What is MIDI?

What is MIDI?

MIDI is:

• Compact - Hours of music can fit on a single 3 1/2" floppy disk, thousands of songs on a CD
• 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
• Portable 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.

Who needs MIDI Classics?

• Students
• Music Teachers
• Performers
• Producers
• Composers
• Arrangers
• Hobbyists
• Music Lovers

The Gory MIDI Details

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)

MIDI Classics
Order: 203-992-9385 Fax:860-651-4373 Tech/Overseas Voice: 1-203-992-9385
Box 311, Weatogue, CT 06089-0311 USA

Copyright © 1995, 2010, MIDI Classics®. Revised 2/3/2010