I am developer at Yamaha, and belongs to AMEI[0] to advocate Web MIDI API, and am administrating community for who likes Web and Music named Web Music Developers JP in Japan.
As you know, MIDI itself has 30 years' history, and now MIDI is an standard protocol for the music industry. Almost all of electric musical instruments support MIDI to communicate each other. As you know MIDI has IN/OUT features. >From MIDI output point of view, MIDI has Show Control(MSC) specs, for example. >The MSC allow users to control all types of entertainment equipments. For example, some of the show at Las Vegas, and Universal Studio are using MSC to control the show. So when Web browser supports MIDI, those console would change to Web browser. >From MIDI input point of view, MIDI message has velocity, which allow users to >add expression to play music, and velocity is one of the important element to >create music. But since PC keyboard has only has 2 state which are On and Off, >it is not possible to create without MIDI input devices(physical controller). And input feature allow users to control other devices which support MIDI from physical devices. So when Web browser supports MIDI, users can develop application which is controlled by physical devices. For example, Web Music Developers JP had a hackathon[1][2] with Google, and some developers build applications which are controlled by MIDI devices, such as VJ applications, control object in browser by MIDI controller. Even DAWs(Digital Audio Workstation) support MIDI input(also output), so that users can control parameter, such as volume, pan, filters, start/stop sequence and so on by physical controller. That is because with physical controller to control DAW(music applications) is much intuitive way than controlling from PC display. As Chris mentions, at Yamaha, we are distributing Web MIDI Applications for real product[3]. The biggest one is the gadget named "Pocket Miku". This gadget sing and play music from controller on gadget and also able to control from MIDI. We have built and distribute Web Application to allow user to change configurations of the gadget. Lots of users are using this application easily without any user supports, and now developers have started creating music applications with Web MIDI API for not only for the gadget but also any MIDI devices. >From these facts, we have confident that Web MIDI API has huge impact not only >to music industry but also to other industries which are related to music. And >I believe that it have impact to Web developers who likes music.( and I know >lots of Web developers likes music:-) ) And I think that Web MIDI API would be one of the unique API that enable to connect physical controllers and browser with well defined, open specs, and lasted for 30 years. [0] Association of Musical Electronics Industry( http://amei.or.jp/ (Japanese) ) [1] http://blog.agektmr.com/2014/01/web-music-hackathon-2-report.html [2] http://miscfeeling.blogspot.jp/2014/01/web-music-hackathon-2-report.html [3] https://github.com/yamaha-webmusic/nsx1-apps/ [4] http://fumiopen.blogspot.jp/2014/06/pocket-miku.html _______________________________________________ dev-platform mailing list dev-platform@lists.mozilla.org https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-platform
