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Microphones - Everything You Need To Know

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 01:57:54 +0000

A microphone is an acoustic to electric transducer that converts energy from one form to another - acoustic energy (sound waves) into electric energy (audio signal). Different types of microphone have different ways of converting energy, but they all share one common thing: the diaphragm, this is a thin and light material which vibrates in response to sound pressure generating electrical current. So, the main difference between microphones is the type of diaphragm and how it generates the electrical signal.

Microphone Diaphragm Sizes:

Large Diaphragm

Any microphone with a diaphragm larger than (and potentially including) 3/4" is considered to be a Large Diaphragm microphone. In general, Large Diaphragm microphones tend to have a "big" sound that engineers find especially pleasing where a little more character might be advantageous, such as is the case with most vocals. Large diaphragms are generally more sensitive than small diaphragm or medium diaphragm mics because of the increased surface area. A common myth is that large diaphragm mics capture more low frequencies than small diaphragm mics. Sometimes their coloration may make it sound like this is the case, but a properly designed small diaphragm mic is more likely to be accurate throughout a wide range of frequencies, whereas the coloration of a large diaphragm mic can tend to enhance certain desirable characteristics in a sound, which sometimes amounts to more apparent bass or low end. While there are many great Large Diaphragm microphones available, AKG’s C 414 B-XLS microphone is one example.

Medium Diaphragm

The definition of Medium Diaphragm is a potentially controversial subject. Historically there have been large diaphragm and small diaphragm mics, but more recently the medium size has begun carving out its own category, though not everyone agrees on the precise upper and lower limits. Most professionals and manufacturers agree that any microphone with a diaphragm near 5/8" to 3/4" can be characterized as a Medium Diaphragm microphone. Generally speaking, Medium Diaphragm microphones tend to do a good job of accurately catching transients and high frequency content (as a small diaphragm would) while delivering a slightly fuller, round and potentially warmer sound (as a large diaphragm might). While there are many great Medium Diaphragm microphones available, RODE’s NT3 microphone is one example.

Small Diaphragm

While there are no final standards regarding a diaphragm size that defines Small Diaphragm, most professionals and manufacturers agree that any diaphragm smaller than 5/8" would be considered a Small Diaphragm. Generally speaking, Small Diaphragm microphones tend to do a good job of capturing high frequency content and transients. They will tend to have a bit more "air" to their sound and often have less coloration than medium or large diaphragm microphones. Most of this is due to the reduced mass of the smaller diaphragm, which allows it to more closely follow any air disturbances it is subjected to. While there are many great Small Diaphragm microphones available, Neumann’s KM 184 microphone is one example.

Microphones Types:

Dynamic Microphones

Dynamic microphones are most commonly used for live sound and are known for their durability. It’s also the best choice for the high volume levels of bass guitar, bass drums and amplifiers. For optimal performance, this mic should not be placed any more than one foot away from the sound source. Otherwise, the result could be a thin sound with less color and clarity. Some popular dynamic microphone choices are: Shure SM57 and SM58; Sennheiser 421 and 441; Electro-Voice EV PL80; and the Audio-Technica M4000.

Condenser Microphones

Condenser microphones are most commonly used for recording lead vocal tracks, acoustic guitars, pianos, and live strings, the condenser is known for its ability to capture the smaller nuances of sound. It has a very quick, accurate response as well as a clarity that cannot be achieved by other types of microphones. While not as rugged as a dynamic, this mic is capable of capturing a broader range of frequencies from a greater distance than any other type. Popular condenser microphones include: Shure KSM27 and KSM32; Electro-Voice Bk-1; Sennheiser MKH40 and MKH80; and the Neumann KMS105 and U87.

Condenser microphones need a source of power to impress the charge on the capacitor. To accomplish this, one of three methods is used:

A battery will be inserted inside the microphone
A permanent charge is retained on the diaphragm or backplate thanks to some clever material scientist
A phantom power is used. Phantom power is the supply of power through the ground cable of an XLR cable. Ranging from 9 volts to 52 volts, typically 48 volts. This power can be put into the cable either from a mixer, a phantom power box or a battery pack. A mixer might have a button that allows phantom power through the ground cable.

Ribbon Microphones

Ribbon microphones are known as the most fragile of the different microphone types, some sound engineers are hesitant to utilize this mic in any live setting for fear of damaging it. Despite its lack of ruggedness, the effects and quality of sound from a ribbon microphone are very similar to those of a dynamic in that they tend to enhance the higher frequencies of the sound and perform best when placed within close proximity of the sound source. Popular ribbon microphones include: Royer R121, Blue Woodpecker, Audio Tehnica AT 4080 and the Beyerdynamic M 160

Electret Microphones

An Electret Microphone is a condenser microphone that converts (transduces) acoustic energy into electrical energy using electrostatic principles. Instead of requiring an external high voltage power source like phantom power, these mics have permanently charged elements, requiring only a low voltage battery for the internal preamp. Although much improved today, the permanent element charge can degrade over time if mishandled, which is why this microphone design is only used as a cheaper alternative to the standard condenser mic.

Lavalier Mics

The familiar 'interviewer's collar pin', which consists of a small, usually electret microphone worn at the chest, clipped to clothing. This can either be corded or wireless, though the latter is usually preferred. The wireless version runs into a transmitter, usually worn on the belt. Lavalier mics can be powered by batteries or phantom power, depending on the make of the mic. They have also been good for miking up wind instruments, clipped to the edge of the 'bell'.

Microphone Polar Patterns:

Polar (Pickup) Patterns

Microphones are made with certain applications in mind. For example, stage use, studio use or field recording use. Microphones are not always expected to pick up sound universally and from all directions. The way that a microphone picks up sound from various directions is known as its polar or pickup pattern. There are a few standard polar patterns: Cardioid, Supercardioid, Hypercardioid, Omnidirectional, Figure-8 and Shotgun. Pickup patterns are usually depicted as polar diagrams, a circular graph of sensitivity of a microphone from various directions (see below).

Cardioid 

Cardioid is a microphone polar (pickup) pattern. It is characterized by strong sensitivity to audio from the front of the mic, good sensitivity on the sides (at 90 degrees, 6 dB less than the front), and good rejection of sound from the rear, the Cardioid pattern can almost be visualized as a "heart-shaped" pattern (hence its name). The ability to reject sound from the rear makes Cardioid patterns very useful in multi-miking situations, and where it is not desirable to capture a large amount of room ambience. Popular in both studio and live use (where rear rejection cuts down on feedback and ambient noise), Cardioid mics are used for a very high percentage of microphone applications. Keep in mind that like all non-omnidirectional mics, Cardioid mics will exhibit pronounced proximity effect.

Proximity Effect

Cardioid microphones have a funny phenomenon called the Proximity Effect. This describes the increase in bass as the microphone moves nearer the sound source. Similarly, the further a cardioid microphone is from a source of sound, the more pinched it will sound. Experienced vocalists and producers have used this phenomenon to great effect, especially in simulating a punchy, 'live' effect by almost eating the microphone while singing. The proximity effect can also cause problems, especially when dealing with inexperienced speakers, as the tonal qualities of his or her voice will change as he or she moves his head.

Supercardioid 

Supercardioid is a polar pattern name used to describe the pickup pattern of some microphones. The Supercardioid pattern is very similar to, and often confused with, the Hypercardioid pattern. The Supercardioid pattern is slightly less directional than the Hypercardioid pattern, but the rear lobe of sensitivity is also much smaller in the Supercardioid.

Hypercardioid 

Hypercardioid is a polar pattern name typically used to describe microphone pick up characteristics. Hypercardioid patterns are similar to Cardioid and Supercardioid patterns in that the primary sensitivity is in the front of the microphone. They differ, however, in that the point of least sensitivity is at the 150 - 160 and 200 - 210 degree positions (as opposed to directly behind the microphone in a Cardioid pattern). Hypercardioid microphones are thus considered even more directional than Cardioid and Supercardioid microphones. Hypercardioid microphones are frequently used in situations where maximum isolation is desired between sound sources.

Omnidirectional 

An Omnidirectional polar pattern is literally, from all directions. In audio, microphones are said to be omnidirectional if they can detect sound equally from all directions. An Omnidirectional microphone will not exhibit a pronounced proximity effect.

Figure-8 

A Figure-8 microphone polar pattern is one in which the mic is (nearly) equally sensitive to sounds picked up from front and back, but not sensitive to sounds on the sides. This produces a pattern that looks like a figure 8 on paper, where the microphone is at the point of crossover on the 8. The pattern is also known as bi-directional.

Shotgun

Shotgun microphones polar pattern are the most highly directional. They have small lobes of sensitivity to the left, right, and rear but are significantly less sensitive to the side and rear than other directional microphones. This results from placing the element at the end of a tube with slots cut along the side; wave cancellation eliminates much of the off-axis sound. Due to the narrowness of their sensitivity area, shotgun microphones are commonly used on television and film sets, in stadiums, and for field recording of wildlife.

How to read a microphone frequency chart

A microphone’s Frequency Chart can tell you a lot about which situations are appropriate for a given microphone and which situations are not. In theory, Frequency Charts are generated at the factory by testing the microphones in an anechoic chamber. An anechoic chamber is a specially constructed room just for audio testing. The idea here is to create a controlled atmosphere where each microphone can be tested equally, so the room is completely dead, without any form of sound reflection. Generally, a speaker is set up in front of the microphone that is being tested and pink noise is played (pink noise is all frequencies with equal energy in every octave). The microphone is routed into a spectrum analyzer that measures the output and a Frequency Response Chart is produced. The chart is usually over the 20 Hz to 20 kHz range, which is the range of human hearing. So, how do you read it? The horizontal numbers in a Microphone Frequency Chart represent frequencies (again, usually over the 20 Hz to 20 kHz range) and the vertical numbers represents relative responses in dB (Decibels). As you look at a Frequency Chart, you can tell how a given microphone performs at certain frequencies. How is this information helpful? Well, let’s look at the famous Shure SM57’s frequency chart: The frequency response of the SM57 makes it especially good for certain instruments such as a snare drum because the fundamental frequency of the snare resides in the 150Hz to 250Hz range – right where the SM57 Microphone Frequency Chart shows that the SM57 response is flat, or neutral. In other words, at this frequency, what you hear going into the microphone is what you will tend to hear coming out – nothing more, nothing less. The presence bump to the right of the chart is just where the frequency of the “snap” of the snare resides. In addition, its rolled off low end makes it great for de-accentuating the kick drum which is often very close in proximity. This combination is what most engineers are looking for in a great snare drum mic – the ability to capture the true sound of the snare, accentuate its snap and reject other instruments in close proximity.

Connectors

Most microphones use an XLR lead and plug in on the male end, though you can buy some crappy microphones that’ll plug in to a 1/4 inch jack. Steer clear of those — stick with XLR microphones or you’ll be climbing below the very worst of the recording quality microphones. What’s important between the mic and the pre-amp is whether your lead is balanced or unbalanced. Unbalanced leads won’t do anything to stop noise. Balanced leads essentially run the signal down two wires, one with the phase flipped, so that at the other end you can combine the two signals and any noise that was introduced in the lead itself will disappear, as it will be out of phase.

Electric Current Levels

The level of current a microphone generates determines gain at the other end of the lead. Mic level is a tiny amount of current, whereas line level and instrument level are quite loud as they are. When you plug a microphone into a rack in the studio or a mixer in a live situation, the first thing you need to do is amplify the signal. This is done when you are setting up your gain structure. The goal is to get all signals to line level or unity gain so they can be mixed relative to each other as easily as possible.

In a nutshell: don’t skip pre-amplification! It’s a common newbie mistake to go buy a microphone without buying some sort of pre-amp. Do your research and get something that makes your mic signal sound good — lively, loud and noise-free.

Protecting from Plosives and Wind

There are a few ways to stop plosives and pops from your vocalist or wind noise in general, but they all boil down to: put something between the microphone and the sound source (the wind is a sound source for the purposes of this tutorial). Sure, we could crap on about reducing noise by putting the singer on a funny angle or any number of tricks to get rid of plosives, but at the end of the day, some sort of mesh or fabric is going to have to go in front of the microphone. Don’t even try to record without something. The best solution is a pop filter. You’ve no doubt seen these in use, even if only in a music video. It’s a circular fabric or metal mesh that sits in front of the microphone and clamps onto the stand. I prefer metal pop filters as I find the fabric can take some of the high-end frequencies off the top — it’s not always noticeable but I prefer to be able to take the sizzle out of a sound myself. That said, a fabric pop filter is far better than the poor man’s solution I used years ago: sticking a sock over the microphone itself. Never had my sound clip due to a plosive, but it sure does sound muffled to my ears these days!

Finally, Buying a Microphone

So now you know how microphones work and what types of microphone exist. There are a few things to look at when you actually go and purchase a microphone. The first thing to know is what the microphone will be used for. Will it be for vocals? Guitar? Drums? Piccolo (if anyone even plays those anymore)? Or will it be an all-rounder? Be forewarned that you can’t get an all-rounder microphone - you can only get a mic that works on more sound sources than another mic.

The first factors to decide on are ones we’ve already discussed:

Type of mic:

Will you be recording live or in the studio? If you’re recording in the studio, do you want something that can tolerate the beating a loud, distorted electric guitar through a big stack will put it through? What about a metal screamer? The rule generally goes: dynamics for live situations, condensers for the studio, unless the sound is loud, in which case you go for the dynamic anyway. There are probably more exceptions to the rule than there are actual cases where you’d follow it, so do your research properly and don’t flame me if you buy a dynamic vocal mic for the stage that you hate.

Polar pattern:

Which polar pattern you want depends on so many factors. If you’re in a live situation, I would go for cardioids and mics that isolate. Maybe you want to pick up the room or multiple sound sources in a studio, in which case you’d go for something with a more open directional sensitivity.

Frequency response:

I think that the flatter the microphone’s frequency response, the better, but perhaps you want a live mic that has a bit of extra kick in a sound source’s dominant range (this is what the SM58 does for vocalists). Keep in mind that you can’t change a microphone’s inherent response, but you can accentuate frequencies later with a bit of EQ, hence why I think flat response is the best response.

Other factors to consider:

Impedance:

Microphones are either high impedance or low impedance. I won’t go into the details of impedance, because frankly I sometimes have a hard enough time getting my head around it myself and it’s certainly not important for making great music - but generally speaking you want to get a microphone with lower impedance. High impedance microphones are cheaper and they’re fine if you’re not using a ridiculously long cable, but if you’re playing a stadium and want to run around with a twenty-meter cable, it becomes more important to get a low-impedance mic and a low-impedance cable to reduce noise and interference.

Noise cancelling:

Some microphones have features to help control noise, such as suspending transducer components to isolate unwanted vibrations.

The number one factor to consider when purchasing a microphone is sound quality. Above all else, try the microphone on the sound you want to record with it and see how it compares to other microphones in your budget range. Even with the same polar pattern, transducer type and frequency response, one microphone will sound better than the other. Tone is supposedly a matter of overtones and matching frequency responses should provide matching sounds, but microphones that are built better simply sound better. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that two microphones will sound the same because they have the same specifications — it’s not true!

That’s all you need to know in order to know quite a bit about microphones.

Studio Recording Tips

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 01:46:17 +0000

Recording can be an expensive and even daunting process. Here are some tips to help you better maximize your time in the studio and minimize your stress and expenses. Some of these tips are universal, while others vary from studio to studio.

PREPARATION

Have all songs written and parts figured out and assigned before coming into the studio. Don’t waste valuable studio time and money on things you can easily do at home or at your rehearsal space. This point cannot be stressed enough.

If you are sequencing tracks or using beats, have them ready to go on a CD or hard drive before coming in.

Practice, practice, practice! The tighter your songs are, the smoother the recording of them will be and the better the end result.

Prepare a minimum of 25-30% more songs than you plan to actually use on the final product. Allow yourself a few throw-aways for the songs that aren’t up to snuff with the rest of the album.

Come into the studio well rested, clear headed, and ready to work. Recording is a physically and mentally demanding process. Bring plenty of water and food.

Change guitar strings and drum heads the day before coming into the studio and bring extra sets of everything, including drumsticks.

Bring in your own rig. If you are a guitarist and want to capture the sound you get from the daisy chain of your guitar, pedals, and amp then be sure to bring your entire setup in. Experimenting with studio instruments, amps, and pedals is fine if you’re not set on what you want for a sound, but put a time limit on it. Let the engineer and producer, who are much more familiar with their own gear, assist you in finding the sound you are looking for.

If you are working with a producer, give them a demo of the songs you want to record in the studio. Discuss production ideas ahead of time, and set aside reference CD’s that serve as good examples of production styles you are striving for. Map out track assignments if you are recording to tape.

Make a budget of how much money you have to spend on your project. Estimate how many hours you think it will take to complete your project in its entirety. Most musicians grossly underestimate how fast they think they can record their project. Depending on the band, a full length CD could take anywhere from 50 hours on the low end up to 250 hours or more on the high end. Variables to consider are how much recording experience the band has, how long the band has been playing together, and how elaborate of a production is desired.

SET UP

The drummer should arrive 2 hours before the rest of the band to allow for proper set up and undivided one on one between the drummer and the engineer. Good drum tone is crucial to a good sounding record.

After the drums have been set up and sound checked, if it is a live recording situation the rest of the band will set up and sound check one by one in an order set by the engineer or producer.

Stow all instrument cases and other items not needed for the session either back in your car or in an out of the way nook of the studio. Keep the floor space as uncluttered as possible, and set up allotting a comfortable amount of space between band members.

Wait in the control room while each member sets up individually and is given their sound check. Keep talking to a minimum to allow the engineer to focus and hear everything that is going on in the sound check.

After everybody has been sound checked, a headphone sound check will be conducted. In a similar fashion, the engineer / producer will proceed one by one inquiring what each person needs in their headphone mix.

RECORDING

Mentally block out all of the microphones and gear surrounding you. Stay relaxed and play naturally. Put emotion and feeling into your performance.

Stay focused. The studio is an expensive place to party. Refrain from drinking and other recreational activities. Don’t invite guests to your sessions – they will only serve as a distraction and may try to inject their opinions. Avoid unnecessary phone calls. Stay focused on the task at hand.

Do more than one take of every song, but limit it to 5 takes. Odds are if you haven’t hit the performance you are looking for in 5 takes, you are not going to. Move onto another song and come back to that one if time allows.

LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN!

When you think you have a song in the can, come into the control room and listen to each take of it before moving on. Do not assume a take was good enough without listening to it just because “it felt right”. Get the sound and performance you are looking for. Don’t assume that you can fix things in the mix.

Tune up in between each take.

Consult with the engineer and producer before recording with effects.

Defer to the engineer / producer in terms of recording process and performance quality. They are much more experienced in a studio setting than you are and have finely-tuned, objective ears that can hear things you may miss (i.e. flat notes, bad chords, tempo changes, etc.).

MIXING

Bring in CD’s that you like sound of for references.

Mix at a moderate volume.

Don’t mix on the same day you record.

Keep chatter and noise to a minimum. Listen attentively to what is coming out of the monitors. Don’t distract the engineer and producer or one another.

Take small, five or ten minute breaks between songs. Go outside or to another room where it is quiet to give your ears a break.

Mix down sessions should be limited to 8 hours to ensure your ears stay relatively fresh.

Listen for random noises, such as lip smacking, foot tapping, digital “crumbs”, etc. These annoyances will be amplified when compression is added. Listen for them with headphones and remove them as you discover them.

Listen for the overall balance between instruments. Think about the song as a whole. Not every instrument can be front and center. Mixing is about compromise. There is a natural tendency for musicians to want their own levels to be raised even when it may not be what the song calls for. Do what is best for the song as a whole.

If the entire band is present at mix down sessions, appoint a spokesperson to be the liaison between the band and the engineer / producer. Discuss your mix ideas amongst yourselves before coming into the studio and convey them to the engineer at the beginning of the session. Work out differences as a band, and don’t put the engineer in the middle as a referee.

Trust the engineer / producer! They are much better trained to mix your record than you are. Don’t expect to get each mix right the first time around. Bring home CD’s of your mixes and listen on as many different stereo systems as possible – especially boom boxes, moderately priced home stereos, and car stereos. These are the places people are most likely to listen to your CD. Experiment with different volumes, but be sure to include low, soft volumes too. Make notes of your observations and bring them with you to your next session so you can tweak the mix. You may have to repeat this two or three times before you end up with what you consider the perfect mix.

Mixing & Mastering Definition

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 01:39:52 +0000

The words "mixing" and "mastering" are often used as synonyms by those who are new to music recording. It seems as though mixing and mastering are two equally mystical parts of the hazy science of music recording, and for most of the public, there's no reason to differentiate between the two.

To further complicate the issue, sometimes the two terms are confused -- a re-mastered CD will be referred to as "newly mixed" or "remixed."

Whether you're just getting into the business of home recording or you're simply a music fan, it's important to know the difference between a master and a mix, and what each entails.

The instruments on a song are recorded into "tracks," which are separated from the rest of the instruments either through the use of digital or analog equipment. The number of tracks depends on the number of microphones, instrument inputs, and the track capacity of the system being used.

The mixing process involves the use of stereo panning, equalization, and the adjustment of the different tracks in relation to each other in order to result in a natural, well-balanced sound. The mixing engineer will often try to make the song sound as it would in a concert by panning instruments to the sides they'd naturally be at (i.e. a piano on the left side, a guitar mainly to the right) and similarly use equalization to make sure no two instruments fill up the same frequency and result in muddiness. The mixing engineer will imagine the song as a room, and make sure that no two sounds occupy the same space.

Effects are also added during the mixing process. While the guitar, bass, and occasionally keyboard tracks may have had effects put in while being recorded (with pedals, effects boards, etc.) most effects like reverb, flange, and delay are added after the actual recording has taken place. The mixing engineer must take care to make sure that any effects added are used sparingly and complement the artist's concept for the song; too many effects will distract from the musical piece.

The mastering engineer works with all of the songs on an album, rather than the tracks for a single piece. The job of the mastering engineer is to make sure all the songs sound natural and consistent, that the volume levels are approximately the same, that equalization is optimal, and that the sequencing between the songs sounds good. The mastering engineer decides how to compress each song, how much space should be between one song and the next, and occasionally what overall effects to give each song. Songs are also faded out and in during the mastering process. Many artists will have a large part of the mixing and sequencing processes but will remove themselves from the mastering portion of an album's production. In fact, it's quite common for mastering to be done at a different studio than the studio that recorded and mixed a project.

What is MIDI?

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 01:33:40 +0000

MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface.

It is a means of swapping information between suitably equipped electronic musical instruments, and Personal Computers (PC’s). It is very important to realize that the information being transmitted is control information, not the actual sound itself. However, as you will see, the transmitting of this control information makes all sorts of things possible.

Assuming you have a MIDI keyboard, as you play all the information gets transmitted as a series of messages – which notes you pressed at which time, how hard you pressed them, when you used the pedal and so on. It’s a bit like formatting a piece of text in a Word Processor.

The information that is transmitted down the MIDI cable can then be used in all sorts of ways. Firstly it could be used to play an instrument other than the one you are playing – including software instruments on your computer. This means you can have a keyboard controller that contains no sounds of its own, but simply transmits your playing information and uses the synthesizers on your computer’s soundcard to make the sounds. The benefit of this is that a controller keyboard with full-sized, weighted keys, can be bought for a reasonable price compared to buying an expensive personal keyboard or digital piano, thus getting you started with computer music making on a real budget.

In addition, software can ‘record’ the information you transmit and make it available for you to edit graphically. This is the basis of many composing and notation packages. You simply play the keyboard in real-time, then get a graphical rendition of what you have played which you can then edit and play back. The information might be displayed as notation, or as a piano roll, or as a list of events. By editing, you can correct mistakes you have made, or transpose the whole piece, speed it up, slow it down, add extra tracks using different voices…the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. You don’t need to be able to play that well to get started – play one hand at a time if necessary, or very slowly, then use the software to correct mistakes, put two hands together, and speed the whole thing up. If you play by ear, then you don’t have to edit through notation, but can use the other graphical editing features of sequencers if you prefer.

A lot of music software takes the controller information it receives to do other things – like accompany you, or perhaps to check whether you have understood concepts in a tutor. Suppose you are trying to practice your scales – you can get software that will say whether you played the right notes. Suppose you want to learn a piece. If you have a perfect MIDI file of the piece (millions are available on the internet or for purchase on disk), you can compare your performance and gradually learn the correct notes, adjusting the tempo to suit.

It is the MIDI standard that has made all these things possible, and gives you the opportunity to use your PC to help with your music making. MIDI devices all understand the same language no matter which manufacturer made them, so you can genuinely hook them all up together with ease.

Of course MIDI isn’t perfect. In the search for a general standard, compromises have had to be made, especially with the General MIDI sound set. (This is the standard set of sounds, which increase the portability of MIDI files - your soundcard will almost certainly contain a General MIDI sound bank). There are ways to deal with this, by upgrading your sound card, or even using software sound modules. However, the benefits of being able to link all kinds of different equipment together, and share the results in MIDI files which will play back on any MIDI device cannot be underestimated. The amazing range of educational packages now available is a direct result of the MIDI protocol, and the far-sighted group of manufacturers who developed it.

Music Computing starts ODM services – offers up DrumMC, world’s first PC-based electronic drum trigger brain for grabs

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:16:00 +0000

AUSTIN, Texas /Music Industry Newswire/ — Music Computing, Inc. today announced it will now offer ODM (product development) services to assist companies in producing computer-enhanced solutions for today’s creative professionals. With decades of combined experience, the ...

Korg Updates Legacy Collection Virtual Instruments, Breaks up Bundles

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:47:00 +0000

/Music Industry Newswire/ — Korg announced this week that, as of November 17th 2010, the components of all KORG Legacy Collection series will now be offered for sale as individual virtual instruments including: “MS-20″, “Polysix”, ...

AmpliTube 2 for iPhone announced by IK Multimedia

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Italy /Music Industry Newswire/ — IK Multimedia this past week announced that AmpliTube 2 for iPhone is now available on iTunes app store! This is a major update to the leading guitar amp and fx ...

Native Instruments Introduces GEORGE DUKE SOUL TREASURES

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:37:00 +0000

Berlin, Germany /Music Industry Newswire/ – Native Instruments today introduced GEORGE DUKE SOUL TREASURES, a new software instrument that makes the charismatic keyboard work of soul legend George Duke available for any music production. Based ...