Prior to use this site consider that every file here contained is subject to copyright.
In particular, referring to .mid files:
We put the name of the copyright/left holder just below each file description, preceded by the symbols © or (cc) or similar;
Each file contains a special secret line that cannot be deleted where the copyright name is registered;
For any non-personal, public or commercial purpose you need to understand and respect our Terms and Conditions.
__
Discover the collection!
- What is M.I.D.I.? (click to enlarge)
MIDI - acronym of Music Instrument Digital Interface [*] - is a protocol in binary form thought as a standard of electronic music communication. All MIDI compatible instruments (ie. computers, keyboards, disklavier
and other music instruments) can dialogue each other. The main information a MIDI can send are: the note-on (to sound a note) and the note-off (to stop the note), its velocity (to determine how loud it plays), the program (the instrument it plays). Music delivered
by .mid files is the most common use of MIDI today.
The reason MIDI is so popular is that, unlike digital audio files (.wav, .mp3, etc.) or even CDs, it does not need to capture and store actual sounds. Instead, the .mid file is list of events which describe the specific steps - the sequence - that a soundcard, or
other playback device, must take to generate sounds.
MIDI files are generally much smaller than digital audio files, and the events are also editable, allowing the music to be rearranged, edited, even composed and printed.
[*] More specifics from Grove enc.
- What to do with... (click to enlarge)
MIDI's are very useful for educational and entertaining purposes such as:
- Learn to compose;
- Learn how to play an instrument;
- Analyze compositions;
- Make sheet music;
- Make ringtones.
With piano rolls it is possible to listen to how great pianists of the past played (just put the .mid file on the electronic keyboard, the disklavier or play it through the sound card, and enjoy the result).
It is believable that a good pianist should record his performance on the MIDI support to control his performance exactly: finger touch can be analyzed in essence. With a very simple sequencer [*], infact, you can analyze all the
notes and their values, their dynamics and many other elements.
[*] A software to play and analyse MIDI files.
- How to save a file (click to enlarge)
The most important thing about saving files is to be careful to notice where you are saving the file.
If the file you with to save is a sound file (.mid, .mp3...) or a document file (.pdf): right click (over the file) and select Save Target As... (also Save Object As...). This allows you to choose a directory where to save the file/s.
- How to play files (click to enlarge)
- VanBasco - VanBascos Karaoke Player is a MIDI (Karaoke) Player for Windows 95/98/ME/NT
4/2000/XP coming with full-screen lyrics display. It supports skins, change and recall of tempo, volume, key control, mute/solo instruments, and much more.
- TiMidity - Free software for mid files (supports soundfonts). TiMidity++ is an open source MIDI to WAVE converter and player.
It uses Gravis Ultrasound-compatible patch files and/or SoundFont Banks to generate digital audio data from general MIDI files.
- WinAmp - A popular, fast, flexible high-fidelity music player for Windows. Winamp support MP3 and MP2 audio with it s native Nitrane high-performance
decoder as well as CD-audio, MOD, S3M, IT, XM and even SID audio formats.
- XMPlay - Small and compact MOD and audio player, that supports OGG, MP3, WMA, WAV / MO3, XM, MOD, UMX and other audio formats,
as well as PLS, M3U and ASX playlists. It also supports Internet streaming for all supported file types (including MODs) and can write 8-32 bit WAV files.
- SoundFonts - For the piano we suggest the Søren Bovbjerg's pianos * - It's a marvellous free piano
soundfont: Steinway Mod. C. From the Bovbjerg' site also available the sample of the Fazioli .
Other software to have:
- ZIP - To open .zip files from both kunstderfuge.com and classicaland.com.
- Acrobat PDF Reader - To read all PDF documents from classicaland.com.
|