Korg Forums

[arzie]

These things have been on my mind lately and I can't seem to get the right meanings to them. I'm very new to music but eager to learn. So, I was hoping someone could answer a few questions for me..

If you could put them into more simple terms that would be great, i looked them up on wikipedia but it only confused me


1. What is MIDI?

2. What are SoftSynths?

3. What is DAW?

4. Can you explain these four things:
- Vocal
- Drums
- Texture
- Lead


5. When you see a musician at a concert with 2 Keyboards and a computer, for example, Kontrol 49 and MicroKorg and Mac Computer, what is each one doing? What does the Kontrol 49 actually 'control' ?


Thanks for any help!!!

[tpantano]

[X-Trade]

MIDI - Musical Instrument Digital Interface

MIDI really refers to two things; a physical connection, and a data communication protocol. It has been around since the 80s, and despite its limitations, shows no sign of being superseded any time soon.
The physical connection is a 5-pin DIN (german standard specification) connector. Only two of these are used, or sometimes another for power. the rest are just there to pad it out acting as a stopgap for electromagnetic interference.

The MIDI data protocol is a standard and as such you will never need any drivers for example for your synth if you plug it into your computer using a MIDI cable, because any MIDI interface only ever excepts the same information, so it already knows what to expect. You will however need drivers for the interface which gives your computer a MIDI port - be that a sound card, another kind of card, an external box or unit, or a 'cable' or other USB device like the E-MU MIDI 1x1 (which actually has a 'box', a lump in the cable, which does the processing).

The cable isn't really what is most interesting. We want to know about the data coming down it. But first it is important to understand that MIDI carries digital data, and that data is purely information on a performance, so on its own it could never make any sound. It is however perfect for telling other synthesizers what to do, or for recording and editing performances before sending them back to a synthesizer in order to record the audio.

There are a number of different message types in the MIDI standard. The most important to us are note event messages. These will carry first a message, saying either 'note on', or 'note off', telling whatever is connected that we have hit a note, or have released a note. The initial message is followed by two values - the note number, and the velocity value. Velocity being how hard the note was hit (or released). Notice that a note off also carries velocity - indeed it is very rare to find a synth or controller that actually transmits or receives note-off velocity. A note on message with a velocity of zero is also considered to be a note off message.

Next are controllers. As every value in a MIDI message is based on a 7-bit value, we get a maximum of 127 for any value. A controller change messages sends 'controller change', then the controller index number, and the value it has changed to. so there are 127 controllers, each of which can have a value of between 0-127. controllers include any kind of parameter on the synth, or any physical controller on a controller keyboard - filter cutoff knob, volume, pan, modulation wheel (but not pitch bend, which has its own message type). Controller changes are great for recording tweaks to a synth sound live, or for controlling the parameters of softsynths and effects - they allow you to make a more expressive performance by changing the sound in many ways.

We also have patch change messages. These tell a receiving synth to change to a specific patch/program memory slot. There are 127 patch change values. In the General MIDI (GM) standard, they defined an entire bank of patches which would always have the same sounds, so that people could transfer MIDI files and have them play the same instruments. Things like 1 would always be a piano, 12 or something else would always be a bass guitar, etc. However it would still sound slightly different on different synthesizers because they use different sound generation systems, and it takes the fun out of sound design, so it is only really necesary to use GM sounds when transfering complete sequences between synths, even then, if you know the instruments, you can reassign them to better quality sounds that the other synth has when you get it loaded on there. Not all synths have a GM bank but where they do they will display the GM logo.
That leads me on to bank changes, which are actually just two CC changes. They just tell a synthesizer to change between a number of different sets of programs - the first 127, the next 127, etc. However, there is no agreed standard on numbers for banks, for example a bank change to bank 'A' on one synthesizer would not necessarily make the other change to bank A too. Two CCs gives an enormous number of maximum banks, that no synthesizer will ever use (something in excess of 16 thousand).

There are more kinds of message - aftertouch, system exclusive, etc, but they aren't really as important to understanding what MIDI is - A control protocol. It is very different to audio which is a continuously varying voltage that represents a waveform, or digital audio which is a series of numbers which represent a waveform.



Softsynth - A Software Synthesizer

A softsynth is a piece of software - usually a plugin requiring a DAW or other software as a host. So called because it is a Software Synthesizer, and a plug-in plugs into other software acting as an extension. Some softsynths can also run on their own without a host - coming with 'standalone' versions - but a plugin can not be run without a program to communicate with it - the host.

The general idea for a softsynth is that it is the software part of a digital synthesizer. For example your friend mentions the MicroKorg. The MicroKorg has a physical interface (the knobs, buttons, and the keys), and then inside of it is a chip running software that actually makes the sound.
well, with a softsynth, we have something similar to the code that is running on that chip, on your computer. It could be an analog-modeling synth like the MicroKorg, or a sample player like the MPC or Triton Series synths, or anything else.

You also get software effects, just commonly called plugins in general - things like phasers, flangers, reverbs, delays (echo), compressers, etc. they process an audio stream, whilst a softsynth creates audio when it receives MIDI data. They usually have a pretty user interface, sometimes representing or imitating real life classic synths, or putting their own twist on them.

Common formats are Apples AU (Audio Unit) only available on the mac, VST (Virtual Studio Technology), most commonly used on the PC and extremely popular, also available on the Mac, and RTAS which is a protools specific plugin type.

Note VST refers to any VST plugin, or sometimes refers to effects, whilst VSTi is taken to mean softsynths, where the i stands for Instrument.



DAW - Digital Audio Workstation

A DAW is a piece of software that allows you to record, arrange, and sequence Audio and MIDI. For example you might record a bass guitar into your audio interface, into your DAW. then chop the end off and shift it forward a few bars, or a few seconds.

You might then have a synthesizer plugged in, and you might record the MIDI from that, then edit the MIDI to take away a mistake note, adjust the velocity of something that is too quiet. add a MIDI transformation to double up the notes played with the same notes an octave below, or maybe an arpeggiator, or overall velocity shifter. Then play that MIDI back to the synth whilst recording the audio it creates, then mute or delete the old MIDI track - you don't need it any more because you have the audio recorded. Unless you change your mind about something.

You might then load up an effect plugin to add compression to your bass, and another to add reverb to your synth recordings.

Then, you might think you need a sound from a specific softsynth, so you load that up, and create a MIDI track assigned to it (or maybe in some software when you load a softsynth it makes the track for you). then you play some notes on your synthesizer or controller keyboard and record them. Now you have notes that your softsynth will play.

You play back the sequence and you hear all of these things you've done simultaneously, or however you've arranged them.

You can also mix levels and pan, EQ, output and input routings, add effects, until you are happy with your final track, you export it as a WAV or WAVE file - now you have your song on a format you can put on a CD or load into your favorite software.
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Current Gear: Kronos 61, RADIAS-R, Volca Bass, ESX-1, microKorg, MS2000B, R3, Kaossilator Pro +, MiniKP, AX3000B, nanoKontrol, nanoPad MK II,
Other Mfgrs: Moog Sub37, Roland Boutique JX03, Novation MiniNova, Akai APC40, MOTU MIDI TimePiece 2, ART Pro VLA, Focusrite Saffire Pro 40.
Past Gear: Korg Karma, TR61, Poly800, EA-1, ER-1, ES-1, Kawai K1, Novation ReMote37SL, Boss GT-6B
Software: NI Komplete 10 Ultimate, Arturia V Collection, Ableton Live 9. Apple OSX El Capitan on 15" MacBook Pro