MIDI For Musicians [Paperback]

Craig Anderton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1986

The first guide that clearly explains the impact that Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) has made on the creation of music. Profusely illustrated with easy-to-understand diagrams and examples that take the mystery out of MIDI.

Product Details

• Paperback: 105 pages
• Publisher: Amsco Publications (December 31, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0825610508
• ISBN-13: 978-0825610509
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,389,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Written Introduction, November 8, 2003

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MIDI For Musicians (Paperback)

There has been a lot of water over the dam since the introduction of MIDI as a protocol for recording and controlling electronic (and some not-so-electronic) instruments. The average musician has gone from completely computer illiterate to technically adept at living in a specialized world where the gut strings are cables and the voices come from chips. All of this has greatly empowered the players and composers who can work with these building blocks.

But truth is that, for many musicians MIDI is still a mystery. Something that just 'happens' when they follow the instructions in a manual, and when something doesn't happen they are lost. Despite being nearly 20 years old, MIDI for musicians is still one of the best guides for the naïve who are looking to become cognoscenti.

Anderton has written a short, to-the-point book that delves into the mysteries of the architecture of electronic instruments and their control without racing ahead of the readers ability to cope. He treats his reader as someone who is both motivated and intelligent, fearlessly broaching some complicated topics and dicing them up into digestible components.

He moves steadily from what is happening in the wires to presenting a strong overview of the potential resources available to the musician. Recommended for both novices and journeymen alike.

4.0 out of 5 stars MIDI for Musicians, November 11, 2008

By 

Mel Cohen "Napaguy" (Napa, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Midi for Musicians (Paperback)

It helped me understand the history of MIDI and how and why it works the way it does.

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dated?, October 1, 2007

By 

Gordon F. Ross (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MIDI For Musicians (Paperback)

Although I appreciated the one review given here, when I checked the copyright date (1986) I decided not to buy it. 21 years ago in computer (and MIDI) time is ancient history. Am looking for a more up-to-date book.