Hi! I'm sort of a total newbie when it comes to MIDI, as my background lies in things acoustic (primarily piano and woodwinds), so apologies if some of my questions seem to cover very basic things.
I am very interested in direct pitch control for keyboard playing, with the intent of creating different well tempered systems of my own. I understand that MIDI 2.0 has this capability! What I want to know is:
1. How do I know if a keyboard is compatible with MIDI 2.0, or at least specifically direct pitch control (which is all I really care about, for now anyways)? I am particularly interested in 88-key Yamaha keyboards (because of the specific touch they have), such as the DGX-670 portable grand, CK88 portable stage keyboard, or even ones like the P-45 or the P125A. I am having trouble finding an answer I am confident in with just my own research.
2. I mainly care about question one for now, as I am planning to purchase a new keyboard soon and I mainly care about compatibility, and don't have to start this process immediately. But once I am ready, how does MIDI 2.0 work? Is it a program I download to my laptop? If so, do I need more than a cable that can connect the laptop to my keyboard to use direct pitch control?
(3. While I am at it, and this is totally a thing for my future but not immediately for me: would I be able to use two keyboards at once with the same laptop and MIDI 2.0 for separate direct pitch control at the same time? What I imagine is two keyboards set up at the same time, one maybe around a quarter step off of the other, both with self designed well tempered systems.)
Looking forward to finding out more, thanks a ton in advance!! Super excited about the possibilities of 2.0. Otherwise, I'll just have to continually retune an upright and hope I don't snap any strings haha.
I am very interested in direct pitch control for keyboard playing, with the intent of creating different well tempered systems of my own. I understand that MIDI 2.0 has this capability! What I want to know is:
1. How do I know if a keyboard is compatible with MIDI 2.0, or at least specifically direct pitch control (which is all I really care about, for now anyways)? I am particularly interested in 88-key Yamaha keyboards (because of the specific touch they have), such as the DGX-670 portable grand, CK88 portable stage keyboard, or even ones like the P-45 or the P125A. I am having trouble finding an answer I am confident in with just my own research.
2. I mainly care about question one for now, as I am planning to purchase a new keyboard soon and I mainly care about compatibility, and don't have to start this process immediately. But once I am ready, how does MIDI 2.0 work? Is it a program I download to my laptop? If so, do I need more than a cable that can connect the laptop to my keyboard to use direct pitch control?
(3. While I am at it, and this is totally a thing for my future but not immediately for me: would I be able to use two keyboards at once with the same laptop and MIDI 2.0 for separate direct pitch control at the same time? What I imagine is two keyboards set up at the same time, one maybe around a quarter step off of the other, both with self designed well tempered systems.)
Looking forward to finding out more, thanks a ton in advance!! Super excited about the possibilities of 2.0. Otherwise, I'll just have to continually retune an upright and hope I don't snap any strings haha.
Matthew
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Technical Question — 4 months ago
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
As far as I am aware there are currently no MIDI keyboards being sold which implement the MIDI 2.0 standards,
although these standards started to be published several years ago, would you believe?
No manufacturers, to my knowledge, have made any commitments with regards to upgrading their current products to MIDI 2 once the standards have been finalised.
For many, if not most current products, the change from MIDI 1 to 2 may not be possible.
Many people I know, who want to experiment with temperaments, buy the Yamaha CFX VST implementation by Garritan which can host tables created using 'Scala'.
Details of Scala can be found here. Scala home page.
Just get a piano with a good action with a fast USB interface and link it to a PC or Mac.
JohnG
As far as I am aware there are currently no MIDI keyboards being sold which implement the MIDI 2.0 standards,
although these standards started to be published several years ago, would you believe?
No manufacturers, to my knowledge, have made any commitments with regards to upgrading their current products to MIDI 2 once the standards have been finalised.
For many, if not most current products, the change from MIDI 1 to 2 may not be possible.
Many people I know, who want to experiment with temperaments, buy the Yamaha CFX VST implementation by Garritan which can host tables created using 'Scala'.
Details of Scala can be found here. Scala home page.
Just get a piano with a good action with a fast USB interface and link it to a PC or Mac.
JohnG
Exactly!
I use the full version of the Garritan Yamaha CFX Concert Grand, but there is or used to be, a 'lite' version at a lower cost (this at least lets you try it out without breaking the bank).
Garritan CFX link.
The delivered program can either run stand alone for when one just wants to play, or as a VST within a DAW program.
You will need a reasonable PC or Mac. I use an older Lenovo Thinkpad laptop suitably adapted (i.e. not connected to the internet, with Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth shutdown) and with unnecessary applications de-activated. This means that Windoze is not constantly interrupted.
It is essential when using the full concert grand to have the samples situated on an SSD. There are something like 20 full length samples per note so the library is HUGE. Many Gigabytes. It is considered by many to be currently one of, if not, the best.
My own laptop now loads Windoze from an SSD, has a terrabyte hard disk for storage, and an additional SSD for the piano and orchestral samples. I also use the Garritan orchestral samples as well as others. They load much more quickly from SSD.
In addition you need a quality Audio interface to realise the sound very rapidly. I use a Steinberg UR22mkII but there are many others of good quality.
Then some loudspeakers to realise what you've got. Tastes vary.
Hope this will help to point you in the appropriate direction?
JohnG
I use the full version of the Garritan Yamaha CFX Concert Grand, but there is or used to be, a 'lite' version at a lower cost (this at least lets you try it out without breaking the bank).
Garritan CFX link.
The delivered program can either run stand alone for when one just wants to play, or as a VST within a DAW program.
You will need a reasonable PC or Mac. I use an older Lenovo Thinkpad laptop suitably adapted (i.e. not connected to the internet, with Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth shutdown) and with unnecessary applications de-activated. This means that Windoze is not constantly interrupted.
It is essential when using the full concert grand to have the samples situated on an SSD. There are something like 20 full length samples per note so the library is HUGE. Many Gigabytes. It is considered by many to be currently one of, if not, the best.
My own laptop now loads Windoze from an SSD, has a terrabyte hard disk for storage, and an additional SSD for the piano and orchestral samples. I also use the Garritan orchestral samples as well as others. They load much more quickly from SSD.
In addition you need a quality Audio interface to realise the sound very rapidly. I use a Steinberg UR22mkII but there are many others of good quality.
Then some loudspeakers to realise what you've got. Tastes vary.
Hope this will help to point you in the appropriate direction?
JohnG
The pitch is customizable in Scala (.scl files) tables.
In other words, much like tuning a piano, you have to set it up to the temperament you want first, (you can also change the tuning from A = 440Hz to Baroque, e.g. A = 415Hz.)
But included with the CFX are many tables like Rameau, quarter, fifth and sixth comma meantones, temperament ordinaire II, Kirnberger & Werckmeister III, etc.
But it's not the pitch of your own keyboard you're changeing, it's the pitch within the Garritan player, built for them by Plogue.
The application has many controls to adjust for full and half pedalling etc., etc. so it's as well to read up extensively on how it works to see if it's suitable.
A simpler solution might be to opt for GPO5 which has both pianos and a harpsichord as well as a whole host of other instruments in it.
The piano isn't as sophisticated as the CFX but is still quite good. Garritan Personal Orchestra 5.
I think the sampled piano is a Steinway? You won't need to do as much 'tweaking' as I have done, and you get loads of pretty good sounds for a low cost.
But, if you haven't messed around with VSTs before, be prepared for a rather steep learning curve.
Quite a bit of reading is needed to understand how it all works.
There are online manuals and downloadable pdfs at the site above.
(With my old Thinkpad T430 I upgraded the CPU to a quad core i7, the little cover comes off the bottom of the casing and a micro 256GB SSD can be installed there to carry the operating system, (the BIOS needs adjusting to boot from this) then the hard disk was replaced for a high capacity 1 TB one. Lastly the CD drive is removable and a holder for a HDD installed in its place. Into this I put a 500GB SSD for the samples.)
JohnG
In other words, much like tuning a piano, you have to set it up to the temperament you want first, (you can also change the tuning from A = 440Hz to Baroque, e.g. A = 415Hz.)
But included with the CFX are many tables like Rameau, quarter, fifth and sixth comma meantones, temperament ordinaire II, Kirnberger & Werckmeister III, etc.
But it's not the pitch of your own keyboard you're changeing, it's the pitch within the Garritan player, built for them by Plogue.
The application has many controls to adjust for full and half pedalling etc., etc. so it's as well to read up extensively on how it works to see if it's suitable.
A simpler solution might be to opt for GPO5 which has both pianos and a harpsichord as well as a whole host of other instruments in it.
The piano isn't as sophisticated as the CFX but is still quite good. Garritan Personal Orchestra 5.
I think the sampled piano is a Steinway? You won't need to do as much 'tweaking' as I have done, and you get loads of pretty good sounds for a low cost.
But, if you haven't messed around with VSTs before, be prepared for a rather steep learning curve.
Quite a bit of reading is needed to understand how it all works.
There are online manuals and downloadable pdfs at the site above.
(With my old Thinkpad T430 I upgraded the CPU to a quad core i7, the little cover comes off the bottom of the casing and a micro 256GB SSD can be installed there to carry the operating system, (the BIOS needs adjusting to boot from this) then the hard disk was replaced for a high capacity 1 TB one. Lastly the CD drive is removable and a holder for a HDD installed in its place. Into this I put a 500GB SSD for the samples.)
JohnG
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