In this section you can study the world of sound and music on your PC. Through a series of easy-to-understand and fun tutorials, you will learn the fundamentals for working with sound and music - and how to use the sound and music better.
You do not need to know anything about music or MIDI to view this section.
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What is MIDI
Please select a topic or click the Next button
What is MIDI?
How does it work?
What is a sequencer?
What is a sound module?
Multi Timbral?
What about the drums?
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Now, what is MIDI?
MIDI is:
MIDI is used by Digital Musical Instruments such as
Professional Keyboards
Drum Machines
Sequencers
Sound Modules
Sound Cards (the Music Part)
etc.
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MIDI usually starts with a keyboard
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How does it work, then?
A key is pressed
It is analysed
The result is: 76
The message is handed over to the message boy ..
.. and off he goes to the sound module
The sound module plays note number 76
The MIDI code plays the preset sound of the instrument
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OK! So, what is a Sequencer?
You use a Sequencer to record MIDI codes
MIDI codes..
.. are sent OUT from the keyboard ..
.. to the Sequencer
The note is sent FROM the sequencer ..
.. via the MIDI cable ..
.. to MIDI IN on the keyboard
The MIDI codes can be stored in a sequencer
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All right! Suppose I want to EDIT something ..
Let the music sound 2 semitones higher?
"Add 2 to all pitches!"
Send the new note
Play the new note
Every detail can be edited in the sequencer
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What is a sound module?
The piano sound ..
.. is only one out of 128 sounds!
Electric Guitar has one Program Change Number
Change to Harp? Send a new Program Change Number
A sound module offers many sounds - often 128 or more
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Multi Timbral?
Multi Timbral sound modules consist of many individual sound "rooms"
Each of them capable of playing one of the 128 available instruments
Click on one of the rooms to hear the instrument - or click "Orchestra" to hear all the instruments simultaneously: Multi Timbral!
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Orchestra
Click here to listen to the whole orchestra
Click on one of these to listen to the individual instrument
A Multi Timbral sound module can play many sounds AT THE SAME TIME
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What about the drums?
The drums are placed in another "room" on MIDI channel 10
MIDI channel 10 has different drum sounds for each key - try for yourself ...
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MIDI is..
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
The industry standard for digital music communication
Easy to edit
Very compact data format
Now you can learn more about
GM and GS
The MIDI setup
The superior sound quality of Roland MIDI instruments
Who is Roland
How to make your own music
Wave and CD
Sound Basics
SMF
End of What is MIDI
SMF
Click here to continue
Click the Next button to continue
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SMF: Standard MIDI Files
A standard format for music disks - like ASCII or TXT files for word processors
Also known as Music Disks
Any modern MIDI program/instrument can use this format
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Music Program
Program A Data
SMF Data
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Thousands of Music Disks are available from your friends, from authorised BBS's - and from your music or computer store
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Sounds like a CD
You will have CD quality, when you play a SMF disk using a Roland sound module
You can start, stop, rewind and fast forward - just like on your Hifi-CD
... but you can do so much more!
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With a Music Disk you can
Change the key to suit your voice
Change the tempo
Mix the instrument balance and add digital effects like "Reverb (Echo)"
Change any instrument to a new instrument
Solo an instrument to study it in detail
Mute ("kill") an instrument - and play/sing yourself
... and much more!
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Check out the Music Disk programs in the music section
Roland SMF Player: An intuitive Music Studio for anyone
Ballade: An easy-to-use recording and editing program
Cakewalk: A full-blown pro sequencer - yet easy to use
Musicator: A pro sequencer - with beautiful notation included
Any of these programs will read and write Music Disks
Try some Music Disk programs for yourself.
You will find several exciting and very easy programs in the Music Section.
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End of SMF
Click here to choose a new Tutorial - or click the main menu to choose a new section.
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Sound Basics
Choose a subject from the menu, or click the Next button
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How sound is stored
File Size
Editing
Conclusion
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How do you store sound?
When you play a cello, it will transmit sound waves
When the waves are received by the brain via the ear, you recognise the sound as a cello
You can also store sound and music in a PC
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The computer can store sound and music in three different ways:
Wave data
MIDI
CD Audio
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Wave data stores a picture of the complete sound
You record the sound using the Analog/Digital Converter of a sound card
The stored sound can be played back using the Digital/Analog Converter of the sound card
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CD Audio is also a complete picture of the sound - stored on a CD
You can not record the sound yourself
You have to buy pre-recorded CD's
When you play back a CD Audio track, you use the Digital/Analog Converter of the CD player or CD-ROM drive.
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MIDI is very compact instructions (notation) on how the music should be played.
You input this MIDI data using a MIDI device like a MIDI keyboard.
When you send the MIDI data to a MIDI sound module, it will play the sounds stored in the module - and you will hear the cello play.
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Each format has its advantages and drawbacks.
Let's take a closer look...
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What about the file size?
MIDI: Even in the excellent Roland sound quality, 10 seconds of music will take up less than a kilobyte.
File size
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Wave takes up a lot of space - even in the poorest quality:
8 bit, 11kHz, mono
More than 200 Kbytes
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Let's try a quality like an old radio...
8 bit, 22kHz, stereo
That is almost a Mbyte!
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And now for CD-quality
16 bit, 44kHz, stereo
Almost 2 MEGA-bytes!
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An ordinary 1.44 Mb disk can hold
A full quality wave file for
8 seconds!
A MIDI file (in any quality)
56 minutes!
MIDI data takes up only a fraction of the space of a similar Wave file
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What about editing?
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You can compare Wave with a tape recording
It is easy to record anything with a microphone, but it is difficult to make it sound good
You can cut and paste
If your recording is composed of several sounds, you can not edit the sounds separately
You can not change the sound itself
MIDI is instructions - not sounds
It is easy to record, but you need a MIDI instrument (not a microphone)
All editing is fast and flexible
Any sound or note can be edited individually - even if it is played together with other sounds or notes
MIDI files are much easier to edit
OK - give me a summary now...
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Any sound can be recorded (speech, effects and music)
It is easy to "steal" from other sources like a Hifi-CD - but you may have copyright problems...
Takes up a lot of space
Editing is limited and difficult
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High sound quality (Roland)
Extremely flexible editing
Humble storage demands
Only the pre-recorded sounds (instruments) can be used - no user recordings of sounds
May require musical skills...
High sound quality
Huge data capacity
No recording (yet)
No editing
Only one CD at a time can be used
What is best?
Use MIDI wherever you can (music and some effects)
Use Wave for the rest
- and use a sound card of the best possible quality (Roland)
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But Roland does not make sound cards, do they...?
Oh yes, they do! But of course only in the very best quality. Check out the Product Guide - or listen to the Hifi Audio tracks on this CD-ROM
End of Sound Basics
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The MIDI Setup
Click the Play button to continue
Click to see a product example
You will find examples of the products in the Product Guide
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End of The MIDI Setup
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GM/GS
Choose a subject - or click the Next button to continue
What is GM?
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Back in the old days (the 80's...) a fine tune made on one synthesizer (or sound card) usually sounded terrible on another synthesizer. Incorrect instruments were heard!
You ask for a particular instrument by entering a special code - a program change number. But these codes were special for each sound card, so the result was strange music.
My new masterpiece was made on sound card A, with these instruments and program change numbers:
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Clarinet
Piano
Guitar
Electric Bass
Rock Drums
In the MIDI file, only the program change numbers are stored, so this is what they produce in sound card B:
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Harp
Synth Pad
Organ
Flute
Classic Percussion
Hm... Something Needs Fixing...
A standard was needed
In 1991 GM - General MIDI - was born with the help of Roland and other manufacturers.
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GM defined a standard for MIDI instruments
Number of MIDI channels (how many different sounds at one time)
Fixed positions for each of the 128 defined instruments
Drums and percussion on MIDI channel 10, with each drum and percussion instrument on a particular key
Actually, a base level and an extended level was defined. Of course, most Roland MIDI instruments are extended.
Now it is easy to...
Exchange songs with your friends and colleagues
Buy ready made professional songs (MIDI Music)
Download songs using a modem (but be careful of copyright)
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A GM instrument will have...
128 instruments in fixed places
45 drum sounds in fixed places on MIDI channel 10
A minimum of 16 MIDI (parts) channels
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Roland GM instruments will have these extra features:
Digital Reverb
Digital Chorus
Additional drum sets
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Aah, so GM is a guarantee for a good sound quality?
NO, it is NOT!
GM defines a piano sound on Program Change 1
...but it does not specify the QUALITY of that piano sound - it may sound INFERIOR
This is how a Roland piano sounds...
Now I understand.
What is GS then?
GM is the standard of yesterday
GS is the standard of today
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A more flexible, but still standard definition, is GS. It was designed by Roland (and put into public domain) for those who needed more individuality, while still maintaining compatibility.
GS is everything that GM is
GS adds more sounds
GS adds sound editing
GS has many more sounds
GM has only one steel stringed guitar
GS has variations, like the 12 stringed guitar
Many - typically professional - MIDI disks are in GS format and will use more sounds, often tailored specifically for the particular song or style.
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You can edit a GS sound to suit your particular taste. You may GS-edit a single sound into different sounds for melody, synth pads, keyboards, bass and percussion
Click here to learn how much you can do with GS editing:
Standard Sounds
All parts played with the same Syn Strings sound
Ooops. Some sound cards state "GS compatibility", but they actually just imitate the extra GS sounds. The sounds in such cards can not be edited and can not take advantage of the many GS song files.
GS Edited Sounds
All parts played with the "same" Syn Strings sound - but each part uses different GS edited versions of the sound
GM is the standard for disk music today
GM is the minimum for a MIDI sound card
GM is for game, home and hobby
GS is the more advanced "upgrade" for today and tomorrow
GS has more sounds - and they all can be edited
GS is for the demanding hobbyist, multimedia user or musician
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Now you can explore the wonderful world of Roland sounds in this Roland Sound Canvas demo program
Click the button to start the program
Start
After you have explored this program, you will be returned to this menu.
