How to convert the MIDI to analog audio?

Other Hardware Audio
1

I'm planing for making an electronic piano with midi format.(Because I want to realize some other function) I would like to know if there has a way to do that. I'm really stuck in here.

2

I found [u]this[/u].

If you want to make high-quality sounds, I suggest you do some more research, especially if you are new to MIDI. Good MIDI instruments (that sound like real instruments) are not easy to make.

There is software (Cubase, Cakewalk, Acid,etc.) that you run on a computer that will allow you to plug-in a MIDI keyboard (with a regular MIDI interface or USB-MIDI), and then you can play VSTi's (virtual software instruments). There are lots of high quality (sometimes expensive) virtual instruments available. With that kind of setup, any cheap MIDI keyboard can sound like just about any instrument and the sound quality is determined by the virtual instrument.

3

Converting a MIDI stream to audio is what a synthesizer does :slight_smile:

So you want to build a synth?

4

as said above you can use a synth

you cant directly turn midi into analog sound as midi is just instructions for some kind of instrument.

5

So is there a way to make a synth? I can't open the arduino website these days, Sorry for not reply immediately.

6

I've already built a midi keyboard in these days. It can send midi sequence to the computer and use software to generate the sound. Next step I want to detach the computer to build a independent instrument. What should I start with? I found the vs1053b on the website and working on it right now. If I want a better sound, what should I do next?

7

If I want a better sound, what should I do next?

I don't know, but don't think there's an easy answer to that. I assume if you want the best sound you need to build something that supports VSTi (or other downloadable virtual instrument format), and for that you'll probably need to go beyond the Arduino.*

I believe the best sounding virtual instruments are recorded samples of real instruments. I assume the sounds in the VS1053b are synthesized (and probably with rather limited processing power compared to a high-end keyboard like the famous Yamaha DX-7).

  • The Arduino is fine for decoding the MIDI signal, but the actual sound generation may require something more powerful with more memory.
8

How about the ATSAM2195?

9

Handling MIDI with the Arduino is easy.
Making it an instrument is an entirely different game.

I'm not saying it can't be done but do you have the experience to do it?

It's like building a violin.
Can you do that just by knowing what it looks like?