Drumming with MIDI

[syzygyn]

MIDI is more than just sheet music. The amplitude and dynamic qualities of the music can be precisely defined along with its timbral qualities. We haven't decided yet on the software but I'm experimenting with Linux (Audacity, Timidity, etc.). I found the manual in the link below:

http://www.tube-tester.com/sites/gsp...p21-legend.pdf

Thanks again for your link. It looks like I was wrong about the GSP21 being a fully implemented MIDI. It doesn't have the necessary encoding parameters for any input. Does anyone know of a processor that can do what she wants to do?

[John_H]

I use REAPER. It's free to try. https://www.reaper.fm/download.php

Did you check out the home recording forum?

...The amplitude and dynamic qualities of the music can be precisely defined along with its timbral qualities.

Yes Absolutely.

[syzygyn]

Yes, I've been on the homerecording site. I'm hearing lots of good things about Reaper but its hard to beat the cost of Audacity. It seems like a pretty competent tool. What will I miss not having Reaper?

[tboy]

MIDI is more than just sheet music. The amplitude and dynamic qualities of the music can be precisely defined along with its timbrel qualities.

MIDI actually is a lot like an electronic form of sheet music. It might be a bit more "precise" in conveying the exact parameters of a particular musical performance, but I wouldn't cut written music short in it's ability to communicate "the amplitude and dynamic qualities of the music" - it just does it in a different way.

If you're willing to explore the capabilities of Linux for music/audio production, there's a lot of really good software out there now. and even some entire distributions that are packaged specifically for the purpose. You might even find something that can do a fairly good conversion of singing into MIDI data.

[Enzo]

MIDI is more than just sheet music.

yes, of course it is, but I was trying to draw the distinction between MIDI and audio. As precise as it may be, there is zero audio in the MIDI signal. I seemed to me there might be some confusion about that. I could be wrong.

[John_H]

This thread made me think of this song. It helps that I'm a timbuk 3 fan.

...If you're willing to explore the capabilities of Linux for music/audio production, there's a lot of really good software out there now.

I noticed that there was a Linux beta version of reaper when I went after the link.

...What will I miss not having Reaper?

I really don't know. I tried a couple of others before it, but it's all I've used for about 15 years. I'm not very good at this, but hanging out at the HR forums really upped my game.

My daughter's boyfriend owns an well established studio here in Vegas. He's an incredible engineer, and a mastering wizard. http://www.digitalinsightrecording.com/ He really needs to update his website. They just completely remodeled the 'B' room.

[syzygyn]

As precise as it may be, there is zero audio in the MIDI signal.

I understand you now, sorry. Too many people still think MIDI is just a command and control thing. They don't realize how close to music it really is. Ideally, my daughter wants a processor pre-amp that can take an input signal (voice, bass and guitar) add effects to it and send that MIDI to her computer. This means the processor pre-amp has to be able to completely encode the processed signal to MIDI by itself. I thought the GSP21 could do this, it can't. Is there any processor pre-amp that can?

[John_H]

...Ideally, my daughter wants a processor pre-amp that can take an input signal (voice, bass and guitar) add effects to it and send that MIDI to her computer. This means the processor pre-amp has to be able to completely encode the processed signal to MIDI by itself. I thought the GSP21 could do this, it can't. Is there any processor pre-amp that can?

Nope. It has to be a combination of tools. tboy says that there are all-in-one packages, but they're only "fairly good".

[The Dude]

I'm not sure why you're insisting on doing this. MIDI was never intended for audio transmission. It's a control format. Just put the sounds in the computer via the sound card analog input and record them. That will convert the sounds to a digital format. Do all the editing in software. You can add your effects there and do multiple other things to the waveforms and mix the different instruments. If your existing sound card doesn't have all the inputs and outputs you need, get something like this:

BEHRINGER Audio Interface 1x XLR/TRS 1x 1/4" 2X RCA USB, Black 1-Channel UM2

There are tons of others. I linked that one because it's a low cost option. I'm not endorsing any particular brand or model.

[John_H]

I've got these. Nothing special. The best feature IMO is that you can monitor with zero latency through the headphone jack on the unit. https://www.alesis.com/products/view/m1active-320-usb

[tboy]

Too many people still think MIDI is just a command and control thing.

I don't really want to sound the back-skipping record on your turntable, but MIDI really is "just a command and control thing."

[eschertron]

As far as Guitar-to-MIDI for note sequencing, Roland had it in the bag for many years. Graphtech also has a converter too, I think. None of this is A/D conversion, it is like as was said, a "piano roll" abstraction of the guitar notes. More sophisticated converters can capture pitch bend, etc., and send it out as a continuous controller. It's been many years since I sat down with a MIDI-equipped guitar, and don't know how much the tech has progressed since. Check out Roland's guitar-to-MIDI pickup. This could feed the signal into the PC (the piano roll making machine) for later editing and playback. If your daughter is not interested in real-time virtual instrument performance - where latency becomes an issue - then the Roland, or any other, guitar MIDI pickup would work stand alone feeding the PC.

[syzygyn]

I don't really want to sound the back-skipping record on your turntable, but MIDI really is "just a command and control thing."

Perhaps my assessment of MIDI was a bit optimistic. I thought the entire waveform could be encoded into that command and control language. It may be in our future but it doesn't look like it's here yet. I suppose the next closest thing is a digital capture with a MIDI drum overlay. The guitar MIDI converters seem pretty good but they are too specific and expensive for what we were planning. You would need one for voice and bass too. Thanks all for your guidance.

[Enzo]

Look up the ABCs of MIDI. I may be wrong, but I think you have in mind it is a digital recording platform, when it is not.It really is like a player piano roll or a sheet music in that all it contains is what note to play, how loud to play it, when to let go of the note, and other things like patch change commands. Nowhere in it is the sound that is to come out. That is up to the sound module receiving the MIDI. I might have a piano voiced sound module, and notes 1 through 8 are assigned to the scale from C1. SO on any MIDI controller if I play note 1 on the keyboard, note 1 from the sound module plays, in this case C1. Note 2 D1 and so on. But if I plug the exact same MIDI signal into a drum module it plays notes 1, 2, 3, etc, but in that case note 1 might be the snare, note 2 a floor tom, note 3 a hi hat...

Of all the stuff, the actual sound is not encoded in the MIDI stream. The sound you hear is totally determined by the sound module the MIDI signal controls.


Keyboards tend to have key numbers assigned similarly, so my Casio MIDI controller/synth will play the same notes of the scale when I am MIDI'd to a Yamaha synth or a Korg. But I can easily reprogram my MIDI stuff to transpose or partition my keys to play other things.

There are plenty of "MIDI controllers" which are keyboards that have no sound generation at all, they are strictly a MIDI controller. Like the venerable Yamaha KX88.

[The Dude]

Sorry. You're not listening. MIDI is a control language. Even the guitar MIDI converters do not sample the guitar and output audio. They take guitar note information and convert it to note control for controlling keyboard sounds, etc. Even if you had one, you wouldn't get the original guitar sound out of it.

"It may be in our future but it doesn't look like it's here yet."

Nope. It's not in the future. There are actual tools readily available for sampling audio. MIDI is not one of those tools. You are trying to make coffee with a toaster.