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Hello, I have a Roland 102e digital piano, it's about 6 or 7 years old. It has, midi in and midi out at the back of the piano. What can I do with that? The midi files I have seen on youtube are things that drop down and play notes and don't look useful to me at all.
Can anyone tell me how to use midi to help me with my learning? I understand I would need to somehow attach it to my laptop, I don't know how or with what to attach it and then what to actually do with it.
I wonder if using this system would help me to learn more about piano and I would like to be more technically minded, especially if I have something which I could use and manage myself.
I do have two earphone sockets in the piano and maybe I could use these for something connected to midi to record, or to help with theory.
I hope someone can explain how midi in, and out is supposed to be used and if it would help a late beginner.
Thanks in anticipation.
Adult returner Practising Mindfulness Piano
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Hey Shey, click this: http://www.pianoclues.com/ ... Matt explains it a lot better than I could.
Last edited by Rerun; 11/14/13 05:16 PM.
Rerun "Seat of the pants piano player" DMD
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Ditto above, that site is very informative. Put simply midi is the digital output from your piano which when you play a note, every aspect of that note is represented in a digital format.
I use the midi output of my Yamaha P105 to connect to a computer and play my piano through a virtual piano (Galaxy Vintage D) and I get a better sound than the one that comes with the piano.
A midi connection will also allow you to play along in real time with an interactive online programs eg Piano Marvel.
I also use it with lesser success to upload midi files to a program I have called Presto Keys which is an interactive program. Trouble here is a lot of midi files you download are not user friendly.
If you are into composing you can save pieces you have played into a midi file. You can then edit just about anything from note velocity, tempo, remove mistakes, add notes, multi track, etc etc.
The world of midi is endless and there are many free programs you can use along the way. Whether or not it is beneficial to your learning depends on what style of piano you want to play.
Surprisingly easy, barely an inconvenience. Kawai K8 & Kawai Novus NV10 13x
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It has, midi in and midi out at the back of the piano. What can I do with that?
Can anyone tell me how to use midi to help me with my learning?
I hope someone can explain how midi in, and out is supposed to be used and if it would help a late beginner. MIDI is merely a digital recognition of notes and how they are played--attack, sustain, decay, something else. You can use that device in line with others via in and out. You can then use a DAW (digital audio workstation) on computer to record your works and use them however: make your piano sound like a harp or recorder or child farting, etc. The DAW then can spit out musical sheets (ex.--Logic Pro X on Mac). You can also slide the notes up and down to change key signatures, you can change tempos, edit out notes with a mouse click, extend notes, change all MIDI parameters (attack, decay, sustain, etc), and so forth. It can also be used to send data INTO the keyboard so your keyboard can play music or make desired instrument voiceings, etc. MIDI is where you start to find that music isn't simply about touching keys and strings and holes in pipe… it's a rabbit warren and you can swallow the red pill or the green pill. Endless amounts of wonky, non-productive, data will flood over you. It's good to understand the capabilities and possibilities, but don't lose sight of what you wanted to originally do. The magic of MIDI has been around you and in your ears for decades. Whenever you hear those cheezoid 80s pop tunes and modern Vocaloid stuff from Japan or almost any soundtrack for movies and TV and commercials and so forth… it was MIDI music production. Sure, some still use full orchestras or mic-n-instrument techniques, but it is now so easy to sit in a closet with a MIDI keyboard, a computer, and an interface between them to make everything blossom from speakers and sound (almost) as convincing as a fingers-meets-analog effort. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juuQsqERlh8There. That's what MIDI can do, but it also records and allows manipulation and documentation.
Last edited by Rusty Fortysome; 11/14/13 08:58 PM.
Currently working on/memorizing... "It's You" from Robotech "He's A Pirate" "Crazy Bone Rag" "What The World Needs Now"
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You can also record onto your laptop via MIDI. If you use a VST (Virtual Studio Technology) you can try out different piano sounds to upgrade the sound your current instrument can play in real time. So it's like getting a whole new piano! You can of course also play different sounds by using this MIDI connection.
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It's basically a blueprint.
Depending on how you run the MIDI (ie. through your keyboard or through different computer software) it will use different sound engines to play the file.
For example you could run the file with the grand concert sound in your keyboard, or you could play the MIDI through computer software and choose another voice such as electric or vibraphones ect.
The MIDI file already holds all of the information for what notes should be played and what time signature to use ect. The advantage it has over conventional music stored as .mp3 (or something else) is that you can change the type of instrument/voice that runs the file.
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The advantage it has over conventional music stored as .mp3 (or something else) is that you can change the type of instrument/voice that runs the file. There's another big advantage for me. It is easy to email because the files are so small. A 3 minute song is about 30 Mb in .wav, about 3 Mb in mp3, and about 2k in midi.
gotta go practice
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The advantage it has over conventional music stored as .mp3 (or something else) is that you can change the type of instrument/voice that runs the file. There's another big advantage for me. It is easy to email because the files are so small. A 3 minute song is about 30 Mb in .wav, about 3 Mb in mp3, and about 2k in midi. Yes, exactly. This is a good point. Especially if you're trying to transfer a .FLAC or some other lossless format. Those can be huge. edit: Just thought of another good analogy. When you're tying text in MS word, all you're doing is entering characters. You can change these characters to whatever font you want without having to re-enter everything, just like you can change how a MIDI file sounds just by changing the voice it's processed with. The blueprint is already there. You just need to specify a flavor. This is why MIDI files are used in software such as Synthesia. Because it contains the cues for when/how notes should be played.
Last edited by Jayden; 11/15/13 05:05 PM.
XXXV XXXIII
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Think of it like your typing keyboard. When you type "ABC" on your keyboard, every program knows you're typing "ABC". You can also take a typing class or test on your computer without needing special equipment. Same thing with music. MIDI was originally set up as a standardized language for keyboards and other musical gear to talk to each other. Talking to a computer was added later. Most MIDI these days is USB. If all you have is the 5 pin connector on your keyboard, you'll need something like this to connect to your computer. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UnoIt can get way more complicated than that. For now, just know that when a program says it's using MIDI, it's simply saying that it can transmit or record note information.
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I use the midi output of my Yamaha P105 to connect to a computer and play my piano through a virtual piano (Galaxy Vintage D) and I get a better sound than the one that comes with the piano. Yeah I have done the same thing, I have a cheap hundred dollar super crappy 76 key casio that is just awful but has a Midi output so I just bought a midi cable and midi to USB hub so I can use my virtual grand piano as well, the keyboard is not velocity sensitive but sounds nice when I make it sound like a Steinway Model D or Yamaha CFiiiS. I only use it now though if i need a wide range, I have a Midi/USB synth 25 key board that is velocity sensitive and has way better feel :3
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