Fun with the MIDI (long forgotten?) Music Format !!

Who of you still remembers the MIDI files, from the early computer days?
MIDI = Musical Instrument Digital Interface

Well, did you know that MIDI has also evolved, along with the computers?
You already get MIDI Keyboards which connect to the PC via the USB or Firewire ports, but they still would have to have a MIDI port, to be MIDI compatible - strictly speaking.

However it is not really necessarily as it is actually much more the MIDI controller sitting inside it than the interface itself, as long as you do not have to be backwards compatible. But most likely there are connectors and adapters to sort this problem out, too. I have even seen PC MIDI interface solutions connecting to the PC via USB2.0 and have standard (5-pin DIN) MIDI connectors (similar to first the IBM PC's keyboard socket).

Compared to USB or FireWire, the Ethernet (LAN) implementation of MIDI provides network routing capabilities, which are extremely useful in studio or stage environments (USB and FireWire are restricted to connections between one computer and some devices and do not provide any routing capabilities). Ethernet is moreover capable of providing the high-bandwidth channel that earlier alternatives to MIDI were intended to bring.


(Mis-)using the MIDI format to get to grips with CLASSICAL MUSIC:
It can be quite some fun and an interesting way to learn about CLASSICAL MUSIC searching the Internet for some free MIDI classical music pieces (try: Classical MIDI Connection, Classical MIDI Resource, Classical Compositions, Kunst der Fuge, Classical MIDI Organ Stop, etc.)

MIDI is the most compact music notation file format to store digital information possible. Because the music is simply data rather than recorded audio waveforms, the data size of the files is quite small by comparison. So the downloading goes quick and does not stress your line or storage capacity! It actually stores the note's pitch, the duration and the volume information for every sound played and some other control parameters. You could compare this with the description of how to actually generate (play) the music. (Similar to a recipe for baking a cake.) At playback time, the software controlling the sound card then actually uses this instruction (recipe) to recreate the near perfect sound out of it again. The better and more precise the instruction (recipe) is the better the result will be. The better your program and the sound card the better the sound will be.

Please bear in mind that early recordings of MIDI files do not have the latest enhancements to control all parameters of the full MIDI control set. That is why these files are lacking the dynamics of MIDI files using the GS and GX standards.

The "Dynamics" and "After-Touch" effects, for instance only came much later. This is an enhancement for touch-sensitive keyboards to be able to give a better dynamic volume control and also sound-variation of the pitch depending on the force of the pressure of the respective key, while the note is played, similar to the "Wah-Wah effects" of an electric guitar. These commands and control instructions have grown over the years and various advancements have been added. More effects than in the early days (MIDI 1.0 and General MIDI (GM) technology) are now possible with the GS (Roland) and XG (Yamaha) MIDI extensions, or even General MIDI Level 2 (GM2).

MS Windows Media Player or WinAMP and other software you normally use to play your MP3 files can mostly also playback MIDI files. You can also download MIDI players (even with sampled WAV sound fonts, recordings taken from original instruments) and editor or creator software and modify existing tunes or compose you own from scratch.
Anvil Studio is a free Windows program for multi-track recording, composing, and editing of audio and MIDI music files.

This can be quite some fun, too!
Taking an older MIDI file that you have just downloaded which sounds quite flat and go add some perspective, by tuning the positions of the various instruments (between the left and right channel), creating a more life-like surround effect. You can even change the instruments to suit you individual taste, by substituting the piano with a harpsichord or the flute with a horn or a fiddle, etc.
- Just try it, it will be lot's of fun!

You could even have a family 'music editing competition', where you listen to a couple of files, then decide on one you all like to be modified and beef-up - by everybody in the family taking part. Later you can listen to everyone's own creation and select a winner.
If you cannot make a proper selection play the individual music files to somebody who does not know who's music file it is and have them make the choice!
- Please make sure no original files or newly created files are overwritten! - Hours of work could be destroyed.


Try it, you children will like it!
Start off with small/short and simple songs and then tackle the larger stuff.

- You will most likely get hooked!
Enjoy! - Sit back and relax!



Please do not hesitate to discuss the topics mentioned above further.