midi synth for live performance

[otisdeez]

I am starting a small band where the bass, drums, and strings will be played by midi files. I am new to this kind of technology and was wondering what to use to get good quality midi sounds for live playing. Thank you...
otisdeez@hotmail.com

[Jim Wintringham]

The midi sounds are based on your computer sound card capibilities or on your music keyboard's sounds. So your sound quailty is more dependent on your hardware that the midi file. Midi files are basicly just data that needs to be interpreted by the device you play them on. The other option is a software synth .... the sound samples are in the software and played by the 'wave side' of the soundcard.
If you want to create your own midi files... I like the computer program 'Band-In-A-Box' www.pgmusic.com . With this program, you type in the chord progression of your song to a chord sheet. BIAB then will allow you to choose from a large selection of styles to automaticly write the instrument parts out. You can then save the work as a midi file, or a wave file if you want to burn it to a music CD. They have song samples at their web site to try out. I use it to quickly build a song idea.... then I can use the song to let others hear my idea. But you can also make great backgrounds to support your playing. It's lots of fun to just mess around with.
You can do the same (or similar) thing with a good midi keyboard that has styles or rhythms built in...... , but I think the computer gives you more flexibility in editing (IMO)