Voice To Midi.

[shezza]

Hi All, Does anyone know of a piece of equipment that exists to plug a microphone into that can convert it's input to a midi signal to trigger a midi sound module. Which would be Ideal for a disabled person........Many thanks.

[Tubbs]

Hi shezza, heres a link that might help you!!

www.musicmasterworks.com/

Im sure some of our more technical members can assist you further, good luck!!

[JazzCat]

If you are talking about singing in notes and those being converted to MIDI, I can tell you. Don't bother with them. They work no better than wave to MIDI programs. These programs flat out lie about what they can do to get you to buy them. Unless you have perfect pitch and a voice that is like a perfect sine wave meaning pure, perfect tone with no harmonic overtones forget it. ( and no human has a 'sine wave' voice. The harmonic overtones are what gives us each a distinct recognizable voice)
You would spend more time having to go in and edit the notation that you will find it better to suffer through using the computer keyboard or a synth keyboard to do your sequencing.

I see the program that Tubbs sent a link for has a 30 day trial. What the heck, give'r a go. If you do I'd sure like to know if it worked for you!

[JohnG]

They have been improving gradually over the years JazzCat. I don't know when you last tried one but some make a stab of converting simple single sung notes to MIDI. N.B. the ones that claim to convert wav files or mp3s are pretty useless IMO. Having said that I can't get them to work for me unless I try singing falsetto! (not a nice sound (nor a pretty sight come to that!)) My partner has some success but she can sing in tune and with a rather pure tone. But I find it easier and quicker to use a keyboard for chords etc. or the WX5 for monotonic instrumental lines.

But for a disabled person they may be of some use.
As JazzCat says try the 30 day trial and see if it works for your friend.
Good luck.
JohnG.

[shezza]

Thanks guys, Since I started the thread someone has mentioned
the Yamaha EZ-TP which is a sort of trumpet that has a setting
that allows the person to hum into the mouth piece and it has midi out, And also a Kazoo with midi out? Does anyone know anything about these.......Once again many thanks.

[JazzCat]

Using Google. I've come up with info on both things you have asked about.

Also, I saw your question on the BrassReview.com forum:

"Could an owner of a Yamaha ez-tp answer me a question, can it be played
without valves (IE. Kazoo style of playing) Or does all styles of playing require the valves to be used"

The answer to that lies in the review a user put up here:
reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Keyboard+And+MIDI/product/Yamaha/EZ-TP+MIDI+Trumpet/10/1

(Submitted 12/16/2006 at 10:41am by Michael - in TN )

and that answer is:
Has several playing modes, including just the voice with no valves.

You can download the manual for it right here so you can get a good look at the features:
www.yamaha.co.jp/manual/english/result.php?model=EZ-TP

Another note, Ebay has them up for $349 USD with an added $48 for shipping to the States.
Don't know what shipping would be for you.

cgi.ebay.com/EZ-TP-Electronic-Teaching-Trumpet-by-Yamaha_W0QQitemZ150207964569QQcmdZViewItem

----------------------------
On MIDI kazoos I suggest you read the reviews here. Bottom line, they are pretty much garbage and probably because of that I have not been able to locate even one for sale.

musicthing.blogspot.com/2005/01/electric-kazoo-plus-midi-kazoo-too.html

I can tell you one thing from personal experience with a very old unit called the Vocalizer 1000, and it seems John has confirmed it too, as well as other web sources I have found dealing with vocal to MIDI .(Also known as pitch to MIDI as MIDI guitar works on the same principle) Sounds at higher frequencies are recognized and reproduced more accurately than lower frequencies are. Female voices tend to have better luck with getting an acceptable result than male voices.

As I see it, if this technology worked well you would see hundreds of available products out there for the grabbing.