention the heart attack you have when you load a project and some sounds are gone.

BTW, everytime I see that damn bug animation thing in your signature, I smack my computer screen and then feel like a moron, so thanks for that, LOL!

[korbes]

For performance reasons I need to convert midi to audio often when triggering VSTis because my computer is somewhat outdated. But I usually keep the midi tracks in case I want to do changes, sometimes as muted tracks in the project itself, sometimes stored in a copy of the project file containing only the midi tracks.

If I had a faster PC I probably wouldn't bounce a lot until the final mixdown.

On the other hand, limitations do sometimes help me focus on getting things done right from the start, take decisions and stick with them.
If I can recall and change everything anytime, I might get stuck with the endless possibilities and experiment until I ruin something that was great to begin with :-)

Originally Posted by MikeSV

BTW, everytime I see that damn bug animation thing in your signature, I smack my computer screen and then feel like a moron, so thanks for that, LOL!

Off topic but hell yeah, that bug looks awfully real to me too :-)

[6th_World]

I like it to keep MIDI as long as it's possible, in case I want to change instruments or layer something else later.

[ryst]

Originally Posted by voicegenius

Do you guys convert your midi to audio all the time? Is this common practice? I just find if I have to change something, it's so easy to recall and fix as opposed to recording it as audio... I would think it would only be good to convert when it's time for final mixdown... But hey, what do I know?

Midi to me is like credit. I like cash. So I like audio (cash) whenever possible.

[shephurd]

I'm used to working like I was taught in my 3d animation days.. save often, and dont save over...

So I would save after i got a certain part of the song done.. I would save with my music in midi format, then convert to audio and save another version.. I would do this in different stages of the song so I can quickly go back to a certain part and re-work from ther if needed, and i will have midi AND audio versions to choose to work from/with..dfegad

[Jonkr]

I always export to audio before mixing for a number of reasons...
1) frees up dsp
2)audio projects load up faster than projects full of VI's
3) with audio you don't have to start things from the beginning of the midi note which can get pretty annoying after mixing for a couple hours.
4) recalling old projects, especially if you're using a different DAW or computer

Btw, I typically make create the audio project in the same folder as the midi project so that I can easily open the midi project,make my adjustments and save to the same audio folder

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by shephurd

I'm used to working like I was taught in my 3d animation days.. save often, and dont save over...

So I would save after i got a certain part of the song done.. I would save with my music in midi format, then convert to audio and save another version.. I would do this in different stages of the song so I can quickly go back to a certain part and re-work from ther if needed, and i will have midi AND audio versions to choose to work from/with..dfegad

+1 on this.

[phillysoulman]

I always convert right away because I make up my mind right away.
No pain,no strain in the brain with which to go insane.

[Chris Lago]

When you guys convert, how do you do it? I do it a certain way that involves playback (muting everything but the midi file), but I don't have much knowledge if I'd want to personalize the playing as I record the midi track. Any help would be appreciated. I mainly need some automation for Electro-House tracks and I've mainly been using VST synths for automated stuff as of now.

[MYAMS]

I use to always stick to midi until the very end because its real easy to make changes, however lately I bounce to audio. I find you get more creative when u have the audio and can easily do full mutes and "chop and skrew" parts.

One thing thats cool is to print your fx aux's. Instead of immediately taking off effects that seem like too much, try printing them and using them as a sample. Your mindset as to how to automate the effects seems to change when you are dealing with a chopable audio file. its great for sequencing and giving new colors here and there.

[korbes]

Originally Posted by MYAMS

One thing thats cool is to print your fx aux's. Instead of immediately taking off effects that seem like too much, try printing them and using them as a sample. Your mindset as to how to automate the effects seems to change when you are dealing with a chopable audio file. its great for sequencing and giving new colors here and there.

I'm often doing this for performance issues in the first place but I agree with this statement.

[gorillainthemix]

I always make it audio right away. Gives me more freedom to work with the material.

[beat you down]

from my experience... if i stay in midi too long, i will keep altering stuff, postponing decisions and never finish sh!t.

so, for each individual track... i turn midi into audio as soon as i like what i did.

i really have to restrict myself, otherwise i'll never finish a beat.

and oh, i like chopping up my own parts, can't really do the same when still in midi.

[MYAMS]

Once you bounce out to audio do you get rid of the midi track or mute it and put it at the bottom of the session along the the midi files you used if you need to edit later?

[RyanC]

I'm bouncing a lot, or even recording VI's directly to audio, no concerns about midi timing that way.

I always just "hide and make inactive" to get the tracks out of the way. That way I don't have to spend a bunch of time looking for them later.

[PeeWeeGee]

I stick with MIDI until the arrangement is complete. Then I force myself to bounce to audio for a few reasons:

1) CPU efficiency
2) I tend to be a bit more creative with

a) mix effects
b) automation

3) The mixes seems to translate better. (My own delusion, but it works for me.) I try to MIX at 44.1/16 when it's an option.

I just mute and hide all of the MIDI tracks in Logic. Easier to get back and affect any changes down the road. Then I archive the ENTIRE project in one folder/file and storage on an offsite server.

My $.02,
PWG

[smoke]

Originally Posted by MikeSV

I've had problems loading old projects because synths got moved around to different locations on the hard drives and it is a pain in the ass to have to go through sessions and try to find the synth used, not to mention the heart attack you have when you load a project and some sounds are gone.

This is the plain TRUTH.

I never bounce anything. It's just a workflow preference. I can do what I would in audio in midi with a few choice plug-ins. If not I'll use a sampler loaded with audio, but with the accessible midi part in the arrangement.

[Chris Lago]

How do you guys bounce to audio? I'd like to know.

[smoke]

Originally Posted by chrislago

How do you guys bounce to audio? I'd like to know.

Guess it depends on your sequencer, but generally you select and solo a track, and export it to audio. Some sequencers let you freeze, so you can bounce and still retain the midi. Some have export dialogues where you can select multiple tracks and their corresponding sends/groups/fx etc.

... I'm guessing you're looking for a deeper answer somehow LOL.. judging by the fact that you record, mix and master

[PeeWeeGee]

Depends on my mood at times, but usually I use several of the outs on the interface and route them to inputs (sometimes thru some sort of outboard - I kinda like the dbx DDP if I want to keep things all tidy. Other times run things through the Focusrite instead. It really depends on what sounds best in the context of the mix/song.

On super rare occassion, I'll just render (internally bounce) a track and bring it directly back into the project. Logic's file naming system in awful, so I opt for the methods that maintain the most clarity and control in that department also.

[Chris Lago]

Originally Posted by smoke

Guess it depends on your sequencer, but generally you select and solo a track, and export it to audio. Some sequencers let you freeze, so you can bounce and still retain the midi. Some have export dialogues where you can select multiple tracks and their corresponding sends/groups/fx etc.

... I'm guessing you're looking for a deeper answer somehow LOL.. judging by the fact that you record, mix and master

No no, that's exactly what I wanted to know. Right now I usually use the playback button and record the midi file.

[RyanC]

Or in PT just assign tracks to an un-used bus, create a new audio track and assign it to that bus and then record it in.

You can do a bunch at a time this way, SHIFT+ALT+CTRL is your friend (sequental buss assign).

[tonymission]

Bounce to audio, keep the workflow going.

Leave your midi tracks bypassed so if you have to go back and change something you can.

Sometimes being restricted by audio, and having to chop shit up, can yield some very interesting results. Ones you wouldnt have came up with just working straight forward.

[smoke]

I would presume bouncing to audio is good for loop based music, but if you're working freeform... midi wins. If I want to create a new break out of nowhere, work on true velocity dynamics, instrument cresendo and articulation, I need to work in midi.

[Marogru]

I did that mistake when I had Kore1, I had everything in open midi sessions, when I installed Kore2, all my Kore1 library went to trash, and the support couldn't fix it like for 3 weeks, now I have MIDI ideas when I had Kore1 so I can just replace it with another, similar instrument.
but now, I do a lot of otb processing with soft synths, so the problem solves it self, I jurt record it back processed, and there I have my midi backup.

[rallycapmusic]

Originally Posted by voicegenius

Do you guys convert your midi to audio all the time? Is this common practice? I just find if I have to change something, it's so easy to recall and fix as opposed to recording it as audio...

I asked this same question once on here and caught PLENTY of flack for it. Folks acted like I was speaking in tounges when I asked this EXACT same question! I had got more negative comments about it than getting helpful tips!

Dam, its funny how people act..

[JBaptista68]

In your DAW create a folder that you can store the MIDI files in case you need them again. Dump the audio down and then MUTE the MIDI file. If you need to modify or re-voice the MIDI file it is still there but now so is the audio.

On a few occasions I've needed to go back and edit the MIDI file or re-voice it with a different patch. Make sure that you note the name of the MIDI unit as well as patch name for future reference.