Get multiple MIDI bagpipes for WARBL (on Android)

Questions discussions about the things that actually make the sound, i.e. MIDI apps, synthesizers, soft synths, etc.
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waltercool
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2023 8:32 pm

Get multiple MIDI bagpipes for WARBL (on Android)

Post by waltercool »

Hi everyone,

As you know, WARBL nowadays supports multiple instruments including the beloving Marktsackpfeife (Medieval) but your main issue here would be "how do I get MIDI instruments for it"? In my case I do record my own instruments but many people don't have them or want to try something different.

NOTE I won't provide any file as may violate trademarks and I don't want me (or WARBL) to get involved into illegal problems.

1.- Get FluidSynth MIDI on Google Play
2.- Get Peeb from Google Play (10USD/10EUR), it's a mobile app to play multiple bagpipes from phone. You may try the "demo" app, but I strongly recommend to buy the app and support the developers. It's also fun to play. It supports 15 real bagpipes and 1 meme instrument.
3.- Get Audacity and Polyphone at Windows/Linux/OSX. They are free and OpenSource, also consider a donation to them if works for you.

Let's get started

4.- Open Peeb and select the instrument you want, also select the proper fingering.

5.- Turn off drones for clear notes.

6.- Use Android Screen Recorder at "Good quality", record around 3 seconds of a note. I recommend playing the lowest note (all holes covered).
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7.- Open Audacity and put the video. Extract your best ~1s of the note. Save as WAV Mono.

8.- Open Polyphone, create a new Soundfont.

9.- Import the audio into Samples and "match" the audio start (green, left click) with end (red, right click) so the loop works as intended. Play the note with "loop" enabled to ensure it sounds OK. Do zoom as much as possible with mouse to make sure they match. Check some video at Youtube if too difficult.
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10.- Configure track audio volume. Toolbox icon, change volume, normalize 100%. Do it again and "Add" -2.00 dB (this is my personal configuration, feel free to use whatever works for you)

11.- Create a new instrument, assign your sample as follows:
- Key range: 52-100 (it will accept notes between 52-100 under that particular note, and will automatically play with it)
- Root key: 67 (G4)... but depends on your instrument. Check your MIDI mapping if you are using a different scale at your WARBL instrument configuration.
- Vol env release (s): 0.002 . This makes notes to transition more natural.

12: At "Global", go to Loop playback and select the "small hat with yellow at right side". This ensures loop and continuity.

13.- Connect your WARBL, configure as MIDI instrument into Polyphone and play at the Instrument tab. Make sure it works as you intend.

14.- Create a preset, use a friendly name according to the instrument.

15.- Save, put into your Android.

16.- Load your sf2 file with FluidSynth.

17.- Enjoy.

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Footnote: I haven't included any "Drone" settings here because I have no idea how to properly extract drones-only from Peeb. If you do it, please comment and this is my configuration for drones on WARBL at Polyphone:

- Key range: 51 (only 51, as default at WARBL configuration)
- Root key: 51
- Vol env release: 2 (in that way, drone starts/stop gradually)

Normalized audio + reduce 50%, in this way, does not bother hearing the chanter.

Some urls:

FludSynth Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... dsynthmidi
Peeb Website: https://www.peeb-bagpipes.com/
Audacity Website: https://www.audacityteam.org/
Polyphone Website: https://www.polyphone-soundfonts.com/
Midi Note mapping: https://newt.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/graphics/notes.GIF
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