Making a CD: Technologies and Process

Another post in the continuing story of making a CD for my student. Today: a look at the technologies used. This is not the only process possible - indeed, there are easieer ways to do this. However, I decided to use what I had available. I should note that it wasn't one CD - it was 9 different CDs, each student received a CD with only their perofrmances on it, plus it had their name and song titles printed on them (along with a neat graphic of a piano keyboard). The first of the technologies used is actually fairly old: MIDI. [I remember when it first came out - I got married when MIDI was still in diapers]. MIDI is basically a "language" (the computer geeks call it a protocol) that allows a computer to memorize what notes were pressed when, and how hard. It also can keep track of things like sustain pedal presses, when the sound was changed on the keyboard, and more. So I had the computer "memorize" what keys the students played when. This allowed me to easily transfer the MIDI data down to the outhouse using - gasp! - a FLOPPY DISK. [the outhouse = my studio back at the house. It's the little house out back.......yes, my family enjoys puns.] MIDI files are ridiculously small - you could fit all the parts for all of Beethoven's symphonies on one 1.4 megabyte floppy. That same floppy will only hold something like 6 seconds of CD quality audio. The DISadvantage is that the quality of the "box" - synthesizer, soundcard, etc. - actually making the sound when "fed" the MIDI file is what determines how good the music sounds. Another technology: a sample playback keyboard - specifically, a Roland RD-700sx, with 88 weighted keys and a very nice sound. This was used to actually create the sound that was eventually recorded. The audio was recorded using a Mac Mini with an M-Audio Firewire audiophile box attached to it. I used Apple's SoundTrack Pro to record the audio, but there are other options available (for me, Traktion from Mackie, or the free Audacity software would have worked as well.) Other technologies used: the internet and email - used to transfer the audio files to a friend's commercial studio. He then used a CD burner and printer to actually make the CDs. Then, of course, there is the United States Postal Service, which took care of delivering the packages to my students. That's an overview of what was used. Next posting - details on how this project was accomplished.