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Topic: MIDI - now what? |
Carter York
From:
Austin, TX [Windsor Park]
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Posted 20 Feb 2003 9:13 am |
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Somehow, I've stayed completely out of the loop as far as *implementing* MIDI into anything I do...I have a fair understanding of it conceptually, but here is my question-
I now have a new soundcard with MIDI ports on the front, I have a plethora of software I can use (Cakewalk, CoolEdit, BIAB, etc), and I just borrowed a MIDI enabled "keyboard" (it's actually an "OmniChord")...so what can I now do that I couldn't before? Feel free to post what you do with MIDI, I assume the number of uses is as great as the number of users....
Thanks alot!
Carter |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 20 Feb 2003 1:06 pm
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I make up arrangements with BIAB on my computer. Then I export the arrangements via MIDI to an Alesis unit called a "Data Disk" and store them on floppy disks. From here they can be played back though a tone generator, preamp, amp and speakers for accompaniment along with my steel guitar.
Erv |
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 20 Feb 2003 3:19 pm
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If you have sequencing software like Power Tracks Pro, you can record parts that you play on the keyboard as a MIDI steam, instead of as audio. Then those parts will show up on a musical staff, where you can edit them, assign them to different instruments, etc.
It's a lot easier than entering bass parts by hand. 
------------------
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Michael Holland
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 20 Feb 2003 3:24 pm
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Hi Carter,
Your MIDI keyboard will allow you to 'trigger' sounds in your sound card by sending MIDI data from the keyboard's MIDI OUT to the sound card's MIDI IN. Load up your Cakewalk and select a MIDI channel/instrument and then set the keyboard to transmit on that MIDI channel. Play the keyboard and you'll hear the sound you've selected. Arm a track and hit 'record' and you can record a track into Cakewalk for any sound you choose; piano, organ, strings, even drums and bass. Set individual tracks for different sounds on different MIDI channels and multi-track a whole arrangement using just one sound module. Remember, you're recording only the MIDI data, not the audio. The audio is generated only when the MIDI data hits the sound generator. This allows you to audition and change the instruments' sounds after the tracks have been recorded. You can also manually edit the MIDI data in the tracks to clean up mistakes or add notes or chords. Timing a little off? Quantizing your tracks moves the MIDI events to (or closer to) the beat. If the OmniChord generates velocity data, i.e. the sound gets louder as you play harder on the keys, you can get some dynamic, natural sounding tracks. |
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Ken Lang
From:
Simi Valley, Ca
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Posted 20 Feb 2003 8:05 pm
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There is good and bad with MIDI. I use cakewalk, biab and others.
Think of it this way.
If you record a miked instrument (or direct) to cakewalk, you input an anolog signal. An anolog signal usually is much richer (depending on setup etc). Cakewalk (or whatever program) reads that input as a .wav file. While you can add some effects, what you get is what you get. If at measure 54 you putzed the meter of the song and screwed up the timing, that's it. No fix. Do it over.
In midi, you go to the measure and fix it. No problem. Quantize it or rewrite it note by note. Take out a dotted quarter note and replace it with a triplet...or whatever.
Midi cons.....The sounds are only as good as your soundcard, and the midi standards. To be extreme, if you want the piano to sound like it has thumbtacks on the hammers with some of the 3 strings per note slightly out of tune and the piano is a dustoyeskev made in Russia in 1932, you're out of luck. You get to choose one of the 5 or 6 piano sounds available from the midi standards and that's it.
MIDI has progressed and there may be more standards available, but I haven't had time to investigate.
In summation, there is no question midi is the way to go, combined with analog as well, which is available in several programs.
Go thru the learning curve. It's worth it.
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 21 Feb 2003 12:24 pm
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I have a midi-capable keyboard, but I don't see where I'd plug it into my sound card in the back of my computer. Looks like the only spot available on the sound card is a 15-hole computer connector. I can't use that for midi-in, can I? Do I have to buy a new sound card to make this work?
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Jim Smith
From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 21 Feb 2003 12:37 pm
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Jimbo, You need a joystick to MIDI adapter. You should have one anyway to back up your processor settings.
Jimbeaux |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 21 Feb 2003 12:57 pm
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Thanks, pal. I got it worked out; had an old cord laying around that worked.
JC
p.s. by the way, I think you've gotten our names reversed.  |
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Jim Smith
From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 21 Feb 2003 1:21 pm
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| Oh yeah, I so confused get in my old age! |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 21 Feb 2003 2:27 pm
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I just recently updated both my computer soundcard and my tone generator to take advantage of the new version 12 of BIAB. The new version supports General Midi 2. This has many more instruments to choose from. My new Sound Canvas tone generator has 1050 different instruments to choose from. Believe me, I can tell the difference in playback!
Erv |
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