Sight & Sound
Fact is, a controller isn’t even limited to controlling sound. A jazz player curious to see what his solo looks like on paper can just plug into Finale notation software and watch his licks appear, as if with an invisible hand. At that point, he can use Intonation Trainer software to get those high notes in tune, a virtual master class for one. Once he gets it right, he can celebrate with a DMX light show, triggered by the instrument’s notes and perfectly synched with his rhythms and pitches.

The technology seems limited only by a musician’s imagination, but that doesn’t mean it won’t push technique as well. With MIDI, playing it straight is not an option.

“Adjust your playing style to the instrument you’re supposed to sound like,” advises Kozak.

Which means drum patches sound better staccato than legato, but voice patches beg legato bowings so they have time to breathe. And the flashiest flying spiccato will probably just make the synth glitch and splutter. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for spooky effects.

It does feel very different to play a MIDI instrument than it does to play an acoustic one. The sound doesn’t feel like it’s coming from the fingers, and doesn’t always feel like it speaks instantly, especially with fast licks or on low strings, where the MIDI computers need extra split seconds to track the pitches.

While Zeta makes digital converters like the Synthony II in addition to the separate MIDI instrument controllers, custom instruments are also available from two other companies, Jensen and Jordan. An entry-level setup with controller, converter, synthesizer, amplifier, and cables is going to cost a few thousand dollars—like the cost of a good student acoustic.

No doubt, MIDI setups can stretch musical boundaries and bank accounts. Not everyone will hone their musical voices on the cutting edge of technology. It’s a musical adventure; the time has come, the possibilities await. Now, as Gregg Kozak says, “On the violin, you can do it all.”