Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    Sounds like....
    
               A.    Fun
               B.    A logistical nightmare
               C.    A good reason to buy an MC500 or QX5
               D.    LEDS-BIM
    
    Count me in....
    
    Edd

    
    	Oh, a midi data jam on the net, eh ?	Nah.
    

    Hmmm...
    
    Neat idea.  I remember some of the problems I encountered when I
    (who only owns a DX7, Matrix 6R, TR707 plus peripherals) tried to
    enter some piano parts into some songs for a friend (who is the
    guitarist in our band and also starting his own midi-band on the
    side, and who by the way owns the 1200 watt sound system, plus 5
    sythesizers, DDD-1 drum machine, 16 channel mixer etc. etc.)
    
    As long as the songs had relatively few parts (bass, standard drum
    kit, piano and maybe strings) it was fairly simple.  Bass was always
    MIDI channel 2, drums were always midi channel 10.  Piano and strings
    were usually on Midi 3 or 4.
    
    Then we decided to do "Open your heart" by Madonna.  I know a lot
    of people who despise this woman, and I must admit I'll probably
    never buy one of her records for my own listening enjoyment, but
    this song used up all 5 synths (plus drum machine, guitar and vocals),
    and took us several weeks to complete.
    
    The problem was (and this is the whole point of this note) is that
    first we had to develop a standard of what types of synths would
    be on what midi channels, and then what types of patches would be
    found at key patch locations, so that with 2 MC500's we could work
    on the song independantly at our homes.
    
    After we created our own "midi standard", we then ran into the problem
    that I did not have enough synths to do the song at my house.  At
    which point I gave up, and now we do all our song data entry at
    Dave's studio using his 5 synths.
    
    Oh yeah, another problem concerns drum machines most of which are 
    almost but not quite compatible, in terms of which type of drum is
    at which note number.
    
    Anyhow, once the song is done, half the contributors won't have
    enough synthesizers to hear the whole thing, and the tracks that
    they do hear will be playing the wrong sounds, and all the bass
    drum hits will cause cymbal crashes instead.
    
    All in all sounds like it could be fun.  Count me in.  I vote for
    MC500 format, since I can fairly readily borrow one.
    
    Guido
    

    Re: .3
    
    This sounds real familiar.  It is in fact the way I have been working
    with several people on various projects.  These are really the defacto
    LEDS-BIM standards.  Strings on MIDI ch 1, Bass on MIDI ch 2, Piano
    on MIDI ch 3, Drums on MIDI ch 10.  The sequencers have been mostly 
    MC-500, QX5, and QX7.  I've had no trouble dumping between these
    sequencers and also the MSQ-700.  Also the drum format preferred
    has been Roland drum assignments (Even though I have a Midied
    LinnDrum).  There is no problem re-assigning drum notes on either
    the Linn or the MC-500.
     
    LEDS-BIM refers to this type of music production 'Distributed Arranging'.
    It is a very slow way to work, however.  Sort of like mail chess.
    
    I'm up for it.
    
    Dave

    
    what is LEDS-BIM ?
    
    
    				Paul
    
    
    

Well, my vote is to go for it.  I don't think that more than 3 people should
contribute to each sequence, however.  My main theory when it comes to 
carving out a creative piece is to "Keep It Simple!".  Don't crowd the music.

I vote for the TR707/727 note number standard for percussion.  I think Len
and I are the only drummers in this conference, no?  We both sport the TR
series.

My sequencer is computer based, but perhaps I'll be able to borrow an MC
and dump it to my sequencer (as if borrowing the Drumslave wasn't enuf,
huh Len?) and then dump it back upon completion.

Todd.

    Problems: Its been mentioned. Not enuf synths will most folks have
    to hear the work and add to it.
    Different drums use different midi notes (numbers) for
    different sounds. You'd have to standardize.
    
    AND, who puts the first track down? Something tells me start simple.
    Bass? Drums? Chord structure? One person can lay a foundation of all
    of that quicker than distributing it, and just as good if not better...
    
    How bout we add solos to a background. A good first experiment.
    
    

    
    hmmm, clarification:
    
    Someone puts down the drums, bass and chords. Sends it to the next.
    
    Add your 16 or 32 bars of {whatever you want}.
    
    Send it to the next on the list.

    Repeat till list exhausted. THEN we gotta distribute the result.    

    How about we find 3 people to lay 3 channels of data as a rythym
    track.... Bass, piano and drums... 
    
    That would leave 13 other channels people could 'jam' on. You just
    pick ch. n to hear person Y's version.
    
    I'm brilliant, yes?
    
    Edd

    
    Well, that is just a *variant* of *my* idea.
    
    *We're*  brilliant, no?
    
    {sparkle of clean teeth}
    

    The obvious extension to this notion is
    
    	Variations on a MIDIed Theme
    
    Circulate a riff and see what everybody does with it.
    
    I mean, how many overdubs can we do before things get outta hand?
    
    I like "dense" textures as much as the next guy, but...
    
    len.