[comp.music] What is MIDI?

lawong@furs.rutgers.edu (Laam Wong) (03/19/91)

	Can someone explain to me what is MIDI? What is its function?
How does it work? What do you use it for?
	Please just post in the newsgroup. I appreciated it!
-Laam :)

uge@athena.mit.edu (Eugene A Beidl) (03/19/91)

In article <Mar.18.18.04.11.1991.6057@furs.rutgers.edu>, lawong@furs.rutgers.edu (Laam Wong) writes:
|> 
|> 	Can someone explain to me what is MIDI? What is its function?
|> How does it work? What do you use it for?
|> 	Please just post in the newsgroup. I appreciated it!
|> -Laam :)




I believe the far majority of users in this group are familiar with MIDI
and would be bored with basic knowledge.  Instead I recommend you get a
tutorial book on it such as Craig Anderton's  MIDI FOR MUSICIANS.  

Just quickly, though:

MIDI is a communications protocol for digital instruments/computers/sequencers.
This protocol has its own language whereby any instrument that 'hears' a
word(s) from another source will know what to do.  Such words tell the instrument
to turn a note on/off,  turn up the volume for a particular track, or change
the pitch bend (pitch alternator) for something.  There is much more to it, and
not all instruments implement all that MIDI allows.  MIDI itself is expanding
and will continue to do so for awhile.  

--Eugene A. Beidl
--uge@athena.mit.edu