MIDI Basics Article from back in the mid 90s (5 parts)

[supernova777]

MIDI Basics
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/aug95/midibasics1.html
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/sep95/midibasics2.html (sequencing)
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/oct95/midibasics3.html (midi msgs)
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/nov95/midibasics4.html (automation)
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/dec95/midibasics5.html (multi port interfaces)

WHAT DID WE DO BEFORE MIDI?

Having never personally written a symphony, I can't detail the exact stages involved, but I expect it goes something like this...

The composer sits at his or her chosen instrument testing musical ideas, and the ones that make it are then written down on manuscript paper for the various sections of the orchestra to play. The composer visualises (or should it be auralises?) the parts already written down while adding new sections, harmonies and so forth. Then, when the music is nominally finished, the score will be scrutinised and any required alterations or adjustments will be made.

Once the score is complete, an orchestra will be hired and given copies of the score, and the music will be played back as written by the composer. The composer, who may not even be able to perform to an acceptable standard on even one instrument, has conceived a piece of music and then written a list of instructions in the form of a musical score in order that a musically proficient orchestra can perform it. But has anyone ever accused Stravinski or Beethoven of being cheats, because they couldn't play all the orchestral instruments themselves? I think not.

In contrast, let's see how the MIDI composer writes. As with the orchestral composer, the work usually starts at the keyboard, but this time the keyboard is a MIDI instrument connected to a MIDI sequencer. Instead of writing down a score, the composer will record sections of the music into the sequencer against an electronic metronome set to the desired tempo. Instead of scanning a score to verify what's been done, it's a simple matter to play back the MIDI sequence to hear exactly what has been recorded. Best of all, you don't have to hire in an orchestra -- a relatively inexpensive multitimbral synthesizer will provide all the sounds for you; each 'part' of the multitimbral synth plays one line of your electronic score.

In some ways, the sequencer is better than the written score, because it can play back a part exactly as you played it in the first place -- it doesn't necessarily have to 'quantise' everything to equal subdivisions of a musical bar, as the written score does. And, just like the written score, if you're unhappy with something you've done, you don't have to start from scratch; you just erase the unwanted notes and 'write' in new ones.

When you summarise the way a musician composes using a sequencer, it isn't really too different from the way a traditional composer works. Both types of composer are likely to edit their compositions to some degree before they're entirely happy with them, and both bring in performers to play the finished composition. It doesn't really matter whether the finished piece is played by a bank of synths or by a hired orchestra whose role is simply to reproduce the composer's original work as faithfully as possible. My verdict, then is that electronic composition is as legitimate as any other form of composition. Note that I have no intention of fuelling the 'synths versus real instruments' debate at this point. If you have the talent to write a major symphonic work using synths, you can always get your computer to print out the score and have a real orchestra play it for you later!

Having covered the philosophical groundwork, it's now time to look more closely at the MIDI sequencer.

[MacTron]

In contrast, let's see how the MIDI composer writes. As with the orchestral composer, the work usually starts at the keyboard, but this time the keyboard is a MIDI instrument connected to a MIDI sequencer. Instead of writing down a score, the composer will record sections of the music into the sequencer against an electronic metronome set to the desired tempo. Instead of scanning a score to verify what's been done, it's a simple matter to play back the MIDI sequence to hear exactly what has been recorded. Best of all, you don't have to hire in an orchestra -- a relatively inexpensive multitimbral synthesizer will provide all the sounds for you; each 'part' of the multitimbral synth plays one line of your electronic score.

Well, I usually write everything from scratch right to the score editor or the piano roll, I have never ever sequenced anything.

[supernova777]

tbh i thought there would be more usefull info in these articles lol
(given that MIDI was as high tech as it got back in 1995 pre-DAW recording days)