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Step by Step Guide
to Finding, Downloading & Opening MIDI Files with
MidiIllustrator |
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In this section we walk through the steps
involved in acquiring a number of MIDI files from different
sources. We also look at the different formats used to store MIDI files online, and the steps involved in managing these different formats.
Finally, we take a brief look at a typical MidiIllustrator task,
such as rearranging a score generated from a downloaded MIDI file to suit
a particular musical need. |
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Example 1: Downloading a Single MIDI File |
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Start by pointing your Internet
browser (eg Internet Explorer or Netscape) at one of the recommended
sites above; for example Mutopia.org: |
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/ |
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From here you can
choose to browse some of the site's excellent free music by
different categories, for instance by 'Instrument' or 'Composer'.
Let's try listing by composer: |
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/browse.html#byComposer |
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Select a composer from the list, in our example: E. Satie (1866-1925) |
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/... |
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Then select a piece, such as the popular "Gymnopédie No. 1". Right-click the mouse on the ".mid" file link: |
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/ftp/SatieE/... |
Choose "Save Target As..." from the menu
that appears. When you are prompted for a location to save the MIDI file,
choose a location which you will be able to access easily, perhaps in the
"My Documents" folder. Make a note of where you save the file and wait
whilst the file is downloaded to your computer. This may take some time
depending on the file size and speed of your Internet connection.
Once the download is completed, you can open the MIDI file using MidiIllustrator. From the MidiIllustrator 'File' menu, choose "Open..."
and select the file from the location in which it was saved. The new MIDI file will be instantly converted to sheet music. (you may be prompted to
specify the 'style' of the score presentation as part of the transcription
process). You can then view, print or play back the music. For more details
on the many things you can do with your new score, read the 'Getting
Started' section in the MidiIllustrator help files. |
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Example 2: Downloading Multiple MIDI Files in an Archive or 'Zip' File |
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Sometimes groups of MIDI and Karaoke files are stored in a single file, in
order to make them quicker and easier to download. The most common format
for these file groups is ZIP archives. Groups of MIDI files can be stored
online 'zipped
up' (compressed) into a Zip file. They can then be downloaded as a single file, and then
extracted to your hard disk where each MIDI file can be opened with MidiIllustrator in the usual way. Newer versions of Windows can handle Zip
files seamlessly, but you may prefer to use an application like the
excellent WinZip to manage you archives. |
WinZip is available free
here. |
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As in example (1) above, start by pointing your Internet browser at
Mutopia.org: |
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/ |
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This time, we choose to 'Browse the Archive': |
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/browse.html |
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From the list of list of 'collections' at the top of the page, select
"Mozart's String Quartets (Opus 10)": |
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/make-table.cgi?collection=mozstrq&preview=1
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A preview image gives you some idea of what the MIDI file will look like
when opened in MidiIllustrator. Right-click the mouse on the first ".mid
files (zipped)" link under the first section: |
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/ftp/MozartWA/KV387/k387/k387-mids.zip |
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Choose "Save Target As..." from the menu that appears. When you are
prompted for a location to save the Zip file, choose a location which you
will be able to access easily as discussed in example (1) above. Make a
note of where you save the file and wait whilst the file is downloaded to
your computer. This may take some time depending on the file size and
speed of your connection to the Internet. |
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Once the download is completed, you can double click the Zip file. Depending on whether or not an application like WinZip is installed, you
may see a normal Windows 'explorer' window containing a list of several
MIDI files, or a new screen from which you can 'extract' the MIDI files to
a location on your hard disk. In either case, once you have extracted the
files, you can open them MIDI file using MidiIllustrator in the normal
way. From the MidiIllustrator 'File' menu, choose "Open..." and select the
file from the location in which it was saved. The new MIDI file will be
instantly converted to sheet music. As mentioned earlier, read the 'Getting
Started' section in the MidiIllustrator help files for more details on the
many things you can do with your new scores. |
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Example 3: Downloading Multiple
MIDI Files in an Archive or 'Zip' File and Converting a four part score to
2 part Piano in a single step |
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Start by pointing your Internet browser at
JSBChorales.net: |
http://www.jsbchorales.net/index.html |
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We will be downloading a very useful set of
MIDI files of chorales harmonized by J. S. Bach. When converted to
scores, these files make for excellent sight-reading material. In
the download section, choose "A set of all MIDI files": |
http://www.jsbchorales.net/sets.html |
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Right-click the mouse on the "Zipped
set of the four-part Chorales 1-403 in MIDI format" link: |
http://www.jsbchorales.net/down/sets/jsb403.zip |
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Choose "Save Target As..." from the menu that appears. When you are
prompted for a location to save the Zip file, choose a location which you
will be able to access easily as discussed in example (1) and (2) above.
Follow the instructions for extracting the MIDI files from the Zip
archive, as explained in example (2). |
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Most of the MIDI files in this archive are
multi-part scores, of four or more parts. In this example, we will
convert the original scores into two part piano arrangements. These
scores might then be used for piano sight reading practice - thought there
are of course many other applications. |
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From the MidiIllustrator "File" menu, choose "Open..." and select one of the
Bach files from the location in which it was saved.
In this case, we will open "000206b_.mid" which is a typical piece from the
collection. |
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The new MIDI file will be instantly
converted to sheet music (you may be prompted to specify the 'style' of
the score presentation as part of the transcription process). You
will notice that the score in its default layout contains four parts. |
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In order to arrange this score for solo piano, choose the "Convert Score to Two
Hand Piano" command form the "Tasks" menu.
Instantly, the four parts are rearranged onto two staves. MidiIllustrator
lays out the notation in the most appropriate way for playing on piano, organ or
keyboard. |
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Once you are familiar with this process, you
may like to know that you can prepare one or many of these Chorales in a
number of ways using MidiIllustrator functions. You can
convert many files at once using the Task Wizard. See the 'Tasks' or
'Tracks' section in the MidiIllustrator help files for more details
on rearranging the score. |
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