Transcript MIDI - MSU Denver

MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
What is MIDI?

MIDI is an acronym for Musical Instrument
Digital Interface.

The term is used for both hardware and
software.
What is MIDI?
• MIDI protocol provides a standardized and
efficient means of conveying musical
performance information as electronic data.
• MIDI information is transmitted in "MIDI
messages", that tell a synthesizer (or sound
card) how to play a piece of music.
What is MIDI?

The MIDI specification allows for a maximum
of 16 channels of information to be sent from
one MIDI device to another using a standard
MIDI cable.

This allows a MIDI sequencer to play back up
to 16 different channels of MIDI information
that are entirely independent of each other.
How do MIDI channels work?

Assume a MIDI sequencer playing a multitimbral sound module where channel 1 is
playing a flute sound, channel 2 is playing a
clarinet sound, and channel 3 is playing a
harp sound. When the sequencer sends a
pitch bend message on channel 3 to the
harp, only the harp receives the message;
the other 2 channels completely ignore it.
What is a multi-timbral device?
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A Multi-timbral keyboard or sound module
has the capability to receive MIDI information
on more than one channel simultaneously.
All General MIDI keyboards and sound
modules, by definition, are multi-timbral.
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(We’ll discussion General MIDI later in this
presentation.)
A Brief History of MIDI
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It is important to remember that MIDI was created to
simplify live performances. During the 1981 fall
convention of the Audio Engineering Society, Dave
Smith and Chet Wood, two engineers from
synthesizer manufacturer Sequential Circuits
(creators of the popular Prophet-5 keyboard)
proposed an industry standard for an electronic
musical instrument interface. The idea was that
performers should not have to create custom cables
and devices to connect synthesizers. Instead, they
should be able to "plug and play" with units from
different manufacturers.
A Brief History of MIDI
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Dubbed the Universal Synthesizer Interface
(USI), this draft proposal was modified by the
engineers of synthesizer manufacturers
Oberheim, Roland, Korg, Yamaha, and
others of their ilk.
A consensus was
orchestrated on the revised proposal and in
late 1982 (drum-rolls please) the first set of
universal MIDI specifications was adopted.
A Brief History of MIDI

A detailed history of MIDI is available on the
class web site:
(Tutorials Page)
MIDI is Everywhere

Most film and TV scores, as well as popular
recorded music is written and performed
using electronic keyboards and other MIDIequipped musical instruments. (Thanks to
advances in digital sampling and synthesis
technologies, the orchestra playing behind
that big-screen block buster is more likely to
be the product of MIDI than a real orchestra
with dozens of acoustic instruments.)
MIDI is Everywhere

MIDI is also easy to find in the world of personal
computing. If your computer has a sound card, it
most likely also has the ability to play MIDI files
(using a built-in hardware or software synthesizer
that responds to MIDI messages), and with an
adapter can also be connected directly to other
MIDI-equipped products, allowing you to take
advantage of various computer programs that can
help you learn, play, create and enjoy music.
MIDI is Everywhere

MIDI also has some other interesting and
popular uses. For example, MIDI Show
Control is a command and control language
used with rides at major theme parks and
events at Las Vegas casinos, and MIDI
Machine Control is used in recording studios
to synchronize and remotely control recording
equipment.
MIDI is Everywhere

MIDI is being used to generate ring tones in
mobile phones. MIDI ring tones sound far
better because they are polyphonic (play
more than one note at one time) and because
they use music synthesizers that produce a
wider variety of sounds than previously
possible.
MIDI is Everywhere

There are over 300 companies around the
world making products that support MIDI -well known companies such as Apple and
Microsoft, Roland and Yamaha, Nokia and
Sony/Ericsson, among others.
MIDI is Everywhere

Can you name other possible uses for, or
applications of, MIDI technology?
The Benefits of MIDI

MIDI is a technology that represents music in digital
form. Unlike other digital music technologies such as
MP3 and CDs, MIDI messages contain individual
instructions for playing each individual note of each
individual instrument. So with MIDI it is actually
possible to change just one note in a song, or to
orchestrate an entire song with entirely different
instruments.
The Benefits of MIDI

Since each instrument in a MIDI performance
is separate from the rest, it’s easy to "solo"
(listen to just one) individual instruments and
study them for educational purposes, or to
mute individual instruments in a song so that
you can play that part yourself.
The Benefits of MIDI
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Play with a band:
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Standard MIDI Files are available for many
popular songs, and when used with a personal
computer or digital piano make it possible to have
an entire backing band play along with you at
whatever speed (tempo) and in any pitch (key)
you desire. MIDI files are perfect for practice, as
well as for performing when additional musicians
are not available.
The Benefits of MIDI
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Record and edit your performance
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A MIDI Sequencer can record your performances for
listening at a later time, and even save your performance in
Standard MIDI File format for playback on other MIDI
systems. A MIDI Sequencer is a way to evaluate your own
progress or to study how someone else plays.

Since all MIDI data is editable, you can edit any
imperfections. If you play a wrong note, you can just
change it using the Sequencer's editing tools. If you find
you just can't play fast enough to keep up with the tempo,
you can slow it down for recording and speed it back up for
playback.
The Benefits of MIDI
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Compose Music
Arrange and Orchestrate
Educational Uses
Auto-Accompaniment
Recording Studio Equipment
Song Files
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Standard MIDI Files ("SMF" or *.mid files) are a popular
source of music on the web, and for musicians performing
in clubs who need a little extra accompaniment.
Stage Lighting Controllers

Many performing bands use MIDI to synchronize lighting
cues with their music.
The Benefits of MIDI

Play any instrument

Most digital pianos and other MIDI instruments
come with hundreds of different sounds (pianos,
trumpets, violins, guitars, basses, etc.) that you
can play yourself or play via a MIDI sequencer to
create orchestrated music.
General MIDI


Most MIDI keyboards today include the General
MIDI sound set, sometimes by themselves, but often
with other sets of sounds. By having at least one
standard set of sounds, files could now be
exchanged and successfully played back on all GM
compatible instruments.
In most cases, the GM sound set is based on actual
wave samples recorded from the original
instruments. The difference in cost for a wave based
sound card versus a synthesizer only sound card is
minimal, and easily worth the difference.
General MIDI
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The General MIDI specification includes which
instruments should be played, how many MIDI
channels the device must handle, and how many
voices can be played back at the same time.
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MIDI Channels:
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A General MIDI device must be able to simultaneously play
back a different instrument or patch on each of its 16
channels. Drums and percussion instruments are always
assigned to MIDI channel 10.
General MIDI
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Instruments or Sounds:
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The General MIDI sound set must include at least 128
preset instruments in the exact order as specified in the
GM Instrument Patch Map. There is also a specific GM
Percussion Key Map based around 47 percussion sounds.
Voices or Polyphony:
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A General MIDI device must be able to play back at least
24 voices simultaneously divided between melodic and
percussion instruments. These voices must be able to be
dynamically allocated or assigned as needed. All voices
must respond to velocity.
General MIDI
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Channel Messages:
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General MIDI devices must also support
continuous controller messages including:
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Channel Volume
Modulation Wheel
Velocity
Panning
Sustain
Pitch bend
Channel Pressure & Expression.
General MIDI
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There are 128 instruments arranged into
16 families.
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Note that the instrument numbers shown on the
next slide range from 1-128, though the actual
value used in the MIDI Program Change
messages will be 0-127.
General MIDI
PC #
Instrument Family
PC #
Instrument Family
1-8
Piano
65-72
Reed
9-16
Chromatic Percussion
73-80
Pipe
17-24
Organ
81-88
Synth Lead
25-32
Guitar
89-96
Synth Pad
33-40
Bass
97-104
Synth Effects
41-48
Strings
105-112 Ethnic
49-56
Ensemble
113-120 Percussive
57-64
Brass
121-128 Sound Effects
General MIDI
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A complete listing of all 128 general MIDI sounds is
locate on pages 8-10 of your MIDI tutorial (located on the
class web site).
General MIDI
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General MIDI drum sounds are found on
Channel 10.
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General MIDI defines 47 drum sounds, with each
being allocated to a separate MIDI key. The
number before each drum sound corresponds to
the keys on a 61-note MIDI keyboard
General MIDI (Channel 10)
Ke y #
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
Note
B1
C2
C#2
D2
D#2
E2
F2
F#2
G2
G#2
A2
A#2
B2
C3
C#3
D3
D#3
E3
F3
F#3
G3
G#3
A3
A#3
Drum S ound
Acoustic Bass Drum
Bass Drum 1
Side Stick
Acoustic Snare
Hand Clap
Electric Snare
Low Floor T om
Closed Hi-Hat
High Floor Tom
P edal Hi-Hat
Low Tom
Open Hi-Hat
Low-Mid Tom
Hi-Mid Tom
Crash Cymbal 1
High Tom
Ride Cymbal 1
Chinese Cymbal
Ride Bell
T ambourine
Splash Cymbal
Cowbell
Crash Cymbal 2
Vibra-slap
Ke y #
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
Note
B3
C4
C#4
D4
D#4
E4
F4
F#4
G4
G#4
A4
A#4
B4
C5
C#5
D5
D#5
E5
F5
F#5
G5
G#5
A5
Drum S ound
Ride Cymbal 2
Hi Bongo
Low Bongo
Mute Hi Conga
Open Hi Conga
Low Conga
High Timbale
Low Timbale
High Agogo
Low Agogo
Cabasa
Maracas
Short Whistle
Long Whistle
Short Guiro
Long Guiro
Claves
High Wood Block
Low Wood Block
Mute Cuica
Open Cuica
Mute T riangle
Open T riangle
General MIDI
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Where do I find these “General MIDI” sounds when using
Finale?
General MIDI
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Where do I find these “General MIDI” sounds when using
Sibelius?
General MIDI
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Even though the General MIDI specification lists which
sounds are to be used, it does not define the way the
sounds will be reproduced. This being the case, not all
General MIDI synthesizers are created equal.
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MIDI keyboards and sound modules can significantly
differ in sound quality. The same holds true for GM
based PC sound cards. Some can produce amazing
reproductions of the original instruments, while others do
not succeed nearly as well.
General MIDI
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Generally, you get what you pay for in terms
of sound quality, although like all technologybased products, the investment needed to
acquire great sounding instruments seems to
get lower every week!
Benefits of General MIDI
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Your Link To Compatibility With The Rest Of The World
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Predictable behavior!
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This alone makes GM extremely worthwhile in what can
otherwise be a rather unpredictable environment. With a GM
compatible instrument, you have an organized industry standard
set of sounds from which to choose. It will be compatible with any
commercial MIDI song files you may purchase, and your
instrument will be compatible with those of your peers. Most
software programs default to the GM sound list at start up,
negating the need to create a custom sound list.
Benefits of General MIDI

The benefits of GM extend well beyond the individual user.
Now, if you compose music using the GM instrument set, you
can be confident that your MIDI songs can be enjoyed by
anyone else who owns a General MIDI compatible instrument.
Prior to GM, a MIDI song file would often prove useless to the
recipient because of the wide variance of instrument
assignments between different makes and models of MIDI
instruments.
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The cooperative effort among manufacturers whose
instruments support the General MIDI standard has
catapulted the usefulness of MIDI into the mainstream of
musical creativity.
Beyond General MIDI
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In anticipation of greater demands from consumers,
Roland and Yamaha developed "extensions" of
General MIDI in their respective GS (general
standard) and XG (extended general) MIDI
instruments. These instruments are compatible with
the GM standard, yet offer a variety of additional
features, such as reverb/chorus effects and more
instrument sounds over and above the basic GM
specification.
How to tell if an instrument is
General MIDI compatible

Look for one (or more) of the following logos, either stamped
or painted on the instrument itself, or on the owner's manual
that came with the instrument.
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The instrument is General MIDI compatible if one or more of
these logos are present.
General MIDI: Summation
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With general MIDI, one has a simplified, convenient means
of composing, recording, and playback of music using
software and a computer. The primary advantages of a
general MIDI instrument are:
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a consistent industry standard set of sounds from which to
choose.
compatibility with any commercial MIDI song files .
assurance of compatibility with others who own a GM
instrument.
most software programs (including Finale & Sibelius) will
default to the general MIDI sound list at start-up.
spending more time making music instead of serving as a
"MIDI Technician" for non-General MIDI instruments!
Creating a MIDI file using Finale®
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Simply input the notation of your music the same way you
have for your exercises and projects. When ready to create
your MIDI file, choose SAVE AS from the File Menu.
Creating a MIDI file using Finale®
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Make sure that your file name contains NO SPACES or
special characters, and is no more than 22 characters in
length (otherwise, it will not work within your web site).
Under FORMAT, choose Standard MIDI. In the subsequent
dialog box, choose Format 1, and click OK.
Creating a MIDI file using Sibelius®

Again, make sure that your file name contains NO SPACES
or special characters, and is no more than 22 characters in
length. Under FILE>EXPORT, simply choose MIDI. Click
SAVE.
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That’s it!
Any Questions?

Now’s the perfect time to ask any questions you may have
regarding:
MIDI
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Next class period, we’ll discuss digital editing and the
conversion of WAV files and/or AIFF files into mp3 files.