[sdiy] MIDI isn't musical : Flame bait?

[jhaible]

> >It's not MIDI that does that. It's the use of sequencers etc.
> >MIDI as an interface for electronic keyboard instruments is more than
> >adequate.
> >If you can hear the difference between playing a digitally scanned, MIDI
> >interfaced keyboard hooked up to an analogue synth via a CV convertor,
> >and a switched resistor string CV keyboard doing the same, then you've
> >got one superhuman sense of timing.
> >
> >Blaming MIDI for a lack of musicality is like blaming asphalt for bad
> >driving.
>
>
> I agree with this. MIDI appears to have plenty of bandwidth for
> transmitting controller information to a synth. A MIDI data stream sends
> about 1000 messages per second, comparable to what the most virtuostic
> pianist can produce. Musical limitations stem from limitations in the
> design of controllers and how synths are programmed to respond to
> controller information. The lack of musicality in MIDI performances is not
> due to limitations of MIDI per se. To say that a communication protocol is
> "unmusical" seems pretty silly.
>
>    Ian

I will back up Don here.

He talked about playing a Hammond - now how will you transfer the
phrasing of a Hammond (with several contacts per key) over Midi,
which only knows velocity and release velocity, assuming a linear
interpolation between the action of just two key contacts ?

Sure you can play music with Midi. But you also loose something,
because not every possible action, even of a keyboard player, can
be encoded in Midi.

JH.

(Still using some Midi, but only for very restricted applications.
I sometimes double my VL7 playing with some strings pad from
the K1r over Midi, but I would never do it the other way round,
K1 -> VL1m, and expect the same results.)