Chapter 7 MIDI and Sound Synthesis: 7.2

7.2 Application

7.2.1 DNE. B

7.2.2, Linking Controllers, Sequencers, and Synthesizers, reflects material covered earlier and talks about the advantages of using MIDI to capture a performance. Firstly there’s a typo in the 2^nd paragraph, “now suppose you want also want to…”. Then it introduces 4 different methods to link controller, sequencers, and synthesizers. In Figure 7.28, these 4 options are demonstrated. However, as when we were talking about the scenario of capturing live performance, we used the word OPTION, and it might be confusing to use OPTION again in the figure right below it, as some readers might not read very carefully. Since we were using the word CONFIGURATIONS in the content, why don’t we keep using it in the figure to keep it consistent? After that, this section gives examples of a bunch of MIDI interfaces, which I found somewhat distracting. I think ONE figure with all the examples in will be clear enough to show the whole picture.

7.2.3, Making and Loading Your Own Samples states how to make one’s own samples and the issues might occur. The last sentence of first paragraph is missing a period. First sentence on page 34 “…to do is go find…” Shouldn’t it be “..is to find..”? I don’t have much to comment about the material. Overall very practical, but it might be good to have some learning supplement to go along with this section.

7.2.4, Data Flow and Performance Issues in Audio/MIDI Recording, is very well written. It reveals the potential problems might occur in audio and MIDI recording, such as our old enemy, latency, and other memory issues. This section is shorter than any other section in 7.2. I am wondering if we need to briefly talk about some cures to these problems to balance up.

7.2.5, Non-Musical Applications for MIDI, is okay. 7.2.5.1 introduces the readers MSC, which is a very important application of MIDI, while 7.2.5.2 is fairly weak in content. On page 41, the words are bold. I am wondering if it’s a typo or whatever.