I Found Prog Rock SMF's
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Forum Name: Music and Musicians Exchange
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=95353
Printed Date: November 23 2024 at 04:48
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Topic: I Found Prog Rock SMF's
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Subject: I Found Prog Rock SMF's
Date Posted: September 26 2013 at 15:23
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I stumbled across an amazing tool for learning classic prog songs. It's a website run by a Doctor in Hungary named Gabor Kerenyi. He says he spent years collecting SMF's (Standard Midi Files) of prog rock classics from MIDI forums and other musicians and has them available for free download from his site. I know what you're probably thinking...cheesy remakes of prog songs with a single note melody line and a bossa-nova drum beat or something...I thought the same thing, then I downloaded some of these and loaded them into the sequencer in my Yamaha Motif XF. Wow! These are complex orchestrations and include accurate drum parts, lead synthesizer solos, backing chords, bass parts, vocal melodies, etc... The real test for me was how the backing chords are structured. Are they only simple triads or do they include 4 note complex chords? Are they all simple first position chords or do they include inversions? The answer to both questions is exactly what I hoped for. There are plenty of complex chords and inversions. I have no idea how people created these...some sound too good to be done manually one note at a time. I've dabbled with some software that claims to convert wave audio to MIDI, but it's so inaccurate as to be completely worthless. Maybe there's a super high quality program that can do this well, but I'm not aware of it. I load these into my sequencer, mute the channels that play the lead synth and backing organ/mellotron parts, and then play along...it's great fun! I also load them into my PC notation program (MuseScore) and can isolate the instrument parts I want to learn and print out the sheet music and go from there. You won't believe what SMF's are available. Looks like every single Genesis song from "Trespass" through "Calling All Stations"! Also other assorted songs from Crimso, Yes, Gentle Giant, ELP, Floyd, Tull, Camel, IQ, etc... Anyway, the site says it's last update was May 2004 - it seems odd no one has touched this site in nearly 10 years. I'm not sure how long it will remain up and running...so if you're curious, I'd head over to check it out sooner rather than later. Here's the URL: http://web.agria.hu/kepenu/" rel="nofollow - http://web.agria.hu/kepenu/ If anyone here knows anything more about this site, please comment in this thread. I'm really curious if I stumbled on a lost treasure or if it's common knowledge in the prog community. Have fun
 ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Replies:
Posted By: bloodnarfer
Date Posted: September 26 2013 at 15:48
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I used this same site to work out parts from the Lamia and Back in NYC... very accurate and helpful if you ever want to make a cover of one of your favorites! I was just disappointed that Spirit of the Water wasn't there I really wanted to do a piano version of that. I popped the MIDIs into FL Studio and played around with them -- pretty fun reminds you how stunningly complex some songs are. Also converted some into .ABC files so when playing LOTRO my hobbit can spread tunes from Trespass across Middle Earth using his trusty lute! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ramza1316" rel="nofollow - www.last.fm/user/ramza1316 https://open.spotify.com/user/1211221845" rel="nofollow - https://open.spotify.com/user/1211221845 |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 26 2013 at 19:56
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I actually found this months ago but just thought of sharing it on PA. I've used it to learn the backing organ/tron chords and synth solos from "In the Cage", "Colony of Slippermen", & "Cinema Show"...Like you, I figured out "The Lamia" from here too. I also used it to learn the mellotron intro to "Watcher of the Skies"...it's been a great tool and tons of fun. So, how do you think the SMF's were originally created? Did someone actually take the time to learn all the parts to these songs and put "Suppers Ready" together 1 instrument at a time? It's mind boggling to me how much time that would have actually taken. Or do you think they used some kind of fancy audio->MIDI conversion tool? ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: bloodnarfer
Date Posted: September 27 2013 at 10:32
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Ha you've been busy then! Very cool I think I'll have to learn the Watcher of the Skies intro next too; it's so iconic. If I had to guess, they were maybe worked out manually 1 instrument at a time. They seem too perfect for conversion technology. It must have taken in incredible amount of time and a huge fondness for the music. According to the FAQ:
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ramza1316" rel="nofollow - www.last.fm/user/ramza1316 https://open.spotify.com/user/1211221845" rel="nofollow - https://open.spotify.com/user/1211221845 |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 27 2013 at 17:00
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You really have to do the Watchers of the Skies intro! It's so much fun to play...quite challenging at first with many 4 voice chords, but pretty soon that good old muscle memory takes over and you can just enjoy the piece. I saw a fantastic youtube video by this keyboardist in a Genesis tribute band, and he describes how to get vintage Banks sounds with modern gear. The trick to the Watcher intro is it's about a 50/50 mix of mellotron strings and mellotron brass for the right hand, and a very mellow hammond bass pedal tone for the left. And when you hit that opening chord...pure magic! I just learned the synth solo section from Cinema Show this week. There's that 1 completely insane section where it's 4 measures of straight 16th notes that seem to make no logical sense. I loaded it into MuseScore and tore it apart and learned it's basically a mix of 4 and 3 note triad arpeggios mixed together in this order: G 4 notes, A 4 notes, Bm 3 notes, C#m 3 notes, D 4 notes, E 4 notes, F#m 3 notes, G 3 notes...all the way up the keyboard. I'm so pumped that I figured it out and I never could have done it without these SMF's! I'm still amazed that someone has created these one track at a time. I've done guitar transcriptions for Schizoid Man and Epitaph so I have a decent ear, but to figure out all the parts to these prog epics just blows me away! I'm so thankful I found them  ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: jayem
Date Posted: April 04 2014 at 16:03
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For those who may not know yet:
http://www.elephant-talk.com/audio.htm We'll Let You Know is one of the MIDI's I'm most impressed of. Yes We'll Let You Know is available on MIDI...You open the file and the less inadequate synth sounds that came along with your OS (at least Microsoft's) can play it already ! The guy who did the work is ...Mr Kunio Suma !! ------------- http://www.digger.ch/?lang=en" rel="nofollow - Support mine-clearing ! https://bandcamp.com/machinechance/?lang=en" rel="nofollow - bandcamp collection |
Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: June 24 2014 at 14:54
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Thanks, I'l check the site. I used to use also MIDI files on my workstation to play all the instruments except the one I want to play and then play on top, it was great fun, and indeed the MIDI file can also help you unravel parts which are too difficult to get by ear. As to how are these files made, I would say that probably not one note at a time, but just by playing the music on a digital instrument by someone who can play the song, and letting the soft convert it to MIDI. As far as I know the software for audio to MIDI conversion has still indeed limitations, but when the instrument you play is digital, there is no problem.
In any case I have written songs on midi note by note for each instrument, then adding the modulation effects etc, it's a lot of work and I would probably not dare to try with Tarkus or Supper's Ready, but if you are patient enough it's doable (with copy-paste when possible of course, it does not sound organic but just for practicing it can do the job). |
Posted By: omegaradio
Date Posted: April 02 2015 at 22:05
Has anyone archived this site? It is now gone 4/2/2015.
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