I've finally decided to try adding music to my game CellZenith, a task I had previously put off because of the size of long .wav files. I figure midi files will be a good alternative. I'm not looking for anything advanced - all I really want from a sequencer is a few orchestral elements and a little percussion. Is there a cheap or free midi sequencer out there? Thanks! [Edited by - synth_cat on June 24, 2007 10:56:35 PM]

I've done a bit of looking around for sequencers. I happened to stumble across a useful list of audio software in the Music forums - thanks for that!

Anyway, are MidiMountain and Anvil Studio good sequencers?

They are free and they can sequence, but I thought I'd still better ask to make sure they'll work.

Quote:Beware that MIDI doesn't sound the same on every machine, it is dependent on the instrument banks of the soundcard.

That sounds important. In what way might midi sound different across different systems? Does this depend on the quality of the program you use to create the midi files? For example, I think the midi music in Windows Pinball has sounded the same on every system I have ever played it on.

I'd suggest finding a copy of cubase vst, its complicated because its an audio recording program but it has great midi control and support

Quote:Original post by synth_cat
I've done a bit of looking around for sequencers. I happened to stumble across a useful list of audio software in the Music forums - thanks for that!

Anyway, are MidiMountain and Anvil Studio good sequencers?

They are free and they can sequence, but I thought I'd still better ask to make sure they'll work.

Quote:Beware that MIDI doesn't sound the same on every machine, it is dependent on the instrument banks of the soundcard.

That sounds important. In what way might midi sound different across different systems? Does this depend on the quality of the program you use to create the midi files? For example, I think the midi music in Windows Pinball has sounded the same on every system I have ever played it on.

the sound someone hears depends on their soundcard, because midi is just a whole lot of samples, but different sound cards can have different samples, its semi- standard but not really, they'll generally sound similar, but sometimes there's a difference, i don't know its its really that big of a concern though

or you can try mp3, their file sizes are substancially smaller than wave, they're ALOT bigger than midi files but it may be a good compromise, its generally a MB per minute give or take depending on how many layers and the bitrate you use

Personally I use Cakewalk software, but the latest suites are not exactly cheap. You could almost certainly find a copy of Cakewalk Express for super cheap. Cakewalk Express 8 Gold came packaged with my SBLive back in 1999, and since then I've upgraded through the series to Pro Audio 9 and various versions of Sonar (presently at 6 PE). I did give Steinberg Cubase a try some time back but didn't find it as intuitive as Cakewalk.

I do agree that a mod format would be a better choice if sample quality is your concern. The file size will be substantially larger than MIDI, but you're guaranteed the same quality on all systems. ModPlug Tracker is nice, and it is free, but it's absolutely no competitor for a high-end MIDI sequencer.

I should also mention that Cakewalk/Steinberg sequencers aren't just for MIDI. You can mix any kind of audio with them, and Sonar at least also supports limited video mixing. (It's no Vegas or Premiere, but it does the basics.) Few people actually use Sonar/Cubase for MIDI these days. The few of us who still sequence songs like MIDI's enhance them with sample libraries and output to MP3 instead.

Still, there's a lot you can achieve with the a properly arranged MIDI. If you haven't listened to the Stonekeep soundtrack by Brian Luzietti, you are missing a wonderful treat. He single-handedly inspired me to start sequencing, and then Jeremy Soule got me into the sample down-mixing aspect.

Thanks for all the replies!

Quote:or you can try mp3, their file sizes are substancially smaller than wave, they're ALOT bigger than midi files but it may be a good compromise, its generally a MB per minute give or take depending on how many layers and the bitrate you use

Isn't there a licensing fee for using the mp3 file type? I've heard this before - I wanted to make sure.

Change of plans -

I think instead I'll just settle for one of those music making programs where you drag and drop pre-made clips on a timeline and then export .wavs.

Does anyone know of an example of this kind of program where you are allowed to use your exported .wavs in commercial games (without royalties or anything like that)?