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Craig Gets Another Job!!!!


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The MIDI Manufacturer's Association announced that "Industry icon Craig Anderton has accepted the position of Vice President of Public Relations."

 

I guess once a VP, always a VP. But honestly, with the introduction of MIDI 2.0 and the mass of people today who think that MIDI is just a way to connect a keyboard to a virtual instrument in the computer, there are few as good as Craig in explaining technical things in a practical way, and in a way that the technical side doesn't get glossed over.

 

Don't work too hard, Craig, and preach what you practice. ;)

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Wow, wasn't expecting this to create a stir. I've been involved with the MMA for a while, now it's just official. It's a volunteer gig, but at least I'll have access to the corporate jet and the condo on Kona. :)

 

I've already written a press release about the organizational changes, a one-page MIDI 2.0 overview that will be handed out at CES, and proposed a post-NAMM schedule of news releases. With MIDI 2.0 now a reality, the current MMA is very much re-vitalized, and has a lot of dedicated/smart people on board.

 

MIDI 2.0 will take a while to become mainstream. Like MIDI 1.0, it's a forward-looking spec...who knows how long it will be before everyone is exploiting the 32-bit controller resolution, or the 16-bit velocity. There are lots of changes. Those cumbersome, compound RPN and NRPN messages have been replaced with single messages that are as easy to use as the original controller messages in MIDI 1.0. There are a lot more controllers (32,000), including per-note controllers.

 

Probably the biggest implication is MIDI now being two-way instead of one-way communication. This allows devices to talk to each other. Before long, controllers will be able to ask devices what they are, and configure themselves automatically...sort of like NKS on steroids.

 

I'm not surprised that the 2.0 gear will be backward-compatible with 1.0 systems (that's one advantage of MIDI gear being able to converse - if a piece of gear doesn't speak 2.0, the 2.0 gear will speak 1.0 to it). I am a bit surprised that some 1.0 gear will be able to retrofit 2.0 features. For example, there's no reason why the improved timing in 2.0 can't be applied to a lot of 1.0 gear.

 

It's really pretty exciting, so I'm enjoying being in the thick of it. :)

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With Roland showing a MIDI 2.0 keyboard at CES, and rumors of MIDI 2.0 synths at NAMM, it seems like things are off and running.

 

I saw the keyboard at CES, but the person who knew the most about MIDI 2.0 had gone home before I got there so I couldn't ask much in the way of technical questions, but I was promised a good tour at NAMM.

 

Would it be a fair question to ask to be shown (as in be able to hear) something that takes advantage of MPE that couldn't be done from the keyboard with MIDI 1? Is there hardware, or even a soft synth (which might be able to be cobbled together quickly) yet that can demonstrate the extended performance control?

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Probably one of the most important expressive characteristics is that you can have per-note pitch bend from a keyboard (or other controller). The only way I know of to get per-note vibrato with MIDI 1.0 is a guitar synth in mono mode, because you could only play one note on a string at a time anyway. You can also have per-note controllers, I think there are 256 registered controllers for pitch. If polyphonic aftertouch keyboards come back, this has all kinds of potential for modifying individual note characteristics.

 

Per note pitch control has a maximum resolution of 0.0000029 cents, so anything relating to pitch control (e.g., ribbon controllers) will essentially feel like analog - no perceptible steps or gaps.

 

There are also note-on attributes. For example with drums, the note-on attribute could specify the sound that happens when a drum stick strikes a specific part of the drum, or particular articulations. These could be tied to different positions on a keyboard key (e.g., hitting it closer to the end vs. closer to where it pivots).

 

Of course, we need controllers that are mechanically capable of providing this level of expressiveness. Devices like the ROLI or LinnStrument are the very first of these. But remember, MIDI 2.0 is intended to last decades, and the assumption is that there will be innovations in controllers, and MIDI needs to be prepared to take advantage of them.

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Yes, one of the most exciting things about this new spec will be watching innovations unfold in ways that were never initially anticipated. When 1.0 came out, I remember looking forward to layering keyboards and controlling them remotely; but I never anticipated the depths MIDI would be used in sequencing and audio recording nor the changes it would create in music genres.

 

Congratulations on your new position, Craig. I can't think of a better person for the job than you! :thu:

 

Best,

 

Geoff

My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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Yes, one of the most exciting things about this new spec will be watching innovations unfold in ways that were never initially anticipated. When 1.0 came out, I remember looking forward to layering keyboards and controlling them remotely; but I never anticipated the depths MIDI would be used in sequencing and audio recording nor the changes it would create in music genres.

 

Congratulations on your new position, Craig. I can't think of a better person for the job than you! :thu:

 

Best,

 

Geoff

 

Yesterday I wrote an article on how to use the NI Komplete Keyboards as general-purpose MIDI controllers for the instruments and effects in Studio One, while Studio One is open, over USB...which isn't supposed to be possible :)

 

I realized this kind of busy work will be history in a few years, maybe less. Komplete keyboard says to instrument "hey, what are you?" Instrument replies. Komplete keyboard programs itself to control its new friend.

 

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