-- Iterate through notes to see if any should start playing for _, note in ipairs(song.notes) do if note.time <= currentTime and not note.played then playSound(note.pitch) -- Your engine's sound function note.played = true end end end
: Lua’s clean syntax allows sound designers and lighting techs—who may not be hardcore programmers—to easily modify scripts without breaking compilation.
import mido mid = mido.MidiFile('yoursong.mid') print("local musicTrack = ") for track in mid.tracks: current_time = 0 for msg in track: current_time += msg.time if msg.type == 'note_on' and msg.velocity > 0: # Output formatted as a Lua table row print(f" time = current_time, note = msg.note, velocity = msg.velocity,") print("\nreturn musicTrack") Use code with caution. Tips for Optimizing Your Midi2Lua Scripts
Are you trying to trigger game events or just visualize music?
A standard MIDI file contains a series of events tied to absolute or relative timestamps (measured in "ticks"). These events include: midi2lua
The scope of midi2lua extends beyond software and into the realm of physical hardware with the . This is a programmable MIDI controller whose internal configuration is entirely written in Lua scripts. To simplify development, the community has developed scripts to upload new Lua configurations to the device directly from external code editors.
Mapping MIDI channels to specific Lua variables (e.g., mapping MIDI note 60 to the 'C4' key in a game). Generating a
If your MIDI file is exceptionally long (like a 10-minute song), reading absolute time values can cause large numbers. Consider converting your timestamps to delta-time (the time elapsed since the last event ) for efficient sequential processing in your Lua loops. Conclusion
Hand-coding a song into a script note-by-note is a nightmare. This tool preserves the exact timing and velocity of the original performance. Accessibility: -- Iterate through notes to see if any
local ticksPerBeat = division & 0x7FFF
Run a script that reads your .mid file and writes the parsed tracks into a formatted .lua text file. Import the resulting .lua file directly into your project. Method B: Writing a Simple Python Converter
Here is a quick concept blueprint using Python’s mido library:
file:close()
At its core, MIDI2LUA is a converter that translates data—which consists of instructions like note pitch, velocity, and timing—into Lua code. Instead of manually coding every note for a virtual piano or synthesizer, this tool generates a script that "plays" the music for you by simulating keypresses or triggering internal game functions. Why Use It? The primary appeal lies in automation .
That's where midi2lua comes in – a powerful tool that converts MIDI files into Lua tables, making it easier than ever to work with MIDI data in Lua. In this article, we'll explore the world of midi2lua, discuss its benefits, and provide a comprehensive guide on how to use it.
Before exporting your MIDI file from your DAW, quantize the notes. Human imperfections in playing create tiny fractional variances in time (e.g., a note starting at tick 481 instead of 480). Clean, quantized notes make for smaller, more readable Lua tables.
return ticksPerBeat = ticksPerBeat, tempo = tempo, notes = notes A standard MIDI file contains a series of
A midi2lua script reads these binary events and formats them into a clean Lua nested table. Here is a simplified visual example of how raw MIDI data looks once converted into a Lua structure: