MIDI: For Electronic Musical Instruments & Computers

Back in the early 1980s, the music world had a problem. Companies like Roland and Yamaha were making amazing electronic keyboards, but they couldn't "talk" to each other. If you bought a keyboard from one company, it wouldn't work with a drum machine from another. In 1983, these rival companies actually teamed up to create MIDI, which stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. They wanted a universal language so that any electronic instrument could control another, making it easier for people to make music at home on their new personal computers.  

Think of a MIDI file like a digital version of those old player piano rolls. The roll doesn't have any actual music recorded on it; it just has holes that tell the piano which keys to hit and how long to hold them. MIDI is exactly like that, but way more powerful. While a piece of sheet music is written for a human to read and interpret, a MIDI file is a list of instructions for a computer. It says "Play middle C at this exact volume for exactly two seconds." Because these files are just data, one MIDI file can have dozens of "tracks" playing at once,  It's like having a whole band or orchestra in one file but it can even include instructions to dim the stage lights or open the curtains at the perfect moment.  Because these files are simple instructions having no recorded sounds, they are often tiny, smaller than one digital photograph.

The biggest difference between MIDI and the sheet music you’d see for a pop song is how they handle the "feel." Sheet music gives a musician the basic idea, but the player decides exactly how to swing the rhythm or how softly to press the keys. MIDI used to be very stiff and "robotic" because it followed a digital clock perfectly. However, modern technology has fixed this. Today’s digital instrument libraries use something called "round robins." This means that instead of having just one recording of a guitar string being plucked, the computer has ten different recordings of that same note. Every time you play the song, the computer randomly picks one of those recordings.  

Because of this randomness, a MIDI performance doesn't have to be an identical, perfect loop. By slightly varying the timing and picking different samples of the same note, the computer can make a song sound human and "live" rather than like a machine. It takes the basic instructions of the "score" and adds those tiny, natural imperfections that make music feel real. Of course, MIDI files can also handle a synthesizer to create electronic noises and use 'sampled' non-musical sounds rather than relying on a bundled instrument library.

In today’s world, MIDI has become the essential backbone of the music industry because it offers a level of flexibility that traditional recording simply cannot match. It allows a single creator to act as an entire production team; tweaking a note’s pitch, changing the "instrument" from a piano to a violin with one click, or even automating the stage lights for a live show. By turning musical ideas into manageable data, MIDI ensures that the process of composing is as fast and adaptable as the digital world in which we live.

Long & McQuade

This morning I hopped on a SkTrain bound for the Main Street / Science World SkyTrain Station. My destination was Long & McQuade on Terminal Street in Vancouver.  They are Canadian dealers for musical equipment and had one of the few, tiny, remaining Roland S-1 Synthesizers available in all of BC, I think.  The Surrey branch would've been closer but the item was out of stock.

It was of no matter because going to that part of downtown Vancouver takes exactly 25 minutes by SkyTrain from New West.  I walked five minutes from the station, bought the synth, and returned home in under an hour.

 

Oh my.  The picture doesn't do the retail section of the store justice.  It felt cavernous but fully packed with musical equipment.  It was the first time I'd ever been in their doors.  The day started off a bit rainy but had pretty much cleared up by 10:15 am.

Now I have a new little toy to play with.  The tiny 'synth' and the software I loaded on my computer for manipulation of sound and midi files should keep me learning new things for quite a stretch.  I love finding out about new things.  Accidently discovering more about the topic of electronic music last week seemed like prying the curtains back on a secret little club that nobody had ever mentioned to me.  Earlier today, I wrote to friends in Whatsapp (using a perfectly acceptable double negative and ending with a preposition):

"There's nothing that I don't want to learn, at least, a little bit about."

May is a Nice Month

 

We were uptown yesterday but only for an appointment with our banker. Tuesday is generally an errand day and we were back uptown to pick up some groceries.  The Royal City Centre has roof-top parking that is never very busy.  

The top picture shows the view looking towards Edmonds in Burnaby.  We took the elevator down into the Walmart and walked through the mall to the front.  The intersection is called 6th and 6th because it is where the street and avenue meet.  The second image shows an area near from the front of the mall. It's the heart of uptown New West.

The remaining two images show that we went up to the second floor.  There is no retail up there but mostly office space for private clinics and other medical offices.  The final picture shows Jay walking to the car with some of the groceries we picked up.  We find that our traditional Saturday shopping trips are less important as we pick up more items during our errand runs during the week.

     

In the afternoon, I implemented a bit of all the research and planning that I've showcased in this eJournal over the last couple of days.  I ordered a Roland S-1 synthesizer that is pocket sized.  It is probably the first of my Aria collection as these units can work in tandem.  If my interest holds, I will be able to add synthesizer units that excel in chords and another than is mainly percussion.  The choices in the series expand from that basic trio of devices too.  

I ordered from a large Canadian music chain called Long & McQuade.  I ordered through their website but as their downtown Vancouver store had one in stock, I will have them hold the unit and I can pick it up tomorrow.  The store on Terminal Street is close to the Main Street SkyTrain Station.  I never drive into downtown Vancouver because taking the train is faster and easier.  Oh, and Jay and I have annual passes for seniors, so the SkyTrain is cheaper than taking the EV as our cards are pre-paid for unlimited use.

No End to My Curiosity (Part II)

It started with a moment of nostalgia and a passing curiosity about the Stylophone, a quirky novelty from the sixties. However, my interest quickly evolved beyond a simple toy. I realized I was looking for a laboratory to explore sound design rather than a gadget to pass the time.

The Digital Foundation

The analog purist approach has its charm, but the logistical reality of maintaining an efficient workspace points firmly toward a digital workflow. I have officially taken the first step by purchasing and downloading Ableton Live 12 Intro to my laptop. This software will serve as the command center for what I plan to be a substantial two-way connection with a physical instrument.

The Hybrid Plan

That physical instrument will be the Roland S-1 Tweak Synth that is less than 7.5 inches wide. My plan is to utilize its functions as a class-compliant USB audio and MIDI interface. I intend to send data from my laptop to the synthesizer, let it shape the sound using its internal circuit behavior engine, and then route that audio directly back to the computer over a single cable.

Producer Over Performer

My approach is heavily influenced by my own skill set or lack thereof. I view myself as a producer rather than a performer, as I do not have the technical proficiency to play complex keyboard parts live. Therefore, instead of collecting traditional sheet music, which I really cannot read, I will be building an archive of MIDI files. These digital maps provide the exact notes and timing, which will allow me to focus my energy entirely on the sonic architecture.

The Final Output

The goal is to act as a sound designer while Ableton plays the MIDI sequences. I look forward to manipulating the physical knobs and sliders on the Roland S-1 to sculpt filters, resonance, and envelopes. I then plan to record these sessions as high-quality .wav and .mp3 files. It is an enticing prospect to transform this interest into a robust, practice-only, digital production hobby.

No End to My Curiosity (Part I)

I'd sort of been looking for something new to learn about that could become a new hobby. Just the other day, rather accidently, I noticed a documentary called, I Dream of Wires on tubi.com. I stopped and watched the entire one hour and thirty seven minutes. That started me on a short quest to see if I could find out about musical synthesizer toys which might make for a fun little device to have around the apartment. 

Sure enough, there's a retro device called the Pocket Stylophone, a toy that first hit the shelves in Britain in 1968. It was very popular in Europe. Interestingly, it didn't end up being a smash hit in North America. The reception changed slightly as we entered the early 70s. Once Space Oddity became a staple on Canadian radio, the "Bowie instrument" became a cult curiosity but never crossed into the mainstream public consciousness at the time.

Stylophones made a comeback in the 2007 through different ownership that still continues to evolve with fresh products, and even a notable new model making its debut this January. I nearly bought one that closely follows the original retro design on Amazon Canada for the equivalent of around $US 35 but, alas, then I started snooping around on the internet.

Oh my.  I have probably always been a bit interested in electronic music.  Can anyone reading this remember the song called, Popcorn from around 1972?   A complete decade later, when I was overseas as a young man in my 20s, I bought a pirated cassette tape.  It was electronic music by Kraftwerk, a German musical group. In the very early 80s, I was still intrigued by the science behind the manufactured sounds.  (At this very  moment, I'm listening to a 2009 remaster of  Kraftwerk's Pocket Calculator on my Onkyo receiver via Spotify.)  Of course electronically-synthesized sounds entered traditional pop music and have never left the building.

However, thanks to an Internet wormhole, I may be ready for something much more robust than a retro Stylophone.  I am tying to convince myself that I must own my own mini synthesizer.  Damn, it's like a large secret club has been meeting for decades that nobody told me about!

Perhaps a Behringer JT Mini?  Less hassle trying to import midi files from a laptop.  What about a Korg Volca?  Key or Modular?  

Damn, my little toy project has the potential to get out of control and I have yet to shape a single beep or boop at all!  I fear this might make for a hobby that demands a whole lot of equipment of increasing complexity and expenditures.  

Public Space Along the Riverfront

 

The Westminster Pier Park Extension will not be completed and officially opened until July.  There appears to be quite a bit more work to do.  However, a partial section opened this week. From our balcony, we could see people walking through the center area, but Jay and I didn't go to take a look until today.  

The land was 'donated' by the recently completed Pier West development.  It consists of two matching residential towers that stand 43 and 53 stories.  This land is adjacent to the existing riverfront park.  The two buildings block a chuck of my view down the Fraser River but the new amenities in our downtown neighbourhood definitely increase the livability of the whole area.  

As well as regular outside gym equipment I saw the outdoor table tennis installations.  When the landscaping is complete, the whole project will be quite nice and only around 500 meters from my living room sofa.

 

The Shifting Skyline from the Royal City

It is fascinating to look out from our vantage point in New Westminster and realize how much the landscape has evolved since Jay and I first settled here. My lone photo of the day captures a reality that would have been unrecognizable a decade or two ago. Where there is now a dense phalanx of glass and steel stretching toward the clouds, there used to be open air and a clear line of sight.

Back then, the horizon belonged to Mt. Baker down in Washington State. Its snowy peak was a constant, majestic companion to our morning coffee. Today, those towers have claimed that particular piece of the sky, effectively editing the volcano out of our daily view.

It’s not a point of sadness, though; rather, it's just the natural rhythm of urban development in a corner of the world that refuses to stand still. We’re watching a massive demographic shift in real-time. Just across the water, Surrey is growing at such a clip that it is projected to surpass the population of Vancouver proper in the very near future.

New Westminster remains our home base, but the view is certainly getting more crowded. It’s a bit like watching a child grow up; you don't always notice the height increase day-to-day until you look at an old photograph and realize the world looks entirely different.

Summer Birthday Trips

2022 - Reykjavík, Iceland

 

2023 - Glacier Bay, Alaska, USA

2024 - Alaska, USA / Yukon, Canada Border

  2025 - Jasper, Alberta, Canada

Unknown - 2026