When I asked Andrew Farnham, earlier in the week, if he would be willing to be a co-editor for this article, he graciously accepted. There is a need for the information contained in this article and since I am a novice in using computerized music in the classroom, who better to write this article than someone who has been a "pioneer" in this field.
To begin with, I asked Andrew these questions:
- I am curious. How do you make midi files? What equipment or software do
you need to create midis?
His reply was:
- First, the equipment. I use Mac computers; they need an external MIDI
interface (a translator between the MIDI synthesizer and the computer) that plugs
into a serial port, which is usually the modem port. Also, at least two MIDI cables, (ask
for these at a good music store), for in and out MIDI messages.
Also, a synthesizer, keyboard, and sound-source are needed. Here you have many options. I use a nice Yamaha Clavinova digital piano to play in to the computer, but I also have a General MIDI [GM] sound module to play the synthesized sounds out. At school, for my students, I use GM keyboards for an all-in-one package to do the same thing.
Next, the software. On Macs you need to have MIDI system software that is in the system folder (Apple MIDI Driver or Opcode's OMS). Specific programs will specify which and usually load it during your install. Out of sight out of mind — of course, until it doesn't work for you! Sequencing software are programs designed to work as a MIDI recording studio. They are dedicated to playing in MIDI, manipulating and editing it, and playing it out. Notation programs are largely the same except their mission is to print out sheet music. When I first got into this about nine years ago there was a clear distinction between these two types of programs and what they could do. Today the lines are blurred, but the capabilities of the two kinds of programs are still different, which leads to confusion with many peoples' attempts to "get into" MIDI. I use Musicshop by Opcode for sequencing (a very basic program, but very usable), and Encore and MusicTime by Passport for notation. I plan to upgrade at some time, but the aforementioned programs cost around $100 US (I got the Encore on a deal) and more powerful programs would cost three times that. (Note: I get most of my software
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