Got quite a few originals done with BIAB (a reminder, I am using 2008.5), but they do not seem nearly as loud out of the gate as midi files I have purchased. The songs I have done are Contemporary Christian songs. I will be performing one of my originals tomorrow and noticed a marked difference. It was an easy fix to turn down the other files, but it takes some of the punch out of them, IMHO. Any thoughts? And yes, I had the volume at 127 when I saved as a midi.

With MIDI, you have to realize that volume is affected by both the volume setting of the output, as well as MIDI note velocity. While velocity is not volume per se, it is perceived as such (hitting a note harder on a piano results in a louder note). Most of the MIDI styles generally have the velocity set at 90. If you look at your other MIDI files, I suspect you'll find the note velocity set higher than that, which I suspect accounts for the disparity.

While you can easily adjust note velocity (one way is to use the BIAB MIDI normalize feature), you have to be careful, because it also affects other ways a note responds depending on the synth you use to play that channel/track.

Yep... I used to deal with that in the days I used midi a lot. Convert to audio and use audio tools as needed.

John is absolutely correct about velocity. If you are using the included GM set for your sounds increasing the velocity will only affect the volume of the note. That is because it only has one sound layer so the sound will not change with increased velocity, it will only get louder.

BUT if you are using a more advanced sound source it may, probably will, have many more sound layers. So now if you increase velocity you will also be altering the sound. A sound layer is dedicated to a velocity range so a low velocity will trigger a sound while other velocities will trigger of sounds. The instrument will stay the same but the tonal qualities will be different, i.e. like a softly played trumpet to one that is played very loud.

I hope this helps and good luck.

I concur with the great explanations given above. Since you mentioned you have an older version of BIAB, it may help you to know that, with respect to MIDI velocity, I believe there would be no difference between your version and BIAB 2020.

HI Danny
Just to recap on above and a bit more info.
There are 2 things that control midi volume :
1 cntrl 7 volume 0 -127, and cntrl 11 expression (note Velocity) 0 -127
Velocity gets sent by a touch sensitive keyboard by measuring the speed that the key descends the harder you hit em the faster they fall.
However if you are entering the notes in a notation screen they will be given a predetermined value this is often around 64.-90 This figure is adjustable in some software.
In BIAB you can see the note velocity in the piano roll view at the bottom pane, you can modify it by drawing a line with the mouse.
Have a look at this below:

Copied from, MIDI tutorials by SysExJohn

, an extremely good idea if we could map these concepts of loudness to MIDI note velocities. Lo and behold it has already been done. In XGworks, the first "proper" sequencing program I ever used, it uses ppp through fff against the note velocities in both the "staff view" and the "piano roll" windows and also within "list view" window too.

It works like this:
fff = 120.
ff = 104.
f = 88.
mf = 72.
mp = 56.
p = 40.
pp = 24.
ppp = 8.

These are, in fact, centre values, so for instance ppp is from 1 through 8 to 15, pp is 16 through 24 to 31, and so on.

How does this work in practice? Well, using my MU1000 sound module and measuring a note played at the centre values I found a difference from loudest to softest of approximately 52 decibels. Quite a significant dynamic range. In fact with CC#7 set to 100 (MIDI default) I found it difficult to hear the softest note (ppp = 8). Changing CC#7 to 120 made it audible, but then the loudest note (fff = 120) became almost painfully loud!
Hope this is a help ,
Mike

Well I have a lot to learn. Oh my. Thank you all for the time and knowledge.

To further clarify Mike's excellent response.

CC 7 (track volume) is akin to the volume knob on a guitar amp or an electronic keyboard amp. Set and forget.

CC 11 (expression) is momentary volume changes, like a volume pedal on an organ, guitar, or electronic keyboard between the instrument and the amp

The third volume control is velocity, which is called velocity because early synths used piano style keyboards. The less time difference between when the key was struck and when it hit the bottom was the speed (velocity) represents how hard the key was hit. The harder you hit the key, the louder the note on a piano and thus velocity is a third volume control which mimics how hard you hit the keyboard or how hard you pick the string and is used to determine individual note volumes.

I have a complete list of standard MIDI continuous controllers here: http://www.nortonmusic.com/midi_cc.html

All these controllers help get life-like expression out of MIDI sequences, thus turn 'empty notes' into music.

Insights and incites by Notes