MIDI Basics Review

TI:ME Course 2aAdvanced Sequencing

Pro Tools and MIDI

• MIDI basics– Musical Instrument Digital Interface– Communications protocol that sends and receives

8 bit messages– Allows MIDI compatible devices to communicate

Pro Tools and MIDI

• MIDI basics– Dave Smith 1981– Announced 1982– First related device 1983– MIDI Manufacturers Association, MMA– 2011, still using MIDI 1.0– MIDI is free

Important Concepts

• MIDI Concepts– MIDI is DATA!– MIDI data is not audio!– MIDI has limitations• 16 channels• 128 “degrees” of resolution

MIDI Messages

Anatomy of a MIDI Message

• MIDI is an 8-bit language– Carry a value

– 0001 0011 = 1+2+16 = 19– Messages are grouped– Bits, bytes and nibbles?

#128s #64s #32s #16s #8s #4s #2s #1s

0 or 1 0 or 1 0 or 1 0 or 1 0 or 1 0 or 1 0 or 1 0 or 1

Anatomy of a MIDI Message

Message Status Byte Data Byte Data Byte

Note On 1001 cccc 0nnn nnnn 0vvv vvvv

Note Off 1000 cccc 0nnn nnnn 0vvv vvvv

Program Change 1100 cccc 0nnn nnnn N/A

Control Change 1011 cccc 0idi idid 0nnn nnnn

Pitch Bend 1110 cccc 0nnn nnnn 0nnn nnnn

MIDI Basics

• MIDI Cables– MIDI cables use a 5 pin male connector (DIN)

that uses one pin for a ground shield and 2 pins to carry data.

– 50 feet is the maximum cable length.• Signal degradation• RMI or EMI

– Today USB, FireWire and Ethernet cables are common!

MIDI Cable

MIDI Channelizing

• MIDI Channels/Modes• 16 independent channels• MIDI devices respond…– Omni On/Off– Mono/Poly

MIDI Ports

MIDI Interfaces

• Used to enable receiving and sending MIDI data via a computer.– External: USB port (most common) or serial port– Internal: PCI expansion slot (no longer common)– Found as add-on to audio interfaces

MIDI Interface

MIDI Setups

• Two types of MIDI Setups– Series– Parallel

Series MIDI Setup

Parallel MIDI Setup

MIDI Sequencer

• MIDI device that records, edits and plays MIDI data

• Types– Hardware– Keyboard integrated– Computer based

MIDI Sequencers 1984-1988

MIDI Controller

MIDI Controllers

Alternate Controllers

MIDI Sound Module

MIDI Editing

• Editing– Cut, copy and paste– Looping– Transpose– Quantization

• MIDI Views– Graphic– Event– Notation

MIDI Today and Tomorrow

• Is MIDI still relevant?– Creating music with a computer– Music software– Device communication– File Exchange– Synths/Sound Modules = Virtual Instruments– HD MIDI

General MIDI

• General specification for MIDI implementation in computer sound cards and other consumer devices.

• Specifications:– Standard patch map– Minimum of 24 voices– Minimum of 16 parts (multi-timbral)– Minimum of 16 MIDI channels

MIDI Review

The End