Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > March 2000 > 2000.03.19 > 14Prev  Next


Limitations of MIDI
By Tony Decap

As we have a lot of experience with MIDI, we would like to give readers
more insight in the facts and measurements we have on file.

It takes MIDI about 0.330 milliseconds to transmit 7 bits.  You will
need 3 times 7 bits to send a complete "MIDI note on" command, so in
total 0.990 or lets say 1 millisecond (one thousand of a second ).

On a standard Decap organ you move about 3.6 meters cardboard each
minute, so one millimeter is about 0.01666 seconds, or 16.6
milliseconds.  So you can send 16.6 "note on" commands within 1
millimeter cardboard transported.  We are very happy with that figure,
but faster would always be better.

We have experienced the same problem described in the articles but
we found that the sound module is mostly responsible for the timing
errors.  You must remember that MIDI is transmitted to the sound module
first, but then the module must response AFTER receiving the MIDI data.
Not all modules do this very well, but if you buy a module that can
play, for example, 128 notes at the same time (128 notes polyphony),
the problems would be less obvious.

As drums are very much the time factor in music, it would help to
advance them one clock pulse, so that they are processed first in the
sound module.

Tony Decap
Gebroeders Decap


(Message sent Sun 19 Mar 2000, 17:56:28 GMT, from time zone GMT+0100.)

Key Words in Subject:  Limitations, MIDI

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page