How do I get my computer's cheesy GM sounds in Live?

Idonotlikebroccoli · Post by **Idonotlikebroccoli** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:47 pm

My knowledge of MIDI is very limited, just to have that clear. You know when you double-click a MIDI file and open it in WMP, or when you enter a website with obnoxiously loud GM music. I'm wondering how I can get those lovely horridly cheesy sounds in Live? I tried forum search, but I didn't find anything to help me unfortunately.

Yes I know I can get battery or miroslav philharmonik etc. but I need the cheesy stuff!

pepezabala · Post by **pepezabala** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 6:24 pm

Your built in soundcard has a cheesy synthesizer. You have to route midi out of Live and to this device. it should appear in the midi outs of an channel. If nt you might be able to use midiyoke to route your midi-notes to it.

On mac the cheesy synthesizer is called "DSL-music device" and appears in the AU-plugin-section, so you can use it easily.

Idonotlikebroccoli · Post by **Idonotlikebroccoli** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 6:47 pm

Didn't know it was that easy. So I found the "Microsoft GS Wavetable Synthesizer", but all I can find on the 16 channels showing up in Live is the piano though. Aren't there supposed to be other sounds as well?

mr-e · Post by **mr-e** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 6:53 pm

program changes ...

Patch · Post by **Patch** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 7:12 pm

ARGH!!! One time (at ALDJ camp...

) I had a nightmare with the Microsoft GM Synth. I switched it on by accident, and everytime I launched a clip I got a stoopid Piano Note play as the clip started.

Drove me nuts!

bgc · Post by **bgc** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 7:16 pm

Aye, Brother. Aye...

bendybones · Post by **bendybones** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 7:32 pm

Auditioning a midi file from Ableton's file browser and recording the sound of your speakers in the room with a vocal mic makes for some nice effects.

Idonotlikebroccoli · Post by **Idonotlikebroccoli** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:34 pm

mr-e wrote:program changes ...

Awesome! Now if you can tell me how to add audio effects and make a volume slider appear on the track, you'll be my hero!

Idonotlikebroccoli · Post by **Idonotlikebroccoli** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 12:46 pm

Just bumping so the topic will stay on the first page

Lord Kahn · Post by **Lord Kahn** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 12:59 pm

Idonotlikebroccoli wrote:
mr-e wrote:program changes ...
Awesome! Now if you can tell me how to add audio effects and make a volume slider appear on the track, you'll be my hero!

You'll have to wait for Live 7

The External Instrument device will sort this out for you, but for the moment you'll have to record the audio and apply effects that way. You should also be able to pass a MIDI volume message using the envelope section if you need that?

Idonotlikebroccoli · Post by **Idonotlikebroccoli** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 1:41 pm

Well I tried the beta, and although there now is a volume slider, it doesn't do anything. Nor do audio effects. All I have is my internal laptop sound card, so I can't record the audio without horrendous feedback.

The MIDI Volume thing worked though

Idonotlikebroccoli · Post by **Idonotlikebroccoli** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:32 pm

bump again, hoping there's someone who knows how to add audio effects to it without recording, if it's even possible at all

mr-e · Post by **mr-e** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 3:15 pm

1) upgrade your soundcard : higher spec soundcards allow you to reroute everything inside the card

ex. my emu 1616m allows me to redirect everything from directsound (incl GM wavetablesynth) to a new audiochannel in ableton so I can add ableton effects in realtime

2) experiment with midi CC's : GM synths have specially assigned CC's for reverb, volume , chorus , pan , .... -->still no ableton effects but at least you get some more control over the sound in realtime

3) find a vst GM synth :
- apparantly one of the better free GM soundfonts : http://soundfonts.homemusician.net/coll ... ase_3.html
- non-free / free vst's : www.google.com

4) using a program like audacity you can record anything your soundcard produces to a wav file --> not realtime but you can add whatever effect you like once you import the wav in ableton http://stream-recorder.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1922

4bis) connect your soundcard Out to your soundcard In