Tutorials and Topics - Peabody Computer Music

Tutorial 18MIDI Control:Mapping MIDI to MSPControlling synthesis parameters with MIDIIn this tutorial patch, we use MIDI continuous controller messages to control severaldifferent parameters in an FM synthesis patch. The synthesis is performed in MSP by thesubpatch simpleFM~ which was introduced in Tutorial 11, and we map MIDI controller 1(the mod wheel) to affect, in turn, its amplitude, modulation index, vibrato depth, vibratorate, and pitch bend.An FM synthesis subpatch is the sound generator to be modified by MIDIIf we were designing a real performance instrument, we would probably control each ofthese parameters with a separate type of MIDI message—controller 7 for amplitude,controller 1 for vibrato depth, pitchbend for pitch bend, and so on. In this patch,however, we use the mod wheel controller for everything, to ensure that the patch willwork for almost any MIDI keyboard. While this patch is not a model of good synthesizerdesign, it does let you isolate each parameter and control it with the mod wheel.In the lower right corner of the Patcher window, you can see that keys 0 to 5 of thecomputer keyboard can be used to choose an item in the pop-up umenu at the top of thewindow.Use ASCII from the computer keyboard to assign the function of the MIDI controller149