Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    The Casio can be played from a MIDI interface and MIDI cable by the PC
    with MIDI sequencing software.  There is lots of MIDI sequencing
    software for the PC line.  It might be cheaper that a DSP board or
    digital-to-analogue convertor board that might allow you to play music
    without external synthesizers.  Almost certainly cheaper.
    Another advantage of MIDI over internal DSP is that you can easily get
    lots of different support softwaare.
    Note that MIDI sequencing programs generally notate in note names and
    numbers, and separate scoring/printing programs let you print scores
    and parts etc.
    
    An internal DSP or DAC board is for audio researchers improving solo
    violin synthesis or something; MIDI is for home people and
    professionals to make music.
    Virtually all the music you hear in commercials and sometimes in films
    and TV is MIDI all or somewhat, also local news themes etc., all pop
    and rock albums except traditional standards with orchestra are MIDI.
    Tom

    Take a look at a s/w package called "Personal Composer". Its not
    freeware and its certainly not cheap. This still requires you to
    address the issue of internal/external hardware.
             
    Ken
    

There are now other PC scoring programs, like PASSPORT Encore and others that
escape my memory now

Chad

    If you are willing to spend money , there are MIDI interface cards for 
    the IBM PC.  together with some music application software it will 
    open up a whole new world of PC music.  I have a music card from IBM 
    which has music features and a MIDI interface build on the same card.  
    Send me a message if you want more info on it.  
     
    Kai

Take a peek at the next note for another hunk of s/w for the PC.  It seems to
be much less limited than what you saw, but it has other limitations.

Burns

Thanks for all the quick replies so far....I would like to clarify part of my
question, though....

Right now I have something that will 'play' through my PC's speaker, which
isn't very satisfying....It seems that hardware cards would let me do more...
but I don't understand just _how much_ more....do I just need something that
interfaces with the PC and will play notes through its own amp/speaker (or
with external speakers)???  what does 'MIDI' have as an advantage over that?
I understand the term "MIDI" to be an acronym for an interchange format...
would a card that has 'MIDI' output allow me to connect (for instance) to my
keyboard and play the result there? or play it with different voices?

as you can see from the vague question, I really don't know the terms or
what they really can do...

thanks a lot...
Joe

    midi is a serial connection spec, like RS232 or current-loop. 
    Actually, it is a current loop, and includes definitions of note
    numbers and loudness numbers and other messages.
    Go ahead, get the cheapest thing you can if that's all you want. 
    That's OK, don't let the spendthrifts intimidate you into buying lots
    of junk.  But a MIDI interface will connect to a MIDI synthesizer and a
    MIDI sequencing program will play the synthesizer through the interface
    and cable.  Maybe a MIDI interface and a cheap program will be cheaper
    than the sound generating cards.  Check it out.
    Tom

    re. 6
    
    It wasn't but a few months ago that I was trying to deal as a novice
    with all the MIDI terms that this conference throws around, so if
    you're still confused, don't worry, it does come eventually.  
    
    Being not too technical in terms of MIDI, let me see if I can put
    it into terms that I could have understood a few month ago.
    
    First of all, the sound cards from Roland for the PC that you are
    talking about are really synthesizers, like your Casio is a
    synthesizer.  It just uses the PC for input rather than a keyboard.
    Therefore you can use a notation program to write the notes and
    the PC more or less interprets them into the appropriate keyboard
    presses.  The notation program sends out the bits to make the music
    and the MIDI capable part of the sound card interprets them and
    makes the appropriate musical sounds.  So in effect, the sound card
    includes the Midi interface for the PC which takes the notation
    output as well as the sythesizer which makes the music.
    
    Other sound options for the PC simply digitize the sound wave and
    play them through sound generators on a card.  They have nothing
    to do with MIDI in most cases.
    
    Now for the MIDI interface.  It comes with a Roland sound card (LAPC)
    built into it, but if you want to use your Casio without the Roland,
    you need to buy a Midi Interface.  It simply pushes out the bits
    in MIDI compatible format over a cable that can be connected to
    your Casio and it then plays the sounds/music that the Roland card
    would have played.  Without the Casio connected, all you get are
    bits falling on the floor, no sound.  
    
    The software for MIDI basically comes in two flavors.  The notation
    software you mention allows you to put notes on the screen on a
    staff just the way you would if you were writing a traditional score.
    The program then interprets the graphics into MIDI notes which are
    sent out the MIDI interface to the CASIO, or to the Roland card
    (with built in interface) and the music happens.  
    
    Sequencing software allows the notes to be input from the keyboard
    on the CASIO (if it has a MIDI OUT port).  Rather than using your
    mouse to point and click and put notes on the staff, you press the
    keys on the CASIO and the notes appear (either on a staff or as
    a list of notes by letters, or as some other graphical representation
    of the pitch etc.)  This can be done in real-time, i.e. as fast
    as you can play, it can record.  You can record various parts
    separately (upper hand, lower hand, bass notes, drums etc) and then
    have them all put together and played back as a song.  You can edit
    to add stuff or correct mistakes and a whole lot of ther things. 
    
    If you have a Casio with a keyboard you will probably eventually
    want to use sequencing software as well as notation software.  To
    start with, you should probably use the Casio to make your
    sounds(music) and buy a MIDI interface (much cheaper than the Roland
    sound cards).  Previous notes had names of notation software.  
    
    Hope this helps.  Now you know as much as I do.
    

Hello,
        I too am new to the MIDI world.  I've had a PC (AT) and a keyboard
for a few years now but the keyboard wasn't MIDI so I never thought about
hooking them up.  Now, I've sold my old keyboard and will be buying a new one.
I am also looking at stepping into the wonderful world of MIDI.  I also use
the AT for games and many other things and have been looking into sound
options for games.

I've noticed that a few games support MPU-401 but that even more support the
Adlib board.  I read somewhere ( I think it was in the IBMPC conference ) 
that the SoundBlaster (Adlib compatible) has a MIDI port which isn't 
MPU-401 compatible but that this shouldn't be a concern since Voyetra was 
rewriting their software in such a way that it would be interface independent
with software drivers (or something like that) and that they would support
the SoundBlaster.

So my question is:
        Should I (1) buy a MPU-401 compat. interface and drop some support
for games or (2) buy the SoundBlaster ( or something simular ) and be able to
use it with a lot of games but lose the MPU-401 compat. or (3) buy a simple
MIDI interface and  a simple game sound board or (4) any other possibilities.

Dan

P.S. I am new to MIDI terminology and products so if I made any mistakes 
please feel free to correct them.

       
       Well, the bottom line is, do you want to play games or do you
       want to make music?  In the PC/MIDI world, the MPU-401 interface
       roolz!  (Sorry, just left the Guitar notes conference...)  It's
       really the old standards thing, again.  Yeah, somebody may write
       some software to allow some stuff to kind of work some of the
       time, but you get locked in.  (Like the old days when 3rd party
       vendors would patch VMS device drivers to change disk geometry
       tables.  Customers couldn't change VMS versions until the 3rd
       party guys wrote new patches.)  Besides, both interfaces are
       relatively cheap: $170 for the Sound Blaster, $102 for a basic
       MPU-401 clone.  Get 'em both if you've got the slots...
       
       

    
    > ... old standards thing ...
    
    Thanks.  That's what I thought.
    
    By the way, what's a Roland LAPC card is?  I saw  one last night in a
    store.  From note 2403 I gathered that it was a sound card with some synth
    capabilities.  Is it an MPU-401 comp. and/or is it more?  Any idea of what
    a decent price for one is?
    
    Dan
    
    
    

       The LAPC-1 is a Linear Arithmetic (I think) synth module on a
       card with a MIDI port on it.  List: $595, Real: $460.  You need
       an external box to use the MIDI port, though.  List: $150, Real:
       $120.  I'm not sure that the MIDI port is MPU-401 compatible, but
       I think that it is.  At these prices I'd buy separate components
       for future flexibility.

    
       

    
    
    Thanks.  I'll keep on looking around. I go to a few places every night
    but there's not alot of competition up here in Canada so the prices are
    close to your list then your real.
    
    Dan