COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY CHANGES MUSIC WORLD



Author: from AppleLink

Date: May, 1988

Keywords: midi music audio sound

Text:
[This appears to be a pre-final edit of the story, not the exact
version that ran in Known Users.]
Musical keyboards are being joined in recording and rehearsal studios
these days by keyboards of a very different type-ones attached to
personal computers. In fact, computers and a variety of new electronic
instruments are rapidly adding to the musician's repertoire of creative
tools.
Microcomputer technology is changing the way music is both created and
learned. Music composition and notation, sequencing, learning about
music, experimenting with and creating new sounds, and managing sound
libraries can all be accomplished faster and easier with the help of a
personal computer.
Both the professional and education music markets benefit from personal
computers. In schools and at home, personal computers can make learning
music easier and more enjoyable. With appropriate software, teachers
can enhance music instruction in skills such as performance, theory,
composition and ear training. Music applications require at least a
personal computer and appropriate music software. Those who wish access
to more sounds than a personal computer can generate by itself or who
wish to convey performance information between an instrument and a
computer utilize MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
technology, which greatly expands the creative options available.
Traditional instruments are being joined in the musicians' repertoire
with MIDI-equipped, microprocessor-based musical instruments. Among
them are synthesizers, which create an assortment of instrument sounds,
and samplers, which take sounds from the real world for playback
through the synthesizer.
Personal computers and instruments like these give musicians more
creative control over their music. They won't turn poor musicians into
great players. The distinct techniques and musical interpretations of
great performers can't be recreated using technology. But technology
can produce new musical effects and enhance the musical capabilities
and possibilities of any musician.
 
The Apple MIDI Interface for the Apple IIGS and Macintosh family of
personal computers has one MIDI in-plug and one MIDI out-plug, making
it suitable for a broad range of musical applications.  It measures
3-inches long by 2-inches wide and 1.25-inches deep. An external power
supply isn't required, eliminating extra wires and the need for another
power source. The Apple MIDI Interface connects to one of the
computer's two serial ports via a standard eight-pin system peripheral
cable. It connects to the MIDI instrument with two standard five-pin
DIN connectors.
MIDI-equipped devices are unidirectional. That is, data travels along a
single MIDI cable from the out-port of one device to the in-port of
another.
There are numerous software programs created for the Macintosh and
Apple II family of computers that take advantage of the MIDI interface.
Software can help musicians with musical tasks including sequencing,
editing, composing and creating sound libraries. Computer Technology
Changes the Music World.
The Music Market
According to the American Music Conference in a study conducted in
1986, nearly half of the households in the United States own a musical
instrument. All told, there are more than 26 million amateur and
professional musicians in the United States. Retail sales of musical
instruments were $3.37 billion in 1986. This includes $1.35 billion in
electronic instrument sales-2.5 million keyboards estimated at $526
million, 350,000 synthesizers estimated at $275 million, and other
electronic instruments.
Professional Music Market
Macintosh is as much a part of many musicians' musical equipment as are
guitars, drums and keyboards.  Macintosh is the computer of choice
among many professional musicians, whose styles run the gamut from rock
to classical and who include performers, music studio artists, record
producers, record label executives, music promoters, professional music
educators, music system integrators, film/video composers and special
effects/sound designers.
 
MIDI, The Musical Connection
The first full MIDI specifications were released in 1983. As electronic
music technology evolved, musicians had a strong need to connect
instruments such as synthesizers and drum machines to make them work
together. They quickly discovered that there was no standard
''language'' for communicating musical information. In a cooperative
effort, electronic instrument manufacturers introduced MIDI 1.0, which
evolved into an industry standard. MIDI technology has rapidly been
adapted to connect not only electronic instruments, but also electronic
instruments and a personal computer, which can then be used as a
control device.
MIDI's data format is digital. MIDI-equipped instruments communicate
with the computer by sending a series of numbers over the connecting
MIDI cables. Each MIDI message conveys a single musical event or piece
of performance information such as the notes played, how they are
played and what special control devices are used to add nuances to the
performance. Once the computer captures the information, it can be used
as a sophisticated control or playback device to correct mistakes and
experiment with different sounds and arrangements.
Apple MIDI Interface
Apple Computer's Macintosh(R) personal computer is already a leader in
the professional and amateur music market with its graphics interface
and abundance of music software. In the kindergarten through high
school education market, where Apple(R) II computers dominate, the
Apple MIDI Interface brings greater functionality to the Apple IIGS(R).
Macintosh computers, MIDI interfaces, MIDI-equipped instruments and
appropriate software are being used by professionals in a variety of
ways.
Sequencing
Sequencing is the most popular software application for professional
musicians. Sequencing on a personal computer provides more creative
control over music, letting composers work with all the parts of a
composition. The computer is used to capture performance
information-that is, what notes are played, how long they are held, and
how hard the keys are pressed. Unlike tape, which permanently records
the sound, this ''recording'' is strictly digital performance
information. Musicians can now go back and experiment with alternative
parts, arrangements and sounds.
Musicians who are not proficient on keyboards may record a piece slowly
for more precision. Digitally recorded performance information can be
played back at any speed without affecting pitch. This contrasts to
tape recordings, which rise in pitch as playback speed is increased.
Sequencing can also be cost-saving. Musicians can work out all the
parts of a piece with their computer and MIDI equipment, trying
different variations and arriving at a final composition before
entering the studio to record a live performance with other musicians.
Also, parts of a piece can be completed on disk and brought to the
studio where live performance parts can be added.
Music Notation and Publishing
In the past, musical lead sheets were hand written, and changing or
modifying music was a major project. With a computer and appropriate
software, creating music manuscripts and leads sheets for recording
sessions is much easier and faster. The software provides functions
such as aligning the notes in measures across all parts of a piece,
automatically adjusting note spacing as lyrics are added, and
transposing to another key.
 
Desktop publishing capabilities make computers especially well suited
for music publishing, creating a score that is much easier to read than
a handwritten version.
Sound Libraries and Editors
When people first started working with synthesizers, they were
generally limited to sounds that were shipped with the synthesizer,
usually numbering from 16 to 64. RAM (random-access memory) cartridges,
each of which typically cost between $50 and $150, also became
available as external storage devices for sounds.
Now many musicians have literally hundreds of sounds for each keyboard
they own. In order to manage and edit these sounds, they need an
alternative. A personal computer connected to a synthesizer through a
MIDI interface enables musicians to store sound libraries on
800-kilobyte floppy disks or on a hard disk. Floppy disks cost
approximately $3, and the sounds can be easily accessed and edited.
  
Using a personal computer and MIDI technology, musicians can create
sounds at a high level of precision previously available only on more
expensive sampling synthesizers. Sound designers can cut and paste
sounds together on a Macintosh, letting them create new sounds and add
special touches while avoiding the imperfections that could result from
older techniques.
Film and Video Work
Macintosh and MIDI technology are being used to synchronize music or
special effects with the moving images in film and video productions.
In the past, a score or a set of sound effects created and sequenced to
match the video events in a scene had to be painstakingly redone every
time a change was made in the film or video edit. Now the process is
faster and easier using the computer and appropriate software to
rearrange the sequence of sound events.
 
Business and Productivity
Professional musicians are also business people. The Macintosh is used
as a business tool for word processing, electronic mail, client
billings, equipment inventory, stage set-ups and other tasks.
Music Education Market
Teachers use computer-aided musical instruction to enhance learning in
music classes. Music education, which extends into the home, includes
keyboard skills, reading music, ear training, music theory, performance
and composition. Aside from music skills, there is software available
that lets musicians of any level explore the music world simply for the
fun of it.
Editing and creating sounds is also a lot easier using a Macintosh
rather than a synthesizer. On a synthesizer, sounds can only be viewed
as a compilation of numbers, displayed in a small window. Using the
Macintosh's graphics interface, sounds are represented as two or three
dimensional graphics on a larger screen and can be easily changed and
manipulated.
Sound Sampling and Design
Sound designers create and keep track of thousands of sounds. They
might have several types of sirens from sources like fire engines,
police cars and air raid alerts. These sounds could be sampled, or
recorded, from the real world. In sound design, sampled sounds are
captured and modified for playback through a sampling synthesizer.

Copyright © may, 1988 by from AppleLink