MIDI changed music.
Consider what a Classically trained Musician needs to do, to make his
music heard.
He needs to,
- Write it
- Get a bunch of musicians
- Practice
- Play
- goto 1
- Record the Final Cut in a Studio
With MIDI,
- Write it. Save it, with a Software
- Get the electronic instruments to play it for him
-or-
Get a computer Software to play it for him - Tweak
- Record the Final Cut in Software or a Studio
MIDI is – Musical Instrument Digital Interface.
It abstracts Music Notation into bytes.
Since its just bytes, you can replay it with Software.
MIDI made production,
- Dirt Cheap
- Made Producers more efficient
How about Audio Quality ?
- A Classical Ensemble still has its place. Panning is very unique there.
- But MIDI + Electronic Instrument increased the Range.
It helped form whole new genres in Music like EDM, IDM, SynthPunk …
Limitations ?
- MIDI is limited to 16 instruments.
- Integers.
- 16 is a big number.
- OSC overcomes these.
Usage
To use MIDI you need two things,
A Sequencer
This generates MIDI messages like,
Command param1 param2 param3
Command param1 param2
Command param1 param2 param3
Command param1 param2
…Important messages are,
- Note On => Channel [1-16]**, Pitch[0-127], Volume[0-127]
- Note Off "
- Controller => No [0-127], Value[0-127]
** Channel 10 is reserved for Drums.
Note On and Note Off are typically sent by keys, buttons.
Controller Messages are typically sent by knobs and pedals.A Synthesizer
This accepts MIDI data.
It Maps channels to DSP.
It Maps knobs** to effects like distortion and reverb.** The positions of the knob are called patches.
A Sampler.
This accepts MIDI data.
It Maps channels to sound recordings.
It Maps knobs to effects like distortion and reverb.
If you buy Music Hardware you have both 1 and 2.
But usually the sequencing capabilities are limited in a synth.
So you can’t Edit MIDI data in the instrument.
Some notes,
You can buy hardware and get a Synthesizer + a limited Sequencer.
You can buy A Sequencer and use a Computer as a Synthesizer
or
- Use a Software Sequencer to Program your Synthesizer
or
- Forget Hardware and go complete nuts with Software
Recommended Software
Ableton
FL Studio
Cubase
Garage Band
Renoise – I have this, recommended for Demoscene lovers.
You can shop for VST, AU which are DSP made in software.
The above Softwares come with sane defaults and don’t require a Hardware Synth,
to make sounds.A popular sequencer notation developed by Softwares is called Piano Roll
FL Studio comes a Step Sequencer, which is very useful for beat making.
SooperLooper - A very unique software which can help you in loop driven music.
Recording Software
Audio Hi-Jack
Audacity
Recommended Sequencers
Akai MPK49
Recommended Samplers
Akai MPC*
Korg Microsampler
Recommended Synths
Novation Mininova
Korg microKorg
Electribe – I have this.
Misc
Midi Pipe
Overtone
The Legendary Moog sound,