Newsgroups: comp.music
Subject: Call for ideas on new MIDI spec
From: feijai@endor.byu.edu (Sean Luke)
Date: 22 Jul 92 16:09:20 -0700
Reply-To: sean@digaudio.byu.edu

I had posted a request for ideas a few weeks ago, and appreciate the  
feedback we've gotten.  My student research group is culling opinions  
right now from studio engineers, professors, and assorted pundits on what  
the Music industry needs, were we to design a new, cheap networking  
protocol to replace much of the functionality of MIDI and digital audio,  
at least at the high end.

In case you didn't see this request last time, or whatever, I'm posting a  
survey of sorts, formalizing some of the questions we need answers to.  If  
you're interested in replying to this survey, please do so to my e-mail  
address below.  I'd be very very appreciative.  We need the most  
information possible, especially if we may quote you, the "expert", in our  
paper.

One teensy constraint:  We'll start working on our design next Monday, so  
we need data in by then.  (It's tight, I know).  And even if the survey is  
too constraining, any ideas you have would still be very helpful.


Thanks a lot,

Sean Luke
Brigham Young University                   MILK:  It Comes From Cows
sean@digaudio.byu.edu  






THE SURVEY:

I am in a student group currently working on a new communications  
specification to replace MIDI and add a significant amount of  
functionality to the music studio environment.  The general idea is to  
design a network that would connect every major device in a studio,  
offering simplicity and speed to what is right now a fairly complex  
system.

We're aiming at low cost per device (under $100 in the next 5-10 years),  
high speed (10Mbps, enough to support digital audio well), and  
flexibility.  We'll design a low-level networking specification, then  
explain how to link digital audio, MIDI, data transfer, a new (improved)  
MIDI spec, and possibily video into the network.

This is an entirely academic exercise.  We have no commercial aims  
whatsoever (thank goodness!  :)



Name

Current Organization			Telephone Number

Address (e-mail address is fine)


Experience
-	MIDI and electronic keyboards

-	Music

-	Sound production

-	Education

-	Computer programming

-	Electrical engineering



(If you feel you don't have expertise enough to wager an answer to any of  
these questions, feel free to not write anything.  This is a general  
survey only.)

What do you think is the future of the music production industry?

What technologies are currently missing or not well implemented, which  
need to be in place before these future ideas be realised?

What advances in networking and communications technology will have the  
greatest impact on the low-end network of the near future (10 years from  
now)?

With the increase in low-end specifications like General MIDI, is the  
significance of high-end music products (music studio elements,  
professional digital audio, etc.) becoming more significant or less  
significant?  Why?

What are the most important considerations in developing an advanced music  
networking protocol (price?  upward mobility?  downward compatibility?   
reliability?  easy management?  real-time precision?  security?  etc.)

What current flaws exist in the MIDI specification, especially as regards  
to its high-end uses?  Which will become most prevelant in the future as  
technological demands increase?

If you were we, how would you design our new specification?