Music via MIDI ... anyone?

Question

I've created a number of MIDI projects in Java. These are fun
music education games that kids really like to play. I want to
rewrite them in Flash or Flex (obviously because Java’s Swing
interface is pretty bland, and because Flash, Flex and ActionScript
are so adept at creating elegant interfaces.)
Unfortunately there are no MIDI methods in ActionScript!
I’ve got some new Flex projects that would benefit from
MIDI too, particularly this one:
http://www.theoreticallycorrect.com/st/
Anyone else interested in seeing MIDI support in ActionScript
(AIR, Flex, Flash?)
If so, PLEASE cast your vote here in an ongoing discussion
located at:
https://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/FP-123
... and you can create an individual post/request here:
http://www.adobe.com/go/wish/
The discussion at the link above
(https://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/FP-123) is readable by all who
care to browse. However, if you wish to vote or add a comment you
need to log in ... and your Adobe forum account won't work there.
To vote or comment you need to create an account for that
area. It just takes a minute, and it's free. (You know the routine:
user name, password, reenter password, email address ... and that's
about it.)
If you have ANY interest in MIDI, please vote. When Adobe
implements MIDI, the result will be HUGE! Read what people are
saying: https://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/FP-123

Answer 1

What people are saying here about MIDI and ActionScript is
profound:
https://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/FP-123
If you have ANY desire to see MIDI support in
ActionScript/Flash/Flex
please voice your opinion in the discussion at the link
above.
As expressed by James Plamondon, MIDI itself may be a key
element in cementing Flash Player's dominant role in the pending
RIA 'format war.' And I believe he is correct. Indeed MIDI will
benefit those who want to efficiently embed sound tracks and
interactive sound, but it's impact will goes far beyond that!
Here's what James Plamondon had to say
I was *shocked* to discover that MIDI was not already
supported in Flex/Flash/AIR as of Feb 2009. It is such a natural
fit with Flash's low-bandwidth, high-interactivity objectives. I'm
developing music education courseware, targeting AIR, and it had
not occurred to me that Flex/Flash/AIR would NOT support MIDI.
Although products such as Chirp (
http://www.tanageraudioworks.com/Products/Chirp)
demonstrate that it is possible to work around this deficiency, it
is the purpose of a platform such as AIR to provide a single
standard alternative to such work-arounds.
I understand that Adobe must prioritize its efforts, and get
the most bang for its limited number of
programmer/tester/documenter hours.
Please allow me to place this in strategic terms. In the RIA
standards battle, either Adobe's AIR or Microsoft's Silverlight
will eventually emerge with nearly 100% market share, condemning
the other to a slow-growing niche. Adobe's primary advantage in
this battle is the high degree of interactivity it gets from the
tiny footprint of its Flash Player and SWF files. As has been
emphasized above, MIDI plays to this strength. It fits beautifully
with Adobe's overall strategy. (It would fit even better if Adobe
were to acquire a sound and music creation tool firm, to flesh out
the audio side of its "creative suite," but that's a whole
different conversation.) Silverlight is weak in this area, and --
given Microsoft's historic and current weakness in music and audio
-- this weakness is very unlikely to be addressed any time soon.
Therefore, by supporting MIDI in Flash/Flex/AIR, Adobe can
pit its strength against Microsoft's weakness, which is the essence
of strategy.
For whatever that's worth.
James Plamondon
(formerly Microsoft's leading strategist in technology
evangelism, according to documents filed in the public record of a
number of anti-trust cases)
Eloquently expressed James!
Your vote for for MIDI is a vote for the health and longevity
of Flash Player, and Adobe may fail to implement MIDI unless it
hears some significant clamoring. "Yes we can!"
The lack of MIDI support in Flash's "audio toolbox" is
tantamount to Flash offering graphics support without vectors.
Music and audio are so incredible important to multimedia
presentations! The company that best implements MIDI in RIAs will
likely reign. Music and audio saved Apple's butt a number of years
ago; they'll surely make a huge difference for Adobe today and in
the future.
You may not need MIDI for music education RIAs, or for
interactive projects that would benefit from a wide a palette of
sound without the overhead assoicated with MP3 audio ... but
imagine adding a 4 minute soundtrack to your animation for a mere
16K, presently, at Flash's highest MP3 compression, that would cost
you about 4MB!
Phrankie