Making the most of midi

Description

Making the Most of Midi is a Midi book unlike any other. It explains the fundamentals of Midi and Midi sequencing for the beginner, and it goes much, much further, dealing with issues that will be of help to more established users. Advice on Midi fault finding, on the less obvious tricks used by experts, and even help for musicians using sequencers with live bands. Learn about the structures of the Midi messages and the internal arrangements used in Midi files. And for the more advanced user there is even Midi and Midi File programming material provided. The author, Paul Overaa, who has more than a dozen books to his credit, is also a competent programmer, well able to both understand and explain the technical complexities of Midi. Above all else, though, he is a musician who has come to terms with Midi in all its shapes and forms. So, whether you are a keen first time user or a Midi veteran, there will be something in this book to interest you. Introduction 1 Making a Start Setting the Scene Some Midi Preliminaries Making Your Own Midi Cables Midi Communications Status versus Data Midi Channels 2 Basic Equipment Voices, Sounds and the Midi Connection The Multi-timbral Equivalent Extra Notes on Synthesizer Controls The Sequencer Choosing Computer Hardware Choosing The Software Computers and Live Bands 3 Making the Right Connections When Your Midi System Starts To Grow Merge Units Midi Switchers Midi Patchbays Last Words 4 How Your Sequencer Works Sequence Editing Quantization Transposition Automated Voice Selection Re-Chan nell i ng 5 Drums and Percussion Recording and Playback Block Style Drum Notation Boring or What? Track Shifting Randomisation Using Midi clocks when recording 6 Additional Software and Hardware Guitarists Effects Unit Control Midi Filters SMPTE!TimeCode Applications Wireless Midi Specialist Midi Cables Lighting and Other Midi Control Applications Midi to DIN Sync Conversion Still Only Scratching the Surface 7 Midi Implementation Charts 8 Midi Fault Finding The StudioMaster MA36 Midi Analyser Hand-held Midi Message Transmitter Units 9 General Midi and Roland GS The Roland GS Standard Moving Towards A Goal 10 Tips and Tricks Midi and Sequencing Midi Files Percussion Units 11 Messages and their Meanings Real-Time Messages System Common Messages Channel Messages Voice Messages Note-Off Messages Program Change Polyphonic Aftertouch (Polyphonic Key Pressure) Channel Aftertouch (Channel Key Pressure) Pitchbend (Pitchwheel) Messages Midi's Controller Messages Switch Controllers Continuous Controllers Mode Messages Midi Clogging Status Byte Structure 12 Sysex Messages Using Sysex Control Last Words Making a Start Enter the Midi File Proper Overall Chunk Arrangements Header Chunks 14 Track Chunks Midi Events Sysex Events Meta Events Last Words 15 Some Parting Advice Appendix 1 Hexadecimal Numbers Appendix 2 Notes For Hackers Appendix 3 Even Basic CanDo Collecting Midi Messages And There's More ... Glossary