This week Peter Kirn of Create Digital Music posted a great article on the upcoming full MIdi support in iOS 4.2. We are getting “WiFi Midi” which appears to be an Apple proprietary system for Apple devices to communicate wirelessly and official USB Midi support via the iPad Camera Connection Kit (Amazon link). It seems we will enter the next phase of music software and hardware on iOS devices once developers have the new Core MIDI goodness in their hands for a while. Is my Atari ST jealous yet? Read the full article on CDM here: createdigitalmusic.com/on-ipad-midi
“In iOS 4.2, best known for leveling the playing field between Apple’s handhelds and tablet, you’ll get full-blown MIDI support. It was clear in leaked details from earlier releases that Apple’s Core MIDI framework was finding new life on the mobile OS, but not directly what that would mean for hardware. Now, the hardware picture is clear.” – Peter Kirn
photo credit: ConfortModerne
This entry was written by , posted on November 5, 2010 at 6:15 am, filed under apple, iPad, iPhone and tagged apple, iOS, iPad, iPhone, midi. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
$99 brings MIDI to the iPhone/iPad. Another sharp video from Nick at Sonic State. This isn’t for me right now now but maybe there will be a killer App to take advantage of the MIDI Mobilizer. On some level Apps like Funkbox would be great to sync up to Ableton but on the other hand it’s so easy to import the loops as plain audio and make them fit… Who knows maybe we will be playing our live shows off phones.
“As it comes, the MIDI Mobilizer is probably best suited to backing up patches in your MIDI gear – the perfect companion for the touring tech. True, MIDI sequence playback is also possible and may work fine for many situations, but the lack of sophistication in the included App may be a problem. I’m sure that real soon, we’ll see some more Apps that take advantage of the hardware.” – sonicstate.com
For more info: line6.com
This entry was written by , posted on June 15, 2010 at 4:51 am, filed under iPad, iPhone and tagged Line 6, midi, MIDI Mobilizer, Sonic Lab. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Great self made controller. Another reminder it’s 2010.
“Hi Oliver, I just thought maybe you would like to post something about my latest creation. It is a self-made MIDI controller based on the ucapps.de hardware platform, extended with goodies such as RGB LEDs.” – Ander
For more info: ander.fm
This entry was written by , posted on June 8, 2010 at 3:42 am, filed under Uncategorized and tagged Ander, controller, midi, Station, upcapps. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
With the release of the iPad immenent it’s clear a MIDI interface for the pad or iPhone could be put to good use. I’ve been enjoying the lack of MIDI and the simple sound mangling apps such as Bebot, Curtis, TOPLAPapp and sampleToy. However, some Apps such as synthPond scream, “I want to be hooked up to to a DAW in sync and use me with external sounds”.
“MIDI Mobilizer is the only MIDI interface for Apple iPhone and iPod touch. Play, record, and backup MIDI information from any MIDI device, any time, any place.” – line6.com
We may not need a new MIDI standard but how about a new tiny MIDI plug?
For more info: line6.com
This entry was written by , posted on March 18, 2010 at 4:00 am, filed under apple, hardware, iPad, iPhone and tagged apple, Bebot, Curtis, iPad, iPhone, Line6, midi, sampleToy, synthPond, TOPLAPapp. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
I’ll admit to a production secret: sometimes I use MIDI files containing drum patterns. I cut my teeth in the early 90s making beats on countless records using various drum machines and sequencers. However, like an old boxer I always seem to throw the same punches. The only way for me to get some totally new grooves is to rely on Herbie Hancock or others who sold their patterns. Well ok often I use randomizers but that’s the not the point of this blog post. Today Groove Monkee released a new set of prefab drum beat MIDI files. This one’s called Twisted Beats and you get 800 for $29.95. If you order today (Wednesday Feb 10, 2010) you can get $10 off with the code: twitter10
“Twisted Beats is a unique collection of over 800 four measure MIDI loops for contemporary music with Rock, RnB World and Fusion influences. A wide range of old and new school influences are represented here: Dave Matthews, Herbie Hancock, The Mars Volta, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Meters, Paul Simon, Prince, etc. The grooves were played by a professional studio drummer or expertly programmed in order to get exactly the right feel. We’ve selected only beats with an infectious “feel” or “groove”; this is NOT just a random collection of unusable beats.” – groovemonkee.com
For more info: click here
via gearwire.com
This entry was written by , posted on February 10, 2010 at 9:34 am, filed under song writing, sounds and tagged drums, Groove Monkee, midi, pattern, sequencer, Twisted Beats. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
I really like the Berlin based audio software developer Sugar-Bytes. Effectrix is one of my all time favorite plug-ins. I’m glad their new plug-in Eloquence works on Midi parts (not audio). We’ve seen a nice resurgence of hardware like the new Dave Smith Instrument’s Tetra so this would make a nice companion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OSaGMjRR3A
“Eloquence provides an extremely versatile palette of performance options which can be triggered right from your MIDI keyboard” – www.sugar-bytes.de
Available now for $129/99 EUR. For more info: www.sugar-bytes.de
This entry was written by , posted on August 17, 2009 at 11:35 am, filed under plug-ins and tagged Eloquence, midi, Sugar Bytes. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBkcIjwg5tk
I just finished two weeks of training at my new job. I came across this video while reading my loved RSS feed from the super synth blog Matrixsynth. I can only imagine if this were my training video. At 4:17 you get a look at an early version of Motu’s Performer software. In 1987 I was seventeen years old and just starting out with an Atari 520ST and Dr. T’s KCS.
Anyone know how much this Mac set up cost back then?
Related post: Dr. T’s KCS Keyboard Controlled Sequencer
This entry was written by , posted on April 8, 2009 at 4:17 pm, filed under apple and tagged 1987, apple, midi, training. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Last week I had to import some Midi files into my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). It was a commercial jingle I was to revamp and produce. To make it clear what instruments each part of the jingle were meant to be played with what instrument the writer (John) used General Midi. “GM” was created in 1991 and in short sets certain program numbers (sounds) to specific numbers. Doing this allows one to make a sound a flute and when the midi composition is played elsewhere using a GM module the embedded program change number will call up a flute sound.
I don’t often work with GM and when I received last week’s work John was adamant I listened to his fairly complex piece using a GM module at least once before I ripped it to pieces. It’s true that on a Mac one can just double-click any .midi file and it will open and play in Quicktime. However, I wanted to load the jingle into Ableton and view all the separate parts playing from a GM plug-in.
My first instinct was to ask Google for GM plug-ins and Native Instruments Bandstand popped up. Bandstand certainly would have fit my needs. It can be used stand alone or in your DAW and has over 2GB of samples from Sonic Reality, Big Fish, Best Service and others. Bandstand was in my budget at $119 but there was one issue: no download option. I really wanted to get working at that exact moment and as far as I could tell on the NI site there was no demo or download version. I may still grab Bandstand later because it looks to be the best GM player out there. My search for instant gratification continued…
I decided to do a little forum searching and on the official Apple Discussions I found a thread with my final answer. It turns out I already had a complete GM player plug-in installed on my Macbook Pro. Every Mac has a bunch of AU plug-ins installed by Apple for use in Garage Band and iMovie. I’ve used a few of them before in a pinch but rarely look hard into that folder. The Apple GM plug-in is called “DLSMusicDevice”. Very pleased I got to work.
Do you ever have a need for GM modules?
This entry was written by , posted on February 16, 2009 at 8:03 am, filed under apple, plug-ins and tagged Bandstand, Best Service, Big Fish, DLSMusicDevice, General Midi, GM, midi, native instruments, Sonic Reality. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
The first software I ever used to create music was Dr. T’s KCS. I used it on an Atari 1040ST. The software was strictly to control external hardware midi devices. Hard disc
recording and virtual instruments were years away from hitting the mainstream. A guy named Emile Tobenfeld (see photo) was the man behind Dr. T’s and KCS and he created this software in 1984.
Take a look at the screen shot above of the “Track Mode”. You see those 48 “clip slots”? Each one would play back a midi part. You could mute and un-mute parts to try different musical ideas. You could also record midi into any part. Sound familiar? It’s an early version of Ableton Live’s session view! Amazing no?
KCS also had an “Edit Mode” where you could transform parts. You could do quiet a lot with your midi data including change the pitch, velocity, controllers, pitch bends, compress and expand length, reverse, and much more. I have strong memories of using the “Step Time Track” feature to make drum patterns.
The “Step-Time Track” is used to enter notes one at a time. You specify the value of the note, (half-note, quarter note, etc.) and its length, and then play the note on your MIDI keyboard. Velocity can be recorded from the keyboard, or it can be preset. Step-time tracks can be appended to existing tracks. – myatari.net
We have come an amazingly long way from those days. Yet we were still able to create some good music. It’s really not what you use but how you use it!
photo credit: tweakheadz.com, myatari.net and DrewVigal
This entry was written by , posted on December 11, 2007 at 8:40 am, filed under Ableton Live and tagged Atari ST, midi, sequencer. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
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