In 1985 a musician friend and I began a perusal of the new "MIDI-Compatible" electronic music instruments. Having purchased one, he remarked that his wife didn't want a computer in the house. We both laughed because by then, all new synthesizers and sound processors used built-in computers to execute most of their functions.
The microprocessor has greatly enhanced the viability of electronic music instruments. However, they are "menu-driven," and this presents a challenge to musicians who are blind or vision-impaired. On a menu-driven instrument the controls perform different functions depending upon which menu you select.
When you activate a control and thus change a function and/or a menu, a message that registers your actions appears on a small LCD. Without feedback you will neither be aware of erroneous button-pushes at the time they occur, nor be able to ascertain which menu you have activated without making a change in it.
In this primer I discuss methods of gaining access to these displays and navigation strategies for situations where direct access to them is not possible. I also address such issues as: 1) the history of electronic music, 2) operating menu-driven equipment without sight, 3)computers and their uses, 4) accessible sequencers, 5) hardware considerations, 6) shopping for menu-driven equipment, 7) buying a sound card, 8) backing up your system, 9) software that produces music in print and/or Braille, and 10) a guide to resources.
The six appendices contain essential technical material. Appendix A is a brief treatise on the MIDI protocol and a discussion of common terms. Appendix B lists the MIDI "controllers" and their functions. Appendix C is a list of the instrumental voice designations for the MIDI GS-based synthesizers. Appendix D comprises a set of controller commands that affect individual voices on the popular Sound Canvas line of the Roland company's MIDI GS-based instruments. Appendix E discusses "system-exclusive" messages for this family of synths. Appendix F lists the ASCII equivalents of Braille music symbols.
I am a blind musician who has been composing and performing electronic music since the mid-60s. I presently edit a cassette magazine, the FIA MIDI-MAG. It addresses issues of interest to blind computer-musicians.
I have also worked at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute for 13 years, both as an electronics technician and as a computer-music access specialist. Our grant requires us to apply technology in solving vocational problems for people who are blind and vision-impaired.
This primer draws on the experiences of many musicians who use computers. Some of the pointers enumerated in this paper will seem obvious, but they can easily be overlooked. Beginners should not have to "re-invent the wheel."
On Accessibility and Independence -- In our efforts to achieve independence many of us blind people are reluctant to ask for sighted assistance when acquiring new and unfamiliar equipment. We tend to gauge accessibility and/or user-friendliness by the degree of sighted help we need before we can operate it ourselves. The fact is, most sighted people help each other a lot even though they can read the displays and the manuals.
Everyone has had to supplant habits from the days of analog equipment when each control had only one function and provided instant feedback. Menu-driven equipment is not like that. Random knob twisting produces occasional responses, but not in a way that generates much learning.
As with any computer program, the one employed by a menu-driven device will have more options than you can remember. In order to take full advantage of it you will need an accessible version of the owner's manual.
Become friendly with a musician in the field. That person will give you the time you need to familiarize yourself with the "feel" and sonics of these instruments without in-store pressure. He/she will be of invaluable help in coaching you on your new purchases and talking you through the menus.
It is very helpful to record a "show and tell" session with your friend that includes information such as the names and positions of controls. This information is likely to be presented in the manual in a graphic manner that a text-scanning program will not translate. Such a recording will also capture the feel of running the equipment, including how you dealt with some of the more difficult maneuvers.
You should then transcribe the essential information into a form that provides random access such as Braille, large print, or a text file that runs on a computer.
Give serious consideration to acquiring a scanner and OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software. Although you will still need help with tables and other graphical presentations, you can read a lot of text accurately with a scanner.
The principles of operating MIDI-based equipment are not difficult to master, but the jargon that has inevitably evolved can be misleading. Consult Appendix A, "Introducing the MIDI Language," for clarification of some essential terms.
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