Midi Files to Play through Organ?

[ButterFingers]

Hello, have been told that you can download Midi Files onto floppy and play them through your organ. Not sure if it has to be special midi files, or any kind. What do you do, download them via computer onto floppy then play them straight through the organ? I am using a Hammond XH-200. Never done this before, also can you download pre-registration and backing files online too, are they available?

Thank you

[andyg]

Two types of file that might work, assuming that the XH has a 'song recorder' - it's been so long since I played one (around 2000) I can't remember.

1) Hammond XH specific MIDI files - if there are any, which I doubt. Hammond UK would advise.

2) If the XH200 has a song recorder that can play back Standard MIDI files, then there are probably millions out there on line that you can simply download for free and copy them to a floppy. Be aware that most are total cr*p. If you find a website that has some high quality ones for free, they'll probably have been ripped off from a commercial site, but there are just a few where the programmer has burnt the midnight oil and produced something great. But either way, for copyright reasons, such sites are closed down, then they reappear again with a different name. Many moons ago, there was a site that had the entire Beatles songbook, another with Abba and one with Frank Sinatra. All excellent but the sites went within days of appearing. There are some good commercial sites out there, like Hit Trax, that offer superb quality files at around £3 a go. www.midi.com.au

So, if the XH can play back these files, then great, but remember that they aren't going to use any of the XH's 'native' sounds or drawbars, but only the voices in the standard 'General MIDI' soundset. Usually these sounds are lower quality than the native voices. Some keyboards, like the higher end Yamahas, will automatically reassign the tracks to use the highest quality sounds that the keyboard has. Mine will, for example, exchange a standard Grand Piano patch for the 'Live Concert Grand' voice, and so on.

Some instruments will allow playback of both instrument-specific tracks or Standard MIDI files, higher end Rolands, for example. But the XH is from 1998, so that might be asking a bit. A careful read through the owner's manual should tell you what type of files the organ can handle.

As for registrations and extra rhythms, I'm sure that some were available when the instrument was current, but I doubt if you'll find any now, other than from someone who has the same organ.

[ButterFingers]

Andy thank you, have looked on Youtube and there is an Elegante that plays Midi so I presume mine is the same, will look and try. Also found a company that sells Hammond XT and XH preset and Auto disks, so have ordered a load of them, not cheap and not so many as say for an EL-90 but it will help develop my budding styles.

Thank you

[Organfella]

Fort your consideration:

If it is variety of organ sounds you want, decent midi organ music is available all over the web. You can play them back through your computer using software designed to do just that. I use Garritan Organ Software which is quite affordable (Purchased on *bay for download). All you would need is a good amplifier and booming speakers and you have beautiful organ music reproduction. The Garritan package allows a great number of ambient selections from cave to massive cathedral acoustics.

Given what Andy said about perhaps not being able to get the true Hammond quality - if the instrument can handle what you need - this two bit's worth may help to give you the listening pleasure you are looking for. I certainly enjoy my setup with little cash outlay in hardware. Asked a lot of questions and finally arrived at something that thrills the daylights out of my organ-attuned ears, besides driving the neighbors crazy...:->

Nico