AudioPilz Takes Us on a Slap-Happy Stroll Through MIDI Land

AudioPilz kicks off with a brisk jaunt down MIDI memory lane, setting the stage in the early 80s when Ikutaro Kakehashi and pals decided to whip up a universal language for synths. This was the age before universal translation devices; you know, back when your synths needed a Babel fish. With giants like Dave Smith, Tom Oberheim, and Bob Moog sharing brain cells, we’ve got MIDI, the linguistic lovechild. The quest was all about turning that synth cacophony into harmonious dialogue. It’s a classic tale of cooperation between Japanese and American minds. Think of it like the U.N. of synthesizers gathering to draft the Synth Treaty of 1981.

AudioPilz swings into the core of MIDI, those sweet, sweet messages. Note on, note off – it’s the musical Morse code that lets your synths speak. But oh, there’s so much more. We’re talking velocity—a kick drum has got nothing without its dynamic range. And don’t even get me started on pitch bend and aftertouch, which are like the vocal fry of the electronic world. It’s an orchestra within a cable, with MIDI acting as the somewhat tangled conductor who occasionally drops his baton.

Here’s where things get juicier than a street taco on a Saturday night. AudioPilz breaks down the litany of things MIDI can juggle—multi-timbrality, MIDI through, and channel mode messages. It’s the Swiss Army knife of music protocols. With 16 channels, you can conduct a whole orchestra more accurately than a maestro on espresso. MIDI throughs and splitters, they’re the sidekicks keeping the main act on track. But, like re-watching your favorite sitcom, not all setups nail every joke. Gear can be temperamental, often need a sideways look to keep them in sync. Meanwhile, MIDI’s limitations – resolution and stepping – are quirks that fans love to hate. The ultimate legacy system! Yet, it’s like watching an old Kung Fu movie, slightly awkward, but you can’t help but love it.

As AudioPilz shifts gears, he delves into MIDI’s modern metamorphosis, touching onto MPE and MIDI 2.0. These are the brave new worlds of expression, promising richer sonic landscapes and more flexibility than a yoga instructor at Burning Man. MPE channels focus on individual notes, making them precious little snowflakes in the digital blizzard. Meanwhile, MIDI 2.0 is the techie honey whispering sweet nothings of higher resolution and sheer potential. The idea of making MIDI an open-source nirvana for instruments is as tantalizing as a cook-off at a food truck festival.