How to use MIDI Files for the Guitar!

You may have seen folks play the guitar in varying degrees. Some do it manually with saved chords and do it wonderfully and some use LoopMidi and the GitHub made by Reddit user Grinjr to use their instruments directly to the PC, but... what if you don't have an instrument to use for it? Do you have a non-MIDI instrument and make your own MIDI files? Do you have a song you want to share with people but can't play? Then.. you can automate it!

WHAT YOU NEED & WILL BE PROVIDED!

• LoopMIDI (NOT NEEDED FOR METHOD #2)
  
• A Midi Player (this guide will be using falcosoft's) (ALSO NOT NEEDED FOR METHOD #2)
  
• The WEBFISHINGMidiInput.exe OR GDWeave & MIDI Strummer OR KevAquila's GuitarPlayer OR GDWeave & PotatoMidi (THIS IS DEPENDENT ON WHAT METHOD YOU'RE USING! DON'T DOWNLOAD THE SOURCE CODE FOR INSTALLATION.)
  
• WEBFISHING (which is why you're here!)

I have attached a screenshot for METHODS #1, #3, & #4 for location of files and the settings used for visual assurance. All of these will be provided in the guide as links with the exception of the game.

HOW-TO METHOD #1 (GDWeave & MIDI Strummer)

THIS IS A CLEANER WAY OF PLAYING MIDI FILES WITHOUT HAVING TO CLICK OUT OF THE GAME PROCESS + ABLE TO CHAT & MOVE IN-GAME. YOU ARE ABLE TO USE YOUR INSTRUMENT THROUGH THIS AS WELL.

Step 1. Download LoopMidi: https://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html

Step 2. Add a port by opening LoopMidi, typing in the "New port-name" and pressing the +. I've named mine WEBFISHING!

Step 3. Right click the icon, after you expand the File System Tray, which is the ^ in the notification area which is in the bottom right area of your taskbar where your Microphone / Internet / Volume is located at, for LoopMIDI and set Autostart.

Step 4. Now that you're done with that, go download a MIDI player. I personally have been using: Soundfont Midi Player 6.4 Bassmidi + Soundfont Edition by falcosoft[falcosoft.hu]! MIDI Strummer's creator uses midiplay[chrishills.org.uk]. Falcosoft's midi player is the one I will be referring to throughout these steps as it is what I am most familiar with, but feel free to use whichever for personal preference!

Step 5. On the left hand side of falcosoft's player, press on the Settings cog icon and make sure that the Midi Out's Output Port is set to the WEBFISHING port you created earlier on LoopMidi.
NOTE: Disable "Use Bass (Soundfonts/VSTi)" to change the Output Port if it is enabled in the settings.

Step 6. Now, it's time to set up GDWeave[github.com]. Honestly, this can be done as Step 1 as well, but that's alright. Please follow the instructions listed on the GitHub for setting up GDWeave to get the upcoming mod working.
From the site:

• Download the latest release and extract it to your game install. You should end up with a GDWeave folder and winmm.dll next to the game files. After GDWeave is installed, you can install/create some mods![github.com]

NOTE: Steam user 'kana' has made a short guide on installing GDWeave and includes a line for Linux installation. Please check their guide out too for a more concise manner if you need more reinforcement! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3353826944

Step 7. Download MIDI Strummer[github.com] and extract the files into the GDWeave's mods folder, a folder in which was created during GDWeave's installation. That's all that is needed for this!

Step 8. Launch WEBFISHING, join a lobby or start a lobby of your own and bust out your guitar.

Step 9. Load songs onto the MIDI player with the Folder icon right above the Settings Cog/Gear.

Step 10. Press play on the Midi Player and the song of your choosing will come out!

NOTE: With GDWeave installed, you're able to mod your game with other things besides MIDI Strummer!

HOW-TO METHOD #2 (JUST THE MUSIC, NOTHING ELSE)

THIS IS IF YOU JUST WANT A SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD MUSIC TIME, NO LOOPMIDI, NO CONNECTION TO YOUR MIDI INSTRUMENT AND ALL THAT HUBBUB.

There is a visual guide that exists made before this text guide. The visual guide uses the Initial Release version of KevAquila's Guitar Player, but it will still run the same. The guide is made by air bid on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/BGYHMmIUZDk?si=7B5fy24RIkdE8Get

Step 1. Download the latest release of KevAquila's Guitar Player[github.com] which is currently at v1.1.1 at the time of this guide.

Step 2. Extract the folder GuitarPlayer from the .zip file onto your desktop.

Step 3. Follow the steps for usage from the GitHub:

• Step 1: Process MIDI Files
  -Run the MIDIProcessor executable. (NOTE: PUT MIDI FILES IN HERE THAT YOU WANT TO PLAY FOR THE CONVERSION.)
  -The program will create a "songs" folder containing the processed files.
  -A conversion_stats.txt file will be generated, detailing how many notes were adapted or lost during processing.
  
  
• Step 2: Play Guitar in WEBFISHING
  -Start the WEBFISHING game.
  -Launch the Guitar Player executable.
  -In WEBFISHING, start playing the guitar.
  -In the Guitar Player, select a song from the processed list and click "Play".

Step 4. Enjoy your music!

Troubleshooting notes:

• According to users, some songs may be unrecognizable and jumbled. Change the resolution to anything around 1920x1080 or smaller. It seem that 1360x768 and disable resizeable window is the sweet spot for it to work.
  
• If your antivirus keeps tripping, add KevAquila's .exe files from the folder into the exceptions. Windows Defender's exceptions are located under its Virus & Threat Protection and manage the settings for it to add/remove an exception.
  
• If the app does not open after adding songs, check if songs are in different languages. Rename those songs to get them to play or remove them.

HOW-TO METHOD #3 (GDWeave & PotatoMidi, adds vocals!)

THIS METHOD IS FOR FEELING IN THE BLANKS OF THE SONG WITH YOUR CHARACTER'S VOICE INSTEAD OF HAVING MIDI FILES CUT OFF IN SOME PARTS

• NOTE 1: THIS CAN OVERLAP WITH MIDI Strummer WITH NO ISSUES TO WHAT I CAN TELL.
  
• NOTE 2: CERTAIN SETTINGS LIKE TUNING INSTRUMENT TYPE AND VOCAL EFFECTS ARE DISABLED AT THIS TIME AND THE VOCALS FROM YOUR CHARACTER IS AT THE SAME TIME OF YOUR PLAYING.

Step 1. Download and setup LoopMidi: https://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html

Step 2. Add a port to LoopMidi by opening it, typing in the "New port-name" and pressing the +. I've named mine WEBFISHING!

Step 3. Expand the File System tray, the ^ on the bottom right of your desktop, right click LoopMidi and set it to Autostart. The program will launch on your boot up if you'll be fishing immediately as you hop onto your device.

Step 4. Download a MIDI player. I personally use Soundfont Midi Player 6.4 Bassmidi + Soundfont Edition by falcosoft[falcosoft.hu]. That is the midi player I will be referring to during this guide as it is the one I'm most familiar with. Feel free to use any other one from personal preference.

Step 5. On the left hand side of falcosoft's player, press on the Settings cog icon and make sure that the Midi Out's Output Port is set to the WEBFISHING port you created earlier on LoopMidi.
NOTE: Disable "Use Bass (Soundfonts/VSTi)" to change the Output Port if it is enabled in the settings. Do not activate Mid In.

Step 6. Now, it's time to set up GDWeave[github.com]. Honestly, this can be done as Step 1 as well, but that's alright. Please follow the instructions listed on the GitHub for setting up GDWeave to get the upcoming mod working.
From the site:

• Download the latest release and extract it to your game install. You should end up with a GDWeave folder and winmm.dll next to the game files. After GDWeave is installed, you can install/create some mods!

NOTE: Steam user 'kana' has made a short guide on installing GDWeave and includes a line for Linux installation. Please check their guide out too for a more concise manner if you need more reinforcement!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3353826944

Step 7. Download PotatoMidi [github.com] (which is currently v0.0.1 at the time of this guide) and extract the files (or drag and drop the PotatoMidi folder) into GDWeave's mods folder, a folder in which was created during GDWeave's installation. Just like MIDI Strummer, that's all you need to do in regards to this mod's setup.

Step 8. Download BlueberryWolfi's API[github.com] which is v1.0.1 at the time of this guide's update. You may have needed to launch GDWeave once with any other mod you may or may not have and ensure GDWeave works to load mods.

Step 9. Create a folder in the mods folder titled BlueberryWolfi.APIs and drag the APIs.pck and manifest.json over to that folder. Then you are done with that set-up!

Step 10. Launch WEBFISHING, join a lobby or start a lobby of your own.

Step 11. Load songs onto the midi player with the Folder icon right above the Settings Cog/Gear icon.

Step 12. If all has been set up correctly, the song of your choosing will come out along with the voice of your character!

NOTE: You can have MIDI Strummer removed to play this just fine if you had set MIDI Strummer up previously. You can keep one or the other OR keep them overlapped as there does not seem to be any issues.

HOW-TO METHOD #4 (Auto Hotkey Version)

THIS METHOD WAS MADE ROUGHLY AT THE START OF WEBFISHING AND IS IF YOU WANT MULTIPLE .exes RUNNING.

Step 1. Download LoopMidi: https://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html

Step 2. Add a port by opening LoopMidi, typing in the "New port-name" and pressing the +. I've named mine WEBFISHING!

Step 3. Right click the icon, after you expand the File System Tray, which is the ^ in the notification area which is in the bottom right area of your taskbar where your Microphone / Internet / Volume is located at, for LoopMIDI and set Autostart.

Step 4. Now that you're done with that, go download a MIDI player. I personally have been using: Soundfont Midi Player 6.4 Bassmidi + Soundfont Edition by falcosoft[falcosoft.hu]! That is the one I will be referring to throughout the guide.

Step 5. On the left hand side of falcosoft's player, press on the Settings cog icon and make sure that the Midi Out's Output Port is set to the WEBFISHING port you created earlier on LoopMidi.
NOTE: Disable "Use Bass (Soundfonts/VSTi)" to change the Output Port if it is enabled in the settings.

Step 6. Download and install AutoHotkey[www.autohotkey.com]! This is what will be used to run the WEBFISHINGMidiInput.exe in Step 7.

Step 7. Once AHK is set up, it needs a script. You will download the (of the time of this guide) v1.0 of the MIDI input tool: https://github.com/Grinjr/WEBFISHING-Midi-Input from the Releases, located on the right hand side of the GitHub page, under the About, or click here: https://github.com/Grinjr/WEBFISHING-Midi-Input/releases/tag/v1.0

Step 8. Download the script, press on it to run it, return to the File System Tray (^) to pull up the icons again as you did for LoopMIDI, and right click the green H that appears there, which will read as WEBFISHINGMidiInput.exe.

Step 9. Make the selection of WEBFISHING (or whatever your port is called) through the MIDI Input Devices. No output is needed.

Step 10. Follow the steps listed on the GitHub for setting up the script to function properly. Those steps for setup read:
In game, it should already just work if you play the game at 1920x1080 and fullscreen as that's what I play on. If you don't, though, then you need to:

• Hover over the top fret (fret 0) and press Shift+PgUp
  
• Hover over the bottom-most fret (fret 15) and press Shift+PgDn

Step 11. On your Midi Player, add the files of the .mid (midi) to the player via the Folder icon above the Settings Cog/Gear and hit play and immediately click back onto the game for the inputs to register OR you can use your midi instrument!

PLEASE NOTE: Framerate WILL affect the note input. 48FPS and higher tends to be as smooth as it can be. Any lower will impact the inputs. Also, it does not matter what saved chord preset you have pressed. You can have 1-8 free and dedicated to manually playing any song, and 9 for this setup!

EXTRA RESOURCES! (MIDI CREATION + SYNTHESIA + MIDI FILES!!)

• For any of these methods listed above, if you want to delve into midi file creation for a song that may have not been made yet, refer to this video titled "how to create a midi file from guitar tabs" by air bud as well on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY1KNnJzPA0&feature=youtu.be

• If you want to give yourself a challenge, you can convert the guitar tabs to the midi, slap it into Synthesia [synthesiagame.com](if you have a midi keyboard) and play your instrument after the setup of METHOD #1, #3 or #4!

If there are any issues in regards to your MIDI file, you can edit them on any MIDI editor. Some people use REAPER's MIDI Editor, which has 60 days free. A guide for its usage is located here if you acquire that program: HOW TO: Set Up REAPER's MIDI Editor for Better Workflow[seventhsam.com] or you can commission folks if that is an option!

If you're looking for midi files, I have used some from:

• https://songs.bardmusicplayer.com/ (FREE)
  
• https://soundsoft.de/ (PAY FOR MUSIC)
  
• https://midkar.com/Inner_Portal.html (FREE)

YOU'RE SET!

And that's all to do for it to play .midi files you've downloaded online (although not every note will play, so meow or bark to fill in the blanks of the song if you'd like) and adjust the speed on the MIDI player before a song playing. I have been playing in Windowed and moving my mouse out the WEBFISHING window to pause or skip a song as I am not aware of the script's pause button.

I look forward to the future of playing midis as well as possible a cleaner way of doing so such as Final Fantasy 14's Bard Music Player!

Thanks for reading!

Credit to:
NotNite [github.com]for GDWeave
Jade (puppy-girl[github.com]) for MIDI Strummer
u/Grinjr on Reddit for the MIDI Input Tool
air bud on YouTube for KevAquila's visual guide + video on creating a midi file from guitar tabs.
ThePotato97 [github.com]for PotatoMidi!
BlueberryWolf [github.com]for the API!
JayTomz on Steam for capturing the output of the guitar (showcasing me on METHOD #4) with a beautiful mini concert we had even with some server lag!

https://youtu.be/4Gc_dobaAPI?si=CewOFeRDWseDSWQp

PLEASE NOTE THAT ON HOW SMOOTH YOUR GAME IS RUNNING IS HOW SMOOTH THE MUSIC WILL PLAY! YOU MAY ALSO NEED TO LAUNCH THE GAME ONCE WITH GDWEAVE AND RESTART IT JUST FOR THINGS TO WORK.

[Joja]

https://webfishing-guitar.com

This website will let you play MIDI files directly so you dont have to download them. Could have even skipped downloading the Falcosoft player

[Joja]

My Solution for Linux install (method #1 and #3)

Skip LoopMidi. Install Falcosoft player as proton non-steam but choose "Midi Through" as output. Afterwards connect WINE ALSA INPUT from Webfishing itself to the other end of the Midi Through tunnel. Worked perfectly for me after this. If you dont have a Wine Input/Output protontricks might help. "Change Settings" option, chose Sound=ALSA. verify "Run winecfg" select "audio" and confirm driver is "winealsa.drv"

Now for sources I found valuable in case this isnt enough:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Timidity++
https://gitlab.winehq.org/wine/wine/-/wikis/MIDI
https://forum.winehq.org/viewtopic.php?t=37624
https://forum.winehq.org/viewtopic.php?t=7269

I hope this helps!!!! I'm not the best at linux but I noticed there wasnt anything online about this either. also rotten character limit ): Feel free to message me for more information I will try and assist. 1000 character limit made me chop away a lot of words and context.

[mrteacat]

@dom

You put the files into the Midi Player via the "Open Files" button (a folder upon the Settings Cog icon) and highlight all of the .mid files you will be using. You hit play to start its function.

As for using your own personal keyboard, make sure it is identified by your PC and other programs that you may have used already, such as Synthesia, to verify the function of the keyboard.

[dom]

i am finding this to be the most confusing guide ive used. I dont understand how this works at all. I have midistrummer downloaded and the midi player you use but dont know how to do anything with it. how does it just work?

i also want to play on my keyboard though i cant find out how, at all.

[cittykat]

potatomidi is cool and stuff but my DOG MEOWS ! and the vocals r out of tune :(

[Caspar]

for anyone looking to remove voices with potato. go into potato config in %AppData%\Godot\app_userdata\webfishing_2_newver\PotatoMidi.json and remove all code blocks that has talk/voice/bark or any synonym and it should work. it did for me.

[Gay Lord]

I got the first method to work! Instead of using the latest releases I've just used the ones you've directly linked in the guide. Thank you!

[mrteacat]

@Caspar PotatoMIDI hasn't been updated in more than 30+ days to include the voice toggle just yet from what I see, but I may be wrong. You might need a modloader for that one to toggle PotatoMIDI's options as installing it the way I had listed only is a faster method.

[mrteacat]

@Gay Lord @LIGER I'll be having to look into these issues when I can. From what I see on the surface so far, some mods aren't maintained as people are working on other things as some of the modders are most active in other communities outside of WEBFISHING such as Final Fantasy XIV. PotatoMIDI does seem to work actively, unsure of the others.

[Caspar]

to add to my last comment, i'm using potato as it works alot better than guitar player. i know i can use guitar player with out vocals but im mainly curious if i can use potato without the voice. it flows much better and has seemingly less issues