Total rework of the *Ardour's Interface* part

[ardour-manual] / _manual / 03_setting-up-your-system / 05_setting-up-midi.html

diff --git a/_manual/03_setting-up-your-system/05_setting-up-midi.html b/_manual/03_setting-up-your-system/05_setting-up-midi.html
index ba9d6e15102e23ad51fc217d3ea26188144614e8..4172ba99ce0ea804d68a51127f7a6274b0df6c92 100644 (file)
--- a/_manual/03_setting-up-your-system/05_setting-up-midi.html
+++ b/_manual/03_setting-up-your-system/05_setting-up-midi.html
@@ -5,60 +5,52 @@ title: Setting Up MIDI
 
 <h2>What Can Ardour Do With MIDI?</h2>
 <p>
-  <dfn><abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr></dfn>
-  is a way to describe music data and to control music hardware and 
-  software. Ardour can import and record MIDI data, and perform a 
-  variety of editing operations on it. Furthermore, MIDI can be used to
-  control various functions of Ardour.
+  <dfn><abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital
+  Interface">MIDI</abbr></dfn> is a way to describe musical
+  performances and to control music hardware and software.
+</p> 
+<p>Ardour can import and record MIDI data, and perform a variety of
+  editing operations on it. Furthermore, MIDI can be used to control
+  various functions of Ardour.
 </p>
-<p class="note">
-  Ardour does not include a <dfn>synthesis engine</dfn> to produce audio 
-  from MIDI data, but relies on plugins or external hard- and software 
-  for the task. This can be a stumbling block for first time users who 
-  expect MIDI input to result in audio output by default.<br />
-  Please see the section on working with plug-ins for more information on
-  turning MIDI data into audio output.</p>
 
 <h2>MIDI Handling Frameworks</h2>
 <p>
-  Ardour supports various ways of sending and receiving MIDI data:
-</p>
-
-<h3>CoreMIDI</h3>
-<p>
-  <dfn>CoreMIDI</dfn> is the standard MIDI framework on OSX systems. 
-  It provides drivers for MIDI hardware and libraries needed by MIDI
-  software clients. 
+  MIDI input and output for Ardour are handled by the same "engine"
+  that handles audio input and output. 
 </p>
 
-<h4>ALSA MIDI</h4>
-<p>
+<dl>
+<dt>OS X</dt>
+<dd>  <dfn>CoreMIDI</dfn> is the standard MIDI framework on OSX systems. 
+</dd>
+<dt>Linux</dt>
+<dd>
   <dfn><abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound API">ALSA</abbr> MIDI</dfn>
-  is the standard MIDI framework on Linux systems. It provides drivers 
-  for MIDI hardware and libraries needed by MIDI software clients.
-</p>
-<p>
-  The <dfn>QJackCtl</dfn> control software displays ALSA MIDI ports 
-  under its "ALSA" tab (it does not currently display CoreMIDI ports).
-</p>
+  is the standard MIDI framework on Linux systems.
+</dd>
+<dt>Windows</dt>
+<dd>
+  <dfn>There is no single standard MIDI framework on Windows,
+    but Ardour can work with ASIO and others.
+</dd>
 
-<h4>JACK MIDI</h4>
+</dl>
 
-<p> 
-  <dfn><abbr title="JACK Audio Connection Kit">JACK</abbr> MIDI</dfn> 
-  is a framework used to comunicate between JACK MIDI software clients. 
-  It provides zero jitter and a fixed latency of one <dfn>period</dfn>,
-  the same latency as for JACK audio.
-</p>
-<p>
-  JACK MIDI ports show up under the <kbd class="menu">MIDI</kbd> tab in
-  QJackCtl.
+<p class="note">
+  On Linux systems, <dfn>QJackCtl</dfn> control software displays ALSA MIDI
+  ports under its "ALSA" tab (it does not currently display CoreMIDI
+  ports).  By contrast, JACK MIDI ports show up under
+  the <kbd class="menu">MIDI</kbd> tab in QJackCtl.
 </p>
-    
+   
+<h2>JACK MIDI Configuration</h2>
 <p>
-  There are several ways of <dfn>bridging</dfn> between the native MIDI frameworks
-  (e.g. CoreMIDI or ALSA) and JACK MIDI, as described in the sections
-  below.
+By default, JACK will <strong>not</strong> automatically detect and use existing MIDI
+ports on your system. You must choose one of several ways
+of <dfn>bridging</dfn> between the native MIDI frameworks
+(e.g. CoreMIDI or ALSA) and JACK MIDI, as described in the sections
+below.
 </p>
 
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