Failing to export mod-files to useful MIDI

[TransparentDog]

So, I want to export mod-info to MIDI-files. Might sound like a totally moronic idea, but there's a reason for my madness. Let me explain.

I've never made mods (or really been an Amiga-nut I must confess) but I like mod music. I've also pondered for years about starting to remaster my favorite mods into "normal" music files (ie compressed audio) and, well, after just thinking about it for years I actually sat down and started doing it a while back!

So, what I've done is simply using OpenMPT to export the instruments into separate tracks (instrument mode), import all those into Reaper (a nice little sound editor I highly recommend btw) and start restoring samples, mix and master the music (I hope no one will take offense that I tinker with their music but see it as the homage it's meant to be).

You can listen to the result here if you're curious:

https://soundcloud.com/groups/amiga-group-nostalgia

So, what does this have to do with MIDI? Well, the tracks I've toyed with so far all are based on 100% original samples but Chuck Biscuits awesome track After sunset has some (dare I say it?) pretty poor string samples that I would like to try to replace with something better, like this little string VSTi I happened to stumble upon. So I've tried to export the song data as MIDI trying different settings, but it all ends up ... well ... it just sounds weird and I can't really figure out which file or channel to use or, well, anything. It's just a mess (or I'm dumber than I think I am).

What I would like to be able to do would be to export out only those tracks that plays strings (001, 025 and 026 in this case) to MIDI (preferably as separate MIDI-files too), but no matter how I try to solve this I seem to get the whole song as MIDI in, well, a mess.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Saga Musix]

Yes, OpenMPT's MIDI export feature is extremely limited and that won't change anytime soon. It would probably be simpler to loadthat string VSTi into OpenMPT directly rather than using it in a separate DAW. Even if you'll have to convert to a different format internally (IT/MPTM), this will still give you way more accurate results than MIDI export.

[FreezeFlame(Alchemy)]

How about using 2MIDI from Un4seen Developments?
I haven't used it first-hand, but its an better way to convert common module files to MIDI.
Besides that, the MIDI import (import is decent at best), and export (broke) features need to be done better in OpenMPT.

Considering the difficulties of MIDI and General MIDI files, how hard can it get making import and export code for them, not that i care about it being fixed (even if it would be nice), its just that i haven't seen much of an difference between module files and MIDI (even General MIDI).

[Saga Musix]

its just that i haven't seen much of an difference between module files and MIDI

Probably because you never bothered looking at them in detail then. I have written this several times, MIDI timing and volume are very different from how they work in modules, and as such it's diffiult to create good conversions. And no, I won't touch MIDI import and export any time soon.

[TransparentDog]

How about using 2MIDI from Un4seen Developments?

Will try, thanks for the tip. Will report back how it works.

Considering the difficulties of MIDI and General MIDI files, how hard can it get making import and export code for them, not that i care about it being fixed (even if it would be nice), its just that i haven't seen much of an difference between module files and MIDI (even General MIDI).

Two totally different beasts I'm afraid, with pretty much the only common ground is that it's "notes" and "events". A bit like that "blue" and "neon pink" are both "colors"...