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83-551: The Symphonium company started business in 1885 as the first manufacturers of disc-playing music boxes. Two of the founders of the company, Gustave Brachhausen and Paul Riessner, left to set up a new firm, Polyphon , in direct competition with their original business and their third partner, Oscar Paul Lochmann. Following the establishment of the Original Musikwerke Paul Lochmann in 1900, the founding Symphonion business continued until 1909. According to

166-779: A Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) wrapper, as RMID files with a .rmi extension. RIFF-RMID has been deprecated in favor of Extensible Music Files ( XMF ). The main advantage of the personal computer in a MIDI system is that it can serve a number of different purposes, depending on the software that is loaded. Multitasking allows simultaneous operation of programs that may be able to share data with each other. Sequencing software allows recorded MIDI data to be manipulated using standard computer editing features such as cut, copy and paste and drag and drop . Keyboard shortcuts can be used to streamline workflow, and, in some systems, editing functions may be invoked by MIDI events. The sequencer allows each channel to be set to play

249-413: A daisy-chain arrangement. Not all devices feature thru ports, and devices that lack the ability to generate MIDI data, such as effects units and sound modules, may not include out ports. Each device in a daisy chain adds delay to the system. This can be avoided by using a MIDI thru box, which contains several outputs that provide an exact copy of the box's input signal. A MIDI merger is able to combine

332-438: A keyboard amplifier . MIDI data can be transferred via MIDI or USB cable, or recorded to a sequencer or digital audio workstation to be edited or played back. MIDI also defines a file format that stores and exchanges the data. Advantages of MIDI include small file size , ease of modification and manipulation and a wide choice of electronic instruments and synthesizer or digitally sampled sounds . A MIDI recording of

415-423: A 2 MB of wavetable storage, a space too small in which to fit good-quality samples of 128 General MIDI instruments plus drum kits. To make the most of the limited space, some manufacturers stored 12-bit samples and expanded those to 16 bits on playback. Despite its association with music devices, MIDI can control any electronic or digital device that can read and process a MIDI command. MIDI has been adopted as

498-452: A computer. In this way the device's limited patch storage is augmented by a computer's much greater disk capacity. Once transferred to the computer, it is possible to share custom patches with other owners of the same instrument. Universal editor/librarians that combine the two functions were once common, and included Opcode Systems' Galaxy, eMagic 's SoundDiver, and MOTU's Unisyn. Although these older programs have been largely abandoned with

581-427: A control protocol in a number of non-musical applications. MIDI Show Control uses MIDI commands to direct stage lighting systems and to trigger cued events in theatrical productions. VJs and turntablists use it to cue clips, and to synchronize equipment, and recording systems use it for synchronization and automation . Wayne Lytle, the founder of Animusic , derived a system he dubbed MIDIMotion in order to produce

664-479: A different sound and gives a graphical overview of the arrangement. A variety of editing tools are made available, including a notation display or scorewriter that can be used to create printed parts for musicians. Tools such as looping , quantization , randomization, and transposition simplify the arranging process. Beat creation is simplified, and groove templates can be used to duplicate another track's rhythmic feel. Realistic expression can be added through

747-496: A full-band arrangement in a style that the user selects, and send the result to a MIDI sound generating device for playback. The generated tracks can be used as educational or practice tools, as accompaniment for live performances, or as a songwriting aid. Computers can use software to generate sounds, which are then passed through a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to a power amplifier and loudspeaker system. The number of sounds that can be played simultaneously (the polyphony )

830-423: A hand-wound clockwork motor . Polyphon may have devised an electric motor variant of a large coin-operated model in the latter days of production, but to date, no known original examples exist. The motor has an output drive dog, which is a circular component with round-topped dowels arrange to fit the holes in the discs. Discs of small diameter have two centrally located holes (centre drive), while larger discs had

913-481: A home environment, an artist can reduce recording costs by arriving at a recording studio with a partially completed song. In 2022, the Guardian wrote that MIDI remained as important to music as USB was to computing, and represented "a crucial value system of cooperation and mutual benefit, one all but thrown out by today's major tech companies in favour of captive markets". As of 2022, Smith's original MIDI design

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996-507: A low latency through tight driver integration, and therefore could run only on Creative Labs soundcards. Syntauri Corporation's Alpha Syntauri was another early software-based synthesizer. It ran on the Apple IIe computer and used a combination of software and the computer's hardware to produce additive synthesis. Some systems use dedicated hardware to reduce the load on the host CPU, as with Symbolic Sound Corporation 's Kyma System, and

1079-416: A musician could not, for example, plug a Roland keyboard into a Yamaha synthesizer module. With MIDI, any MIDI-compatible keyboard (or other controller device) can be connected to any other MIDI-compatible sequencer, sound module, drum machine , synthesizer, or computer, even if they are made by different manufacturers. MIDI technology was standardized in 1983 by a panel of music industry representatives, and

1162-650: A note is played on a MIDI instrument, it generates a digital MIDI message that can be used to trigger a note on another instrument. The capability for remote control allows full-sized instruments to be replaced with smaller sound modules, and allows musicians to combine instruments to achieve a fuller sound, or to create combinations of synthesized instrument sounds, such as acoustic piano and strings. MIDI also enables other instrument parameters (volume, effects, etc.) to be controlled remotely. Synthesizers and samplers contain various tools for shaping an electronic or digital sound. Filters adjust timbre , and envelopes automate

1245-470: A performance on a keyboard could sound like a piano or other keyboard instrument; however, since MIDI records the messages and information about their notes and not the specific sounds, this recording could be changed to many other sounds, ranging from synthesized or sampled guitar or flute to full orchestra. Before the development of MIDI, electronic musical instruments from different manufacturers could generally not communicate with each other. This meant that

1328-644: A pinned drum playing music not on bells but on tuned steel prongs arranged vertically. 1796: Antoine Favre-Salomon , a clockmaker from Geneva replaces the stack of bells by a comb with multiple pre-tuned metallic notes in order to reduce space. Together with a horizontally placed pinned barrel, this produces more varied and complex sounds. One of these first music boxes is now displayed at the Shanghai Gallery of Antique Music Boxes and Automata in Pudong 's Oriental Art Center . 1877: Thomas Edison invents

1411-567: A predetermined note. Upon the musical comb, the fast treble notes are sounded furthest from the centre and the slower base notes nearest the centre. Many comb variants were manufactured, including a single comb on smaller instruments, and duplex combs (simultaneous strike) on mid-sized examples of 11-inch-diameter and 15.5-inch-diameter instruments. Most larger twin-combed examples had alternate strike although other manufacturers, notably Symphonion, produced large size instruments with duplex combs. Almost without exception, all Polyphons are powered by

1494-620: A role in mainstream music production. In the years immediately after the 1983 ratification of the MIDI specification, MIDI features were adapted to several early computer platforms. The Yamaha CX5M introduced MIDI support and sequencing in an MSX system in 1984. The spread of MIDI on home computers was largely facilitated by Roland Corporation 's MPU-401 , released in 1984, as the first MIDI-equipped sound card , capable of MIDI sound processing and sequencing. After Roland sold MPU sound chips to other sound card manufacturers, it established

1577-414: A separate device. Each interaction with a key, button, knob or slider is converted into a MIDI event, which specifies musical instructions, such as a note's pitch , timing and loudness . One common MIDI application is to play a MIDI keyboard or other controller and use it to trigger a digital sound module (which contains synthesized musical sounds) to generate sounds, which the audience hears produced by

1660-469: A series of holes around the periphery (peripheral drive). During operation, a disc is placed on the centre post, or centre boss, a pressure bar goes over the disc to hold it in place and the drive dog revolves the disc. The playing time for each disc varies, dependent upon the diameter. For example, the running time of a 19.5/8 inch-diameter disc (50 cm) is about 1 minute and 50 seconds. Numerous sizes of Polyphons and associated discs were produced, with

1743-530: A set of twelve pieces on the signs of the zodiac , for twelve music boxes. Videos Polyphon A Polyphon is a disc-playing music box . The machine was invented in 1870; it was first manufactured by the Polyphon Musikwerke, in Leipzig , Germany, full-scale production having started about 1896 and continuing into the early 20th century. Polyphons were exported all over the world; music

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1826-447: A small LCD. Digital instruments typically discourage users from experimentation, due to their lack of the feedback and direct control that switches and knobs would provide, but patch editors give owners of hardware instruments and effects devices the same editing functionality that is available to users of software synthesizers. Some editors are designed for a specific instrument or effects device, while other, universal editors support

1909-632: A standard to the Oberheim Electronics founder Tom Oberheim , who had developed his own proprietary interface, the Oberheim System. Kakehashi felt the Oberheim System was too cumbersome, and spoke to Dave Smith , the president of Sequential Circuits , about creating a simpler, cheaper alternative. While Smith discussed the concept with American companies, Kakehashi discussed it with Japanese companies Yamaha , Korg and Kawai . Representatives from all companies met to discuss

1992-465: A universal standard MIDI-to-PC interface. The widespread adoption of MIDI led to computer-based MIDI software being developed. Soon after, a number of platforms began supporting MIDI, including the Apple II , Macintosh , Commodore 64 , Amiga , Acorn Archimedes , and IBM PC compatibles . The 1985 Atari ST shipped with MIDI ports as part of the base system. In 2015, Retro Innovations released

2075-516: A user with no notation skills to build complex arrangements. A musical act with as few as one or two members, each operating multiple MIDI-enabled devices, can deliver a performance similar to that of a larger group of musicians. The expense of hiring outside musicians for a project can be reduced or eliminated, and complex productions can be realized on a system as small as a synthesizer with integrated keyboard and sequencer. MIDI also helped establish home recording . By performing preproduction in

2158-408: A variety of equipment, and ideally can control the parameters of every device in a setup through the use of System Exclusive messages. System Exclusive messages use the MIDI protocol to send information about the synthesizer's parameters. Patch librarians have the specialized function of organizing the sounds in a collection of equipment and exchanging entire banks of sounds between an instrument and

2241-584: Is available that can print scores in braille . Notation programs include Finale , Encore , Sibelius , MuseScore and Dorico . SmartScore software can produce MIDI files from scanned sheet music. Patch editors allow users to program their equipment through the computer interface. These became essential with the appearance of complex synthesizers such as the Yamaha FS1R , which contained several thousand programmable parameters, but had an interface that consisted of fifteen tiny buttons, four knobs and

2324-500: Is dependent on the power of the computer's CPU , as are the sample rate and bit depth of playback, which directly affect the quality of the sound. Synthesizers implemented in software are subject to timing issues that are not necessarily present with hardware instruments, whose dedicated operating systems are not subject to interruption from background tasks as desktop operating systems are. These timing issues can cause synchronization problems, and clicks and pops when sample playback

2407-476: Is interrupted. Software synthesizers also may exhibit additional latency in their sound generation. The roots of software synthesis go back as far as the 1950s, when Max Mathews of Bell Labs wrote the MUSIC-N programming language, which was capable of non-real-time sound generation. Reality, by Dave Smith's Seer Systems was an early synthesizer that ran directly on a host computer's CPU. Reality achieved

2490-774: Is maintained by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA). All official MIDI standards are jointly developed and published by the MMA in Los Angeles, and the MIDI Committee of the Association of Musical Electronics Industry (AMEI) in Tokyo. In 2016, the MMA established The MIDI Association (TMA) to support a global community of people who work, play, or create with MIDI. In the early 1980s, there

2573-591: Is possible to change the key, instrumentation or tempo of a MIDI arrangement, and to reorder its individual sections, or even edit individual notes. The ability to compose ideas and quickly hear them played back enables composers to experiment. Algorithmic composition programs provide computer-generated performances that can be used as song ideas or accompaniment. Some composers may take advantage of standard, portable set of commands and parameters in MIDI 1.0 and General MIDI (GM) to share musical data files among various electronic instruments. The data composed via

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2656-515: Is serial, it can only send one event at a time. If an event is sent on two channels at once, the event on the second channel cannot transmit until the first one is finished, and so is delayed by 1 ms. If an event is sent on all channels at the same time, the last channel's transmission is delayed by as much as 16 ms. This contributed to the rise of MIDI interfaces with multiple in- and out-ports, because timing improves when events are spread between multiple ports as opposed to multiple channels on

2739-490: Is used to trigger dialogue, sound effect, and music cues in stage and broadcast production. With MIDI, notes played on a keyboard can automatically be transcribed to sheet music . Scorewriting software typically lacks advanced sequencing tools, and is optimized for the creation of a neat, professional printout designed for live instrumentalists. These programs provide support for dynamics and expression markings, chord and lyric display, and complex score styles. Software

2822-558: The AdLib and the Sound Blaster and its compatibles, used a stripped-down version of Yamaha's frequency modulation synthesis (FM synthesis) technology played back through low-quality digital-to-analog converters. The low-fidelity reproduction of these ubiquitous cards was often assumed to somehow be a property of MIDI itself. This created a perception of MIDI as low-quality audio, while in reality MIDI itself contains no sound, and

2905-456: The Animusic series of computer-animated music video albums; Animusic would later design its own animation software specifically for MIDIMotion called Animotion. Apple Motion allows for a similar control of animation parameters through MIDI. The 1987 first-person shooter game MIDI Maze and the 1990 Atari ST computer puzzle game Oxyd used MIDI to network computers together. Per

2988-498: The Creamware / Sonic Core Pulsar/SCOPE systems, which power an entire recording studio's worth of instruments, effect units , and mixers . The ability to construct full MIDI arrangements entirely in computer software allows a composer to render a finalized result directly as an audio file. Early PC games were distributed on floppy disks, and the small size of MIDI files made them a viable means of providing soundtracks. Games of

3071-513: The DOS and early Windows eras typically required compatibility with either Ad Lib or Sound Blaster audio cards. These cards used FM synthesis , which generates sound through modulation of sine waves . John Chowning , the technique's pioneer, theorized that the technology would be capable of accurate recreation of any sound if enough sine waves were used , but budget computer audio cards performed FM synthesis with only two sine waves. Combined with

3154-526: The Regina Company . Regina was a spectacular success. It eventually reinvented itself as a maker of vacuums and steam cleaners. In the heyday of the music box, some variations were as tall as a grandfather clock and all used interchangeable large disks to play different sets of tunes. These were spring-wound and driven and both had a bell-like sound. The machines were often made in England, Italy, and

3237-488: The phonograph , which has important consequences for the musical-box industry, especially around the end of the century. In 2010 American jazz guitarist Pat Metheny released the album Orchestrion on which he performed alongside a variety of custom-designed and built acoustic and electromechanical orchestrions which comprised the rest of the "band", playing music in real-time through the MIDI file format. In March 2016,

3320-466: The French media company Vivendi SA acquired the current owner Universal Music Group from Seagram . Original examples still exist of 1870-invented Polyphon and contemporary manufacturers produce small quantities of both the devices and discs. The tune is punched out on the disc with pitch determined by the position of the punching. In the manufacturing process, the punched metal was curled back onto

3403-574: The Hakkak company opened shops in Baghdad , Tehran and Kermanshah . Polyphon Musik and Polyphon Record had unique issue series in 36 countries or areas within decades. In 1931 agreement with Polyphon gave for Decca exclusive British licence to records on this label. Since 1946 Polydor has been the popular music arm, while the new Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft label was going to be a classical music label in 1949. The previous used label Grammophon

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3486-620: The MIDI Association was formed to continue overseeing the standard. In 2017, an abridged version of MIDI 1.0 was published as international standard IEC 63035. An initiative to create a 2.0 standard was announced in January 2019. The MIDI 2.0 standard was introduced at the 2020 Winter NAMM Show. The BBC cited MIDI as an early example of open-source technology. Smith believed MIDI could only succeed if every manufacturer adopted it, and so "we had to give it away". MIDI's appeal

3569-513: The MIDI Manufacturers' Association standardized the wiring. The MIDI-over-minijack standards document also recommends the use of 2.5 mm connectors over 3.5 mm ones to avoid confusion with audio connectors. Most devices do not copy messages from their input to their output port. A third type of port, the thru port, emits a copy of everything received at the input port, allowing data to be forwarded to another instrument in

3652-771: The MIDI device and the computer. Some computer sound cards include a standard MIDI connector, whereas others connect by any of various means that include the D-subminiature DA-15 game port , USB , FireWire , Ethernet or a proprietary connection. The increasing use of USB connectors in the 2000s has led to the availability of MIDI-to-USB data interfaces that can transfer MIDI channels to USB-equipped computers. Some MIDI keyboard controllers are equipped with USB jacks, and can be connected directly to computers that run music software. MIDI's serial transmission leads to timing problems. A three-byte MIDI message requires nearly 1 millisecond for transmission. Because MIDI

3735-530: The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)/Famicom, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and Sega Genesis (Mega Drive). A MIDI file is not an audio recording. Rather, it is a set of instructions – for example, for pitch or tempo – and can use a thousand times less disk space than the equivalent recorded audio. Due to their tiny filesize, fan-made MIDI arrangements became an attractive way to share music online, before

3818-598: The October 1982 issue of Keyboard . At the 1983 Winter NAMM Show , Smith demonstrated a MIDI connection between Prophet 600 and Roland JP-6 synthesizers. The MIDI specification was published in August 1983. The MIDI standard was unveiled by Kakehashi and Smith, who received Technical Grammy Awards in 2013 for their work. In 1983, the first instruments were released with MIDI, the Roland Jupiter-6 and

3901-805: The Prophet 600. In 1983, the first MIDI drum machine , the Roland TR-909 , and the first MIDI sequencer , the Roland MSQ-700, were released. The MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) was formed following a meeting of "all interested companies" at the 1984 Summer NAMM Show in Chicago. The MIDI 1.0 Detailed Specification was published at the MMA's second meeting at the 1985 Summer NAMM Show. The standard continued to evolve, adding standardized song files in 1991 ( General MIDI ) and adapted to new connection standards such as USB and FireWire . In 2016,

3984-720: The US, with additional disks made in Switzerland, Austria, and Prussia. Early "juke-box" pay versions of them existed in public places. Marsh's free Museum and curio shop in Long Beach, Washington (US) has several still-working versions of them on public display. The Musical Museum, Brentford , London has a number of machines. The Morris Museum in Morristown, New Jersey, USA has a notable collection, including interactive exhibits. In addition to video and audio footage of each piece,

4067-660: The Victoria Museums in Australia, "The Symphonion is notable for the enormous diversity of types, styles, and models produced... No other disc-playing musical box exists in so many varieties. The company also pioneered the use of electric motors... the first model fitted with an electric motor being advertised in 1900. The company moved into the piano-orchestrion business and made both disc-operated and barrel-playing models, player-pianos, and phonographs." Meanwhile, Polyphon expanded to America, where Brachhausen established

4150-500: The actual instruments are demonstrated for the public daily on a rotational basis. 9th century: In Baghdad , the Banū Mūsā brothers, a trio of Persian inventors , produced "the earliest known mechanical musical instrument", in this case a hydropowered organ which played interchangeable cylinders automatically, which they described in their Book of Ingenious Devices . According to Charles B. Fowler, this "cylinder with raised pins on

4233-449: The advent of broadband internet access and multi-gigabyte hard drives. The major drawback to this is the wide variation in quality of users' audio cards, and in the actual audio contained as samples or synthesized sound in the card that the MIDI data only refers to symbolically. Even a sound card that contains high-quality sampled sounds can have inconsistent quality from one sampled instrument to another. Early budget-priced cards, such as

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4316-423: The amount of hardware musicians needed. MIDI's introduction coincided with the dawn of the personal computer era and the introduction of samplers and digital synthesizers . The creative possibilities brought about by MIDI technology are credited for helping revive the music industry in the 1980s. MIDI introduced capabilities that transformed the way many musicians work. MIDI sequencing makes it possible for

4399-478: The band Wintergatan released a video of their homemade Marble Machine which took 14 months to make and played in any key using a 3,000-piece wooden construction fueled by 2,000 marbles. Band member Martin Molin used a hand crank to mobilize the marbles, which then created various noises on a vibraphone and other installed musical elements. In 1974–1975, German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen composed Tierkreis ,

4482-554: The cards' 8-bit audio, this resulted in a sound described as "artificial" and "primitive". Wavetable daughterboards that were later available provided audio samples that could be used in place of the FM sound. These were expensive, but often used the sounds from respected MIDI instruments such as the E-mu Proteus . The computer industry moved in the mid-1990s toward wavetable-based soundcards with 16-bit playback, but standardized on

4565-519: The company renamed itself to Deutsche Grammophon GmbH. A capital merger operation took place by a consortium of Deutsche Bank and Telefunken Gesellschaft. In 1932 founded Telefunken Platte GmbH got a production plant as it was needed. DGG was sold to the German Siemens & Halske AG electronics company in 1941. In 1954, DGG established a subsidiary in London, Polydor Records Ltd. In 2000,

4648-597: The device responds to any messages it receives that are identified by that number. Controls such as knobs, switches, and pedals can be used to send these messages. A set of adjusted parameters can be saved to a device's internal memory as a patch , and these patches can be remotely selected by MIDI program changes. MIDI events can be sequenced with computer software , or in specialized hardware music workstations . Many digital audio workstations (DAWs) are specifically designed to work with MIDI as an integral component. MIDI piano rolls have been developed in many DAWs so that

4731-414: The devices to function as standalone MIDI routers in situations where no computer is present. MIDI data processors are used for utility tasks and special effects. These include MIDI filters, which remove unwanted MIDI data from the stream, and MIDI delays, effects that send a repeated copy of the input data at a set time. A computer MIDI interface's main function is to synchronize communications between

4814-555: The diameters ranging from 6 inches to 24.5 inches. It is possible to purchase new discs, currently manufactured in the UK by Renaissance Discs, for every size of Polyphon originally produced. Originals have survived in relatively large numbers, and are often available on internet sales sites. Polyphon disc records and machines followed in Germany 1905 and in England in June 1908. The trade mark

4897-560: The events so that they can be played back in sequence. A header contains the arrangement's track count, tempo and an indicator of which of three SMF formats the file uses. A type 0 file contains the entire performance, merged onto a single track, while type 1 files may contain any number of tracks that are performed synchronously. Type 2 files are rarely used and store multiple arrangements, with each arrangement having its own track and intended to be played in sequence. Microsoft Windows bundles SMFs together with Downloadable Sounds (DLS) in

4980-419: The first MIDI interface for a VIC-20 , making the computer's four voices available to electronic musicians and retro-computing enthusiasts for the first time. Retro Innovations also makes a MIDI interface cartridge for Tandy Color Computer and Dragon computers. Chiptune musicians also use retro gaming consoles to compose, produce and perform music using MIDI interfaces. Custom interfaces are available for

5063-579: The idea in October. Initially, only Sequential Circuits and the Japanese companies were interested. Using Roland's DCB as a basis, Smith and Sequential Circuits engineer Chet Wood devised a universal interface to allow communication between equipment from different manufacturers. Smith and Wood proposed this standard in a paper, Universal Synthesizer Interface, at the Audio Engineering Society show in October 1981. The standard

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5146-551: The input from multiple devices into a single stream, and allows multiple controllers to be connected to a single device. A MIDI switcher allows switching between multiple devices, and eliminates the need to physically repatch cables. MIDI routers combine all of these functions. They contain multiple inputs and outputs, and allow any combination of input channels to be routed to any combination of output channels. Routing setups can be created using computer software, stored in memory, and selected by MIDI program change commands. This enables

5229-515: The manipulation of real-time controllers. Mixing can be performed, and MIDI can be synchronized with recorded audio and video tracks. Work can be saved, and transported between different computers or studios. Sequencers may take alternate forms, such as drum pattern editors that allow users to create beats by clicking on pattern grids, and loop sequencers such as ACID Pro , which allow MIDI to be combined with prerecorded audio loops whose tempos and keys are matched to each other. Cue-list sequencing

5312-709: The new corporate entity taking the name Polyphon- Grammophon -Konzern. In 1918, Polyphon AG established its head offices in Markgrafenstraße 76 in Berlin. Bruno Borchard became director general. The early owner Joseph Berliner remained as member of the boards until his retirement in 1921. In 1919 the Austrian subsidiary Polyphon-Sprechmaschinen und Schallplatten GmbH was founded in Vienna. It was as renamed Polyphon Schallplatten Ges. mbH. The Danish Nordisk Polyphon A. S.

5395-553: The original MIDI 1.0 standard, cables terminate in a 180° five-pin DIN connector (DIN 41524). Typical applications use only three of the five conductors: a ground wire (pin 2), and a balanced pair of conductors (pins 4 and 5) that carry the MIDI signal as an electric current . This connector configuration can only carry messages in one direction, so a second cable is necessary for two-way communication. Some proprietary applications, such as phantom-powered footswitch controllers, use

5478-858: The quality of its playback depends entirely on the quality of the sound-producing device. The Standard MIDI File ( SMF ) is a file format that provides a standardized way for music sequences to be saved, transported, and opened in other systems. The standard was developed and is maintained by the MMA, and usually uses a .mid extension. The compact size of these files led to their widespread use in computers, mobile phone ringtones , webpage authoring and musical greeting cards. These files are intended for universal use and include such information as note values, timing and track names. Lyrics may be included as metadata , and can be displayed by karaoke machines. SMFs are created as an export format of software sequencers or hardware workstations. They organize MIDI messages into one or more parallel tracks and time-stamp

5561-446: The recorded MIDI messages can be easily modified. These tools allow composers to audition and edit their work much more quickly and efficiently than did older solutions, such as multitrack recording . Compositions can be programmed for MIDI that are impossible for human performers to play. Because a MIDI performance is a sequence of commands that create sound, MIDI recordings can be manipulated in ways that audio recordings cannot. It

5644-466: The sequenced MIDI recordings can be saved as a standard MIDI file (SMF), digitally distributed, and reproduced by any computer or electronic instrument that also adheres to the same MIDI, GM, and SMF standards. MIDI data files are much smaller than corresponding recorded audio files . The personal computer market stabilized at the same time that MIDI appeared, and computers became a viable option for music production. In 1983 computers started to play

5727-557: The spare pins for direct current (DC) power transmission. Opto-isolators keep MIDI devices electrically separated from their MIDI connections, which prevents ground loops and protects equipment from voltage spikes. There is no error detection capability in MIDI, so the maximum cable length is set at 15 meters (49 ft) to limit interference . To save space, some MIDI devices (smaller ones in particular) started using 3.5 mm TRS phone connectors (also known as audio minijack connectors). This became widespread enough that

5810-421: The superstructure. The barrel can be programmed, as the pins can be separately placed in the holes provided on the surface of the barrel. 1665: Ahasuerus Fromanteel in London makes a table clock which has quarter striking and musical work on multiple bells operated by a pinned barrel. These barrels can be changed for those playing different tunes. 1772: A watch is made by one Ransonet at Nancy, France which has

5893-413: The surface remained the basic device to produce and reproduce music mechanically until the second half of the nineteenth century." Early 13th century: In Flanders , an ingenious bell ringer invents a cylinder with pins which operates cams, which then hit the bells. 1598: Flemish clockmaker Nicholas Vallin produces a wall-mounted clock which has a pinned barrel playing on multiple tuned bells mounted in

5976-476: The trend toward computer-based synthesis using virtual instruments, several editor/librarians remain available, including Coffeeshopped Patch Base, Sound Quest's Midi Quest, and several editors from Sound Tower. Native Instruments ' Kore was an effort to bring the editor/librarian concept into the age of software instruments, but was abandoned in 2011. Programs that can dynamically generate accompaniment tracks are called auto-accompaniment programs. These create

6059-469: The underside of the disc, creating a raised projection that resembles a letter A when viewed obliquely. When the Polyphon operates, the resulting disc projections, called plectra , engage with a series of ratchet -like star wheels, each with 9 projections, that sit in a gantry. Each star wheel, when moved through 40 degrees on its axis, plucks a tooth on the instrument's comb. The tooth resonates, sounding

6142-427: The way a sound evolves over time after a note is triggered. The frequency of a filter and the envelope attack (the time it takes for a sound to reach its maximum level), are examples of synthesizer parameters , and can be controlled remotely through MIDI. Effects devices have different parameters, such as delay feedback or reverb time. When a MIDI continuous controller number (CCN) is assigned to one of these parameters,

6225-472: Was disbanded. MIDI MIDI ( / ˈ m ɪ d i / ; Musical Instrument Digital Interface ) is a technical standard that describes a communication protocol , digital interface , and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments , computers , and related audio devices for playing, editing, and recording music. A single MIDI cable can carry up to sixteen channels of MIDI data, each of which can be routed to

6308-427: Was discussed and modified by representatives of Roland, Yamaha, Korg, Kawai, and Sequential Circuits. Kakehashi favored the name Universal Musical Interface (UMI), pronounced you-me , but Smith felt this was "a little corny". However, he liked the use of instrument instead of synthesizer , and proposed Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). Robert Moog , the president of Moog Music , announced MIDI in

6391-781: Was founded in Kopenhagen. In Stockholm the Swedish subsidiary was called Nordisk Polyphon A. B. The ownership of foreign activities were concentrated in March 1929 into a Swiss holding company the Polyphon-Holding AG. In 1932 this holding was renamed to Polydor Holding AG. The owner Polyphon Werke AG was merged with Deutsche Grammophon AG in 1932, and the total shutdown of the production in Leipzig followed soon thereafter. In 1933 DG sold its shares of Polydor Holding. In 1937

6474-434: Was no standardized means of synchronizing electronic musical instruments manufactured by different companies. Manufacturers had their own proprietary standards to synchronize instruments, such as CV/gate , DIN sync and Digital Control Bus (DCB). Ikutaro Kakehashi , the president of Roland , felt the lack of standardization was limiting the growth of the electronic music industry. In June 1981, he proposed developing

6557-441: Was originally limited to professional musicians and record producers who wanted to use electronic instruments in the production of popular music . The standard allowed different instruments to communicate with each other and with computers, and this spurred a rapid expansion of the sales and production of electronic instruments and music software. This interoperability allowed one device to be controlled from another, which reduced

6640-751: Was registered in Britain in 1900. Earlier Polyphon overstamped their place of origin. Polyphon as a label was founded in Leipzig on 8 September 1908 (registered Nr. 110347). In England their Klingsor Records label were repressed under Polyphon around 1910. In June 1913 the label was changed to Pilot. Polydor label was founded 2 April 1913 in Leipzig and registered on 25 July 1914 (Nr. 316613). For example, Polyphon Musikwerke entered into Persian market in 1927. In 1927 Polyphon Musikwerke recorded 200 matrices in Iraq followed by making 600 recordings in Tehran . Their agent

6723-707: Was renamed to Polyphon-Musikwerke AG in 1895. In 1908 Hugo Wünsch was appointed director, but became head of the new subsidiary Deutsche Grammophon AG in 1918. On April 24, 1917, Polyphon-Musikwerke AG acquired the Deutsche Grammophon-Aktiengesellschaft record plant from the German government. The German state had taken over DG and British holdings during World War I on the grounds that they were enemy property. The factories Deutsche Grammophon and Polyphon-Musikwerke were handled by Polyphonwerke AG, and headquarters were relocated to Berlin, with

6806-451: Was still in use. MIDI was invented so that electronic or digital musical instruments could communicate with each other and so that one instrument can control another. For example, a MIDI-compatible sequencer can trigger beats produced by a drum sound module . Analog synthesizers that have no digital component and were built prior to MIDI's development can be retrofitted with kits that convert MIDI messages into analog control voltages. When

6889-822: Was supplied for the English, French, German markets, as well as further afield, with pieces cataloged for the Russian, Polish, and Balkan regions. Polyphon is also a record label as registered by German Polyphon Musikwerke AG in 1908. Polyphon traded under the Polydor label since 1913 with their trademarks Polyphon Musik and Polyphon Record . The German company was founded in 1887 in Wahren, Leipzig , as Firma Brachhausen & Riesener, by Gustav Adolf Brachhausen and Ernst Paul Riessner, for manufacturing their 1870 invention mechanical disc-playing music box Polyphon. The company

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