Hello Joss,

This topic seems to keep coming back.

See an earlier mention of this: https://www.midi.org/forum/3901-can-a-vst-plugin-convert-audio-into-midi - you should check out the link to the 'Widi' system which sounds interesting. The link is hidden behind someone's one work reply 'Here' which is in fact the link!

Reading some of the notes about the Widi system provides some background to the difficulties of doing what you're hoping to do. If I remember correctly, it's clear that the Widi system comprises three stages to converting a MP3 to a USEFULL midi file, which I would describe as Prep, Conv and Fix.

First of all, Widi provides facilities to Prepare the MP3, possibly using audio software, to modify and/or manipulate the file to make it even a little bit easier for the conversion process. Secondly, the Conversion process will take the MP3 and create a Midi file, although this file will still be FAR from what you really want. The third stage will then involve a LOT of work to FIX all the aspects of the midi file that are incomplete/wrong/etc, i.e. instruments, separate tracks, channels, etc, etc, to create a useable midi file.

There are of course people who do this sort of thing, maybe even for a living. I'm sure they do NOT use software like this. These folks are REAL musicians. They can listen to a piece of music a few times, separate out all the instruments, and the notes/chords of each instrument, who can plan out the midi score and assign tracks and channels etc, and then play, using a keyboard (with all the natural 'feeling' of the song, recording each track into a sequencer, assign the correct instruments, put together a drum track, and then - I guess - play the result a few times (a LOT of times) using midi sound modules, gradually tweaking the result until it sounds right.

I have midi files which I'm sure have benefitted from such skills.

Check out the Widi system (which seems fairly sophisticated) which could well do a better job than some other options. See what you think.

I have some other information that you might find useful, there are some books that you might find that could be a big help, etc. I'll be quite happy to discuss this further.

Geoff

Thanks man for the help Im trying out making music and I wanna see if i can go this route or if it becomes a hobby

Hello Joss,

Thanks for the note.

Depending of what sort of music you want to make??

Please note that a LOT of midi is NOT just copying someone else's music, all the same techniques and technology works just as well for composing/creating your own original work. I have lots of midi files that are such original pieces.

And of course there's no reason why, having got a midi piece completed, you could not play it to a conventional recording system (tape recorder, digital system) and add your own real vocals on top. Or even extra instruments, REAL, not midi? Of course, the result will no longer be a midi file, but you've used midi to get a LOT of the way there.

Best of luck.

Geoff