Step 1
You've got a PC and you like music? Would you like to make your own music, or change existing music? Maybe you are in a band, are a DJ, want to create the lastest sounds in dance music, or just have musical inclinations that you're looking for a way to express. Perhaps you work in a professional recording studio, or you teach music and want to know how a PC can help you in your work.
Your PC has many pleasant surprises in store. It offers lots of interesting and exciting ways to bring out your creative side. What do you need to start your musical adventure? You've got the main part you're using it right now already (your PC). All you need is some software and a decent sound source. You will then be able to write, arrange and print out scores - even if you can't read music.
Maybe your intentions are serious; or maybe you just fancy Kareoke at home for a laugh - no problem. You may have written some poetry and want to put it to music - easy. And, as you progress your PC can be turned into a full-blown professional recording system. Not only that, but costs have really come down and you can get a great system for a tenth of what it would have cost only two years ago.
Are you ready so start your musical adventure?
Step 1
Get a good soundcard. Go for something with believable instrument sounds, so that a the "piano" sound actually sounds like a piano. This is not true of many of the cheaper soundcards. The following are some links that should help you find soundcards that are compatible with your operating system.
Step 2
A keyboard to play the sounds. You need what is known as a "MIDI contoller keyboard". You can get a good one of these for a street price of a bit over a hundred pounds. The keyboard should offer at least 49 full-sized keys, a "pitch" wheel and "mod" wheel. The "pitch wheel" and "mod wheel" are used to bend notes and add effects. These help to add expression - i.e. feeling - to your sound.
Step 3
You need "sequencing" software to record what you play. Sequencing software gives you sophisticated editing facilities; you can easily fix mistakes - if you're playing skills aren't up to it, copy one piece to another part of a composition, and so on. It also lets you print out a musical manuscript of what you play - without having to know music theory. It lets you record different instruments on different "tracks" and build a multi-instrument musical creation. Your creations can be saved in a special MIDI file format.
You can also use sequencing software to play and modify MIDI files created by others. There are lots of MIDI files available on the "net" and included with CDs of sound and home recording magazines.
Sequencing software also includes "mixing" facilities; setting the sound levels of different instruments, adding effects such as reverb, chorus and so on.
Visit harmony Central Software page for a detailed listing of MID software for Amiga, Atari, BeOS, DOS, Macintosh, OS2, UNIXabd Windows.
Next Step?
After working with MIDI for a while you may want to move into direct to disk digital recording. This allows you record vocals, analogue instruments, or other sounds, and mix these with your MIDI sounds.
Play, explore have fun, teach your kids, start piano lessons, find that spark, you know its always been there. Music is the most powerful medium on the planet it has been since time began. Don't just sit on the fence...
Now you've had an intro, have a read of Introduction to MIDI or go straight to our MIDI Tutorial page.
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