This answers some basic questions about what the heck MIDI is, since we're always talking about it.
What is it?
- MIDI is the acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Throughout its existence, MIDI has gained acceptance with industry professionals by leaps and bounds. Not only does it allow for faster creation and composition of music, it allows the composer to become the proverbial one-man band.
What does it do?
- The MIDI protocol allows electronic devices (usually synthesizers, but also computers, light show controllers, VCR's, multi-track recorders, etc.) to interact and work in synchronization with other MIDI compatible devices. Using a master controller device such as a keyboard, one can play or trigger sounds from other electronic devices remotely.
How does it work?
- A digital synthesizer is basically made of two major parts - the Primary Interface, which consists of the keyboard, knobs, buttons, switches, foot pedals, etc. (These are known as "Input Devices" - anything that you must physically touch in order to input information). This information includes things like patch changes, pitch bend or modulation wheel, and volume/balance changes. The second part, or more accurately, parts, are the various electronic components that produce your synthesizer's internal voices (i.e. sounds). When you press a key on your keyboard or push a button on your synth's control panel, the result is transmitted electronically to the Processor inside the unit.
- There are three ports used in the process of transferring MIDI signal: IN, which receives MIDI data; OUT, which transmits MIDI data, and; THRU, which replicates the MIDI data arriving at the MIDI IN port and sends it out.
What does this mean to me?
- Well, look at your station (remembering the three ports).
- You've got your keyboard (or KAT tools) as OUT.
- You've got your K2500 (or other amenities on station 6) as IN.
- You've got your OMS Studio 5 (located below your station's mackie mixer) as THRU.
- It is all connected in such a way so that the MIDI signal is then sent to your computer.
Some information on this tutorial was taken from:
www.MIDI.com, and the MIDI Primer article located at: http://www.muse-usa.com/midi.shtml.
|
