Re: Frescobaldi, improve support for audio export

[Guy Stalnaker]

Urs,

On 10/17/2019 5:17 PM, Urs Liska wrote:
> 17. Oktober 2019 18:59, "Guy Stalnaker" <address@hidden> schrieb:
>
> > Urs,
> >
> > I'm thinking you mean here "Frescobaldi on Linux" right (since you also say 
> > fluidsynth)?
>
> I don't "mean" that but it seems that's what I'm talking about.
> However, although I don't know much about these things resources like 
> https://github.com/FluidSynth/fluidsynth/wiki/BuildingWithCMake seem to 
> indicate that it *is* possible to have fluidsynth as a real Windows application.
While "possible" it is not end-user friendly. Creating the compile 
environments (four possibilities!) will inhibit most users who are 
unfamiliar with such things. Even though I am familiar with such things, 
I'd opt, as I actually did, and pay for a very usable product like 
VirtualMidiSynth which includes midi-2-mp3/wav capability.

> > I use
> > Frescobaldi primarily on Windows. And though one can use Cygwin, etc. to 
> > install an app like
> > timidity, Frescobaldi does not "see" it.
>
> OK, then the general question seems to be: are there command line tools that 
> can be used to convert MIDI to audio on Windows in a way that Frescobaldi can 
> use?

Now that is a different question. I think the best option is VLC (if 
only because it's under current development and thus is not moribund as 
so much open source software is.

https://wiki.videolan.org/VLC_command-line_help

"FluidSynth MIDI synthesizer (fluidsynth)"

VLC will play midi files.

FFmpeg audio/video decoder (avcodec)

 Various audio and video decoders/encoders delivered by the FFmpeg 
library. This includes (MS)MPEG4, DivX, SV1,H261, H263, H264, WMV, WMA, 
AAC, AMR, DV, MJPEG and other codecs

File audio output (afile)

--audiofile-wav, --no-audiofile-wav
                                 Add WAVE header
                                 (default enabled)
          Instead of writing a raw file, you can add a WAV header to 
the file.

So, it looks like VLC with the right syntax may be able to use 
FluidSynth/soundfont to "play" midi and FFMpeg to encode to AAC or other 
codecs - or - output WAV file as input to lame

It's a complicated commandline but I've seen (and created) worse LOL

Guy

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