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 > November 2000 > 2000.11.03 > 03Prev  Next


Music Data vs. Musical Sounds
By Horst Mohr

Dear co-readers,  when it comes again to discussing music, MIDI and
music rolls in MMDigest, please don't forget:-

MIDI and music rolls (and even sheet music) are not musical _sounds_,
but instead are _commands_ for a mechanical musical instrument, or
_guidance_ for a human performer.  The resulting audio sound is
sometimes, or even frequently, music!  :)

What you hear then, from those "data files", is an interpretation
of the source data, and it's a different interpretation on each
instrument, or each human performer.  (Okay, I know -- Ampico rolls
played on a _good_ Ampico do not sound extremely different from
another Ampico piano, but this instance is limited to Ampico owners).

Even if we would exchange sound [data] files in MMD, they will sound
differently on every different piece of equipment, making it difficult
to judge the quality of the performance.

I suppose, although, that it's the still best way to let many others
listen at their homes to what I hear at my home, so that it may be
discussed.

Horst Mohr

 [ Editor's note:
 [
 [ The audio performance results from these independent components:
 [
 [ (1) the mechanical musical instrument and its state of repair, and
 [ (2) the data file (music roll) which controls the instrument.
 [
 [ I think it is wrong to declare that B.A.B. music sounds lousy
 [ on a Wurlitzer organ (or the converse), and then to lay the blame
 [ entirely on the music arrangement (or on the organ).  The organ
 [ and the music arrangement are unrelated variables, and they should
 [ be judged independently in a consistent environment.
 [
 [ MIDI file transcriptions of B.A.B. and Wurlitzer and T.R.T music
 [ rolls will become available in the future, as will MIDI-controlled
 [ Wurlitzer and B.A.B. organs.  Then meaningful experiments can be
 [ performed to establish the capabilities of the organs, independent
 [ of the music roll.  Different music roll arrangements can be
 [ evaluated in a like manner.  (We might even hear book music arranged
 [ by the great European noteurs!  :-)
 [
 [ We will discover that different registration of the pipe ranks,
 [ and proper conversion of the percussion control data, yields much
 [ better band organ performances than heard today.  For example, when
 [ Tom Meijer adapts a book music arrangement for a different organ,
 [ I'm sure that he alters the registration and percussion commands
 [ for the best performance.  The B.A.B. music which was converted by
 [ John Malone to play on the Wurlitzer 165 organ did not receive the
 [ attention of an experienced noteur like Tom Meijer.
 [
 [ Similarly, someday we may hear Duo-Art rolls properly converted to
 [ play on the Ampico piano, and vice-versa.
 [
 [ -- Robbie


(Message sent Fri 3 Nov 2000, 09:43:39 GMT, from time zone GMT+0100.)

Key Words in Subject:  Data, Music, Musical, Sounds, vs

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