Animating a Drum With MIDI

Keiron

Hi

I've been busy making a Excel File using Visual Basic to help with MIDI animation "work in progress"

If you would like to try it then Email me at [email protected] so I can send you the file

It uses Excel 2010 for now  with Visual Basic to do the hard work

It checks the MIDI file and allows you to make changes

The main purpose is to move the Drum Note off to a new location to give the Animator more time as the Drum MIDI note On and note Off are really close together

It also tidies up the MIDI file for Animation purpose

I have created a number of Videos on How to use it along with Part 1-8 of Animating a Drum kit

Videos How to use MIDI helper

How to load a MIDI text file

Using MIDI Helper to check MIDI times an move the Notes

Using MIDI Helper to check MIDI times an move the Notes using ch10 using sliders

Using MIDI Helper to check MIDI times an move the Notes using ch10 Auto

Using MIDI Helper to check clashes on ch10 drums

Animating a Drum using Daz Studio, Keirons MIDIhelper with the modified MIDI file and Casuals MIDIload

Animating the right hand drum stick for the MIDI Hiatt patten and MIDI Bass drum pattern

Setting the Drum stick pivot points

Animating the right hand drum stick for the MIDI Snare drum Rim Shot pattern

Animating the right hand drum stick for the MIDI Snare drum pattern

Animating the left hand drum stick with the MIDI Ride 1 pattern

Setting crash 2 and adding the crash2 MIDI pattern

Setting up the right hand drum stick for the crash2

Modifying right hand drum stick and the crash2 animation

Adding Movement to the snare drum and tom toms

Changing the surfaces on the drum kit and adding Glossiness

Setting up the right hand drum stick for the Tom Tom Hi &  Clash2 using the Tom Tom pattern

Setting the left hand stick for the Ride Bell

Lighting and Rendering out you Video

 

Keiron

06/12/2015 Added further tutorial videos on how to Animate a Drum Prop using Daz Studio 4.8, MIDIload and a converted MIDI text file using MIDI helper

Keiron

08/12/2015 New Animating a Drum with MIDI training Video's added

Keiron

Hi

The link below is a video with the completed Generation 3 Daz figure playing the drums

A few errors to deal with before importing into the band scene, there is an issue when parenting some things, if you make things constant after parenting the object it reverts back to linear? . I've asked Daz to take a look at that

Have a lovely Christmas and Happy New year

Keiron

Made using Daz Studio ver 4.9 Beta, rendered using Open GL
Daz Genesis 3 figure

Outfit Jackyline for Genesis 3 Female(s)

Jackyline Outfit Textures

Rama Drum Kit from Daz 3d.com Daz Originals Ravnheart

Midi Helper Ver 2.2 Beta By Keiron
Midi Load 3.1 Beta By Casual

Well finally after a lot of hard work the drums are playing in sync and the Generation 3 figure is playing the Drums

https://youtu.be/aVFTgxpOq4g

I had an issue with the Generation 3 model's fingers as they kept changing after they were Posed, the Scene saved and then the Scene reloaded?

I then tried Daz Studio 4.9 Beta and all was well, but I had to redo all the Generation 3 animation again

Still working on making her to make her a bit more life like, she is still a bit Robotic LOL

Other issues I came across were as follows

1. The lights changed in an odd manor if I added more than one keyframe occurence of the same light to the time line

2. If I parented an object that had been set to a constant value, then it set all the values on that time line to Linear, so this time I didn't parent the hands to the drum sticks or the Camera to anything

WendyLuvsCatz

It is very, relaxing and cool 

Keiron

Hi JaguarElla

Thank you, I'm currently re working on the Keyboard and Piano, so I hope to post them soon

Ivy

VERY COOL Idea using VB to create animations movements.. I use midi-master for my RMS paino /Keyboard to move recordings to my PC.  I wonder if i could adapt technique  to using Midi-master with VB. I seen where your using Excel 2010. what version of visual basics are you using? .. It really looks awesome & super great idea.

Keiron

Hi Ivy

The Visual Basic is already in Excel you just need to enable it

http://www.techonthenet.com/excel/macros/visual_basic_editor2010.php

I bought a book on Excel using VB from Amazon and spent a few hours bringing my VB up to speed, im  not the best at VB although the Idea worked OK

I created the song and saved it on the Piano Keyboard, then used Samplitude from Magix to record the MIDI and Wave file from the Keyboard

Kindest wishes

Keiron

Ivy

Thanks for the info I going to have to give this a try I found a download for amplitude Music Studio http://www.magix.com/us/free-download/samplitude-music-studio/   Is that what you are using?

I have 3 different versions of MS office  the first copy office pro 2008 which came with my windows7 pro. running VB 2008, which I do not use anymore. I have  office 2010 that has vb 4.5 & my latest copy of windows office 2013 that has vb  in it.. But I also have a Visual basic 6 standlone editor  I'm pretty good with Visual basics using asp.net. C# & C+++ programing I work with it daily. So I am going to defiantly have to try this. Have to tried using  motion captures and importing into VB? I wonder how that would work.. though I guess you properly would need to get the Motion capture in to some kind  code form for it would work..

Keiron

Hi Ivy

I'm using Samplitude Music Studio 2015

Not only will it allow you to record music, but you can also create your own using Samples too, lots of fun

I'll release the VB program Excel sheet soon, but I've some other few add ins to make first.

PS I got Microsoft Visual basic 2012 free from their site

Keiron

The link below is a Tutorial showing a method you can use to sync a MIDI file to the HiHat and then Animate the Daz Generation Figures foot to the HIhat

Keiron

Hi

I've now completed MIDI helper ver 2.5 

I have added the ability to use two different drum kits, defauts are CVP605 and General MIDI 

I've also added a voice section so you can see if there are any voice changes occuring this uses the General MIDI voices

As before you need a fairly good Processor for this, i've used the 4 Gig I7 quad  with 16 gig memory, although you shoudn't need any where near that amout of Memory

You can download it from here unzipped is around 62 meg, Zipped is around 11 meg

Please note this is for Microsoft Excel 2016, Apologies to MAC users

http:/keiron.me.uk/download/MIDI_Helper_ver_2.4.xlsb

http:/keiron.me.uk/download/MIDI_Helper_ver_2.4.zip

Added extra Drum selections 01/02/2016

http:/keiron.me.uk/download/MIDI_Helper_ver_2.5.xlsb

http:/keiron.me.uk/download/MIDI_Helper_ver_2.5.zip

 

it's an 2010 Excel sheet, you need to allow macro's

I've checked it with AVG and Windows AV but please run you own Virus protection 

I'm not the best or fastest Visual Basic programmer, so I'm sure there are faster ways of doing things, but it gets the job done

Please copy and paste the link into you browser if needed

 

Keiron

Added MIDi helper 2.5

Extra Drum instrument definitions added

http:/keiron.me.uk/download/MIDI_Helper_ver_2.5.xlsb

http:/keiron.me.uk/download/MIDI_Helper_ver_2.5.zip