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The Third Annual Interactive Music Conference
PROJECT BAR-B-Q 1998
brainstorming graphic

Group Report: MIDI2

Participants: AKA "M1D2" Mike D'Amore; Yamaha
Kurt Heiden; Creative James Grunke; Hotz Interactive
David Yackley; Microsoft Facilitator: David Battino
 

What Are We Talking About?

Why M1D2? - THE GOAL

  • To grow the marketplace by providing ALL customers with a more robust feature set.

Why MIDI2? The Value Proposition

  • M1D2 provides a high performance and flexible digital communications protocol for developers of active and passive MIDI applications.

Who Is The Customer?

Customer Needs

  • Products that are easier to use
  • Flexibility (screw the limitations!)
  • Higher Performance

Challenges...

  • Perception of the word MIDI
  • Inconsistencies in implementation
  • Organizational Bureaucracy (MMA, IA-SIG, SMPTE, AES, WHQL, MOUSE, BBQ)
  • Reliance on Proprietary Entities for Progress

Mass-Market Consumers

Recommendations

New Name for MIDI 2

  • M1D2
  • Serial EXpansion Protocol Of Tomorrow
  • Computer Related Audio Protocol

Barriers

  • Technical Issues
    - Fixes to present specifications
    - Additions to present specification
  • Marketing Issues
    - Public Relations
    - Business Development
    - Executive Issues (MMA)

PROPOSING THE SOLUTION
(Step 1)

  • Assist in development of MRD
     - Marketing Requirements Document

Technical Issues

Controllers

  • Not enough controllers (Whammy bar etc.)
      - Not enough standardized controllers,
         poorly defined
  • Slurs, Tonguing controllers (VL, VA techniques)
    - Control for mixing consoles
       Parameters - aux send, EQ etc.
       Joy stick controller
  • Controller streams aren't high enough resolution
    - But still need data thinning - ie. fade

Controllers Continued...

  • No accommodation for 3D
  • No accommodation for DSP control
    -Needs property set for DSP
  • Bank select is not standardized
  • NRPNs not standardized

General Note Information...

  • Not enough micro tuning tables / flexibility - scales
  • Not enough notes (triggers for automation, etc...)

The Wire

  • Half duplex problem.
  • Serial Speed is too slow.
  • Data Streams bogs down due to high quantity of controller data - i.e. fade

The File Format

  • No multi format file handling (MIDI + audio /video/etc.),
  • Too many individual file formats,
  • Need universal looping formats,
  • Double byte character sets,
  • Multiple time signatures

Ease of Use!

  • Not plug and play - -full identification
  • Instrumentation
  • Patches
  • Device ID
  • Sample Rate
  • Polyphony

Functionality Issues

  • Sys-ex SUCKS
  • Too much reliance on sys-ex
  • Every voice parameter should get its own controller: Sys-ex becomes unnecessary

Catch All

  • Assignable priority system - ie. channel 10 shouldn't always be #1
  • Not time-stamped
  • SDS not widely implemented on computers - fix is DLS?

Catch All II

  • Doesn't sync easily
    - SMPTE too coarse - need sample
       accurate
  • No MIDI file copy protection
    - printing, notation display, file
       modification "save as."
  • Note Events vs. Channel events
    - Don't affect everything on one
       channel
  • Too few channels

Business Development Issues

  • Computer companies are not talking with Music companies
  • Hardware Page is obsolete -
    - 5 pin din is specified
  • Need more industry involvement in MMA

Biz Dev. II

  • Proprietary nature of GM/GS and XG creates problems for developers
  • Protocol is linked to hardware
  • Too Difficult to Use
  • Too many jack formats, sometimes requires adapters etc.

Marketing Issues

  • Bad reputation / perception
  • Motivating MMA Members
  • Name is vague - or not vague enough

PROPOSING THE SOLUTION
(Step 2)

  • Assist in development of MRD
    - Marketing Requirements Document
  • Summarize not only for BBQ - but for submission to the MMA Tech board
  • CALL FOR ACTION
  • Submissions from BBQ attendees for any further discussion points
  • Endorsement of M1D2 petition.

section 5


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select a section:
1. Introduction  2. Speaker Summary  3. Executive Summary  
4. 3D API Group  5. M1D2 Group  6. Making Sense of Multi-Format Audio  
7. Consumer Reports Group  8. Rogue Group Report  9. Schedule and Sponsors