MIDI

What is MIDI?
MIDI stands for Musical instrument Digital Interface is a system which allows
electronic instruments and other digital musical tools to communicate with each
other.MIDI comes in many different instrument forms such as Guitar, Keyboard or
Drums which I will talk about later in this article. MIDI itself does not make any
sound, however, instead it is just a series of messages which is interpreted by a
MIDI instrument such as when the note is played and stopped, how long the note is
played for, the pitch of the note, and the velocity (how hard you are playing the
note). MIDI can be used with DAWs such as Logic or Ableton which is a crucial part
of music production allowing better and more progressive workflow.
What messages does a MIDI Keyboard send?
When you press a key on a MIDI Keyboard a series of messages is sent to a
device or Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that interpret these messages in order
for a sound to be produced. The messages that are sent are when the note is
played and stopped (note on or note off), how long the note is played for, the pitch
of the note, and the velocity (how hard you are playing the note).
Other messages sent by the MIDI Keyboard are Key Pressure or Channel Pressure
Aftertouch (acting as a sustain pedal) which is sent by pressing down on the key
after it reaches its lowest point, pitch bend change which is sent when there is a
difference in the pitch wheel. Another message sent is All Sound Off which means
all oscillators are switched off and all envelopes (ADSR) are reset. These are the
main messages sent via MIDI Keyboard and are the starting point in the process of
MIDI to musical note conversion.
What does a DAW do with the messages received?
A DAW such as Logic Pro X, Ableton Live 9 or FL Studio, interpret the messages
sent by the MIDI Keyboard or any other MIDI instrument and convert them into
musical notes which can be heard. One clever aspect of using MIDI with a DAW is
that you can edit the notes in a DAW to change the velocity, move the notes and
quantize them so that it is in time with the metronome meaning you don't have to
re-record it, you can change the length and position of a note if you played it too
short on the keyboard which again means you don't have to record again.
One advantage of using MIDI with a DAW is that you can apply different software
instruments to create different sounds. This opens up the opportunity for lots of
different songs to be produced and give you more options because there is no limit
on the amount of sounds you can use or create. This is a convenient factor for
using MIDI as a musician because it means you don't have to have or be able to

play lots of different instruments to get the sound you want or need, allowing the
resulting product to be diverse and professional.
How can a composer use MIDI?
With all the different sounds at your disposal, a composer may be able to create a
whole orchestra or lay down a template for a composition ready to be used. If a
composer was to record an orchestra but there was a problem with one of the
recordings for one of the instruments, the composer could overdub the instrument
with a MIDI version of the same instrument correcting the mistake.
Another useful aspect is that you can map a keyboard to a DAW and then pan the
instruments on the keyboard using a setting which can add to the soundscape and
means you can virtually position different instruments in different places. Alongside
MIDI Keyboard there are various other MIDI instruments such as Violin or Cello
which could be used by a composer.
Along side keyboards, are there any other MIDI instruments?
When talking about MIDI and MIDI instruments, the first thing that comes to mind is
a MIDI Keyboard as this is the most common MIDI instrument, however there are
many more types of MIDI instrument. There are MIDI Guitars, as well as violins,
and drums.
MIDI Guitar
A MIDI Guitar is an electronic instrument that converts an analog signal into MIDI.
MIDI Guitar is low latency meaning you can play both chords and single notes with
instant audio feedback (there is no delay).
For the MIDI Guitar to work, MIDI has to be added to a guitar. This is usually done
by a six-way pickup that generates a separate signal for each string. These six
signals are then fed into a box of electronics that converts the pitch of the signals
into six channels of MIDI data. These are often referred to as pitch-to-MIDI
converters.
A MIDI Guitar plays and feels like an actual guitar. It has MIDI sockets and a
synthesiser built in (which means you don't
need an external one such as the Roland
GR-55 used for violins, however, some MIDI
Guitars may need one too). The MIDI Guitar
is the electronic keyboard equivalent of a
guitar adding the convenience and bonus for
guitarists as it actually plays like a real
guitar. However, there are some limitations

with some MIDI Guitars as you cannot bend the strings.

MIDI Violin
For a MIDI Violin, you need to use a Roland GR-55 synthesizer which is compatible
with 13 pin MIDI Violins and not 8 pin MIDI ones. The Roland
GR-55 acts as a trigger for the MIDI device so that you can use
the violin with a DAW such as Logic or Ableton.
This is easier for musicians/violinists to use rather than creating
the sound on a keyboard because it is realistic to playing an
actual violin and a better sound is produced.
MIDI Drums
MIDI Drums are the drum kit equivalent of a live acoustic
drum kit. The only difference is that pads replace the
drums but are still played with sticks making it realistic for
drummers to use. This is continued by the fact that it is set
out as a proper drum kit with adds realism and comfort for
actual musicians rather than using drum pads on a MIDI
Keyboard.

Why is it advised to perform warm up techniques before a long session on a

keyboard?
If you are having a long session on a keyboard there is the potential for fatigue in
your hands and fingers. If you continue to play the keyboard as fatigue increases
and worsens you could find you end up with repetitive strain injury (RSI) which
could prevent you from playing notes and chords accurately, have an impact on the
overall strength, velocity and control of what you are
playing or the worst case scenario is that it could mean
you have to stop playing.
If you perform proper warm up techniques before you
start, it is reducing the risk of the events listed above
and means you could play the keyboard for longer and
better, improving the sound of what you produce.

Experience using a MIDI Keyboard

I use a MIDI Keyboard for a lot of productions because it
makes it a lot easier for me to programme sounds, lay down
templates and ideas and the main chords and melodies of the songs I produce are
made on a MIDI Keyboard. This is because I plug the MIDI Keyboard in via USB
and can play it straight away. To start off with I make the main chords on a MIDI
Keyboard knowing all the keys and the basic
chords and adding a slight progression on it. I then
create the melody for the song with another
progression on the end which is easy and
convenient to do on a MIDI Keyboard. Some MIDI
Keyboards come equipped with drum pads, which
my Novation Impulse 25 Key MIDI Keyboard does,
so I use them to produce the drums for my
productions.
In the screenshot above the chords have been
edited and quantised to make sure it is in time and
the velocity is consistent. When I first produced the
chords on a MIDI Keyboard the velocities were
different. The same applies for the melody of the
song.
When applying pads to the song adding depth and
a soundscape, I use the modulation wheel on the
MIDI Keyboard to change the sound of it making it
fit within the theme of the song and making sure it
works with the melody and chords.
How integral is MIDI in the music industry?
MIDI is used in loads of music studios all around the world as it offers convenience,
professionalism, realism and easy work flow. It is used so much within the music
industry today, so much so, I believe that the music industry would not be the same
without it and producers and musicians all around the world have become
dependent on it as it is such a clever and useful technology.
What is the future of MIDI?
I believe that given the power of MIDI in the industry today, as technology advances
more and more instruments will be easily converted to be used with MIDI. I think
that more complex MIDI instruments such as the violin will develop into simpler
forms of MIDI as it has become with a MIDI keyboard being able to plug in and play
straight away via USB. The use of MIDI could potentially spread to live

performances with production crews performing live using MIDI Keyboards

connected to their laptops to perform a song of their own.
Advantages & Disadvantages of MIDI
Advantages of MIDI

Disadvantages of MIDI

The advantages of MIDI are that it is

convenient for music producers and
musicians as it doesn't take up too
much space, it is portable and you do
not need a whole library of instruments
to produce a song. Another advantage
is that a MIDI Keyboard, for example,
can be plugged straight into a laptop or
computer and can be mapped with
DAWs such as Ableton or Logic
meaning you can control certain
features within the DAW using the MIDI
keyboard, adding to the convenience
factor of MIDI.

The disadvantages of MIDI are that

some of the sounds that you can
produce through MIDI are not realistic.
For example, the guitar that you can
play using a MIDI Keyboard does not
have the effect of strumming so that
takes the realism effect of the guitar
away. There are improvements in MIDI
guitars to make them sound more
realistic, however, nothing compares to
the sound of a real guitar. Another
Disadvantage of MIDI is that an
electronic MIDI drum kit takes up a lot of
space, losing the convenience factor of
MIDI.

Conclusion
Overall, MIDI is a useful technology that will continue to advance as time goes on
and technology advances. This will allow music producers and musicians to
improve their work and professionalism. Without MIDI, some of the best songs
produced may not have been able to be made to the same standard. The
advantages of MIDI outweigh the disadvantages proving that MIDI is a great piece
of technology for the music industry.