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From:
Lee Azzarello
To:
, idm
Date:
Thu, 27 Jan 00 03:33:24 -0500
Subject:
Re: (idm) Synths, MIDI, music
Msg-Id:
<200001270827.DAA26564@college.antioch-college.edu>
Mbox:
idm.0001.gz
quoted 1 line GWEINSTOCK@HWS.EDU wrote this on 1/26/00 10:51 PM>GWEINSTOCK@HWS.EDU wrote this on 1/26/00 10:51 PM
quoted 2 lines I'm researching MIDI for a class, and I'm looking for either a good>I'm researching MIDI for a class, and I'm looking for either a good >shareware sequencer or a cheap real one.
I wouldn't want to suggest something that's not true but there are quite a bit of commercial packages available online for free if you look hard enough. I think if you are learning a program, paying for it sounds rather silly since you aren't participating in the whole goods and services transactions that make capitalism thrive. I mean, education should be free so why not make it that way?
quoted 3 lines I've looked at Tekknobo>I've looked at Tekknobo >(shareware is crippled), and Fruityloops (looks good from the demo, but >I'd like to keep this as cheap as possible).
I use a Mac but many programs I use are cross platform so that shouldn't be a problem. I think most of the good ones are (except for Buzz).
quoted 4 lines Oh yeah,>Oh yeah, >I hate to say this, but if someone could send me the post about how to >create a by the numbers IDM song using (I believe) Fruityloops, that would >be great.
It is unfortunate that you think this way. If you define IDM as a strict form that can be copied and reproduced you should stop now...form is fluid. Commodification of of form leads to exploitation. New form are not codified.
quoted 3 lines Secondly, in the paper I talk a bit about DSP, and I thought I'd include>Secondly, in the paper I talk a bit about DSP, and I thought I'd include >a CD with the text containing some canonical examples, or just interesting >examples of MIDI programming. Any suggestions welcomed.
MIDI and DSP are two _entirely_ different things. MIDI does not create any sound what so ever--it just gives on and off messages. You can use MIDI to control anything, such as lights, drum machines, synthesizers, mixers, effect units, your coffee maker, your garage door.
quoted 3 lines Finally, I was listening to Inaudible tonight and I heard a song with a>Finally, I was listening to Inaudible tonight and I heard a song with a >synth that sounded similar to the one used on Pink Floyd's "On the Run" >off Dark Side of the Moon.
I am currently studying a program called Csound. It has taught me that synthesis is nothing but waveforms and controls of said waveforms. If you start from scratch, you can make any sound you want. I don't know if Pink Floyd used custom synths or commercial ones but a good start would be to analyze the sound and try to deconstruct it's components. Is it a complex waveform or a simple sine wave? What kind of attack does it have, sharp or soft? How complicated are the partials (overtones)? If you want to get into deeper issues ask if it was made with additive, subtractive or non-linear synthesis.
quoted 2 lines One last thing, any good sites for information on MIDI, if they could be>One last thing, any good sites for information on MIDI, if they could be >sent this way I'd appreciate it.
www.harmony-central.com has some good resources. So does www.midifarm.com, but those are both commercial sites that advertise for retailers and manufactures. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/music/Man/c_front.html This is the Csound frontpage. It has many great resources on electronic music. I could spend years here. Check all the online bookstores for books on MIDI. I found a good one called The MIDI Files on Amazon (I forget the author). Hope this helps. -Lee Azzarello P.S. I have a PowerMac 8100, which is roughly 7 years old. I am still learning how to use it to it's full potential. I use Cubase 3.52 for MIDI, sonicWORKX Artist for DSP as well as VST plugins for Cubase (although 3.52 doesn't have many great audio features), Rebirth for fun, Peak for CD mastering, a Korg N5 as a MIDI controller (and some sound design), Csound for digital synthesis and an Akai s2000 for sampling. P.P.S I'm listening to Girl/Boy song right now. I've probably listened to this track 1000 times since '96 and I don't think there is that much DSP going on. Four years ago the best (reasonable) computer you could buy was the PowerMac 9600. Even with that you couldn't do much real-time DSP. All this hype about real-time DSP is amazing but seems to me as a distraction from the older processes that haven't been fully explored yet. But hey, I still realize that I'm just a college kid and there's much more out there then my small campus. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org