Uses of Midi Out
There must be a reason why Midi Out was developed and accepted. But why? There is already an export file function that gives the ability to load the file into a DAW and use with the plug- in of choice. You can also load the file into many stand-alone apps, though not all, for playback or more advanced functions. Furthermore, the files are small enough to email. Also, a single DAW centralizes the problem of finding audio and midi devices and drivers on the operating system and figuring out priorities. So, it seems that it has to do with the convenience and utility of using real-time playback of Msc. But I am now at pains to see this. ( beyond my own fascination with recreating 1980's hardware set-ups in virtual space.) I have only come up with these:
1) Allows the use in a stand alone sampler that doesn't facilitate midi import and playback
2) Allows the use of samplers and libraries that don't have VST versions.
Please enlighten me. If these are viable, then they could be refined. (Clue: Free playback (and clock) from Fluid's need for an open audio port for a midi driver. Let the destination worry about that. Its not audio. Strange. I can run a tape machine with printed sound even with the audio circuitry ripped out of it. ( I'll never be able to reproduce it unless I switch machines. Yet I can't send the midi out without the requirement for an open audio port for the midi drivers to see?)
Comments
MIDI out creates the ability to use an external synthesizer or other sound engine (e.g., virtual pipe organ, see https://musescore.org/en/node/270844 ) as a MuseScore output device. That means that as you are entering a composition into MuseScore, you will hear the notes and measures, as you write them, and test them by little playbacks, on the synthesizer or other device. And you can "debug" measure by measure as to the most appropriate sounds. Going through a midi file requires the whole piece. You don't want to do that to debug a measure or a line. The ability of a music editor to act as a "sequencer", in midi terms, is very powerful.
Having just made this work for the first time (for me) between MS3 and Hauptwerk, hearing the truly grand sounds as I composed my last composition, being able to hear the first 10 measure as "the real thing" before writing the 11th measure, etc., really helped my inspiration and progress.
Being able to play each measure as I wrote it as it should sound was something I had all my life, as an organist. With MuseScore, that had been sacrificed until the advent of live MIDI output.
In reply to MIDI out creates the ability… by [DELETED] 1831606
That is a nice organ sound. I see your point about entering notes for a specific instrument.
In reply to That is a nice organ sound… by ramblinj
Hey! I lived without it until this week, composing with the problematic "Old MuseScore Church Organ" or fluty-like instruments or whatever and making (and post-processing) MIDI files to create fully perfect VPO performances. But this way is more fun, even though the end result is the same (but right now, direct-via-midi real-time exposes MuseScore bugs galore, which will hopefully be fixed; see that document).
MIDI out is great for rehearsal. Musescore sends MIDI via AIC (on Mac) to Ableton Live Lite which uses better sounds than Musescore. Using Live and and a soundcard (Zooom-U44) each staff (MIDI channel) gets sent to a separate speaker. Great for choral practice where all voice groups can practice their own part - simultaneously!