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Making the Most of Midi
by Paul Overaa

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ISBN 1-85550-006-X

Introduction

I've been working with Midi almost since its inception in the early 80s. Better than that, I've done a lot of my Midi work using PC computers, Atari STs, and the Amiga. That work includes both reviewing and using vast amounts of Midi software, and writing my own Midi utilities. I am using Midi sequencers in a professional capacity, both in the studio and when playing live, so I can throw some light on the practical issues as well as tackling the technical stuff.

Luckily I'm now fully Midi literate and have over a decade of Midi work under my belt. This wasn't always so. I still clearly remember the difficulties I had in the early days, and the questions that I couldn't get answers to. At that time there were few people around who could provide in-depth info. Nowadays things have changed and it is much easier for people to come to terms with Midi and its uses.

There are plenty of Midi books available, so why did I bother to write another? It's because most books which introduce this area do so in ways which are essentially non-technical. The arguments here being that most musicians who want to use Midi are not really interested in what's happening under the surface. My view is that the technical side is too important to dismiss in this way. Why? Because if you know something about how Midi works then many of the things that seem at first almost magical become more understandable. This applies even if you have only a general appreciation of the underlying technical ideas. The techie path, then, has potential benefits for everyone.

I wanted to produce a book which looked at various Midi technical issues but explained them in terms that, with a little perseverance, all Midi users will be able to understand.

In addition I wanted to examine some of the more complex issues, including details about fault finding, how Midi oriented computer programs are written, outlining the internal contents of Midi files, and so on. The aim here being to provide more experienced and technically minded Midi users with footholds into a number of less publicised areas-areas which up until now have been the private domain of Midi experts alone.

Good luck with your Midi travels!

Paul Overaa, November 1995.

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