MIDI to AIFF, How to convert from MIDI to AIFF Options

[jarts]

The package I use to edit and play the midi only saves the output in midi format. How would I convert a midi file to AIFF so I can burn an audio CD.

I have seen suggestions of looping the audio output to the audio input and using a recording program (coaster) but I have an iBook so it doesn't have an audio input.

The other suggestion I have seen is using a demo system extension from apple that redirects the sound output to an AIFF. This locks up my system.

[Synthetic]

You will need a software synth of some type or a hardware synth with audio input to your computer to turn midi into .aiff. Quicktime may work but not sure. You have to find an app that will use the midi file to recreate the sounds as an audio file and then save it as .aiff. I can't imagine any midi files that are good enough to make it worth the effort to make a CD for though. That is my opinion.

The Coaster app may work if you set up the sound manager control panel correctly. I have seen articles that described using Coaster to record mac 'type to speech' to capture your computer talking and there was no need for any special hardware or wiring.

[geedoubleyou]

If you want to do direct to disc recording you will need a USB midi interface, and a USB or Firewire audio interface.

Midi doesn't produce sound, midi is like a piano roll it is a description of a performance. The sound that result depend on the sound set of that particular midi device.

For the recording process you would connect you device to the midi interface, to receive the performance data. And you would connect your devices audio output to the audio interface.

Then it is like a tape recorder, you would mute all parts except the one you want to record. building tracks until you've completed the arrangement.
This is a simplified version.

What application are you using for midi?

The only software for Mac that can convert midi to audio and audio to midi is Studio Vision Pro, which is at this moment dead software. And it only worked on monophonic sources (one note at a time)no chords.

[Synthetic]

You don't have to use an external sound module as noted above. You can use any software synth that will accept midi files.... example: if you had Reason, you could import the midi file and setup a sound module in Reason for each midi track and then output the audio as aiff. I did this with a Van Halen midi file just for the heck of it. Can you imagine a synth sound try to replicate Eddie Van Halen's flying finges on guitar? It was interesting!

the program I use to play MP3s and other files I download- SoundJam MP by Casady and Greene- has a converter in the full version that can convert a multitude of files [Including MIDI and MOD formats, to name a few] into MP3, MP2, WAV, and/or AIFF formats.
you can prolly still get free trials of the full version at www.soundjam.com.
There are probably a multitude of AIFF encoder programs at www.download.com as well.

[jarts]

Thanks everyone,

I've found out how to do it.

iTunes imports midi and converts it to mp3 and you can burn the CD from here. This is good enough for my purpose.