[usatraveler]

I've noticed that on any MIDI I've uploaded, the "Auto Converted MP3" that appears on the MIDI's page is not converted correctly.

This is true with EVERY auto-converted MP3 on this site.

On the one that I've just uploaded, the tempo of the MP3 is significantly slow, and it has all been transposed such that an E in the original MIDI is now a D. This transposition and tempo change is consistent with ALL MIDIs that I've found, as far as I can tell.

Perhaps this can be fixed? I find the auto-conversion to MP3 to be an awesome feature, but this is one bug that is a bit of an annoyance. Can't find any other issues with it, as far as I can tell.

[admin]

Thank you for bringing up the issue.

I have to admit that I really haven't notice the "significantly slow" problem.

As for "fix", one of the most probable ways is to auto-convert any future MIDI with a different "instrument set". You can try to convert one of your MIDI with an instrument set other than "default". You can tell me which one would sound the best. I cannot use the "freepat" set because there are known issues with it.

Thanks again for your feedback. I hope I could make the conversion work better also.

[usatraveler]

I estimate the slowdown to be somewhere between 5% and 10%, but it's noticeable, especially on the MIDIs that I've sequenced and know well.

Just a complete shot in the dark - perhaps both problems have the same cause? Is the MP3 somehow being slowed down such that it slows the tempo AND lowers the pitch, just like any audio that's put in slow motion? Just a guess, no research done at all.

So, if I convert to MP3 myself, is that used in lieu of the site's auto-converted MP3?

On my recent upload, I did not upload an MP3, I just let the site auto-convert. I've done this with every upload I've made so far, and the results are consistent; down a step (i.e. E becomes D), and tempo slowed down.

Any drums, however, have worked correctly (in terms of correct sounds, that is; they are also slowed down, though, consistent with the rest of the piece).

I might do some experimenting soon, so there could be an uptick in the number of MIDI-MP3 conversions from me.

[usatraveler]

Upon trying two of the MIDI-to-MP3 conversions (using the converter section of the site, not the auto-conversion), using Instrument Sets 1 and 2, I have concluded that the conversion by itself is not a problem. These MIDIs play back just fine, with neither transposition nor tempo change.

I've found that the tempo change of the auto-converted MP3s is somewhere between 90% and 95% of the original MP3. I'll have to test a bit to see if this is actually equivalent to the slowdown that would be necessary for a tempo change of one step. If that's the case, it would seem that the player on each MIDIs auto-converted MP3 is somehow slowing down the MP3, causing the tempo shift.

Can you refer me to a MIDI whose MP3 conversion was done by the user himself, and not through auto-conversion? I'm wondering if the slowdown/tempo shift occurs in these anyway. If so, it seems as if the problem is all in the player; this would seem like good news to me, because at least all the MP3s themselves are just fine.

[usatraveler]

By the way, my test conversions were done will all default settings:

16-bit, Stereo, Set (1 or 2), Anti-alias off, Volume unchanged, Transpose no steps, Tempo no change, 96 kbps bitrate.

[admin]

Here is a MIDI submitted recently by a user. A MP3 version was also submitted.
http://www.hamienet.com/midi27392_Entracte--Opening-Act-Two.html

If you want to add your own MP3 version to any of the MIDI you submitted before, you can just re-submit again and let me know which song you are replacing. Then I can remove the old ones or add the MP3 to the existing MIDI.

Thanks for doing all the testings. The auto-conversion used Instrument Set 1, 48kbps, and bunch of settings not yet choose-able in the converter yet (but it should be the same as the converter.) I tried to use different settings on one of your MIDI: http://www.hamienet.com/midi27442_Comet-Observatory.html, but I'm still getting pitch change.

I have heard of problem from other users before regarding certain instrument having a different pitch. Maybe the two MIDI that you tested do not contain the problematic instrument.

So far, I find the auto-converted MP3 is consistent with the result of the converter. Can you show me one of your MIDI that doesn't give the same converted result?

[usatraveler]

On a different computer today, I listened to the auto-converted MIDI for my recent upload. There was NO pitch shift or tempo change. The auto-converted MP3, on the MIDI's page (in the link you've posted) is working just fine. I'll try on the other computer again later (the one on which I noticed the "problem").

Just so we're on the same page, I used the following converter when I was testing yesterday:

http://www.hamienet.com/midi2mp3

The results of the testing showed neither tempo change nor pitch shift. In that regard, it was working fine. However, the flute instrument sounded like it might have been raised an octave on the default instrument set. That's not the issue I was referring to, however. I knew that particular issue was just an oddity with the instrument set. The issue was showing up on the auto-converted MP3 on each MIDI's individual page. There, I was getting a one-step downward shift on all instruments in all MP3s. Upon download of the MP3, no tempo/pitch issue, just for whatever various instrument oddities.

Again, I'll get on another computer later to see if it's still an issue. Perhaps it's just on that computer? I was also getting it on another computer, though. I'll get a look.

[usatraveler]

Checked again on the same computer on which the original problem was happening.

Your NEW converted MP3 for my uploaded piece no longer has the tempo slowdown, nor the pitch shift. It only has the instrument-specific oddities. Other pieces do still have the pitch shift and tempo slowdown, though.

Therefore, it would seem that there's something in the auto-converter that is causing these changes. Maybe there's something that's taking the whole piece and slowing it down, simultaneously causing the slowdown and pitch shift? Whatever the case, the settings you just used to convert mine are almost certainly not exactly the same as the auto-converter.

So, in summary:
1) Auto-converted MIDIs play back slower than their original tempo. They also play back lower, pitch-wise. The exact amount of slowdown and pitch shift is something I can't confirm 100%, but on the file I uploaded under my username, the new tempo had been about 90-95% of the original, and was transposed from D Major to what seems to be C Major, same octave. The results were similar on two other MIDIs I uploaded long ago, and perhaps exactly the same.

2) Using the MIDI-to-MP3 converter resolves these issues.

3) Instrument-specific oddities do exist, whether using either auto-conversion or MIDI-to-MP3 converter. Using different instrument sets help in resolving these issues.

[admin]

Thanks again for the testings and pointing out the problems. The converter sure has room to improve.

1) Probably a re-run of auto-conversions will solve the problem with existing MIDI.
2) Have the auto-conversion use the same settings as the conveter
3) Allow users to choose individual soundfont for each of their MIDI tracks (instead of choosing the whole instrument set), this would take time to implement but I'm quite certain this is within my reach.

Anyhow, Merry Xmas!

[usatraveler]

Awesome. A Merry Christmas to you too! I actually have a file that I'll be uploading with its own MP3 converted with the converter.

I'd like it to replace:

Themes > New York's National League Baseball Team - Meet the Mets

I know a guest added it; I was that guest.