Category: MIDI Basics

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Two Keyboards is like Four Keyboards

peavey dpm3
peavey dpm3

I remember in college when I bought my first two-tier keyboard stand. It was great. I was so excited. Now all I needed was the second keyboard. Of course being a penniless, starving student didn’t allow for the extravagance of purchasing excess gear. So I went for what seemed like a really long time with just one keyboard.

At the time I had a Peavey DPM3, which was actually way more keyboard than I knew what to do with. I was completely overwhelmed by the thought of oscillators and envelopes and filters and modulators. But one thing I did know was that I had 16 MIDI channels to work with and only one set of keys. And this was a limitation that I was determined to overcome.

Although I only owned one keyboard, I knew that if I could get my hands on another one I could “MIDI them together” to access way more sounds (using different MIDI channels) than I could play with just the one keyboard. For example, in performance mode I could layer 5 sounds using MIDI Channels 1-5 and play those all with the main keyboard. Then using a second keyboard as a controller I could access another bank of 5 sounds on channels 6-10 without ever needing to change patches. So even though I was playing the two sets of keys, I would only trigger the sounds from the main keyboard.

It gets better. Using this logic, I determined that I could also do the same for the second keyboard, and at the same time. I could make my ‘main’ keyboard access the ‘secondary’ keyboard’s sounds as well.

Kawai k1
Kawai k1

So, with much begging, threatening, and bribing, I convinced my brother to loan me his Kawai K1 for the weekend and I tried it.

Not only did my experiment work…. I looked SO COOL doing it! In fact, I think my wife married me because of this. (Ahhh… But that’s a story for another day)

By hooking the two keyboards together with MIDI, I was essentially using two sets of sounds from one and two sets of sounds from the other, at the same time. That’s why having two keyboards is actually like four keyboards.

SIDE NOTE: Using this logic… Three keyboards would be like having nine. I have yet to try that one.

What do you think? Do you have any interesting ‘MIDI Chaining” stories to tell?

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Latency

MIDI Latency
MIDI Latency

One of the common questions we get here at MIDIDrumFiles.com is regarding MIDI latency and how to correct it. This article explores what MIDI latency is, and what you can do about reducing its effects in your musical productions.

But before going into the remedies of the latency problem, let’s talk about what it is. Latency is the lag time between when any MIDI note is initially triggered to the time the sound actually exits the speakers. Latency is caused by the electronic processing needed to construct and send out each sound. There are many factors that contribute to the latency time in any given musical system.

Some of the devices that can affect latency time are: processor speed, RAM, sound cards, MIDI interfaces, USB interfaces, serial port interfaces, software program overhead drain, MIDI effects software, or MIDI player program. Essentially, any processing that needs to be done to the MIDI information before it sends out to the speaker will contribute to latency.

So then, what can you do about it? If you are experiencing MIDI latency problems, there are several steps you can take to combat the problem. The first and cheapest option to try is to examine the software you are using. Many software synths and MIDI sequencers actually have latency setting built into the program. This feature will allow you to set the latency time as low as you can. Setting the latency time too high will cause an annoying delay in the sound output. But too low of a setting and your computer will clip and stutter as the processor and software tries to keep up with the high demand. It’s your job to find that perfect balance for your particular setup.

If latency settings are not available to you however, start looking into upgrading your equipment. Or at least identifying the hardware you have that could be causing the problems. A better MIDI interface and sound card could do wonders. I’ve also read that USB interfaces are far less reliable than some other types of interfaces when it comes to latency. If you would like some more in-depth information on the specs of various equipment, take a look at these two articles by Martin Walker….. “The Truth About Latency”. I found them to be very helpful and informative.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Sep02/articles/pcmusician0902.asp

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Oct02/articles/pcmusician1002.asp 

As these articles point out, most of the time the latency delay time is not nearly as big of a factor in producing MIDI music as is the consistency of that delay. Some hardware and MIDI interfaces perform more consistently than others. And according to experts, this is the bigger issue.

Anytime you are dealing with computer or software generated music you will have to deal with latency. There’s no way to get around that. It is possible however, to bring that latency time down to where you cannot detect it with the human ear. A little investigation work into your individual system’s components will go a long way towards giving you the results you desire.

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FAQ

MIDI F.A.Q.
All of our midi files follow this format:
sect. A – fill 1 – sect. A – fill 2 – sect. B – fill 3 – sect. B – fill 4
Edit and loop to your hearts content !

How do I access these files?

There are two ways.  

 

Play them from your browser

    If you simply click on any of the file names located on our download page your browser will automatically download the file and begin playing the MIDI file.  This action does not save the file to your hard drive.  Most web browsers now days are equipped with a MIDI “plug-in” which recognizes the file(s) as MIDI and automatically begins to play them through your computer’s sound card and speakers. 
    The problem with this is that, in most cases, people have the stock sound card (which sounds horrible) that came with the computer.  So unless you have purchased a great after market sound card for your PC, these files probably sound a little weak.

    There are a couple of ways around this though.  

   ***  One is to get a software based MIDI synth. there are a bunch of them that you can buy, but there are also some really good ones for free. These software synths convert the MIDI data into ‘high quality’ musical sound (unlike most sound cards) and then pushes the music out your sound card. These are a great alternative to buying expensive MIDI equipment.

Here’s a list of some good software MIDI players
       http://aitech.ac.jp/~ckelly/midi/help/midi-players.html

Loopy – Great software!  and it’s FREE.

    Here are some others you might want to try out. (I have little or no experience with these.)     

 

    **** Another way is to buy an external MIDI sound unit. This is the route I go because the units are so much more editable and don’t take up precious computer RAM and CPU speed. Plus you can use them for other things if the need arises. 
    The MIDI data goes to this unit instead of through your sound card. That means you have to hook it up to your computer and have an external speaker source. (minor problems)
    I use a Korg NX5R unit: (click here for more information)

  This unit costs around $400 – $500 and is well worth it. It’s like having a studio Keyboard in a little box. 

    There are many different kinds of these modules that can be used with your computer.  Virtually every major keyboard has a rack mount, and module version that you can buy. 
    You can also use any MIDI compatible keyboard as your sound source. You don’t have to use a “little box”.

Download the files

    The reason I have these MIDI files available to download is not so much so that you can play them from your browser, but rather to download them into your computer for editing. This way you can use them as backing tracks for your songs or piece them together just for fun, or do what ever you want with them.

    You can download the files by clicking the RIGHT mouse button on whichever file you want to download. When you do this, a drop-down menu will appear. Simply select “Save File As….” and tell the computer where, on your hard drive, to save it.  Once it is saved you can import the file into any MIDI editing device or software where you can then use the file(s) however you want to.

    If you don’t have a software MIDI sequencer, here are some I can suggest. (There are MANY others)

    Cakewalk  –  Emagic – Opcode

Q: Why do these MIDI files sound so bad?

A: The files don’t sound bad…..  Your sound card does!

And before you say “How Dare They….”, please read why we can say this with certainty. Click here! and read… “Play them from your browser”

 

     If you have other questions about downloading these files please let us know: Contact Us

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Using MIDI files with an external sound source

How to Connect MIDI Devices
Connect MIDI Devices

How to use these kinds of files in your keyboard and/or standalone midi sequencers.

What is a MIDI file?
MIDI is a means of communicating music information among synthesizers, keyboards, computers and other electronic sound equipment through digital messages. Unlike wave files, MIDI files do not contain any sound. Instead they contain commands that tell the receiving unit exactly what note to play, what sound it should be played with, how loud it is, and how long to hold the note on.

What this means is that when you get a MIDI file, you are getting a file that contains what the composer did on his keyboard. The file is fairly small because it contains no actual sounds or voice information. To play back this file you need either a keyboard with both a MIDI interface and a floppy drive or a computer with MIDI capable sound card.

Playing back a MIDI file.
Playing back a MIDI file is fairly simple to do. In most cases it is a matter of putting a disk that contains a MIDI file into the floppy drive of your keyboard, selecting the file to be played and playing it. Since MIDI is such a common standard, it truly is this easy.

Playing MIDI files is extremely simple, but getting the most out of the play back can take a little more work. Consider, for example, playing your MIDI file back on a PC with a standard sound card. You will quickly find that the sounds coming from your computer may be a little flat or lifeless compared when the same piece is played on a keyboard.

The reason for this is found in how sound cards work. Sound cards have a wave table IC that contains the sampled sound of many instruments. Due to the expense and work involved in sampling these sounds few standard sound cards contain sampled sounds that are even close to the quality found in most keyboards or sound modules.

A keyboard has been designed to reproduce high quality sounds. A sound card has been designed to produce sound, not necessarily “high quality”. So what can you do about this? The answer is simple, connect the MIDI output of your sound card, to the MIDI input on your keyboard, and set your computer to play the MIDI file out to the keyboard. Now when you play back the same musical piece, the keyboard will play it with its full sound compliment instead of using your low quality sound card sounds.

Also worth noting… there are available now, high quality sound cards with “synth” engines built into them. These cards are typically much more expensive than your average generic sound card though. Consult your local music store for more information about this.

How do I connect MIDI devices?
Connecting MIDI devices is a fairly simple task. The standard cable for MIDI is a 5-pin cable with a small round connector. This cable carries the digital commands from one unit to another.

To connect the MIDI devices start with the master unit. All MIDI units will have jacks labeled as IN, OUT and most have a THROUGH. Take a suitably sized MIDI cable and go from the OUT of the main unit to the IN on the slave unit. Then take a second MIDI cable and go from the IN of the first unit to the OUT on the slave unit. (Note: the Out from one unit cannot connect to the OUT of the other. This will not work. An OUT must always connect to an IN).

Now that the digital command links have been established you can begin to establish the audio connections. Start with the slave device and run a patch cable from the audio out to the audio input on your mixer or amp.

These simple connections are all that are required. Now you can use the main unit to cause any of the other unit(s) to play music as you see fit. Remember the shorter the cable run the better the signal quality will be. And it is not recommend to run more than 4 or 5 units in a MIDI chain as the signal can become weak and unstable.

Further details.
The exact details for playing back MIDI files on your keyboard, sequencer or drum machine will vary with different models. While the basic steps are usually the same, the best source of instruction is yours owners manual.

If your instrument has a disk drive, normally you would start by saving a MIDI file on a standard DOS formatted disk. After the file is saved, you insert the disk into the floppy drive on your digital instrument. Use the built in floppy drive controls to select the MIDI file on the disk and then select play.

Playing back a MIDI file on your PC may be slightly more complicated but still is very simple. The first step is to ensure that the MIDI drivers for your sound card or MIDI ports are installed and enabled. The information that came with your sound card will tell you how to this properly.

On a PC it is very common to use some sort of music editing software to play back or modify a MIDI file. Follow the manufacturer’s directions to install your music editing software and ensure that it works with your sound card.

Once the software and hardware are ready you can begin having fun. Insert the disk with the MIDI file into your PC’s floppy drive and open the file with your music editing software. The software will allow you to play or change the file as needed.

As you can see, thanks to industry standards, using MIDI files is fairly simple to do. You will be amazed with the possibilities that are opened up once you begin working with MIDI files.

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MIDI Drum Map

General Midi
Drum Map

Keyboard NoteMidi NoteInstrument
B235Acoustic Bass Drum
C336Bass Drum
C#337Side Stick
D338Acoustic Snare
D#339Hand Clap
E340Electric Snare
F341Low Floor Tom
F#342Closed Hi Hat
G343High Floor Tom
G#344Pedal Hi Hat
A345Low Tom
A#346Open hi Hat
B347Low Mid Tom
C448Hi Mid Tom
C#449Crash Cymbal 1
D450High Tom
D#451Ride Cymbal 1
E452Chinese Cymbal
F453Ride Bell
F#454Tambourine
G455Splash Cymbal
G#456Cowbell
A457Crash Cymbal 2
A#458Vibra slap
B459Ride Cymbal 2
C560Hi Bongo
C#561Low Bongo
D562Mute Hi Conga
D#563Open Hi Conga
E564Low Conga
F565High Timbale
F#566Low Timbale
G567High Agogo
G#568Low Agogo
A569Cabasa
A#570Maracas
B571Short Whistle
C672Long Whistle
C#673Short Guiro
D674Long Guiro
D#675Claves
E676Hi Wood Block
F677Low Wood Block
F#678Mute Cuica
G679Open Cuica
G#680Mute Triangle
A681Open Triangle

 

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Cool ways to use these MIDI drums for fun.

Music Fun
Music Fun

Forget work, huge recording studios, expensive gear, towering effects racks, and sequencing learning curves. Let’s talk about how to use these MIDI Drum Files just for fun.

Out of the 10,000 or so people that have accessed our drum files recently, a large percentage of them use the files to back up original music tracks. Another block of people download them specifically as cell phone ringtones (more about how to do that in a later email). But hidden in there somewhere is a group of people that come up with creative uses for these files just for fun. I thought you might like to hear some of the stories and get some creative ideas for yourself.

Take Mary (San Francisco, Ca), for example. After getting our complete set of MIDI Drum Files, she selected about 35 and proceeded to chain them all together using Cakewalk’s Sonar 3. She added some strings over the top of the beats and converted them into one long MP3. Now they can be heard almost every day in the lobby of her ‘modern dance’ studio in Southern San Francisco. Thanks Mary.

Then there’s Toby (Springfield Mo.)… Junior High camp director. He bought these files for a 2003 summer camp he was involved with in Missouri. Selecting out the Rap and Rave, beats he gave the students one week to come up with the best rap about their counselors. The kids were able to pick the beat they wanted and could perform it in front of everybody. The show was a screaming success and the performers had their friends rolling on the floor with laughter. Thanks Toby.

OK, its Halloween night, the lights are dark, the spider webs are hung above the entry way. Who better to greet unsuspecting trick-or-treeters than Snoop Doggy Dog Himself…. Or at least Mark H. of Houston TX. made up to look like ‘The Dog’. The drum files play all around his house to make it sound like one of his rap song drum beats. He greets the kids who stop by. Most of them ask if he really is Snoop. Thanks for the creativity Mark.

These are some stories that have come from creative people over the years who not only get good use out of our MIDI Drum Files, but also have fun with them in the process. If you have any stories like these of creative ways to use our drum files… Please let us know about it.

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What is MIDI?

MIDI Connections Chart
MIDI In/Out through a sound card or direct via USB connection

M.I.D.I. – Musical Instrument Digital Interface

Basically, MIDI is a computer language used in networking two or more devices together. The specific devices we are most often referring to when discussing MIDI are musical computers, like synthesizers or signal processors. Essentially this means that you can hook up two musical devices and have them “communicate” with each other.

Some Basic Concepts
You don’t need to understand nuclear fusion to get a grasp on this MIDI stuff, there are just a few basic concepts you have to grasp.

  1. MIDI information IS NOT audio information. This is a hang up for many people who are just starting out in the music and audio arena. MIDI is merely a set of numerical instructions that are sent and received between the devices. The musical devices then translate this data into meaningful commands. So when a MIDI command is sent from one device to another, the signal is telling the second device which notes to play, how long to hold them, which sounds to use… etc.
  2. You need to understand how the flow of MIDI information works. MIDI data is sent out of the “OUT” port, MIDI data is received at the “IN” port. So for example if you want to send a MIDI data from a sequencer to a synthesizer the cables would connect on the OUT of the sequencer (because info is coming out) to the IN of the synthesizer (because the synth is receiving info). This can be confusing at first because the temptation is to plug the IN of one machine directly into the IN of another. But if you do that, you are not going to get any sound…. Ever.
  3. Channels – MIDI data transmits on 16 different channels. This allows for 16 different sets of MIDI data to be sent at once, which means a sequencer could control up to 16 different instruments at one time. Typically each instrument would be sent separately on a different channel. For example, drum track information is usually sent on channel 10 and so would play back on channel 10, Bass guitar sounds are usually on channel 2, synth on 4 and so on. You just have to make sure that the synthesizer that is receiving the channels has the correct sound selected for that channel.

Because MIDI does not carry with it the actual audio sound data, but just the note commands, midi files are extremely light and compact. A large number of songs can take up a relatively small amount of space on a disk or hard drive. This reason, along with it’s versatility makes MIDI an ideal language for almost any musician, and especially those who are on the road for performances or deal in large volumes of music.