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Meet the MMA's New President!


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Uh...that would be me :)

 

Remember how I became VP of Public Relations for the MIDI Manufacturers Association a while back? Well, apparently I didn't screw anything up, because I've now been elected President by the Executive Board, and approved by the Technical Standards people as well. It's a two-year term, so they're stuck with me until January 2022.

 

Fortunately, this will interfere only minimally with my other activities, and will have no effect on my participation in MPN. In the past several months, temporary president Gene Joly, a seasoned industry veteran and a super-nice guy, came out of retirement to help turn the MMA into a well-oiled organization. The Technical Standards Boards are doing amazing work, there are more members than ever, the midi.org website keeps getting more visitors, and the collaborative work on MIDI 2.0 is proceeding apace.

 

What the MMA didn't really have was someone who was more connected to users and artists than developers. They put a bunch of names on the wall, threw darts...and since the first 14 people declined the offer, here I am :)

 

This is really cool!! Frankly, I'm pretty thrilled.

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Congratulations Craig, that\s awesome!!!

You are an excellent choice for the position.

I'd love to see MIDI move forward, it's been relatively static for a long time.

Maybe we'll finally get a workable MIDI guitar one of these days?

 

I am a president too, of our condo association's board of directors. Nobody wants to be on the board mostly so all you have to do is announce your candidacy to be elected.

At the first board meeting the board decides who will do what. I refused to be secretary since they take notes and issue the meeting minutes - the only board member that has to do something.

I did it for two terms, no more.

So they made me president. LOL.

 

Sounds to me like you've done much better than I did, they are stuck with me but you will make a positive change in something very valuable to music and musicians. Kudos, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Oh wow, my bad. Here I thought you were replacing Dana White...

 

Congrats and please keep those afternoon news briefings short.

 

Bob

Hammond SK1, Mojo 61, Kurzweil PC3, Korg Pa3x, Roland FA06, Band in a Box, Real Band, Studio One, too much stuff...
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Aren't you a guitar player? :freak::poke:;)

 

Seriously, that's awesome Craig. Mixed Martial Arts MIDI Manufacturer's Association is in good hands. And I feel special for having met you at dinner in January at NAMM. Like, "I know that guy." :D

 

Congrats!

 

:allhail:

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Wow. This is great. Someone that actually knows and uses MIDI at the deepest levels, listens to others, and trains others, .... This does not happen often enough. Other organizations should take notice. You can hire a logical person to fill important positions. :)

This post edited for speling.

My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page

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Congratulations.

 

I must admit that initially I was relieved after you had said that the previous chap.....

 

 

..... came out of retirement to help turn the MMA into a well-oiled organization.

 

 

 

But then when I saw this....

 

 

:2thu::keynana:

 

I can honestly say that I can't think of anyone better suited for the gig.

Congratulations, brother Craig! :cheers:

 

dB

 

I wasn"t so sure.......

 

Sorry! My 'humour' is probably....um....a bit 'British'!

....I"ll get my coat....

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Aren't you a guitar player? :freak::poke:;)

 

Actually, I've been doubling on keyboards for over 50 years, and even played keyboards in concerts. However, this does beg the question "Then why aren't you any better at it?" :) I'm no virtuoso but that's what MIDI editing is for, right? :thu:

 

I've found whether a song starts on keyboard or guitar greatly influences the music's outcome. The

album was guitar-centric, the last two were about 70/30 guitar/keyboard, but the one I'm working on now is about 70/30 synths. The sound is more defined and fresh, it's Caribbean-influenced dance music. For some reason, this kind of music just doesn't sound right with lots of guitars.

 

One of the aspects of MIDI 2.0 that really intrigues me is the way that it will influence songwriting. The Profiles, Capability Inquiries, and two-way communication in general should make setup much easier, and therefore easier to get started. So many times I write on guitar because it's fast. I've been concentrating for the past six months on making my studio more about "instant gratification"-oriented with keyboards. NI's NKS and Komplete Kontrol keyboards help, MIDI 2.0 will build on that same concept.

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Aren't you a guitar player? :freak::poke:;)

 

Actually, I've been doubling on keyboards for over 50 years, and even played keyboards in concerts. However, this does beg the question "Then why aren't you any better at it?" :) I'm no virtuoso but that's what MIDI editing is for, right? :thu:

 

I've found whether a song starts on keyboard or guitar greatly influences the music's outcome. The

album was guitar-centric, the last two were about 70/30 guitar/keyboard, but the one I'm working on now is about 70/30 synths. The sound is more defined and fresh, it's Caribbean-influenced dance music. For some reason, this kind of music just doesn't sound right with lots of guitars.

 

One of the aspects of MIDI 2.0 that really intrigues me is the way that it will influence songwriting. The Profiles, Capability Inquiries, and two-way communication in general should make setup much easier, and therefore easier to get started. So many times I write on guitar because it's fast. I've been concentrating for the past six months on making my studio more about "instant gratification"-oriented with keyboards. NI's NKS and Komplete Kontrol keyboards help, MIDI 2.0 will build on that same concept.

 

As a guitarist myself, I am hoping you can be influential in the development of better MIDI guitar products.

Not gonna hold you to it though, strings are onery critters and will do what strings do every time!!!

 

For Caribbean guitar, one needs a nylon string guitar, a requinto (small nylon string guitar tuned to G or A, a capo would work), AND a great right hand. I have the guitars... right hand needs work!!!!

Steel strings just aren't the right sound somehow.

Godin makes a nylon string with a Roland jack for using their guitar syths, a friend had one but he sold it. Pretty awesome actually, nylon strings seem to work better for MIDI than steel, less pitch drift on attack I think...

Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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That's very interesting about nylon strings for a MIDI controller, and makes sense. MIDI 2.0 really doesn't change the physics of pitch-to-MIDI conversion, it's as daunting as ever. That said, MIDI 2.0 could immediately make control over amps and amp sims easier, more standardized, and more hands-on. Picture this: a small box, the size of something like NI's Kore, which a bunch of knobs, switches, and readouts that change as needed to display the knob or switch functionality. The first page would be all the standard amp controls, the second would be specific to manufacturers, another page could handle effects. When you opened AmpliTube, the controls would show what they do with AmpliTube. If you connect MIDI to a Line 6 amp with MIDI control, it just "knows" what to control, and changes the labels for the knobs and switches to be Line 6-specific.

 

Where MIDI 2.0 could have a major influence on controllers is the higher resolution and variety of note-on messages. I think what's most important to guitarists is being able to use the same muscle memory and obtain the same degree of expressiveness as a guitar, not so much that it has to be done with strings as we know them. Perhaps a new type of string technology could be optimized for synth control?

 

MIDI 2.0 has a lot of room for more expressiveness controllers. The LinnStrument isn't a guitar and doesn't play like one, but conceptually, it's not that different...it's more like an electronic version of the Chapman Stick. Whether people will embrace new controllers is always an issue, but I'm pretty sure some company will eventually crack the code for guitarists to use electronic tone generators, easily and hopefully inexpensively.

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That's very interesting about nylon strings for a MIDI controller, and makes sense. MIDI 2.0 really doesn't change the physics of pitch-to-MIDI conversion, it's as daunting as ever. That said, MIDI 2.0 could immediately make control over amps and amp sims easier, more standardized, and more hands-on. Picture this: a small box, the size of something like NI's Kore, which a bunch of knobs, switches, and readouts that change as needed to display the knob or switch functionality. The first page would be all the standard amp controls, the second would be specific to manufacturers, another page could handle effects. When you opened AmpliTube, the controls would show what they do with AmpliTube. If you connect MIDI to a Line 6 amp with MIDI control, it just "knows" what to control, and changes the labels for the knobs and switches to be Line 6-specific.

 

Where MIDI 2.0 could have a major influence on controllers is the higher resolution and variety of note-on messages. I think what's most important to guitarists is being able to use the same muscle memory and obtain the same degree of expressiveness as a guitar, not so much that it has to be done with strings as we know them. Perhaps a new type of string technology could be optimized for synth control?

 

MIDI 2.0 has a lot of room for more expressiveness controllers. The LinnStrument isn't a guitar and doesn't play like one, but conceptually, it's not that different...it's more like an electronic version of the Chapman Stick. Whether people will embrace new controllers is always an issue, but I'm pretty sure some company will eventually crack the code for guitarists to use electronic tone generators, easily and hopefully inexpensively.

 

Great stuff, all of it!!! You've found your happy place for certain! Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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For Caribbean guitar, one needs a nylon string guitar, a requinto (small nylon string guitar tuned to G or A, a capo would work), AND a great right hand. I have the guitars... right hand needs work!!!!

Steel strings just aren't the right sound somehow.

 

Thanks for the tip, but I'm not being authentic, just being influenced. Like snare on the 3 instead of 2 and 4 :)

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Meritocracy at work. Congrats!!

 

:2thu::like::allhail::like::2thu:

 

Hopefully not Peter Principle! But I gotta say, I've been digging into the MMA and it's really pretty together. This isn't a salvage gig, it's a maintenance gig.

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Congratulations! This is a huge coup for the MIDI community â manufacturers, artists, and everyone else!

 

Say, can you tell me why the MIDIs won't come out of my keyboard? Can't seem to get anything to record on the tape of my Portastudio. ð¤£

Stephen Fortner

Principal, Fortner Media

Former Editor in Chief, Keyboard Magazine

Digital Piano Consultant, Piano Buyer Magazine

 

Industry affiliations: Antares, Arturia, Giles Communications, MS Media, Polyverse

 

 

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Say, can you tell me why the MIDIs won't come out of my keyboard? Can't seem to get anything to record on the tape of my Portastudio. ð¤£

 

this was my everyday life in the 1990's at Washington Music Center :facepalm:

:nopity:
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For Caribbean guitar, one needs a nylon string guitar, a requinto (small nylon string guitar tuned to G or A, a capo would work), AND a great right hand. I have the guitars... right hand needs work!!!!

Steel strings just aren't the right sound somehow.

 

Thanks for the tip, but I'm not being authentic, just being influenced. Like snare on the 3 instead of 2 and 4 :)

 

I am certainly only authentically myself but I've always loved the nylon string and don't remember any significant period of time when I did not have one in possesion.

The requinto was a bonus, a $14 Goodwill find. Solid wood top and it intonates well, plus it is the most cheerful sounding instrument that I own.

 

No replacement for an electric guitar, another flavor. We are all different, that keeps it fun.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Say, can you tell me why the MIDIs won't come out of my keyboard? Can't seem to get anything to record on the tape of my Portastudio. ð¤£

 

this was my everyday life in the 1990's at Washington Music Center :facepalm:

 

Those problems were usually resolved by telling people to connect OUT to IN, not (because the names are the same) OUT to OUT. Greg Lukens, my friendly local pro audio salesman at WPS told me that if all of his customers understood that, he's spend less time on support.

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Say, can you tell me why the MIDIs won't come out of my keyboard? Can't seem to get anything to record on the tape of my Portastudio. ð¤£

 

this was my everyday life in the 1990's at Washington Music Center :facepalm:

 

Those problems were usually resolved by telling people to connect OUT to IN, not (because the names are the same) OUT to OUT.

 

actually, Mike , those problems were resolved once people understood that MIDI does not transmit audio. :redwall:

:nopity:
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actually, Mike , those problems were resolved once people understood that MIDI does not transmit audio. :redwall:

 

That, too, of course. I was thinking that it might be obvious because they couldn't plug the MIDI cable into the Portastudio (unless it had a MIDI port for synchronization or control). But then I'm an analog guy so I think in those terms.

 

Oh, and Craig, congrats on your new job. You've always had a good sense of seeing how things fit together, and that's what a standard is all about.

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