Hi Willy,

Almost any software or hardware media player such as a smartphone, WinAmp, Real Player, BiaB or RealBand will play a midi file.

As you most likely know, but I'll tell you anyhow, a midi file is simply a set of step-by-step instructions that tells something else what to do. The "something" is a media player that is essentially a session musician that plays whatever instrument that is available. If the "something" is hardware like a smartphone, the instrument is embedded in the smartphone firmware. SOME software based media players, like Real Player or Flash also embed the instruments while others, like BiaB and RealBand, let you supply the instruments.

Soft synths are software instruments that accept midi commands. The instrument can be monophonic and only produce one note at a time or polyphonic and produce multiple notes at the same time. Some synths can only create the sounds of one instrument at a time. A common example would be an electric keyboard that can sound like a piano or an organ but can't sound like both at the same time. Another keyboard maybe multitimral and capable of sounding like a bass, guitar and piano all at the same time.

As mentioned earlier, with BiaB and RealBand you have to supply the instrument sounds. You do that in your midi settings. Some of your choices include:

The general midi instrument set embedded with Windows, the Virtual Soundcanvas (VSC) instrument set included with BiaB or the Coyote WT instrument set included withBiaB. All include the 128 instrument sounds specified by the general midi (gm) standard so they are easy to use but, some would say they lack in the good sounding department. In some cases they are so old they don't work with current versions of Windows.

Another choice is to use the Hi-Q instrument sounds included with BiaB. They sound good but you have to select each one individually and there are few instruments to select from.

Outside the instrument sounds supplied above, you will need to pick, choose and supply your own instrument sounds. You can do a search for "free soft synths", "free midi sounds" and similar and will find there is a lot of sounds available. If you have a keyboard with midi, you can set it up and use its instrument sounds.

If you want to spend some money and are looking for a one stop/one answer type of solution you want either a software, or hardware, general midi compatible sound module. Popular software solutions include: the Roland TTS-1 included with all versions of Cakewalk and Sonar software packages, Ominisphere included with sampleTank 3. Hardware solutions include the SD-2 sold by PG Music, the Roland Integria or any gm compatible keyboard.

Jim Fogle - 2026 BiaB (Build 1224) RB (Build 8) - Ultra+ PAK
DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8
Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD
Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home