May 05, 2015
Do the words MIDI file suggest mechanical and lifeless to you? If yes, it's probably be for good reason; there are after all vast numbers of MIDI files in circulation which basically fit that description — unmusical, lacking in interpretive nuance, dynamics, rubato, and all the things that real musicians do when they actually play music.
To deal with these problems, some software implements humanizing functions, which attempt to make MIDI files sound less mechanical by processing the data with a set of algorithms intended to mimic the way human beings play music. Those solutions can help if you just want the playback not to sound so rigid, but what about when you really want to be able to interpret the music yourself, and hear it the way you would perform it? No algorithm is going to do that; at that point, you just have to play it. But then, well, you have to be able to play it, which means you have to practice it. That's time, and hard work. Of course, it's what musicians do — we practice the music we want to hear until we can play it the way we want to play it. But what if there was some kind of middle ground, leveraging this brilliant tool called the computer that can process all the musical instructions that are in a MIDI file, and your brilliant brain which already knows exactly how the music should go?
That's where this software comes in, making real human-directed musical performance less difficult and time consuming, by having the computer do things it's good at, while staying out of your way to let you do the things you're good at. Today marks the official beta release of a new app from H-Pi Instruments called MIDITapper, designed to let you bring your musicality to those otherwise lifeless MIDI files. So how does it work? I tried to sum it up on the product page as follows:
"MIDITapper for Mac OSX and Windows allows you to perform music of any level of complexity quickly and easily, by playing with just one or two fingers on a MIDI controller. Record, edit, and shape your music with the performance nuances you want, fast. Get results with precise control in a fraction of the time it would take with conventional performance and recording methods."
The core idea behind MIDITapper isn't new; it has a long history. MIDITapper is in fact a direct descendent of Stephen Malinowski's Tapper software (hence I kept Tapper in the name). I found Malinowski's Tapper some years ago when I was looking for a way to realize my Equal Tempered Keyboard project. With Tapper, I made the first real performance recordings of those keyboard pieces, and I was elated.
At that time, I was running OSX 10.6.8. Tapper worked on that OS. When I was forced to upgrade OSX in order to continue developing software for Mac, I was dismayed to find that Tapper wasn't compatible with newer versions of OSX. I contacted Malinowski, asking if he intended to release an update, and he said no. Long story short, I asked Stephen if I could write my own version of Tapper, and he said he was all for it. He reviewed all the early versions of the software, pointing out what didn't work quite right, and explaining features he'd like to see.
I continued developing the software for my own needs, to realize piano music I had written. That process led me to develop features which allow performances to be easily spliced together, and then reshaped afterwards in ways that maintain the original expression. What emerged is not only a powerful performance tool, but an equally powerful recording and production tool.
I recorded my 24 Preludes and Fugues album with MIDITapper, using a sampled Steinway piano. You can hear excerpts from those performances at Zwillinge Verlag.
For now, MIDITapper is being tested on Mac OSX. A small team of users are reporting bugs, and I'm ironing out the issues. If you'd like to join in this process, simply open an account and buy a MIDITapper beta license (it's only a few dollars). We can then correspond about any issues you find and any ideas you may have for improving what's there, and your beta license will renew throughout each test cycle, until the software is released.
Cheers,
Aaron
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