MIDL: The MetriX Instrument Definition Language

The MetriX Instrument Definition Language, MIDL for short, is a tagged textual language used for defining an Instrument that will then be used from a MetriX score. Although the language is intended to be general purpose, it has only been tested in the context of SMS-based synthesis (see B). Note also that because of the integration of MetriX into the CLAM framework the MIDL can be easily extended if anything else is required for a different synthesis technique. In this sense the MIDL can be seen as a default implementation of a MetriX Instrument out of which new ones can then be extended.

An Instrument Definition File is divided into four different sections: definition of Instrument Generators, Timbre Space, Temporal and Parameter Break Point Functions, and high and low-level control Parameters.