MIDI is an acronym for musical instrument digital interface. It’s a name for a standard communication protocol that details how the exchange of information between computers and music synthesizers works. As such, it’s quite specific and only used in combination with the appropriate hardware. There are now multiple generations of this protocol, and newer software and hardware use the new 2.0 protocol over the older 1.0 one.
Technipages Explains MIDI
It provides tools to musicians and composers that can be indispensable based on their work. With the right software and ports, a musician can use a keyboard to play a musical composition. Once the music is recorded in a computer compatible format, the digital sound can be edited and altered.
This means that things like speed, pitch, tempo, delays and more can be changed, that tracks can be layered over one another or sounds can be isolated from other background noises. In order to play the sounds at their best quality, users should use a specific kind of sound card – wavetable synthesis sound cards to be precise. In order to successfully edit audio, no recording equipment or MIDI-protocol software is required – once a recording is complete, it can be edited even without.
Files recorded through use of the MIDI protocol have several advantages over other types of files. They are very small and thus easy to store and transfer, and they can accommodate a great number of different instruments and devices, both traditional and non-traditional. MIDI technology was standardized in 1983 by a panel of music industry representatives and has since been maintained by a group of industry experts that work with it.
Common Uses of MIDI
- MIDI recordings deliver small sound files.
- Various musical instruments and synthetic sound tools are compatible with MIDI technology.
- As an industry-staple, MIDI recordings are often used for sound manipulation and editing later in the work process.
Common Misuses of MIDI
- MIDI-recorded music is more quiet and slow than MAXI-recorded tracks.
