MIDI (short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a music industry standard communications protocol that lets MIDI instruments and sequencers (or computers running sequencer software) talk to each other to play and record music.
More and more of the music you hear every day is written with and played by MIDI sequencers.
MIDI is:
Compact - Hours of music can fit on a single 3 1/2" floppy disk
Efficient - Just about any computer can handle it
Powerful - A whole orchestra is at your command
Versatile - A click of a button is all it takes to change key, tempo, instrument, etc.
Intuitive - a MIDI file is just an electronic version of a player piano roll for many instruments
An Industry Standard - Any MIDI instrument can talk to any other
Why do I need MIDI?
Bring your sheet music to life! Hear the music collecting dust on your shelf. If you can hear it, you can play it!
See it play! Print out lead sheets.
Arrange with Flexibility & Control - change tempo, transpose key, isolate parts, change feel and swing, accent, alternate lines, orchestrate
Perform & Record - Play/sing along with ensembles, duets, trios, concertos, songs (with Lyrics)
Low Price - cheaper and easier than buying a bunch of recordings or hiring others
Easy to Use - compact, quicker than tapes. It takes only a second to start a file, cue to a section, etc.
What do I need to play MIDI songs?
Hardware:
A Multimedia Computer (PC with sound card) OR
A Dedicated Sequencer/Synthesizer OR
Computer connected to a Sound Module/ Keyboard by a MIDI Interface
Sequencer Software:
We’ve delivered to Mac, PC compatible and Atari users and support all major
sequencers and keyboards.
Windows users can play standard MIDI files with the Media Player.
To gain all the control MIDI offers, we recommend you get a sequencer that can
mute tracks, transpose, display and print the score.
We sell a full range of sequencers and notation programs, and digital audio, too,
starting at just over $25, the cost of a book.
Here's a short partial glossary of MIDI Terms. We recommend a great little book called Tech Terms #2729 for anyone involved in computer music.
AD/DA:
Analog to Digital converters receives a voltage or current and
output a number. DA does the reverse.
Bank:
can be used to select alternate sets of 128 instrument voices.
Channel:
all MIDI note on events have a channel number from 1 to 16.
Thus playing more than 16 simultaneous instruments requires the use of banks
(multiple MIDI interfaces)
Controller:
creates MIDI events. Can be a keyboard, drum pads, guitar,
accordion (yes!), saxophone, mouse, etc.
Event:
typical MIDI events are Note On, Note Off, Pitch Bend, Aftertouch.
GM:
General MIDI, a standard definition of instument patchs assignments
that allows MIDI songs to play on different systems without modification
GM2:
General MIDI 2 unites the GS and XG extensions to General MIDI.
GS:
General Synthesizer, Roland's extension to GM, defines additional
instruments and effects (chorus, echo)
Interface:
Unit used to connect various parts of a MIDI system, such as
computers, keyboards, sound modules, synch units, etc. Interfaces can be
installed on a computer bus, or connected to a USB port.
Serial (Mac) or parallel (PC printer) port interfaces have become obsolete.
MIDI Type 0:
Type 0 files have all data on ONE time ordered track.
(1 of 3 defined file types) This is the most widely supported and streams fastest.
MIDI Type 1:
Type 1 have multiple tracks.
MIDI Type 2:
Type 2 are pattern files. (rarely seen)
MTC:
MIDI Time Code
Sequencer:
record and playback MIDI data. Sequencers can be dedicated
hardware units or computer software.
SMPTE Time Code:
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
format for synchronization of video and audio. Several subformats exist.
Sound Card:
fits in a PC slot. Most consumer cards have a synthesizer
section, a set of stereo AD/DA converters and a MIDI interface jack on a
joystick port. Connect one to a set of powered speakers or a stereo, and you can
record and playback both MIDI and audio. (Older, obsolete sound cards fit in an
ISA slot, new ones in a PCI slot or connect via USB.)
Sound module:
a box that creates sounds when triggered by MIDI events.
Synthesizer:
also creates sounds. Usually also has a keyboard attached.
Sysex Event:
System Exclusive events are specific to each hardware
manufacturer. Sequences usually send Sysex data before playing notes to properly
initialize the hardware.
XG:
Extended General MIDI, Yamaha's extension to GM, defines additional
instruments and effects (reverb, chorus, variation)
