MIDI Music Setups

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MIDI Music Setups

Standard disclaimer: I have used most of that which is reviewed below, but there are certainly dozens of other solutions/hardware/applications which may be just as good, if not better. If you know of such solutions, email me at jjones@fayette.k12.ky.us and tell me, so I may be enlightened as well, and can include your offering below. If you choose to simply snipe behind my back, I hope all your MIDI files prove to be empty and joyless! Bah!

MIDI Links at the bottom of this page . . . .

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) files are data written in a non-proprietary serial computer information delivery protocol. In plain English, it's a universal way things can talk to each other. Those "things" are generally computers and musical "instruments" (most such instruments are not guitars and trumpets, but synthesizers). MIDI files are 0's and 1's, just like any other computer file, but they're very small for what they can do. For you old DOS users out there, they have the .mid extension to identify them.

In terms of MIDI music production, what you need and how you use it is depends on what your goals are. At the computer end, almost any computer will do - even that nasty old 486-25 collecting dust at the back of the library storage area will do just fine playing MIDI files. Of course, if you want to run the software mentioned below, that software has its own requirements.

If you just intend to download and play MIDI files off of the Internet, you don't need anything besides the computer and computer speakers, since most computer operating systems (including W9X ) have a MIDI player built in. (If you have an old W3.1 machine you're going to use, you might have to download something - but most are generally free). If, however, you have expectations for sound quality , you'll need something which delivers, since most generic sound cards don't do too well playing MIDI.

A MIDI file contains no sounds, only commands which are fed to a device which then provides the sounds according to the commands. Your computer will execute the commands, and another device must make the sounds. Good MIDI sound players (called modules or synthesizers) include:

Product	Price	Source	Description
Creative Sound Blaster Live	$100	CDW-G, or any other computer supplier.	This is a computer sound card, so it 1) has to be installed, and 2) is not available for laptops. However, it sounds quite good for the money!
Yamaha PSR282	$250	Carl's Music, Henderson Music, or any other supplier of musical instruments.	Besides being able to play MIDI, this device is also a stand-alone keyboard. Cheaper ones are out there, but be sure they're GM (General MIDI) compatible. Built-in speakers is a plus.
Roland JV-1010	$450	Carl's Music, Musician's Friend	This is a full-blown synthesizer module, with over 1000 different "instruments" and other capabilities. Although it has a headphone jack, it doesn't have speakers.
Alesis QS7.1 76-Key Synthesizer	$1000+	Carl's Music, Musician's Friend	This is an example of a true keyboard synthesizer, combining the MIDI power of a good sound module with a keyboard (most are more expensive). It has an earphone jack, but no speakers.

Computer Settings

If you're using an external module or keyboard, be sure to go to (in W9X) Start/Settings/Control Panel, double-click on Multimedia, click on the MIDI tab, and switch to External MIDI Port. If you're using a MIDI interface like the PortMan, install its drivers, and it will be listed in the same Control Panel location for you to select.

If you choose to play MIDI through a sound card like SBLive, you don't need an interface, and you can listen through your computer speakers. All the other MIDI playback options require an interface. For most computers, a simple adapter cable attached to the game port of your existing sound card will work (Game Port<->MIDI). If no game port exists, which is true of some cheaper workstations (including some KETS Level 1) and most laptops, you must purchase an external interface. The cheapest is probably the MIDIMan Portman PC/P, which runs off a computer's parallel (LPT) port, available for about $60, and purchasable from Carl's or Musician's Friend.

To hear your MIDI music played on a keyboard/module, you can use earphones. If you want everyone to hear, your keyboard will need speakers, or you'll need to connect it to an external stereo system or boom box with line-in connections.

If you intend to have students read/write/manipulate MIDI music, you'll need software. Here's several recommendations:

Product	Price	Source	Description
Noteworthy Composer	$39	http://www.ntworthy.com/ - I've never seen it offered by software suppliers, so the website may be it. The good news is - it's available as shareware download, so you can test it in advance!	This inexpensive program gives MIDI controls including importing and exporting files, in a traditional music manuscript environment. If your intent is to teach the use of music manuscript, this program is hard to beat! Unfortunately, I have never seen it offered by software suppliers - I believe it's only available from the website.
Cakewalk Home Studio	$80 and up	Musician's Friend, CDW-G or other software supplier	Cakewalk offers a range of MIDI products, including this complete MIDI and recording software package. It turns your computer into a recording studio! It's cheap for what it does, and will also do the mundane such as MIDI manipulation. It has more controls than Noteworthy.
Coda Finale Academic 2000	$250 and up	Musician's Friend, CDW-G or other software supplier	This package is easier to use, and provides some very important features, including the translation of any miked instrument into MIDI! It's the software of choice amongst music educators in FCPS.
Band in a Box	$60 and up	Musician's Friend, CDW-G or other software supplier	This application is not actually a MIDI program, though it plays through MIDI and exports MIDI files. It provides an environment with instant chord sequences, rhythms, accompaniments, so students can write songs quickly, with very little musical knowledge! It's really a lot of fun!

Links

Below are some websites which have MIDI files to download. They can be simply played through your computer, played with your computer using an external module, or can be converted into manuscript by any of the applications above other than Band in a Box (it may also, I just don't have any experience with it). Once they're converted you can change tempo, pitch, mute one instrument, change instruments - lots of possibilities.

Most MIDI files are produced by young people, and hence the quality varies wildly - be kind!

Jeffrey L. Jones Originals	This page on this site contains original music in MP3 format for download. These songs were created using a mix of MIDI sequences and real instruments and voices by Jeffrey L. Jones, Technology Resource Teacher at BSTHS.
	This site is currently blocked within the FCPS Intranet by CyberPatrol for reasons obscure, but you can access it from elsewhere. It has links to many other MIDI sites.
	MIDI lends itself to Karaoke quite easily, and there is a file format or two dedicated to this idea. On this site, download the player at the bottom of the "Players" page - WinKaraoke. It seems to be the best. Then, download files to play! They're not exactly commercial Karaoke files, but they're free!
	This one has Classical and holiday MIDIs
	A good general informational and link set.
	Kid's songs! High quality jazz and classical!