[sdiy] MIDI isn't musical : Flame bait?

[Ian Fritz]

At 04:53 PM 1/13/2002, Colin Fraser wrote:

>It's not MIDI that does that. It's the use of sequencers etc.
>MIDI as an interface for electronic keyboard instruments is more than
>adequate.
>If you can hear the difference between playing a digitally scanned, MIDI
>interfaced keyboard hooked up to an analogue synth via a CV convertor,
>and a switched resistor string CV keyboard doing the same, then you've
>got one superhuman sense of timing.
>
>Blaming MIDI for a lack of musicality is like blaming asphalt for bad
>driving.


I agree with this. MIDI appears to have plenty of bandwidth for 
transmitting controller information to a synth. A MIDI data stream sends 
about 1000 messages per second, comparable to what the most virtuostic 
pianist can produce. Musical limitations stem from limitations in the 
design of controllers and how synths are programmed to respond to 
controller information. The lack of musicality in MIDI performances is not 
due to limitations of MIDI per se. To say that a communication protocol is 
"unmusical" seems pretty silly.

   Ian