Digital Audio Workstations, MIDI and you!

Digital Audio Workstations, MIDI and you!

Definitions:

Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) - a digital interfacing tool that produces and reproduces actual sounds (you can also record or import real sounds into a DAW from live performance or other methods).  Digital audio files contain the information to reproduce actual sounds.

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) - a digital tool that creates a digital representation of sound.  It might be best to describe MIDI as the "virtual" instrument.  MIDI data includes instructions for reproducing a sound.

Confused?  Here's an example.

Consider the trumpet.  A real trumpet can be picked up, tuned, manipulated.  When a trumpet player produces a sound, it is an actual sound.  If you were to hook up a microphone and play said trumpet, the actual sounds would be converted (via an analog-to-digital converter, or ADC) to digital data which would be stored as a file.  That file could be saved as a file, e-mailed, opened and then listened to.  The listener could open the file and hear the original sound produced by that trumpet player - including the acoustic nuances and complexity of their performance.

Now, consider a MIDI keyboard.  If you were to "play" a MIDI keyboard into a notation software program, then you are giving it instructions to make sound.  There are no actual sounds involved.  The end result of MIDI production is always fabricated sound.

So what does this have to do with a DAW?

A good DAW is basically a program capable of integrating any combination of real sounds (actual recordings), MIDI input, loops, and any other recorded or digitally produced sound or file.  Essentially, a DAW is an intermodal terminal for the exchange and mixing of multiple input styles.  While MIDI is a great resource for inputting/producing sheet music for instance, a DAW is capable of producing recordings for an album.  Using a DAW such as Apple's Logic Pro 9, you could produce an entire CD.

Other advantages to a DAW

The abilities to mix, edit free of time constraints within the music and input in a myriad of ways are all great advantages to a DAW.  With a microphone, computer and external mixer board, it is possible to generate, edit and preserve original and altered versions of music and professionally polish them in the process.

So why even use a MIDI input device?

As I discussed on my last post, MIDI input is a WONDERFULLY speedy way to input music notation into a software program.  As a band director who is constantly arranging/transcribing parts, the ability to play through a MIDI keyboard on any instrument and have a program like Finale transpose at will is invaluable.

The bottom line between using DAWs and MIDI

The fundamental question you need to ask yourself is... What do I need to use this for?  If your primary goal is to rock a sweet new tune for your garage band then perhaps the DAW is going to be your best bet.  But if you need a quick transposition of that tenor sax part for English Horn by next period then break out that MIDI keyboard!