MIDI is the Language of Gods...

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 2:09 am

another one of those 'found by accident' links that seem to have a ton of useful stuff in well organized and comprehensive form.

the <a href=http://www.borg.com/~jglatt/>humorous opener</a> is a winner on it's own

for example the use of <a href=http://www.borg.com/~jglatt/tutr/midibus.htm>multiple midi busses</a> for timing critical application - totally obvious, but one easily forgets about it...

cheers, Tom

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: astroman on 2006-10-08 03:12 ]</font>

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 2:56 am

There is a mathematical beauty and flexibility to midi because it exists only as a series of commands. The equivalent in graphics is vector art which comes in 3D and 2D flavors. Unfortunately, new artists are overlooking the primitive minimalistic impact of 2D in favor of the more sexy and trendy 3D programs.

bizarre · Post by **bizarre** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 7:53 am

"Before continuing, you must be an adult, preferably one who isn't a hypocritical U.S. legislator who sponsors a "porn" bill while he's cheating on his spouse with an illegal alien prostitute whom he pays (using taxpayer's money) to spank his swollen buttocks with a rolled-up copy of The New Republic."

... it must be a ZappaFanatic

Post by **hubird** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 3:22 pm

for example the use of multiple midi busses for timing critical application - totally obvious, but one easily forgets about it...

exactly as you said Astro

makes me overthink my cheaper RME 9636 card solution for my double mac setup.
The RME 9652 has double Midi...
But then again my Pulsar, to be put in the OS9 mac, only offers one port...

a bit OT, but last week Electron, the makers of Machinedrum (UW) and Monomachine, presented the TurboMIDI TM-1 USB interface.
If you ordered the Machinedrum UW (sample load option) last week, you get it for free.
I expect the MD Tuesday

This is what they emailed all 'Elektron Frieds':

The TM-1 improves the bandwidth between your Machinedrum or Monomachine
and popular home computers with up to 10x the original MIDI speed! The
increased speed improve timing and bandwidth to modern standards.

For example, at 10x speed, the MIDI clock can be 10x tighter and 10x more
note data can be passed though at one particular time. All MIDI timing
becomes more accurate. This is especially valid for Mac OSX users.

Increasing the bandwidth also makes sample transfers (or OS upgrades!) a
much more delightful experience.

You can use any sequencer or other application together with the TM-1. To
engage TurboMIDI-mode, just Press the Button! MIDI is a great as it is the
universally accepted standard. TurboMIDI is a compatible evolution made
possible from improved modern hardware.

Instead of releasing new version of our Machines with USB ports, the TM-1
now virtually transforms your MIDI ports into USB. Anyone who wants this
improvement can go TurboMIDI can now do so without the usual need of
selling and buying new.

Our tests has shown that at least 80% of all MD's/Mono's reach 10x speed,
and 20% 8x speed. This will be graphically explained in the upcoming
TurboMIDI story.

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 4:57 pm

This simple protocol is why I love hardware sequencers still. Reduced Instruction Sets!! Not to mention the 384ppq, and twenty + years w/o a single crash. I even spilled Jaeger on several times, and it even kept playing it's ancient 5 1/4" FD(literally where the slogan floppy disc was created) during a power failure!! My Emulator II's needed rebooting. My drummers Oberheim DMX, and my QX-1 kept playing right along, as I struggled to remember the bass line that my floor mounted 360 bass synth usually played. I have profited dearly from MIDI, as orchestration is a breeze in real time w/o quantinazation. I treat it as a Multitrack recorder. I am currently looking for the 15 DSP Type II ADAT cards, as they have dual MIDI I/O's. In a dual 88 note MIDI controller scenario, this serves as a redundant spare at a gig, and allows multiple paths to the app., and the hardware which conserves our prescious DSP's. I am demoing VST hosts on my Core 2 Duo DAW, as I find a need a simple MIDI / Audio sequencer which will transport me from the last century to now.

skwawks · Post by **skwawks** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:11 pm

Hey Tom as a true midiot a few years ago that site has helped me more than any other . The guy likes it if you write to him in the style of the site too ...he comes right back at you

. I've still got his list of c.c.'s on the muse machine . He brainwashed me allright
Cheers
Paul

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:35 pm

But sadly the MIDI standard has been the same for 30 years. We need a new standard that includes MIDI (at a higher resolution), digital audio, and time sync over a single fiber optic cable with one cable not 2. Come to think of it, it should be wireless. I don't even know why they still make synthesizers with analog outputs in this day and age.

Shroomz~> · Post by **Shroomz~>** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:41 pm

Kenton make wireless midi devices & have done for some time if you're interested in that sort of thing.

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:33 pm

They work reliably with the Roland Axe, as well as the Yamaha KX5, and allows you to attack the audience like guitarists so often do. I only used it so I could walk to the bar while I played, for another Jaeger up chilled.

BingoTheClowno · Post by **BingoTheClowno** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:40 pm

On 2006-10-09 18:35, braincell wrote:
But sadly the MIDI standard has been the same for 30 years. We need a new standard that includes MIDI (at a higher resolution), digital audio, and time sync over a single fiber optic cable with one cable not 2. Come to think of it, it should be wireless. I don't even know why they still make synthesizers with analog outputs in this day and age.

Sadly? Why sadly?
I think MIDI does what it was meant to do perfectly, and that for 30 years

It was expanded by Yamaha XG but its format has remained the same.
You don't need a fiber optic cable to transmit a few bytes of data! The current MIDI speed is a meager 32kB/s (I think).

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: BingoTheClowno on 2006-10-09 21:41 ]</font>

valis · Post by **valis** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:32 am

On 2006-10-09 18:35, braincell wrote:
But sadly the MIDI standard has been the same for 30 years. We need a new standard that includes MIDI (at a higher resolution), digital audio, and time sync over a single fiber optic cable with one cable not 2. Come to think of it, it should be wireless. I don't even know why they still make synthesizers with analog outputs in this day and age.

Down with analog? I suspect there's a lot of people out there that would still find the idea of no analog outputs rather undesireable.

darkrezin · Post by **darkrezin** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:36 am

Many great records were made with MIDI. There's not really too much wrong with it. It's a good standard, and if you get some good MIDI hardware (AMT8 connected via serial on Logic 5.51 = *solid*) there's really no performance issues.

Any new standard probably just wouldn't work. MLan proved this IMHO.

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:51 pm

I am totally in love with MIDI, no doubt... It is absolutely great! The more you get into it, the more you want. My dream came true in 1997 when I installed Cubase Lite 1.1 from Steinberg which came in a humble 1.44 floppy disk, I still own dearly. I have always wanted many instruments to play for me which have always been quite difficult as well.

When I was a teenager studying composition, I remember to have heard in TV about the life of a Jazz Band composer and piano player, very well known in USA. I wondered about "how lucky" this man was to have his own band to play for him every day, so he could try out his compositions. They set to live together for a long time when needed, what a dream!

I had now and then the opportunity to try my new ideas with the symphonic orchestra of my town in Argentina, but had to ask for a special permission and then wait for the day to arrive and travel on place to see if a passage would sound as I expected, way too slow for my needs. The good thing about that was that I could have direct impressions of my musical compositions from real people, and of course, advices from the director on how to do it better. MIDI has given me all the instruments I want and a myriad more than needed, ready to play for me everyday, even y Sundays!

I would honestly kiss the ass of the guy that created MIDI, it doesn’t matter how disgusting it might be, he deserves it! But I would nevertheless prefer to transmit my thankfulness in a rather different, more conventional way, like inventing him for some good Italian pizza!

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:43 pm

That is not a part of the standard which is my point. I own an AMT8 and was going to switch to Logic but exactly one month after I bought the interface, Apple screwed me. We don't need things to be proprietary. That is total bullshit and you should not have to buy this or that. It is an outdated standard.

On 2006-10-10 08:36, darkrezin wrote:
if you get some good MIDI hardware (AMT8 connected via serial on Logic 5.51 = *solid*) there's really no performance issues.

darkrezin · Post by **darkrezin** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:50 pm

Like any type of equipment, there is good and bad MIDI hardware. Many people still use Atari ST's, because they were rock solid. Apple screwed me too, but I got over it. I wasn't about to let Steinberg or anyone else screw me in a different way. I stuck to a good system which I already owned, and added to it with things like Energy XT and some good old-fashioned quality hardware.

The greatest thing I learned, which was started by the Emagic/Apple situation, was never to let a computer or software company rule your musical life... and try to work towards a system which isn't totally dependent on the computer. That's just me though, we all find our own way of dealing with shit. It's only going to get worse... different OS's, hardware compatibilities, sequencer versions, platforms, everything is fragmented and it will only get more and more tough to decide which direction to turn. Why keep updating to keep up with this bullshit?! My advice is stick to something which is tried and tested and which will get results.

People made incredible records for years, arguably better than this age of sample accurate but non-realtime native systems.

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:23 am

With this philosophy, I would still be using my first $300 MOTU MIDI interface and Windows 3.1.

MOTU and APPLE are on my blacklist....

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 3:33 pm

On 2006-10-10 18:50, darkrezin wrote:
Like any type of equipment, there is good and bad MIDI hardware. Many people still use Atari ST's, because they were rock solid. Apple screwed me too, but I got over it. I wasn't about to let Steinberg or anyone else screw me in a different way. I stuck to a good system which I already owned, and added to it with things like Energy XT and some good old-fashioned quality hardware.

The greatest thing I learned, which was started by the Emagic/Apple situation, was never to let a computer or software company rule your musical life... and try to work towards a system which isn't totally dependent on the computer. That's just me though, we all find our own way of dealing with shit. It's only going to get worse... different OS's, hardware compatibilities, sequencer versions, platforms, everything is fragmented and it will only get more and more tough to decide which direction to turn. Why keep updating to keep up with this bullshit?! My advice is stick to something which is tried and tested and which will get results.

People made incredible records for years, arguably better than this age of sample accurate but non-realtime native systems.

That makes sense to me too, perhaps not at 100% the same understanding as you, but quite similar anyway. I think people is too much concerned by what they own, instate of music creation. When we had very little things to use, our concentration was in the "music" we played.

Post by **hubird** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:30 pm

On 2006-10-11 10:23, braincell wrote:
MOTU and APPLE are on my blacklist....

...so what, Apple knows you're on Creamware...

Post by **hubird** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:56 pm

On 2006-10-11 16:33, Nestor wrote:
When we had very little things to use, our concentration was in the "music" we played.

exactly Nestor

and that also meant the continuous existing of the old and explored (rock)band concept.
That again, on it's turn, lead eighter to the classical song concept of intro (x times lead, chorus(ses), bridge, solo, etc.), or to the typical jazz/fusion concept of composed intro and outro, and in between everyone's superindividualistic and meaningfull expressions of feelings

And what if you occasionally don't have so much feelings on the moment?
Maybe you had a nice day, your wife is faithfull, your kids are doing well at scool, and the sun shines?
Before you know you are known as a nice-weather-player, not to taken seriously anymore

Elektronic equipment also meant starting new music, even new ways of thinking about music (producer-listener relation).
But then you're right, if (new) equipment is the aim, one is on the wrong path