[DM-MUG] MIDI

Tue May 5 11:53:30 CDT 2009

Unfortunately, I believe in those 18 or so years, you've missed a bit  
of a paradigm shift in the music production industry, and that's the  
main thing that's probably making all of this more complicated than it  
needs to be.

The old model of a MIDI based studio is just about dead. That is:

Control Chain:
MIDI Controller --> Computer --> Outboard MIDI modules, Synths etc.
Audio Chain:
MIDI stuff	-->|
		   | Mixer --> Effects --> Final 2 track audio destination (Tape,  
DAW etc.)
Audio Playback	-->|

Has pretty much become:

Midi Controller	-->|
		   | DAW --> Direct output to "finished" audio file
Audio sources	-->|

Most of the sound production tasks that were done via MIDI instruments  
have been taken over by the sound generation capabilities of the  
computer itself. When I use "MIDI" in GarageBand it's pretty much just  
as a control source. All the sound is generated via the mac. While  
it's possible to make it send that back out to external devices, it's  
not really what it was intended or designed to do. I've re-rendered a  
lot of my old projects from the 80s and 90s in GarageBand and some of  
them were pretty complex setups, but I haven't made it try and output  
to any of my old modules (mostly because they sound pretty bad  
compared to the sounds the Mac can make on it's own these days).

In fact I haven't really had my "MIDI" sound generators in my  
recording rig for several years, and just this weekend was in a live  
situation where we ended up using one of them. It worked OK for live,  
but it probably would have sounded better to have used GB to make the  
sounds on a Mac.

When I was at CalArts, I had a seminar class w/ Morton Subotnick ( http://www.mortonsubotnick.com/ 
  ) who predicted this shift - back in 1988 - and most of us had a  
hard time swallowing it at the time, but now that I've been working  
"in the computer" for a few years, I find it makes life much less of a  
pain. I've now managed to get 3 CDs out the door (the 3rd should hit  
CD-Baby today btw) and I did them all w/ GarageBand and every one of  
those albums contained at least a modicum of "MIDI" but none used  
outboard MIDI gear - it's all in the machine. Here's a good example  
(for complexity) of what can be done with an old MIDI project if you  
keep an open mind. http://www.macjams.com/song/3254

I know your style of music, and understand why GB is maybe not the app  
for you (it's limited to 1 tempo and 1 time sig). I have been able to  
work with/around this for myself, but I know you'd have problems.

Having also used (and loathed) OMS your calling it robust made me  
laugh out loud, then again, you used Opcode products, which I'm sure  
always worked well with it. At least now w/ AM Setup, it's a level  
playing field for all developers.

btw Chris, are you busy wed. nights? Figured you might be, but that's  
when the band rehearses - we could use another guitarist.

On May 4, 2009, at 7:27 PM, cmsspace wrote:
> I'm fairly familiar with MIDI on the old Studio Vision software and  
> have used it almost exclusively for the past 18 years.  I decided to  
> try out a USB MID interface with our newer 20" iMac.  After a couple  
> of frustrating hours trying to work with the iMac through various  
> applications, I have been unsuccessful in receiving MIDI from an  
> outside controller or instrument.  I've tried a couple MIDI  
> controllers as input device including a piano and drum machine. Both  
> of these work correctly and are able to receive and transmit MIDI.   
> The Vista based laptop we own seems to work fine with the USB MIDI  
> port device.  The iMac seems to see and recognize the USB device as  
> a MIDI port with 1 in and 1 out.  I've gone through the Audio/MIDI  
> setup application on the iMac and set up the USB port  to look for  
> MIDI on the appropriate channels.  I've used both the free MIDI  
> Monitor application and the ittybittymidi widget to look for  
> incoming MIDI as well as Garage (garbage) band.  (I call it garbage  
> band because it is seems pretty useless for MIDI.)  The Audio/MIDI  
> setup application was able to send the test MIDI out through the  
> port.  At this point I've given up until I can hear from someone who  
> might have more experience and give me an idea.
>
> iMAc
> 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
> MAc OS X version 10.4.11
>
>
> The Audio/MIDI setup application reminds me a lot of OMS but not  
> nearly as robust.
>
> Any suggestions?
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--
Bryan "ka-klick" Baker
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