Explanation of The Project

I have gotten a tremendous amount of feedback about this project and a whole lot of questions. The question that seems to pop up the most is, "What are these songs?".

I am surprised on how little most people understand what a MIDI file is, so here goes. The best way to describe a MIDI file is that it is an electronic format of a player piano recorder except it can synchronize many "virtual" tracks allowing one to create a piece of music with more than one instrument. 

In order to create the MIDI file, the parts actually need to be played on a instrument that can transmit this information (Note on, note off, velocity, etc.) to the MIDI file recorder (Sequencer Software). On its own, the MIDI file makes NO SOUND. The performance data needs to be sent from the player to some type of electronic instrument (most people are familiar with a SOUNDCARD playing back a MIDI file). In the case of this project, instead of using a soundcard to playback the MIDI tracks created, I use "SAMPLE PLAYER" software which allows me to load my own instrument sounds to be played back.

All of these MIDI tracks are actually performed and created by me from scratch just for this project. This is NOT taking existing MIDI files created by other musicians and just playing them back using these sounds rather these MIDI FILES are completely brand new, accurate recreations of the way GENESIS had to perform the original recordings on their "REAL" instruments.

I use a MIDI keyboard controller to play the keyboard parts, a MIDI GUITAR controller to play the guitar and bass parts and drum pads to play to drum tracks (the drum pads are on my MIDI keyboard controller). So, to clear things up,  I am playing and recording each and every instrument you hear in the songs (but in MIDI) then using the samples to play back my performances using the same instrument sounds used by GENESIS and then mixing down the songs all within my computer workstation. It is like having a complete recording studio but all built into a computer.

The only part of these tracks that aren't MIDI are obviously the vocal tracks.  This is done using a special technique where I use software to pull out just the vocal lines from the original recording and then placing these VOCAL CLIPS inside the MIDI file so that the vocals sync up with the music.

So, I hope that explains what The Lamb Laid Down in MIDI is all about.

Thanks for all of your queries into this project.

Jim


Jim K - Keeper of the Shrine
jkleban@nc.rr.com