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A Piece of Cake!. Web Site Audio & Computer-Assisted Music. Overview. Music! Voice! Sound Effects! Get Audio on your Web site Digital audio formats MIDI: pros and cons Sequencers: Cakewalk. Why Web audio?. E-business - improve production, sales
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A Piece of Cake! Web Site Audio & Computer-Assisted Music
Overview • Music! Voice! Sound Effects! • Get Audio on your Web site • Digital audio formats • MIDI: pros and cons • Sequencers: Cakewalk
Why Web audio? • E-business - improve production, sales • Musicians - global creation, promotion MIDI communities live, international jams! • Everybody – inform, entertain, promote build an online auction “caption” your photos other bright ideas….
Web page options • Background – easy with FrontPage! Supplies sounds, lets you add yours. Narration, text summaries possible. • Hover buttons – on click or rollover. Java applets only! .au, mono, 8 bit, 8000 HZ • Courtesy: will visitors have a choice?
Search available sounds • Free/share/demo/commercial • amateur to Hollywood • genre, title, artist, length (time, bytes)… • Ex: www.manythings.org/MIDI has 9 MIDI search engines! • Ex.: “Standard MIDI Files on the Net” - lists 30,000 sites with MIDI files
…And/or Create your Own! • Bits (!) from your CDs, DVDs, MP3s • Record: your built-in sound card & (cheap?) headset microphone • Connect electronic instrument(s): • Synthesizers • Daisy chain
Preparing Audio for the Web • Capture sound, edit with sound editor • CoolEdit, Macromedia Sound Edit 16, Pro Tools Sound Forge by Sonic Foundry • Digital enhancement, “3D” • reverb - sound reflects within 40 ms.(your walls) • delay - distant reflections become echo (cathedral) • pitch - determined by sound wave freq. (HZ) • bend effect - waves +- zero for vibrato, tremolo • Web mastering: optimize for compression…
Choose Format for Web Delivery • Streaming: dedicated server, UDP and RSTP • Real Audio, Windows Media– no dropout • Pseudo-streaming: HTTP server, TCP/IP • Shockwave, Flash, QuickTime, • MIDI and Beatnik RMF (MIDI-based) - Both compact; MIDI easier to learn. - With JavaScript, Beatnik interactively syncs tracks to Web, melds MIDI/audio. • MP3: HTTP server or SHOUTcast (Unix)
dvantages of MIDI • small (text) files, quick download: • approx.10 Kb per minute… versus 10 Mb for digital audio • uses less bandwidth • ideal for standard HTTP server • often used for Web audio • because it’s text, is easy to edit!
MIDI disadvantages? • Only “plays” instruments • no voice or sound effects • Output unpredictable since only text is sent • actual sound varies with browser • However, new DLS standard for browsers is overcoming this. • DLS = downloadable sounds • MIDI Manufacturers Association spec. • Adopted by Microsoft & Apple
What exactly is MIDI? • Text-based musical scoring language • Generic file format stores “performances” • Transmits commands via sequencers • note on/off, pitch, volume • velocity (brightness) • pressure (vibrato, tremolo) - and more
MIDI Protocol… • unidirectional, asynchronous bit stream, serial transmission • 8 bits plus one stop bit, one start bit • 31.25Kbs data rate • instrument interface: IN, OUT,THRU (connectors internal in computers)
MIDI Patches & Channels • 1st byte of MIDI command is status: • channel, i.e. what part is playing • everything following is on that channel • all 16 can be hooked up at once • Each channel plays any one instrument • 128 “patches” in “banks” of 8 • 8 kinds of: organ, guitar, brass, etc.
MIDI Messages • data stream sent by controller: • plays actual or virtual instrument • processed by sequencer: • stores, edits, combines, replays the music • received by sound module for playback • in computer or electronic instrument
equencers • Amazing editor • transpose pitch (even where humans can’t go!) • change instruments, tempo, notes, pitch, effects... • play slowly & badly – and fix it all up! • Software “mixer” • adjust volume, reverb, stereo panning • Most offer digital audio • sync tracks to MIDI; voice, sound effects possible • Algorithmic composition • add musical arrangements (or fun “Tune Toys” )!
Getting MIDI software • buy online or at music store • Ex.: Cakewalk products, $90 to $600 • many sound cards include MIDI apps. • Ex.: Media Vision’s Pro Audio Studio 16 • Sound cards from $100+ to $1000! • download free sequencers, etc. • www.recordingwebsite.com/freebies.html real-time, multi-track, audio/MIDI
Cakewalk (Sequencer) • Home Studio, Pro, Sonar versions… • Multiple views, each with zoom • Track/clip, console/mixer, piano roll views • Staff & lyrics views: print your own score! • Loop construction view & tools • “Events” view: VERY detailed, for editing • Meter/key, tempo, video (!)… & more
Cakewalk, cont. • Has loop-based song-making tools • Imports WAV, AVID-format WAV, MP3 • Includes Dxi support • Virtual Sound Canvas, Dreamstation • Prints guitar chords, lyrics, etc. • 24 bit and 16-bit audio support • Imports, syncs AVI video to music projects • Non-destructive slip editing of audio & MIDI
Cakewalk demo • So let’s go to my Home (Studio) and have a piece or two of cake…