Modern software allows you to easily create your own melodies or parts using special devices called MIDI keyboards, which in their main purpose do not differ from ordinary pianos. The difference is only in the principles of operation and ease of execution, depending on which and how many keys may be present on them. Naturally, it’s impossible to use such devices on a computer. To use the entire hidden potential of any such device, special programs for the MIDI keyboard are used, which can differ quite significantly. It is unrealistic to physically describe all such applications and software packages, so we will consider the programs most often used and recommended by specialists.
What is the MIDI standard?
Before starting to consider the choice of software, a little worth stopping at the concept of the MIDI standard. The abbreviation is derived from the English term Musical Instrument Digital Interface, that is, “digital musical instrument interface”.
Some people mistakenly believe that only sound sets like GM, GS, or XG belong to this concept. In fact, through the use of special commands from any MIDI device, you can transfer a lot of additional information, including the selected sound itself, its binding to the keyboard, the effect currently being used, the strength of the key press, the modulation, and the transmission channel, and many more things. Through these commands, two-way communication between tools and software is provided. And any set can be recorded in the form of a corresponding MIDI file, which can be played either in some specialized program for writing (creating) music, or in the most ordinary program player.
Which MIDI keyboard to choose?
As for the choice of keyboard, it’s rather difficult to advise something universal. Such devices differ in the type of keyboard itself (piano weighted or synthesized), the number of keys (for example, 49, 66, 88), the presence of built-in soundbanks, the type of connection to a computer, etc. But today, absolutely everything is hardware synthesizers support the MIDI standard. If we are talking about home use, you can choose inexpensive devices from Alesis, Korg, Akai, etc. Professional devices, say, from M-Audio, are quite expensive. But it all depends on your preferences. If you play the piano and do not change your principles, it is better to purchase a fully-weighted piano-type keyboard with 88 keys (you can even buy an inexpensive instrument from the Yamaha DGX line).
If you are used to using simple synthesizers, devices like Alesis Q49 with a synthesizer keyboard and 49 keys are enough to record batches.
The main types of programs for MIDI keyboard
Now let's go directly to the software. There are a lot of applications for working with MIDI today. However, it should be noted that all modern programs for MIDI keyboards (including in Russian) can conditionally be divided into several main types:
- the simplest keyboard applications for playing in real time with support for minimal sound sets;
- MIDI trackers
- MIDI sequencers (including for visualizing the score);
- full virtual studios with advanced features.
Next, we will briefly dwell on each type of program and highlight the most popular and practical applications among all this software.
Simple MIDI Keyboard Program Virtual MIDI Piano Keyboard
This application represents one of the simplest solutions for home use and is executed, as the name implies, in the form of a virtual piano. the application has a General MIDI sound bank, which includes a total of 127 sounds, among which you can find pads, leads, basses, synthesized sounds, orchestra and folk instruments, special effects, as well as several drum kits. This is the so-called standard set.
Yamaha Corporation once decided to expand it to the XG standard (Extended MIDI), but it was most widely used only on its own production tools and programs for the MIDI keyboard of this particular developer. Roland, in turn, presented its own GS kit. Both standard banks were supported by Sound Blaster sound cards.
But back to the program. Despite such modest capabilities of the described application, there is one interesting feature in it, which, in addition to the standard MIDI bank, you can load sounds in the SF2 (Soundfonts) format into the application, which undoubtedly expands its capabilities. But to create a full-fledged composition, as is already clear, it is in this program that it will not work.
Trackers and MIDI sequencers
Another of the areas presented in the programs for working with the MIDI keyboard is the once popular trackers (from the English Tracker). They can also be played and recorded in individual parts, and then combined into the final full track. However, the display of recorded notes differs from the generally accepted, and many users acknowledge some inconvenience of working with them. The most famous among these applications can be called classic programs like Renoise, ModPlug Tracker, Mad Tracker and others.
Programs for MIDI keyboards in the form of sequencers have become especially popular in the 90s.
The brightest representatives of the music packages of that time were the Cakewalk Pro Audio line-up programs. Today, many users prefer applications like Anvil Studio. But among MIDI-programs that allow you to create full-fledged musical works, using for this not only all kinds of sound libraries, but also recording a musical score, the unique Sibelius application is undoubtedly considered the best.
Virtual studios
But the most powerful virtual studios are recognized (FL Studio, Cubase, Sonar, Reason, Studio One, etc.).
Any such program for a computer with a MIDI keyboard can work with almost all known sound formats and connect additional VST, AAX, RTAS and DX plugins, which also contain VSTi instruments (virtual synthesizers, samplers, rompers) and all kinds of effects for processing sound , moreover, with the most complete control of all MIDI parameters and events.
As for the plug-ins, one of the most powerful programs is the Kontakt software sampler, released both as a standalone application and as a plug-in connected to the studios. Incidentally, it is for this instrument that most of all sound banks have been created to date, and the sound of synthesizers imitating real instruments cannot be distinguished from a "live" performance.