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can someone explain MIDI??

behemothbehemoth 2,189 Posts
edited January 2007 in Strut Central
in the simplest way possible?just for shits and gigglesi want to be schooled

  Comments

  • DjArcadianDjArcadian 3,632 Posts
    Isn't it like codes which you can add different sounds to?
  • behemothbehemoth 2,189 Posts
    Isn't it like codes which you can add different sounds to?

    i think it is a time code. but i just never understood it? midi cables?

    midi etc

    my MPC is a midi production center

    midi vs. whatever?

    i dont know
  • highschemehighscheme 784 Posts
    im pretty sure it has something to do with the original nintendo gameboy
  • OldschoolspinnaOldschoolspinna 311 Posts
    Simplest of terms.

    (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). Standard specifications that enable electronic instruments such as the synthesizer, sampler, sequencer, and drum machine from any manufacturer to communicate with one another and with computers, and nintendo gamboy.

    Cool?
  • behemothbehemoth 2,189 Posts
    Simplest of terms.

    (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). Standard specifications that enable electronic instruments such as the synthesizer, sampler, sequencer, and drum machine from any manufacturer to communicate with one another and with computers, and nintendo gamboy.

    Cool?

    perfect
  • bthavbthav 1,538 Posts
    its like a series of pulses that translate into binary code (1s and 0s). i think a midi message is like 8 spaces long? so with a series of pulses you can send messages like middle C note on, middle C note off, and velocity messages... blah blah.


    midi time code is the same idea, but instead of coding for notes, it codes for time. time code sounds like the apocalypse
  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    MIDI is a standard format of sending signals from one electronic music device (computer, keyboard, MPC, 808, etc.) to another. So via MIDI, you can send simple control signals (play, pause, turn this knob, raise that fader) or more music related signals (your MPC can send out a signal for each sample you play back.)

    MIDI is great because it's universal. It sucks because it's a serial interface, meaning through one cable (one MIDI channel) it can only physically send one signal at a time. Say you're making a beat, and there are 3 samples that hit at the same time. You're trying to get the MIDI information from the beat so that you can work with it in ProTools for whatever reason. Since the MIDI channel can only send one at a time, there will be a slight (millaseconds) delay between all three of these samples (not to mention MIDI jitter, which happenes when you have a bad MIDI clock. It sounds ridiculous but these are all very real problems).

    That above is my MIDI pet peeve, among other stuff. MIDI can be daisy-chained through devices, etc., all sorts of weird business.

    The wikipedia entry for MIDI is pretty straightforward and correct about most things.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI
  • pjl2000xlpjl2000xl 1,795 Posts
    basically it is a remote control for your studio. It enables one piece of gear to control another piece of gear. It allows all your gear to talk to eachover. So a keyboard (for ex.) can control multiple samplers or synths or a daw. It does not trasnfer any sound, just messages like note on/note off. You can also transfer settings like say a patch on a synth with sysex which is a code in the midi. that means i can make a patch, save the sysex data on my mpc, then i can send it back to the synth to recall the settings.
    just remember no sound goes thru the wires, just messages for your gear to talk to each over. You can also use it for recording applications to make certain machines start playing or stop with another machine or computer program. Like i can have my computer control my mpc so when i hit play on the pc my mpc plays along too.
    and that is the simplest definition i got chief.
  • bozakbozak 334 Posts
    my understanding is midi is all about commands. it is a standard for which you can link different brands of gear together and have them work in tandem via sending and recieving commands.

    a midi sequencer (such as an mpc or cubase) records the "events" you program on your midi gear. this event could be pressing midle C on your juno synth or hitting a pad on the mpc itself. it could even be adjusting a parameter. when you are done recording your events the midi sequencer can play them back by sending the recorded information right back to your instruments, creating playback.

    midi has never gone beyond version 1.1 and if you look at cable it has 5 pins right? only one pin sends and recieves info. the other 4 pins were included for futur updates to Midi itself but it was designed so rock solid they never had to.



    It does get real confusing when you get into the intricacies (sic) so I wouldnt bother with learning too much about it!!!! all you really need to know is what the record and rewind and play buttons do.....
  • bozakbozak 334 Posts
    well....not exactly rock solid!

    my man is correct about midi jitter which is a bitch. Been a while since I dealt with it, hence I forgot to include it in the post.
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