Transcript MUSC1010 – WEEK 4

MUSC1010 – WEEK 4
MIDI
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
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MIDI is associated with cheap and nasty sounds due to the fact that most computer soundcards have
a very small and cheap synthesiser in them.
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Good quality sounds can be triggered by a MIDI controller or MIDI sequencer. The quality
or realism of the sounds depends on the device that is producing them.
MIDI allows the synchronisation of compatible devices
MIDI is a messaging protocol, capable of communicating;
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musical information such as note on/off, volume, modulation, etc…
information for lighting consoles – movement, dimming, colour, etc..
information to any other device (a robot, a train set, etc..) that is capable of interpreting MIDI
information.
Connecting MIDI devices
5 pin DIN plug
5 pin DIN IN/OUT to joystick port
Connecting MIDI devices is most commonly done with a 5 pin DIN plug. This is a one-way connection, and
therefore most devices will have a MIDI IN and MIDI OUT port. USB and Firewire connectivity have
enabled two-way MIDI information transfer. A THRU port duplicates the signal received at the IN port.
This allows the user to link multiple devices.
Message format
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binary, using 2 –3 bytes (each byte is sequence of 8 bits)
first byte is a status byte. It determines the type of information being sent. The data bytes (2nd and 3rd
bytes) control the variables involved with that information.
http://www.midi.org/about-midi/table1.shtml
Table 1: MIDI 1.0 Specification Message Summary
Updated 1995 By the MIDI Manufacturers Association
Status
Data Byte(s)
Description
(Channel Voice Messages [nnnn = 0-15 (MIDI Channel Number 1-16))
1000nnnn
0vvvvvvv
0kkkkkkk
Note Off event.
This message is sent when a
note is released (ended).
(kkkkkkk) is the key (note) number.
(vvvvvvv) is the velocity.
1001nnnn
0vvvvvvv
0kkkkkkk
Note On event.
This message is sent when a note is depressed (start).
(kkkkkkk) is the key (note) number.
(vvvvvvv) is the velocity.
1100nnnn
0ppppppp
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Program Change.
This message sent when the patch number changes.
(ppppppp) is the new program number.
due to the (nnnn) 4 bit assignment for the channel number it is only possible to have 16 channels
due to the (kkkkkkk) 7 bit assignment for the message value there are 128 possibilities for that value.
MIDI Controllers
MPC type PADS
Yamaha wind controller
Gypsy MIDI controller
DJ MIDI control device
VIDEO:
Brandon Epperson (lighting with Lemur)
Trinexx (Wiimote and Reason)
Nathan A (Lights Synced to music)
ronnie9253 (Wiimote 6 controllers)
A MIDI Sequencer enables recording and editing of performance information. The simplest note information
is usually plotted in a display often referred to as a piano roll;
General MIDI
GM (general MIDI) is a standard configuration for musical information transfer via MIDI. It enables
compatibility of instrument selection when sharing MIDI sequences. It is very commonly used in MIDI files on
the internet.
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developed by MIDI Manufacturers Association in 1991
useful for internet
portable
most common system for mapping sounds
subsequent developments;
-DLS Downloadable sounds
-GM2 incorporating Yamaha XG and Roland GS
-GM Lite
-SP-MIDI
The General MIDI specification lays out requirements for GM compatible synthesisers, including;
- minimum polyphony of 24 voices
- velocity response (how hard the input key is struck)
- support for 16 simultaneous channels with channel 10 reserved for percussion
STANDARD MIDI FILES (SMF)
MIDI files are small, internet-friendly sequence files that contain performance information. Standard MIDI files
also contain information about tempo, volume, program (instrument) numbers, and other variables.
The type of MIDI file is specified near its beginning:
Type 1 is the most common type of SMF – multiple tracks
Type 0 is less common – all performance information on one track
Some of the other information present in a MIDI file
•Timing resolution – in ticks per beat
•Tempo
•Note-on and –off
•Track names
•Song name
•Copyright notice
•Marker positions and names
•System exclusive events
MIDI files will usually have the extension .MID
Starting with MIDI & Soft-Synths
• New Session
– protools automatically generates sub-folder with same
name as the .PTF file
– 44.1kHz and 16bits
• Create Tracks
– Ctrl-Shift-N
– Add 4 stereo INSTRUMENT tracks
• Name the first track “CLICK”. Names the remaining tracks according
to the instrumentation you require.
Enable Inserts to be viewed in the Edit Page by clicking on
• For the “CLICK” track click on the first button in its INSERT section and
choose plug-in > Instrument > Click
• For the remaining tracks click on the first button in their INSERT section
and choose the Mini Grand, Xpand2, Boom or Vacuum plugin
instruments.
Be sure to use record your music along
with the metronome “click” so it is
possible to quantise the notes later