Stillborn MIDI (like protocol) - anyone remember?

[slight-return]

I seem to recall, Oh, I want to say maybe 87 or so talk about a proposed "MIDI string" protocol that was basically to deal with things like dealing with polyphonic and large amts of pitch bend data that MIDI enabled string instruments can produce.

I don't think it went beyond RFCs and such and I'm sure my memory has holes

but anyone remember this stuff?

just sort of a walk down memory lane, I have no practical reason for asking

[Anderton]

Doesn't really jog any memory cells here...sorry...

[girevik]

You might be thinking about ZIPI:

http://archive.cnmat.berkeley.edu/ZIPI/

Part of the ZIPI brain trust went on to develop Open Sound Control, which is yet another control protocol, like ZIPI was intended to be and what MIDI is. While OSC is not as widely used as MIDI, it is far from dead - it's the protocol of choice for hacked Nintendo Wiimotes and some other motion controllers, the Jazzmutant Lemur, and some other controllers. There is also quite a bit of software that supports OSC, such as OSCRemote that turns an iPhone into a remote controller: http://opensoundcontrol.org/

I haven't heard much of guitar-centric applications of OSC - the closest thing i heard was somebody hacking motion sensors into his guitar and having it talk to a ChuCK program. Still quite a bit of opportunity for someone to step in and be an innovator.

[Anderton]

I think it really is true that you can find out ANYTHING in the Harmony Central forums!!

[slight-return]

Thanks!

The talk (which all I can say it really was, after all it never saw the light of day) I'm thinking of was a little earlier (well, than the actual ZIPI spec - so maybe it is the right timeline) and had some string specific elements, but that might have gotten pushed to more general/flexible abstraction as time went on
SO it may very well be that the jawboning wound up morphing into/converging in ZIPI

If some part of my brain decides to bring up more info while I am asleep or drunk (cause it sure ain't happening while I'm sober)...