Understanding MIDI Implementation Charts

The best way of finding out what a new instrument can do is to look carefully at its MIDI Implementation Chart. Jay Chapman acts as your MIDI interpreter and takes you on a guided tour.

Timbre Editing Via MIDI

Jay Chapman leans back and takes a philosophical overview of timbre editing via MIDI.

Sample Editing Via Midi

Why is it there are so many computer-based sample editing packages being released? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they make working with a sampler considerably easier. Jay Chapman ponders their worth.

Jay Chapman continues his 'back to basics' description of MIDI with a light-hearted pot-pourri of handy hints and tips.

Back To Basics

Back To Basics: Part 4. After a brief absence, Jay Chapman continues the series where he left off two months ago with a further explanation of how Real-Time commands are used by MIDI.

Song Position Pointers

Sound On Sound's MIDI Doctor Jay Chapman, returns with a new series that concentrates on specific aspects of MIDI and explores their relevance and use in a musical set-up. This month: the Song Position Pointer.

Back To Basics

Final Part: Jay Chapman wraps up his 'Back To Basics' mini-series with a handy recap of bits, bytes and hexadecimal.

Back To Basics

Jay Chapman continues his 'back to basics' description of the technicalities of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface for the many new readers who have picked up on the series since it first began.

Back To Basics

Jay Chapman takes a side step from his regular foray into MIDI and presents this 'back to basics' article especially for the many new readers who have picked up on the series since it first began.

UKMA

Now that the UK has its own MIDI association, help and information are but a phone call away. Simon Trask checks out the UKMA and its founder: Vic Lennard.

Siel MK900

Does Siel's MIDI MK900 enhance the portable keyboard market?

Total Percussion Sound Module

Sequencer owners rejoice! Roland have taken the 16-bit PCM sounds from their popular R8 drum machine, put them in a convenient rackmount case, and added extra slots for ROM and RAM cards to produce a beat-box par excellence. David Brenton reports.

Multi-Timbral Expander

Hot foot from the BMF, hard-working Martin Russ brings us his review of this innocent-looking multitimbral LA expander which packs many of the features of Roland's D-50 synthesizer, including onboard digital reverb, but with the added bonus of 28 sampled drum sounds!

Digital Reverb

In the beginning was the Midiverb; the Midiverb begat the Midiverb II and the Midiverb II. Nigel Lord checks the latest incarnation of Alesis' standard-setting reverb.

From the manufacturers of the first cassette multitracker comes the Midistudio: a single unit integrating MIDI into a four-track cassette recorder. Nigel Lord calls it "revolutionary".

Akai S01 Sampler

(But Were Too Afraid To Ask!)

PART 8: Martin Russ explains the circular nature of parameter editing and data dumps.

Tascam caused a recording revolution when they introduced the world to the Portastudio, now their Midistudio line looks set to take musicians on another quantum leap. Nigel Lord moves into the 21st century.

Synthesizer Module

Composition Centre

Announced over a year ago, the all-American DPM3 has finally landed on our shores. Martin Russ takes the wraps off Peavey's much publicised first foray into the hi-tech keyboard market.