Making Music With MIDI
MIDI is all around you
Benefits of MIDI
MIDI products
Where to learn more
MIDI is all around you
Most film and TV scores, as well as popular recorded music is written and performed using electronic keyboards and other MIDI-equipped musical instruments. (Thanks to advances in digital sampling and synthesis technologies, the orchestra playing behind that big-screen block buster is more likely to be the product of MIDI than a real orchestra with dozens of acoustic instruments.)
MIDI is also easy to find in the world of personal computing. If your computer has a sound card, it most likely also has the ability to play MIDI files (using a built-in hardware or software synthesizer that responds to MIDI messages), and with an adapter can also be connected directly to other MIDI-equipped products, allowing you to take advantage of various computer programs that can help you learn, play, create and enjoy music.
MIDI also has some other interesting and popular uses. For example, MIDI Show Control is a command and control language used with rides at major theme parks and events at Las Vegas casinos, and MIDI Machine Control is used in recording studios to synchronize and remotely control recording equipment.
Recently MIDI has begun to be used to generate ring tones in mobile phones. MIDI ring tones sound far better because they are polyphonic (play more than one note at one time) and because they use music synthesizers which produce a wider variety of sounds than possible before.
There are over 300 companies around the world making products that support MIDI -- well known companies such as Apple and Microsoft, Roland and Yamaha, Nokia and Sony/Ericsson, among others.
Benefits of MIDI
MIDI is a technology that represents music in digital form. Unlike other digital music technologies such as MP3 and CDs, MIDI messages contain individual instructions for playing each individual note of each individual instrument. So with MIDI it is actually possible to change just one note in a song, or to orchestrate and entire song with entirely different instruments. And since each instrument in a MIDI performance is separate from the rest, its easy to "solo" (listen to just one) individual instruments and study them for educational purposes, or to mute individual instruments in a song so that you can play that part yourself.
Play with "a band"
Learning to play a musical instrument is one of the most rewarding things people can do. But why play by yourself when you can play along with a band? Standard MIDI Files are available for many popular songs, and when used with a personal computer or digital piano make it possible to have an entire backing band play along with you at whatever speed (tempo) and in any pitch (key) you desire. MIDI files are perfect for practicing with, as well as for performing when additional musicians are not available.
Record and edit your performance
A MIDI Sequencer can record your performances for listening at a later time, and even save your performance in Standard MIDI File format for playback on other MIDI systems. A MIDI Sequencer is a great way to evaluate your own progress, or even to study how someone else plays.
Better yet, because all MIDI data is editable, you can edit out any imperfections! If you play a wrong note, you can just change it using the Sequencer's editing tools. And if you find you just can't play fast enough to keep up with the tempo, you can slow it down for recording and speed it back up for playback -- without the "Mickey Mouse" effect that normally comes from speeding up a song.
Play any instrument
When you use MIDI to make music, you aren't limited to playing just one instrument. No matter what sort of MIDI Controller (keyboard, guitar, wind, drums, etc.) you actually use, you can make it sound like just about any instrument you can imagine (and some that are only in your imagination). Most digital pianos and other MIDI instruments come with hundreds of different sounds (pianos, trumpets, violins, guitars, basses and more) which you can play yourself or play via a MIDI sequencer to create fully orchestrated music.
Arrange and Orchestrate
Many people enjoy arranging and orchestrating music as much as performing it. There are MIDI files available for songs from every style of music -- as well as software programs that generate the basic rhythm and chord patterns that define specific styles -- that you can use to create your own arrangements and orchestrations. Just change the instrumentation, add a verse or chorus here or there, even put in your own original phrase or section -- all of this is easy to do with MIDI. You can also share your arrangements with other people, who can then rearrange them to fit their own needs -- many people download MIDI files from the Internet and rearrange them to fit their own needs.
Print Sheet Music
When you are done creating your own performance or arrangement, if you have a personal computer, you can convert MIDI information into musical notation and print out actual sheet music. Even if you can't play an note, MIDI Notation programs often make it possible to place notes on a musical staff using your mouse or computer keyboard. There are Notation programs available for every level and pocket book -- from professional engraving to casual use.
Compose Music
If you've ever had an original song idea in your head and wished you could have it performed, MIDI is the way to do it. All you need is a MIDI Sequencer, plus a MIDI instrument to enter notes with. (You can also use MIDI Notation software to place notes on a musical staff without playing them at all.) You can start with just a melody and then add backing chords, bass, and rhythm later, or add instruments in any order you like. If you make mistake, you can change it without having to play the part all over again. You can also make entire sections repeat without playing them again. And you can rearrange and reorchestrate your song as many times as you like.
MIDI Products
As you can see from the above examples, there are lots of things that MIDI makes possible, and many kinds of MIDI products available to help you make music. When you are ready to start making music with MIDI, we recommend you visit a MIDI specialist to determine the right products for you. Here are just some of the products that you may want to consider:
Keyboards and Sound Modules Practically every musical keyboard sold today has MIDI connections... everything from the $100 portables to $300,000 digital grand pianos.
Wind Controllers, Guitars, and More You don't have to be a keyboard (piano) player to benefit from MIDI. There are specially made MIDI wind controllers, MIDI guitars, and more.
Personal Computers Practically every computer made today comes with the ability to play MIDI files, and can connect to other MIDI gear with a simple PC-to-MIDI connector available as an accessory. Professionals and amateurs alike can compose, arrange, and record original music, or use the computer to learn about music or how to play an instrument.
Educational and Creativity Software
MIDI Sequencers
Auto-Accompaniment
MIDI Notation
Recording Studio Equipment Everything from tape and hard-disk based audio recorders to effects processors and audio mixers can be controlled using MIDI commands. If you plan to record vocals or acoustic instruments along with your MIDI tracks, you might want to look at products that integrate both audio and MIDI.
Song Files Standard MIDI Files ("SMF" or *.mid files) are a popular source of music on the web, and for musicians performing in clubs who need a little extra accompaniment.
Stage Lighting Controllers Many performing bands use MIDI to synchronize lighting cues with their music.
Where to find out more
The MMA web site has additional information about the technology of MIDI, including tables of MIDI messages and instructions for obtaining the technical specifications for MIDI. There are also links to other web sites that have information useful to retailers and consumers of MIDI products.
The following companies have all contributed to producing this document, and offer products and information that will be useful to anyone with an interest in Making Music with MIDI:
Yamaha Corp US | Korg USA
Cakewalk | Edirol | Evolution
BitHeadz | MadWaves | PreSonus | Steinberg | E-Mu Systems
Berklee Media | Keyboard Magazine | Electronic Musician
