Welcome to Recording Studios

A collection of Christian and Secular MIDI Files
Featuring the musical arrangements and orchestrations of  "Larrie Dee"
Arranger, Composer, Orchestra Director, Concert, Television and Recording Artist

WARNING!
Read This Page Carefully for MIDI Information  Prior to Downloading

Before you download any MIDI file, please understand that what you may hear on your computer sound card is nowhere near the actual sounds that we produce "live" in the studio for our client's recordings!  The majority of CD's and Tapes today are created using MIDI in some form but usually not the Personal Computer type MIDI which is all we have to work with here on the internet. The  "MIDI" employed by many major studios is vastly different allowing for infinite controls over all of the musical parameters. The software used here is "true" 32 bit enabled and can cost several thousand dollars but can not be used in any "Windows '95 or '98" operating system which themselves are not "true" 32 bit systems. (It probably could  be used on "NT" but we do not use that system either)  Our files, therefore, have to be "reworked " to allow them to be used on the internet.  (Incidentally, there is no such thing as “re-mixing" a MIDI file simply because the file itself contains no audio parameters to "re-mix.")  Reassigning instruments to different MIDI channels or  making them louder or softer or subtle panning changes which likewise do not change the timbre (pronounced "tahm-bur") or tonal quality  is not considered "mixing"  in the professional audio world.  Mixing generally contains audio equalization, volume, and panning, but does not include re-assignment or changing  the instruments.  How do you do that on the mixing board, anyway?

Sidebar:

Internet terminology and the real world usage of the terms in many professions are at a distinct variance. Another prime example of term misuse on the internet is the use of the term "by"  when describing a MIDI file and its origins.  An example,  as found on the internet, would be something like  "Strangers in the Night" (dot mid)----"BY " Frank Sinatra ---when Frank never wrote anything!  The term "BY" always refers to the author in this business, never the "ARTIST!" (Unless of course the artist also wrote the song)  This posting error was just one of the reasons some MIDI Internet sites got into trouble in recent years. The descendants of the true "authors" of the posted songs  petitioned the various controlling agencies for protection. The artist may be referred to, but only “as performed by."  When you stop to think about it, this makes perfectly good  sense.  Any number of artists may perform a particular song but the song only has one authorship, which sometimes includes more than one person. Only the authorship receives the word  "by" for statistical purposes and the multitude of performers are always referred to "as performed by" in any professional database.  Sure, when you go into a record store, you ask for the song by performer but that is entirely different. You won't find the original sheet music filed under the performer's name. And, just because a big name actor "stars" in a play or movie, you certainly would not say something like "James Bond" by Sean Connery when you mean "James Bond" starring Sean Connery. (I still remember him as Bond)  "Starring" is the same "as performed by." The "James Bond" books were of course, written by the great Ian Fleming.

Back:

Even after  "re-working" the files, usually  on the "Sequencer" (which incidentally, is a machine, not a person), most of the critical patch and system information is lost when they are "converted" to the General MIDI format and we can only, at best, "simulate" the sounds of the originally designated patches. The patches in most cases are "layered" to allow several instruments to play on a single MIDI channel. Because of this, you will miss nearly 65 to 70% of what is really in that original MIDI file!

The original file is the one used to master the DAT, Cassette or CD.  Those of you who play the files on sound modules will likely hear much more, but unless you have the exact same Kurzweil, Korg, Roland, Akai, Kawai, Oberheim, Emu, and Ensoniq equipment as used here (and more importantly programmed exactly the same) you will still miss about 40%of the sounds that our clients enjoy! The only way to really appreciate the workmanship involved in the MIDI files posted here  is to listen to one of the DATs, cassettes, or CDs recorded from those files. Try to remember that the files here were created for an entirely different purpose than the files produced by the many other "professional" General MIDI file producers whose efforts, by the way, are to be lauded for their excellent workmanship and musical expertise!

While it is true today that we can and many times do use computer software to "re-work" the various types of files to create the dot-mid files from the original format,  the files themselves were not originally produced on computers, but on professional sequencing hardware. Some of this equipment is well over 15 years old but still allows us certain flexibility not found using only the  computer.  The equipment used here, although "computer oriented" can not be considered in the "PC" category. Even the newest sequencing equipment can produce the files in other than the General MIDI format to allow for "layering" and many other recording techniques.

Because the majority of our files are also created in other than "Windows" environments and almost always not on computers, the files are stamped with a  manufacturer's "footprint" (usually a proprietary file mark) which is not readable in Windows. This is analogous  to the situation arising when using Unix or Linux as an alternate boot system along with "Windows,"  the entire Unix or Linux partition is invisible to the "Windows" (or DOS) side but Unix and Linux can see and use many of the files in the "Windows"  partition such as gifs,  jpgs,  and mids. Of course, the "Windows executables and dynamic links are worthless to any other system, but the pictures and text files are the same in other systems and of course MIDI is basically a text file.  This "footprint" is also invisible to Windows or DOS but very easily recognized by our systems.  Remember, we do not use computers to originate or compile the files. We use sequencers made by several different manufacturers. Each individual machine, even of the same make, will encrypt the files with its own personality or "stamp." We can tell which of our machines was used but of course could not tell which machine at some other studio might have been used.

Because of this "foot printing" we were easily able to identify our "unique" files and put a stop to the influx of several dozen MIDI files posted to the internet during the recent years that had been stolen from our main Hollywood studio in April of 1983.  Once the posters realized that the files had been stolen, they were immediately withdrawn and the original copies of the files were returned. Well, not exactly the original files as they had originally been archived on 15 inch computer reel to reel tapes in the early 80's and those are still missing so who knows if the contraband will reappear in the future? At about that time, we had just begun to inquire about using floppy disk storage which in those days consisted of 5-1/4" disks that could store only 360k, or about ten songs in MIDI. (Not very efficient for storage in bulk!)  We suspect the files were copied from the original reels to the 360k disks and were later copied to 1.44mb disks.

For faster and much more efficient processing, the computers we operate utilize some different operating platforms. Some are on Unix, some use Linux, and only one uses Windows and only as the secondary "boot".  Some machines are dual and tri-bootable. Other systems we have used included AIX, BEOS, BSD and the ever popular  "SOLARIS" by Sun.  Most any system besides "Windows" will do the job without all of the associated "Windows" problems. We cannot afford the "blue screen of death" or any system lockups.  We never have "lockups" on  any of these other systems.  Further, we use a vast variety of "proprietary" software programs we have written internally in addition to some very sophisticated market packages. One "tool" we heartily recommend for audio editing and it will work in "Windows '95 & '98" is the MAP2000 from Sonic Foundry. This software  costs a little over $3000, but is definitely worth the investment.  Some of the other programs we use are even more pricey, but won't work under "Windows" because they require  32 and 64 bit systems. In addition to our MIDI business, we also convert old recordings including optical (photo-electric) from movie soundtracks and the old optical recording disks, wire, 78's, 45's and 33 rpm vinyl recordings to .wav and MP3 formats. Our software requirements are rather diverse and we have not found one "all around" product to satisfy the myriad of separate processes needed at this studio.

Please be sure to read the "info" page which will give more insight into the use of MIDI in the professional world. Even though the type of MIDI we use today is quite different, the whole concept and the uses of that concept haven't really changed all that much in the last thirty years.

Also, try to remember that I was involved in many of the original beta tests for this system but so were many other professionals who had vastly different experiences and requirements at that time. What I do remember was very typical for our studio. Also, the passing of time can dull the memory so if you remember it differently or have any corrections or additions to the info page, please be so kind as to Email them to me for inclusion on the page. Credit will be given if desired.

To proceed to the next "MIDI Info" Page and to also find the MIDI index page, press the little bear  below!  The other two bears are Tanya and I relaxing in our back yard! You can read more about that on the Bio Page.   And as a bonus, there are two real pictures of us posted there. Although the are not current pictures, they do represent what we looked like when we met back in 1968. - And she still looks good!!!!!

Press Bear for More MIDI Info.                                            Press Teeter-Totter to see Larrie and Tanya!