The next step for remote music collaboration? Abbey Road-backed Audiomovers adds MIDI streaming to its Listento platform
“With this technology, you can spread MIDI around very easily for a sync between different programs and computers,” says Andrew Dudman, senior recording engineer at Abbey Road Studios.
Image: Audiomovers
Audiomovers has added live MIDI streaming to the capabilities of its renowned Listento software suite, unlocking a new phase of remote collaboration.
Released in 2017, Listento already lets users stream, listen to and record uncompressed multichannel audio remotely and in real time from anywhere in the world. The addition of comprehensive MIDI transmission functionality now allows Listento Pro subscribers to simply transmit real-time MIDI data directly from any DAW over the internet.
This means several things for remote collaboration: firstly, musicians can now work remotely with MIDI synthesizers, sound modules, or manage remote MIDI control surfaces while listening back to the results using Listento with low latency.
Secondly, using the Listento application, engineers can synchronise remote DAWs with transmitted MIDI Time Codes generated by Listento streams — where the current playback position is conveyed as part of the stream. Musicians can also stream audio and MIDI simultaneously for real-time remote creative collaboration – by working on tracks together, streaming beats and keyboard lines to each other.
“With the evolution of software, it’s great to see how far you can push it, and the remote collaboration made possible by using MIDI over Listento is really exciting,” says Andrew Dudman, a senior recording engineer at Abbey Road Studios, Audiomovers’ parent company.
“If you’ve got a remote performer that you really want to work with, you’ll be able to simply record their performances live as they happen and then be able to utilise any sound design elements you like at your end, such as instruments the performer might not have at their disposal. I think this will increase the use and benefit of remote collaboration tenfold.”
“The potential for syncing up two computers is also exciting,” he adds. “With this technology, you can spread MIDI around very easily for a sync between different programs and computers. Using the built-in MIDI Time Code generator in the desktop app, you can synchronise remote DAWs or video playback when streaming a scoring session between studios, so that you can sync video playback to audio coming from the remote scoring session.”
Listento MIDI is now available in VST3, AU, AAX plugin formats and as a desktop application. It is included in the Listento Pro subscription price – $24.99/month or $199.99/year.
Learn more at Audiomovers.
