Migrating from the ole' piano to MIDI? Good ! This is just the article for you ! I am chronicling my experiences of transformation from acoustic musician to MIDIcian !
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), as its name implies, enables our electronic instruments to communicate with a computer and with each other. Synthesisers are, after all, just highly specialized computers! Software then can manipulate the data endlessly, to record, create, store, edit and transmit music data. “Why MIDI ?”, one might ask......
The more appropriate question however is, how did we ever do without it ? MIDI recording cuts studio recording time to a minimum. MIDI recording and editing provides you with the most obedient drummer/accompanist who doesn't whine, talk back, make mistakes, start ego-trip solos at inopportune moments, or spends the first 5 minutes of stage time warming up by tuning their instruments! ( Those of you who have played in bands will know what I mean !) Ever wanted to transpose a score in 5 minutes ? MIDI software can !
MIDI can be used in education software too - the virtual piano teacher who will never rap you across the knuckles with a ruler !
Data - I've always hated that word. It merely describes a collection of information. Information however is useless unless organized, and for that reason, files I think is a better word. What data is stored in MIDI files? I'd like to use the analogy of the old piano roll - the cutouts in the paper roll contained information on note events describing what note to play, when to play the note and how long and loud to play it. It did NOT actually generate the sound - that was produced by the piano hammer actually striking the strings. Imagine if you had an orchestra or a number of player pianos hooked up to the same piano roll. Now, not only do you have the note variables, you have to specify which instrument plays, and you have to synchronize the instruments to each other. Again, the piano roll does not generate the actual acoustic sound, but tells the instruments for each sound to play in a specific manner.
Because each instrument is different, MIDI cannot always send the same messages to every instrument. Here's where that concept of System Exclusive Messages arises. These messages , often abbreviated as SysEx are instructions recognized exclusively by the instrument they were written for and help co-ordinate multiple instruments in a multi-instrument MIDI setup. MIDI data is transmitted through CHANNELS like television, so different information is transmitted to different receivers. Typically, a single instrument sound is represented on one channel, but that can be changed via MIDI data to different sounds at different times during a song. MIDI data is stored as MIDI files or other format e.g. *.wrk files in Cakewalk. Files are specific to the program which reads the file. Standard MIDI files are the global standard which most if not all MIDI software can read and hence communicate with. e.g. Cakewalk files must be converted by Cakewalk to standard MIDI files before they can be read by another MIDI player e.g. Mastertracks or Band in a Box,
It's General MIDI , the industry standard which is based on the Roland GS standard. You see, with several Musical Instrument manufacturers, people writing MIDI files on a, for example, a Roland synth couldn't reproduce their sounds if played on a Yamaha synth...mainly because each of the synth manufacturers and MIDI writers had different ways of organizing their sounds and effects. So they all got together and arrived at a globally acceptable way of organizing their sounds. A few pertinent facts:
For more details check out the General MIDI document at http://w3.eeb.ele.tue.nl/midi/GMGS.html.
So if your instrument is set up for 8 channels, a GM file won't play fully on it. The commonest symptom is the absence of drums. My KT however does have a GM mode which then makes it a 16 channel instrument among other things making it fully GM compatible.
MIDI compatibility means that the keyboard has the ability to send MIDI data through the standard DIN MIDI sockets. General MIDI compatibility is discussed above and strongly recommended. Older synthesizers are cheap but are not GM compatible and are a little troublesome to set up unless you’re well versed with the basics of MIDI.
Weighted action keys offer the " feel" of a piano for a pianist . That's about the ONLY benefit of weighted action keys. The cons are many- WEIGHT, PRICE and slightly harder to play rapid succession notes. But if you're a pianist, the "feel" of the instrument is really important and I opted for weighted action keys. This really narrowed down my options for a choice of keyboard. Most synths are unweighted or only partially weighted.
Sampling or non sampling synthesizer ? Bottom line is cost vs. how many sounds you really need. A sampler enables you to import sound samples and manipulate them . Non sampler synths have a finite number of built in samples to manipulate. Does one really need 200+ sounds?? I hardly use 50 sounds on a day to day basis but that may reflect my background of jazz. Samplers tend not to be GM compatible
Velocity sensitive keys are pretty much universal. (except for the "Kiddy Keyboards" you might find at "Toys 'r Us")
Pressure sensitive keys are great for modulation effects and make for better expression when playing synthesized solo wind/brass instruments. This basically means that the keyboard is sensitive to pressure after it's depressed fully. This function is usually programmable on the upscale models and can be programmed to switch on modulation or various effects,
Aftertouch is a feature of upper end synths which permits effects control . Personally, I chose the Ensoniq KT 88 because there were 88 keys and lots of features I liked. It was a close tie between that and the Kurzweil PC88Mx. Other instruments at the time were either too bulky or too expensive for me.
The KT 88 had the advantage of an on-board sequencer, and that was a distinct advantage over the others. I'll discuss sequencers later....
Expandability was a big issue before and for some still remains....but with MIDI, heck, you can always buy a Sound Module ( basically a synthesizer box without the keys) to hook up in the future, so concentrate on the quality and feel of the instrument, number of keys , on board effects, layout and other physical characteristics. Sounds can almost always be added later.
The choice of Keyboard is undoubtedly, a very individual decision. There are no "bad" keyboards- just ones you're not used to.
I could write reams here, but I will not because the computer market is changing every second! The fundamental questions here are:
This depends a lot on what you use your computer for and where you're going to park it. I chose a laptop because I don't have a lot of room at home and I found that it fits nicely on top of my KT 88 in a convenient , useable position. If you plan to do a lot of gigs on the road, a laptop is far easier to lug around. Trust me on this one ! If you are planning on doing digital audio recording- GET A DESKTOP. This is because there are only full duplex soundcards out there for desktops and there are none I know of for laptops
There was a time when there was very little PC MIDI software around and the Mac was king of MIDI......Now that is no longer true. On a world wide scale there are many more PC's around and so my advice would be to go with the masses. It's like the battle between VHS and Betamax - Beta was a better technology but the masses chose VHS and today Betamax is obsolete. (Didn't mean to offend Mac fans, but the facts remain)
Depends on your use of the computer and what software you plan on using. If you plan to do digital audio recording, then a good duplex soundcard is a must. (Duplex means being able to generate/record audio and synthesize sounds for MIDI at the same time) Many have a MIDI interface built in, otherwise you'll need an external one .(see below) Dedicated MIDI interfaces are also available to plug into your computer expansion slot. directly. If you have a laptop then your soundcard options are fewer . I have not seen a laptop with a built in MIDI interface yet, but I'm sure one will be produced eventually. Roland makes a PCMCIA version of the Soundcanvas. Other PCMCIA wavetable cards exist around $200 a piece)
Digital audio recording also chews up memory like you never saw - you'll need at least a 1 GB hard drive for that.
What speed ? The slowest computers available can handle MIDI. The main constraint with speed is now the speed at which your program windows update themselves. I'm doing OK with a Pentium 100Mhz system with a 540MB hard drive and 8MB of RAM. Pretty Spartan by today's standards, but it WORKS !
(I recently upgraded to 24MB RAM and it made a slight difference as to how Cakewalk Homestudio performed but made a huge difference as to how Windows 95 performs)
A printer is essential for almost every computer nowadays. Just make sure your printer driver is compatible because notation programs really do test the ability of your driver!
This piece of Hardware merely acts as the bridge between the computer and the keyboard, creating a physical interface where you plug in the cables and converting the electrical impulses to a recognizable format for both the computer and keyboard. Many soundcards have built in MIDI interfaces. The "standard" interface is the Roland MPU 401 standard. Many laptops however do not have a MIDI interface. The you're left with the option of a external serial or parallel port interface available to my knowledge, from MIDIMAN These nifty little boxes are solid state and don't require any external power source. Expect to pay about US$100 for these. MIDI cables are standard DIN cables and come in various lengths. The length is critical depending on your setup. If you're doing digital audio too, you may need to consider a hook-up between your soundcard and amplifier/speakers too. The Roland SC PCMCIA card combines a soundcard and MIDI interface I believe but is not full duplex.
Sequencing software like Mastertracks Pro & Cakewalk are for sequencing MIDI events. All have a graphical interface, and all enable on screen editing of some sort or another.
Notation software is for printing out musical scores in a refined manner complete with annotation for expression and accidentals.
Some programs combine both, but usually at the expense of lesser features in one or the other program. These are always cheaper than a professional sequencer and a professional notation program separately, but generally you pay for what you get.
Accompaniment software is fun for novices and to test out new melodies, They generally require you to enter the basic chord structure of a melody, and it will generate accompaniment in the style and chord structure you chose. Examples include Jammer , or Band in a Box.
Composition software is an attempt to teach a machine to compose music- an insult to the humanity of music...... I refuse to even discuss it !
Overall there are many choices, and again not many "bad" programs , just ones you're not used to. ....the choice is yours, with prices ranging from $90 to $400 !
Take your pick ! I chose Cakewalk Home Studio 5.0 as my only software. It's not a professional level notation program, and doesn't claim to be one, but it's good enough for basic scores . It's a great sequencer and editor and provides 4 tracks of digital audio too. Very affordable too . Minimum hardware requirements increase if you use digital audio. Cakewak has the advantage of easy upgrades too.
You may want to get a separate sequencing program and a separate notation program if you want to do professional quality score printing, but for the vast majority of my applications, like composing and arranging for my jazz band, I don't need a separate notation program. The music is imported and exported to these notation programs as standard MIDI files.
Sound or Patch Editors and Librarians are software to control you synthesizer programs through your computer screen instead of using the multiple buttons and menus on your synth. Useful if you like to create new sounds and your synth doesn't have much memory on board. These do NOT actually make your computer generate the sounds, but merely allows the computer to program your synth with the advantage of a graphical interface.
Now that you got all that hardware and software assembled, plan to spent the next few weeks learning to use the setup. It can be frustrating , but it's like playing the piano - the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Read your equipment manuals ! Leave it by your bedside ! In the bathroom ! Anywhere to encourage you to READ IT ! A few basic concepts of computers for newbies shall be discussed below:
You must tell your computer which MIDI device you are using and where it is located. This is known as configuring MIDI setup. Each software differs slightly, but the general idea is the same- tell the computer what's connected and how.
Watch out for MIDI loops - know when you want the connection looped and when you don't otherwise you'll end up with "fat" notes because the MIDI data is duplicated with double notes when you print out the scores. The typical loop is one where you connect your keyboard OUT to the interface IN and the interface OUT to the Keyboard IN without disabling the keyboard LOCAL OFF mode. SO the keyboard sends MIDI data to itself and to the computer which relays it back to the keyboard, playing the note again with a split second lag in phase. This can be avoided by switching the keyboard to LOCAL OFF, and enabling MIDI ECHO at the computer end.
You must tell your computer which program to use when opening MIDI files. Also known as "registering" or associating your files.
Don't expect to become an MIDIcian without at least some computer literacy!
Enjoy !
I can only imagine what Mozart would have done with a multitrack sequencing program and notation - maybe he would have written a hundred more symphonies!
Mark Tie