Re: Google's proposal to add MIDI API to Web Events WG [Was: Fwd: Re: Draft Updated Charter adding Mouse Lock and Gamepad]

Thanks for making your position clear Raman and Chris.

Yes, I do think it would be good if Chris were to give the Audio WG some 
type of heads-up/FYI about your proposal.

I again think it would be useful if others, especially WG members, would 
please state their support or opposition to Chris' proposal.

-AB

On 10/6/11 2:23 PM, ext T.V Raman wrote:
> 1+ on wha tChris says Speaking as Google's AC rep, we would do
> the technical work in the venue that is most
> appropriate. Speaking as someone who works on audio and TTS, I
> agree with Chris that Midi is more about eventing than the
> minutii of synthesizing audio.
>
> Chris Wilson writes:
>   >  TV can (and should) respond representing Google.
>   >
>   >  I'm personally passionate about creating an API to service the need of connecting music controllers to the web platform.  My major rationale in bringing
>   >  this to the attention of the Web Events WG instead of the Audio were as I'd previously stated - I think the actual use cases and pitfalls have more in
>   >  common with eventing than they do with audio, and it would end up being an odd man out spec in Audio as well based on use.  I'm also a bit concerned
>   >  about burying MIDI deep inside other nascent audio APIs, but I'm trying to think through the actual use cases to see how complex that would be (i.e. it
>   >  seems like it would be very complex to have to fully grok Media Streams and Stream Processors just to send a note-on).  I have not discussed this with
>   >  the Audio group directly, no - I've mentioned it to some Googlers, including Chris Rogers.  I don't think the current Web Audio charter supports MIDI
>   >  APIs.
>   >
>   >  As for starting a Community Group - I guess I'm not sure I see the benefit.  A CG cannot produce a REC-track spec, AIUI - and given MIDI's long standing,
>   >  I think it probably doesn't need another community as much as it needs a spec, so I'd much rather have this added as a charter item to a group that can
>   >  produce a definitive spec.
>   >
>   >  Probably a good idea to cross-post this to the public-audio list, then?
>   >
>   >  -Chris
>   >
>   >  On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 10:39 AM, Arthur Barstow<art.barstow@nokia.com>  wrote:
>   >
>   >      Hi Chris, Raman,
>   >
>   >      I realize Chris' original thread is ongoing but I wanted to step back a bit with a few process-related questions ...
>   >
>   >      What are your thoughts about starting a Community Group first to build a community and a spec?
>   >
>   >      I understand Chris has some rationale against taking this API to the Audio WG (where Google is a member) but have you actually discussed this API
>   >      with them? I'm wondering if their current charter "as is" could rationalize this API or if they would be interested in expanding their scope to
>   >      accommodate this functionality.
>   >
>   >      Lastly, I would like to try to get a clearer sense regarding what other Members and non-Members support this proposal. So, folks - please speak up.
>   >
>   >      -Thanks, ArtB
>   >
>   >      -------- Original Message --------
>   >      Subject:        Re: Draft Updated Charter adding Mouse Lock and Gamepad
>   >      Resent-Date:    Tue, 4 Oct 2011 21:07:03 +0000
>   >      Resent-From:<public-webevents@w3.org>
>   >      Date:   Tue, 4 Oct 2011 14:06:21 -0700
>   >      From:   ext Chris Wilson<cwilso@google.com>
>   >      To:<public-webevents@w3.org>
>   >
>   >      I'd been talking with a variety of people about the need for a Music Controller API - i.e. MIDI input/output, so I can synchronize music apps, as
>   >      well as interface my physical keyboard controllers, synthesizers and drum machines with the web platform.  After some thought, I'd like to propose
>   >      that Music Device Communication be added to the Web Events charter - I believe the challenges of this API are quite similar to the Gamepad API
>   >      (different API, but the same general kind of patterns, and heavily event-based). This would be the web platform's analog to CoreMIDI on MacOS/iOS, or
>   >      the Windows MIDI API. Proposed charter text would read something like this:
>   >
>   >           Music Device Communication
>   >
>   >      Some user agents have connected music devices, such as synthesizers, keyboard controllers and drum machines.  The widely adopted MIDI protocol
>   >      enables electronic musical instruments, controllers and computers to communicate and synchronize with each other. MIDI does not transmit audio
>   >      signals: instead, it sends event messages about musical notes, controller signals for parameters such as volume, vibrato and panning, cues and clock
>   >      signals to set the tempo, and system-specific MIDI communications (e.g. to remotely store synthesizer-specific patch data).
>   >
>   >      This deliverable defines API support for the MIDI protocol and common music device scenarios in the web platform.
>   >
>   >      --------------
>   >
>   >      Some background why I think it belongs in the Events WG rather than the Audio WG:
>   >      MIDI is actually very much like game controllers in terms of being entirely event-based, and fundamentally being a model of sending uni-directional
>   >      controller messages back and forth between devices.  In fact, Microsoft's Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro joystick (I still have one somewhere in my
>   >      basement, I think -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_SideWinder#Joystick<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_SideWinder#Joystick>) -
>   >      actually utilized the MIDI break-out pins of the typical analog game port (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_port#MIDI_connectors<http://
>   >      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_port#MIDI_connectors>) on the sound card as a channel for digital data.
>   >
>   >      The significant challenges inherent in the Audio API - the sample-accurate scheduled playback model, the convolution engine and other "inline
>   >      effects" - don't apply at all to a MIDI API, and there's not much in the way of shared concepts between audio and MIDI devices themselves (many audio
>   >      adapters implement a MIDI port too, but it shows up as a completely separate device in MacOS/Windows).  MIDI is a very event-based protocol (I've
>   >      written a bunch of MIDI software in the distant past, down to implementing a MIDI driver) - there's no scheduling, so you need to deliver events as
>   >      they arrive.  (A millisecond here or there in MIDI isn't a big deal, whereas in audio gaps like that wouldn't be acceptable.)
>   >
>   >      A MIDI API, on the other hand, would (I expect) have some music-specific APIs (e.g. NoteOn()/NoteOff() kinda stuff), but mostly it's about plugging
>   >      in event handlers for note on/off and continuous controller messages (and sending the same kinds of messages out, of course), as well as the
>   >      configuration system for "which MIDI port should I use".  Those all seem like symmetric problems with the other Events APIs, particularly the Game
>   >      Controller API.  If I didn't feel like the music controller API should have some music-specific APIs (e.g. the aforementioned noteon/off), I'd
>   >      actually say it's just a slightly different game controller.  MIDI may be frequently used in conjunction with the Web Audio API in an actual app, but
>   >      the use cases, scenarios and requirements are pretty different.
>   >
>   >      Obviously, I'd volunteer to edit (though I'm not tied to doing so either).  If others feel this fits better elsewhere, please give me an idea where.
>   >
>   >      Thanks!
>   >      -Chris
>   >
>   >      From: Arthur Barstow<art.barstow@nokia.com<mailto:art.barstow@nokia.com>>
>   >      Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:24:31 -0400
>   >      Message-ID:<4E81F8BF.1040507@nokia.com<mailto:4E81F8BF.1040507@nokia.com>>
>   >      To: ext Doug Schepers<schepers@w3.org<mailto:schepers@w3.org>>, public-webevents@w3.org<mailto:public-webevents@w3.org>
>   >
>   >      Doug - thanks; this looks good to me.
>   >
>   >      All - if you have any comments, please send them to public-webents as
>   >      soon as possible.
>   >
>   >      On 9/27/11 10:48 AM, ext Doug Schepers wrote:
>   >      >  Hi, Folks-
>   >      >
>   >      >  I have made a first draft of a proposed WebEvents charter revision to
>   >      >  add the Mouse Lock API and Gamepad API specs.
>   >      >
>   >      >  http://www.w3.org/2010/webevents/charter/2011/Overview.html
>   >      >
>   >      >  I made minimal changes to bring these specs into scope, which should
>   >      >  make an easy AC review.
>   >      >
>   >      >  Please review the draft charter and let me know what you think.
>   >      >
>   >      >  Regards-
>   >      >  -Doug Schepers
>   >      >  W3C Developer Outreach
>   >      >  Project Coordinator, SVG, WebApps, Touch Events, and Audio WGs
>   >      >
>   >

Received on Friday, 7 October 2011 19:42:20 UTC