Using MIDI is hard to explain to new users

reapercurious · 05-11-2015, 04:14 PM

It's a bit intricate and involved to route the midi and audio for an outboard piece of MIDI gear. Also a little tricky to say in words what to do if you have an USB controller. Its hard to remember the names of the various submenus and icons. If you had to explain how to do either of the functions I just named, how would you do it, without cheating and opening Reaper, just off the top of your head?

whiteaxxxe · 05-11-2015, 04:20 PM

I wouldnt. I would cheat and open Reaper, invite the noob in question over on a coffee and explain it to him with Reaper open and a pen and a piece of paper.

why the pen/paper? to explain in that situation some groundlaying things as eg "what is that MIDI at all?". and go from there to an understanding that MIDI is an exaggerated way to notate music and to let music be conducted by the computer and played by the musicians that in this case are called VSTis.

really.

stereolost · 05-11-2015, 04:28 PM

I've struggled to make my Axiom work with Cubase for 4 tears. Ive struggled to make Cubase connect to it's official controller iOS app. The first thing i did opening Reaper was make it all work from the first try.
Not meant to say Reaper is easy to explain, but well.. and what's so cheaty about opening a software i'm trying to explain to someoe who has it open?))

Mink99 · 05-11-2015, 04:57 PM

Midi in itself is easy to explain:

Midi sends information about pressed keys , moved benders and faders , and timing information from a sender to a receiver. No audio is transmitted. The sender is called midi out and the receiver is called midi in. There are din cables that transmit this information on a physical layer.

Then the PC is involved ...

For a computer (Mac or PC) to act as a sender or receiver, it requires a midi interface which contains the plugs for midi in and out. Sometimes these interfaces are part of a soundcard, sometimes on a dedicated interface.

Then USB is involved.

Midi can also be transmitted through USB , where one USB cable will take the role of a pair of cables, and the driver on the PC , that will communicate with a particular device, that speaks midi through USB will provide the midi in and out, being accessible from any software just like the physical interfaces.

Then reaper is involved...

--This can be copied from various posts here,
-- do not forget to mention the j-button (enable recording when monitoring)

Then vsti is involved ...

-- Internal / external routing, reacontrolmidi

Then control surfaces are involved

-- This can be copied from various posts here,

Finish...

ivansc · 05-12-2015, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reapercurious

If you had to explain how to do either of the functions I just named, how would you do it, without cheating and opening Reaper, just off the top of your head?

It is hardly cheating to open Reaper in order to step someone through anything at all in Reaper.

I find myself opening reaper up all the time when I am trying to help others on this forum.
No shame in it and it sure as hell isn't cheating.
The alternative is to do it all from memory.
Is your memory THAT good, all the time? Mine isnt.

ELP · 05-12-2015, 04:33 AM

I can never forget MIDI.
Marlene, Ina, Dora, Iska, these four are my descendants and the purest house-dragons.

Explained enough and... Finish.

whiteaxxxe · 05-12-2015, 09:32 AM

I dont know why the explanation of MIDI is most of the times so overdone.

MIDI is notation. this notation is transfered to the computer. the computer is now the conductor that conducts the virtual instruments, which are the orchestra/the musicians.

done.

everything else come when time is right and is in most cases selfexplaining. (channels, CC, and so on ...)

Mink99 · 05-12-2015, 10:17 AM

Midi is independent of computer.

joelsampson · 05-12-2015, 06:53 PM

When I was in the MIDI hardware and software distribution bidness I did a lot of support, mostly with dealers.

People confuse MIDI for audio. The concept it can trigger something that makes a sound, but does not directly make a sound itself get lost.

msore · 05-13-2015, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reapercurious

It's a bit intricate and involved to route the midi and audio for an outboard piece of MIDI gear. Also a little tricky to say in words what to do if you have an USB controller. Its hard to remember the names of the various submenus and icons. If you had to explain how to do either of the functions I just named, how would you do it, without cheating and opening Reaper, just off the top of your head?

MIDI is a language for talking about how music can be made. Right? Not music, but a model for controlling music details.

Is that accurate?

reapercurious · 05-13-2015, 07:42 AM

silly me, i forgot to say 'in Reaper'

namely, there's a few random submenus to go into. quite a few steps.

would be cool if there were automated tutorials for common stuff (like connecting an USB controller and using it)

ivansc · 05-13-2015, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reapercurious

silly me, i forgot to say 'in Reaper'

namely, there's a few random submenus to go into. quite a few steps.

would be cool if there were automated tutorials for common stuff (like connecting an USB controller and using it)

You were right the first time. explaining MIDI to a newb is hard in ANY sequencer.
Roland published a great little handbook covering all the basics of MIDI, up to and including control odes and a bit on sysex.
I will hunt my copy out and post the exact title. It is/was free and I would assume is still available if you ask Roland nicely.

whiteaxxxe · 05-13-2015, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mink99

Midi is independent of computer.

no, its not. a hardware standalone GM/GS-device is a computer.

and I dont think its a good idea to speak of MIDI closely related to any peculiar software/DAW. I find its very important that there is an abstract general understanding what we are dealing with when we talk about MIDI. the general understanding must not be tied to something concrete. in the first place there must be a grasp of the principle. because of a lack of this people who use MIDI since years sometimes come to a point, where they dont understand whats going on. they learned what to click on in what order but didnt get the thing at its roots. (original quote: "since USB took over, MIDI hasnt any ins or outs anymore!" or, from another thread here in the german forum: "how do I get the sounds onto my MIDI-keyboard?")

msore · 05-13-2015, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiteaxxxe

...I dont think its a good idea to speak of MIDI closely related to any peculiar software/DAW. I find its very important that there is an abstract general understanding what we are dealing with when we talk about MIDI. the general understanding must not be tied to something concrete. in the first place there must be a grasp of the principle. because of a lack of this people who use MIDI since years sometimes come to a point, where they dont understand whats going on. they learned what to click on in what order but didnt get the thing at its roots. (original quote: "since USB took over, MIDI hasnt any ins or outs anymore!" or, from another thread here in the german forum: "how do I get the sounds onto my MIDI-keyboard?")

I agree, and what I was sorta getting at by pointing out that MIDI is a language (not sounds) was that languages have different dialects, different applications. So MIDI implementation in one DAW or on one machine is going to differ (like dialects differ) from other implementations, other interfaces.