Stomp boxes and foot pedals are standard gear for guitarists all over the world. But for some reason that trend hasn’t caught on yet for keyboardists and computer musicians. Perhaps this little box will change that.
It’s called the Looptimus USB MIDI Foot Controller, and looks like it could add some pretty cool real-time functionality to live performance software. Designed to integrate with your computer through a USB MIDI interface this little box is configurable to navigate through sections of songs, start/stop, rearrange live sets, and much more I’m sure.
Along with providing a ton of MIDI Drum Files for people to download, I also like to search out and play around with new and different music software products. Here’s one that I came across recently that I thought was pretty cool. It’s called “Sonic Producer” and it’s only about $30.
For those of you who like to make everything from scratch… Or those who like coming up with new musical style inspiration… this one is for you. A powerful music/beat sequencer that has some amazing features. (and a very impressive price-point)
Basically, how it works is very simple. As the software plays, you tap in the rhythms one track at a time. Then you can go back and add more and more instruments over the top of what you’ve already recorded making it as complex as you want. Very simple to use. And when you’re done you can export the finished product for use anywhere.
If you have every used the Re-Drum feature in Propellerhead’s Reason software… this is similar (except it doesn’t cost $500).
Watch the demo video …
Watch the Video above. Download it here. Give it a shot. Then come back here and let me know what you think about this attractive piece of music software. I would be very interested in your thoughts.
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Here are a few good reasons. And if you see any I’ve missed, let me know in the comments below.
MIDI
AUDIO LOOPS
User Editable
Yes
No
Pitch Transpose
Unlimited
Very Limited Range
Tempo Variation
Unlimited
Very Limited Range
Edit a single note in the pattern
Yes
No
Ability to change instrumentation
Yes
No
File Size
Tiny
Large
Device Compatibility
Wide Range
No
Software Compatibility
Wide Range
Somewhat Limited
To be fair though, there are some advantages to using sound loops though. The primary benefit is that they are essentially ready ‘out of the box’. If you have software that can accept them, you simply plug them in and away you go. You don’t have to set up a sound source first.
But having said that, I will always love MIDI above all other forms of recording because of its HUGE flexibility.
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.
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.
By now you have probably had some fun creating music on your MIDI instruments and editing or recording with or from your PC. MIDI makes the mixing and editing of music very easy, the files are basically universal and do not require much space. These benefits lead us into another possibility for MIDI pieces that you have created, playing them on your web site.
Why MIDI is great for web use.
As mentioned, there are several reasons that MIDI files are very useful for the web. The first reason is its compatibility.
Regular sound files are made by sampling the music being recorded at a very high speed. This means that all the details of the recorded piece are stored within the sound file. The clearer the music the larger the file size is.
In contrast, MIDI files do not store any music. A MIDI file only contains the details for what note should be played how long it should be played and how loud it should be played, as well as a few other note characteristics. This means the MIDI file being played is actually playing sounds that the sound card itself produces. This makes MIDI files much smaller in size.
The other important thing to consider is web page file size. The speed at which a web page is loaded depends upon your connection speed and the size of the web page. The smaller the web page the faster it will load, meaning MIDI is a great choice for embedded music.
How do I use my MIDI file on my web page?
Using your MIDI files on the web takes a little work and a little understanding of HTML programming. I will assume that you have already created both a MIDI file and a web page and wish to bring them together.
First you need to find the page you want to play the MIDI file from and open it for editing ao that you can see the source code. The nice thing about HTML is that it is a high level language meaning that it is very simple and not all that powerful. This also means that it is very easy for anyone to understand it and edit it. If you do not have an HTML editing program you can use Word or Notepad which comes automatically with the Windows OS. You must ensure that you save the file with the same extension it originally had, usually html or htm.
Now for the programming part. To have your page play a MIDI file you first need to add a MIDI file to the same directory as the page source file. For example, let’s say the MIDI file is named web_music.mid. To use it, you must now add the following command to the code in your page.
Upload the MIDI file and your edited page to the web and then visit the page location using your web browser. Your web browser will use its default plug-in to play the file and you should hear music right away
Here’s what’s Happening:
EMBED tells the browser an embed sound is here — go get the plug-in. Remember, embed commands are associated with plug-ins. Note: If no plug-in is available, the browser will do one of three things:
1. Do nothing. This is true of very early level browsers or browsers other than Netscape.
2. Put up a dialogue box asking you how you want to handle the file.
3. Tell you a plug-in is needed and ask you if you’d like to go get it.
HEIGHT/WIDTH deals with the plug-ins control panel size on the page. If you do not want a panel, add the command HIDDEN=”yes” or set the height and width to zero.
SRC stands for “source.” It tells the browser where to go to get the audio file.
AUTOSTART deals with whether you want the sound to play by itself or by the viewer starting the file after the plug-in box pops up. “True” starts the file straight away; “false” prompts the viewer. Note I used “false” above. “True” would have started the file straightaway upon load.
LOOP works the same way. “True” loops the sound so it plays forever. Make the loop “false” if you only want it played once.
Now that you have added the commands and uploaded the page, you’re ready to go. This really makes for a nice personal touch and a great way to show off your musical talents. Have fun.
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 !
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.
**** 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)
Converting MIDI into any other audio format is not a “one click and you’re done” type of procedure. We discussed in the last email installment that MIDI is not audio data, it’s a language that allows musical instruments to talk with each other. That being the case, in order to get MIDI onto an audio CD or .MP3, you will need to record the midi data in ‘real time’. This can be done in a couple of different ways.
Get a MIDI to .wav converter program. One I would suggest to you is made by “MIDI converter”. This program works with many file types including .wav and .mp3 files. Click Here to download this great program: http://www.widisoft.com/
Assuming you want some control of how the end product sounds… you can record it manually. You will need to record the sounds you hear (created by the midi files) onto a recording device (probably your computer). These are the steps you will need to take to do that.
Once you select the midi file(s) you are wanting to record, select the sound source (This is what actually plays the MIDI file). In most cases this will be your computers sound card, however often a musician will want to use the sounds from a higher quality source, like a keyboard, drum machine, or external keyboard sound module. In the latter case, you will need to attach the external sound source to the computer via a MIDI connection. (depending on the model, you may be able to play the MIDI files from a floppy disk inserted directly into the unit, bypassing the need for a MIDI connection.)
Make sure that the midi file actually plays when you hit the play button.
Set up the sound source so that the music can be recorded as an audio signal.
In the case of an external sound source, simply connect the audio outputs to the “line in” of your computer.
If you are using a computer sound card, you will need to connect a short cable from the sound card’s “speaker output” to the sound card’s “line in” input. (Warning: if you don’t turn off the “line-in monitoring” in your sound card’s software settings, you will get massive feedback, so do that first.)
There are some differences between “Line” and “Mic” inputs that you should keep in mind. The line level input functions in stereo whereas the mic input is usually only mono. The line input requires a louder, slightly ‘amplified’ signal (known as “pre-amp”). Weaker signals have trouble being picked up by a line input. The mic input however, is set to automatically amplify the incoming signal and therefore requires a weaker input signal that comes from a microphone. So don’t plug any line level signals into the mic input of your computer. In most cases, the audio signal coming from a ‘pre-amp’ sound source is too loud for the mic input to handle and you will get distortion (or worse… damage can be done). So be sure you hook it up right.
Press record on your computer’s software and then play the MIDI file.
Save the audio recording in whatever file format you want. You’re done.
As far as converting .Wav or .MP3 files into MIDI, there are solutions for this as well. You will need a “pitch analyzer”. There are many of these converter programs on the market. One I would suggest is the intelliscore converter program. That can be found here: http://www.intelliscore.net/
Some of these converter programs boast even being able to notate multiple pitches at the same time. For example, strumming a guitar and have the software recognize all six of the notes being played, or notating all the notes played on the radio. In the early days of Wav to MIDI detection this was nearly impossible and even getting one line to notate correctly was difficult. But with the advancement of technology comes better programming. Give it a shot and see for yourself.
Stomp boxes and foot pedals are standard gear for guitarists all over the world. But for some reason that trend hasn’t caught on yet for keyboardists and computer musicians. Perhaps this little box will change that.
