Transcript A Piece of Cake!

A Piece of Cake!
Web Site Audio &
Computer-Assisted Music
Overview
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Music! Voice! Sound Effects!
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Get Audio on your Web site
Digital audio formats
MIDI: pros and cons
Sequencers: Cakewalk
Why Web audio?
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E-business - improve production, sales
Musicians - global creation, promotion
MIDI communities
live, international jams!
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Everybody – inform, entertain, promote
build an online auction
“caption” your photos
other bright ideas….
Web page options
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Background – easy with FrontPage!
Supplies sounds, lets you add yours.
Narration, text summaries possible.
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Hover buttons – on click or rollover.
Java applets only!
.au, mono, 8 bit, 8000 HZ
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Courtesy: will visitors have a choice?
Search available sounds
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Free/share/demo/commercial
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amateur to Hollywood
genre, title, artist, length (time, bytes)…
Ex: www.manythings.org/MIDI has
9 MIDI search engines!
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Ex.: “Standard MIDI Files on the Net”
- lists 30,000 sites with MIDI files
…And/or Create your Own!
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Bits (!) from your CDs, DVDs, MP3s
Record: your built-in sound card &
(cheap?) headset microphone
Connect electronic instrument(s):
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Synthesizers
Daisy chain
Preparing Audio for the Web
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Capture sound, edit with sound editor
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Digital enhancement, “3D”
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CoolEdit, Macromedia Sound Edit 16, Pro Tools
Sound Forge by Sonic Foundry
reverb - sound reflects within 40 ms. (your walls)
delay - distant reflections become echo (cathedral)
pitch - determined by sound wave freq. (HZ)
bend effect - waves +- zero for vibrato, tremolo
Web mastering: optimize for compression…
Choose Format for
Web Delivery
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Streaming: dedicated server, UDP and RSTP
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Real Audio, Windows Media– no dropout
Pseudo-streaming: HTTP server, TCP/IP
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Shockwave, Flash, QuickTime,
MIDI and Beatnik RMF (MIDI-based)
- Both compact; MIDI easier to learn.
- With JavaScript, Beatnik interactively
syncs tracks to Web, melds MIDI/audio.
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MP3: HTTP server or SHOUTcast (Unix)
dvantages of MIDI
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small (text) files, quick download:
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uses less bandwidth
ideal for standard HTTP server
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approx.10 Kb per minute…
versus 10 Mb for digital audio
often used for Web audio
because it’s text, is easy to edit!
MIDI disadvantages?
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Only “plays” instruments
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Output unpredictable since only text is sent
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no voice or sound effects
actual sound varies with browser
However, new DLS standard for browsers is
overcoming this.
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DLS = downloadable sounds
MIDI Manufacturers Association spec.
Adopted by Microsoft & Apple
What exactly is MIDI?
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Text-based musical scoring language
Generic file format stores “performances”
Transmits commands via sequencers
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note on/off, pitch, volume
velocity (brightness)
pressure (vibrato, tremolo) - and more
MIDI Protocol…
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unidirectional, asynchronous bit stream,
serial transmission
8 bits plus one stop bit, one start bit
31.25Kbs data rate
instrument interface: IN, OUT,THRU
(connectors internal in computers)
MIDI Patches & Channels
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1st byte of MIDI command is status:
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channel, i.e. what part is playing
everything following is on that channel
all 16 can be hooked up at once
Each channel plays any one instrument
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128 “patches” in “banks” of 8
8 kinds of:
organ, guitar, brass, etc.
MIDI Messages
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data stream sent by controller:
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processed by sequencer:
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plays actual or virtual instrument
stores, edits, combines, replays the music
received by sound module for playback
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in computer or electronic instrument
equencers
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Amazing editor
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Software “mixer”
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adjust volume, reverb, stereo panning
Most offer digital audio
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transpose pitch (even where humans can’t go!)
change instruments, tempo, notes, pitch, effects...
play slowly & badly – and fix it all up!
sync tracks to MIDI; voice, sound effects possible
Algorithmic composition
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add musical arrangements (or fun “Tune Toys” )!
Getting MIDI software
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buy online or at music store
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many sound cards include MIDI apps.
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Ex.: Cakewalk products, $90 to $600
Ex.: Media Vision’s Pro Audio Studio 16
Sound cards from $100+ to $1000!
download free sequencers, etc.
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www.recordingwebsite.com/freebies.html
real-time, multi-track, audio/MIDI
Cakewalk (Sequencer)
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Home Studio, Pro, Sonar versions…
Multiple views, each with zoom
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Track/clip, console/mixer, piano roll views
Staff & lyrics views: print your own score!
Loop construction view & tools
“Events” view: VERY detailed, for editing
Meter/key, tempo, video (!)… & more
Cakewalk, cont.
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Has loop-based song-making tools
Imports WAV, AVID-format WAV, MP3
Includes Dxi support
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Virtual Sound Canvas, Dreamstation
Prints guitar chords, lyrics, etc.
24 bit and 16-bit audio support
Imports, syncs AVI video to music projects
Non-destructive slip editing of audio & MIDI
Cakewalk demo
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So let’s go to my Home (Studio)
and have a piece or two of cake…