MIDI is a great tool that has opened up a new range of possibilities for studios since its introduction about three decades ago. Still, it sometimes remains a bit misunderstood, so we put together this intro to MIDI to offer a simple explanation of this digital technology.
This technology came along just as studios were beginning to experiment with digital recording, and while both MIDI and digital recording have now become acceptable practices in almost every studio, many found the technology a little scary when it was new. But, like most studio equipment, MIDI was refined over the years, and is now so versatile it can sound great alongside most any analog instrument out there.
And it’s this mix of analog and digital that seems to be the happy medium of most recording studios today. Here at Sage, we use a perfected mix of digital and analog equipment to make sure you get the best CD mastering services available.
What is MIDI?
Let’s start with the basics: MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, and was developed in 1983. Essentially what this means is that a MIDI device provides a digital communication which uses the 1s and 0s of digital technology – no actual audio information is transferred.
MIDI caught on nearly immediately after being introduced, but the number of companies working with MIDI were so numerous that MIDI devices quickly began to be incompatible with each other. To solve this problem, General MIDI was established in the early 1990s as a standard MIDI protocol. This established a common set of specifications between all MIDI equipment.
How Does MIDI Work?
A MIDI signal contains a large amount of information, but there are four main pieces of information that controls how a device functions.
- Note On – as you would expect, this piece of information tells when the equipment should begin the note.
- Note Off – the note has to be told when to stop playing, as well.
- Note Number – every note a MIDI device is capable of playing is assigned a number, and the device must instruct which number is to be played.
- Note Velocity – finally, velocity tells how loud the note should be played. The volume also is assigned a number: 0 is the quietest and 127 is the loudest.
What Can MIDI Devices Do For Your Studio?
MIDI devices are most often seen in studios as keyboards or drum machines, though additional types also exist. The options for MIDI devices are nearly endless, and are constantly expanding in the audio industry.
Similarly, there was a time when audio mastering engineers might have scoffed at anything digital, but these days we’re producing some of the best sounding masters to ever be released by combining analog and digital technology.
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There are 8 unique value-points inside the Sage Audio membership, so let’s go over each one so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.
1. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You’ll get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
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2. 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio 1:1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us to answer all your questions and receive unlimited advanced mixing feedback directly from us.
- Unlimited direct access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve your mixes and masters.
- Unlimited advanced mixing feedback with detailed suggestions for improvement.
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3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited mixing feedback so you can improve your mixes quickly.
- This is highly valuable - giving you access to a thriving community of mixing engineers who can provide feedback about what you can improve before sending your mix to be professionally mastered.
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4. Sage Audio University™ (SAU) — (Mixing and Mastering Education Platform)
- SAU is a modern audio engineering education platform that includes in-depth mixing and mastering course curriculums that match the new music industry.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from first-time mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout every course curriculum.
- SAU course curriculums include Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website, social channels, and portfolio for as long as you remain a member.
- Get first access to all future SAU course curriculums to continually build and refine your mixing and mastering skills as the industry evolves.
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5. Mixing and Mastering Competitions
- Compete in Mixing Competitions and Mastering Competitions to win prizes and connect with friends and colleagues.
- This is a great collaborative way to improve your skills alongside both aspiring engineers and seasoned industry professionals.
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6. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
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7. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content, Including:
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 58 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
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8. 700+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into playlists so you can take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your mixing and mastering skills at your own pace.
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