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By the end of the 1970s, electronic musical devices were becoming increasingly common and affordable in North America, Europe and Japan. Early analog synthesizers were usually monophonic, and controlled via a voltage produced by their keyboards. Manufacturers used this voltage to link instruments together so that one device could control one or more others, but this system was inadequate for control of newer polyphonic and digital synthesizers.[2]:3 Some manufacturers created systems that allowed their own equipment to interconnect, but the systems were incompatible, so one manufacturer's systems could not synchronize with those of another.[2]:4 Sequential Circuits engineers and synthesizer designers Dave Smith and Chet Wood devised a universal synthesizer interface, which would allow direct communication between equipment from different manufacturers. Smith proposed this standard at the Audio Engineering Society show in November 1981.[2]:4 Over the next two years, the standard was discussed and modified by representatives of companies such as Roland, Yamaha, Korg, Kawai, Oberheim, and Sequential Circuits,[4]:22 and was renamed Musical Instrument Digital Interface.[2]:4 MIDI's development was announced to the public by Robert Moog, in the October 1982 edition of Keyboard magazine.[5]:276 By the time of the January 1983 Winter NAMM Show, Smith was able to demonstrate a MIDI connection between his Prophet 600 analog synthesizer and a Roland JP-6. The MIDI Specification was published in August 1983.[6] MIDI's impact on the music industry MIDI's appeal was originally limited to those who wanted to use electronic instruments in the production of popular music. The standard allowed different instruments to speak with each other and with computers, and this spurred a rapid expansion of the sales and production of electronic instruments and music software.[4]:21 This intercompatibility allowed one device to be controlled from another, which rid musicians of the need for excessive hardware.[7] MIDI's introduction coincided with the dawn of the personal computer era and the introductions of samplers, whose ability to play back prerecorded sounds allowed stage performances to include effects that previously were unobtainable outside of the studio, and digital synthesizers, which allowed pre-programmed sounds to be stored and recalled with the press of a button.[8] The creative possibilities brought about by MIDI technology have been credited as having helped to revive the music industry in the 1980s.[9] MIDI introduced many capabilities which transformed the way musicians work. MIDI sequencing makes it possible for a user with no notation skills to build complex arrangements.[10] A musical act with as few as one or two members, each operating multiple MIDI-enabled devices, can deliver a performance which sounds similar to that of a much larger group of musicians.[11] The expense of hiring outside musicians for a project can be reduced or eliminated,[2]:7 and complex productions can be realized on a system as small as a single MIDI workstation, a synthesizer with integrated keyboard and sequencer. Professional musicians can do this in an environment such as a home recording space, without the need to rent a professional recording studio and staff. By performing preproduction in such an environment, an artist can reduce recording costs by arriving at a recording studio with a work that is already partially completed. Rhythm and background parts can be sequenced in advance, and then played back onstage.[2]:7–8 Performances require less haulage and set-up/tear-down time, due to the reduced amount and variety of equipment and associated connections necessary to produce a variety of sounds.[citation needed] Electronic educational technology ( also called e-learning or computer-aided learning) enabled by MIDI has transformed music education.[12] In 2012, Ikutaro Kakehashi and Dave Smith were awarded a Technical Grammy Award for the development of MIDI in 1983.[13] Applications Instrument control MIDI was invented so that musical instruments could communicate with each other and so that one instrument can control another. Analog synthesizers that have no digital component and were built prior to MIDI's development can be retrofit with kits that convert MIDI messages into analog control voltages.[5]:277 When a note is played on a MIDI instrument, it generates a digital signal that can be used to trigger a note on another instrument.[2]:20 The capability for remote control allows full-sized instruments to be replaced with smaller sound modules, and allows musicians to combine instruments to achieve a fuller sound, or to create combinations such as acoustic piano and strings.[14] MIDI also enables other instrument parameters to be controlled remotely. Synthesizers and samplers contain various tools for shaping a sound. Filters adjust timbre, and envelopes automate the way a sound evolves over time.[15] The frequency of a filter and the envelope attack, or the time it takes for a sound to reach its maximum level, are examples of synthesizer parameters, and can be controlled remotely through MIDI. Effects devices have different parameters, such as delay feedback or reverb time. When a MIDI continuous controller number is assigned to one of these parameters, the device will respond to any messages it receives that are identified by that number. Controls such as knobs, switches, and pedals can be used to send these messages. A set of adjusted parameters can be saved to a device's internal memory as a "patch", and these patches can be remotely selected by MIDI program changes. The MIDI standard allows selection of 128 different programs, but devices can provide more by arranging their patches into banks of 128 programs each, and combining a program change message with a bank select message.[16] Composition Drum sample 1 File:Drum sample.mid Drum sample 1 Drum sample 2 File:Drum sample2.mid Drum sample 2 Bass sample 1 File:Bass sample.mid Bass sample 1 Bass sample 2 File:Bass sample2.mid Bass sample 2 Combination File:MIDI sample.mid A combination of the previous four files, with piano, jazz guitar, a hi-hat and four extra measures added to complete the short song, in A minor Combination on a synthesizer MENU0:00 The previous file being played on a MIDI-compatible synthesizer Problems playing these files? See media help. MIDI events can be sequenced with computer software, or in specialized hardware music workstations. Many digital audio workstations (DAWs) are specifically designed to work with MIDI as an integral component. MIDI piano rolls have been developed in many DAWs so that the recorded MIDI messages can be extensively modified.[17][better source needed] These tools allow composers to audition and edit their work much more quickly and efficiently than did older solutions, such as multitrack recording. They improve the efficiency of composers who lack strong pianistic abilities, and allow untrained individuals the opportunity to create polished arrangements.[18]:67–8,72 Because MIDI is a set of commands that create sound, MIDI sequences can be manipulated in ways that prerecorded audio cannot. It is possible to change the key, instrumentation or tempo of a MIDI arrangement,[19]:227 and to reorder its individual sections.[20] The ability to compose ideas and quickly hear them played back enables composers to experiment.[18]:175 Algorithmic composition programs provide computer-generated performances that can be used as song ideas or accompaniment.[2]:122 Some composers may take advantage of MIDI 1.0 and General MIDI (GM) technology to allow musical data files to be shared among various electronic instruments by using a standard, portable set of commands and parameters. The data composed via the sequenced MIDI recordings can be saved as a Standard MIDI File (SMF), digitally distributed, and reproduced by any computer or electronic instrument that also adheres to the same MIDI, GM, and SMF standards. MIDI data files are much smaller than recorded audio files. MIDI and computers At the time of MIDI's introduction, the computing industry was mainly devoted to mainframe computers, and personal computers were not commonly owned. The personal computer market stabilized at the same time that MIDI appeared, and computers became a viable option for music production.[5]:324 In the years immediately after the 1983 ratification of the MIDI specification, MIDI features were adapted to several early computer platforms, including Apple II Plus, IIe and Macintosh, Commodore 64 and Amiga, Atari ST, Acorn Archimedes, and PC DOS.[5]:325–7 The Macintosh was the favorite among US musicians, as it was marketed at a competitive price, and would be several years before PC systems would catch up to its efficiency and graphical interface[citation needed]. The Atari ST was favored in Europe, where Macintoshes were more expensive.[5]:324–5, 331 Apple computers included audio hardware that was more advanced than that of their competitors. The Apple IIGS used a digital sound chip designed for the Ensoniq Mirage synthesizer, and later models used a custom sound system and upgraded processors, which drove other companies to improve their own offerings.[5]:326,328 The Atari ST was favored for its MIDI ports that were built directly into the computer.[5]:329 Most music software in MIDI's first decade was published for either the Apple or the Atari.[5]:335 By the time of Windows 3.0's 1990 release, PCs had caught up in processing power and had acquired a graphical interface,[5]:325 and software titles began to see release on multiple platforms.[5]:335 Standard MIDI files The Standard MIDI File (SMF) is a file format that provides a standardized way for sequences to be saved, transported, and opened in other systems. The compact size of these files has led to their widespread use in computers, mobile phone ringtones, webpage authoring and greeting cards. They are intended for universal use, and include such information as note values, timing and track names. Lyrics may be included as metadata, and can be displayed by karaoke machines.[21] The SMF specification was developed and is maintained by the MMA. SMFs are created as an export format of software sequencers or hardware workstations. They organize MIDI messages into one or more parallel tracks, and timestamp the events so that they can be played back in sequence. A header contains the arrangement's track count, tempo and which of three SMF formats the file is in. A type 0 file contains the entire performance, merged onto a single track, while type 1 files may contain any number of tracks that are performed in synchrony. Type 2 files are rarely used[22] and store multiple arrangements, with each arrangement having its own track and intended to be played in sequence. Microsoft Windows bundles SMFs together with Downloadable Sounds (DLS) in a Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) wrapper, as RMID files with a .rmi extension. RIFF-RMID has been deprecated in favor of Extensible Music Files (XMF).[23] File sharing A MIDI file is not a recording of actual music. Rather, it is a spreadsheet-like set of instructions, and can use a thousand times less disk space than the equivalent recorded audio.[24] This made MIDI file arrangements an attractive way to share music, before the advent of broadband internet access and multi-gigabyte hard drives. Licensed MIDI files on floppy disks were commonly available in stores in Europe and Japan during the 1990s.[25] The major drawback to this is the wide variation in quality of users' audio cards, and in the actual audio contained as samples or synthesized sound in the card that the MIDI data only refers to symbolically. Even a sound card that contains high-quality sampled sounds can have inconsistent quality from one instrument to another,[24] while different model cards have no guarantee of consistent sound of the same instrument. Early budget cards, such as the AdLib and the Sound Blaster and its compatibles, used a stripped-down version of Yamaha's frequency modulation synthesis (FM synthesis) technology[26] played back through low-quality digital-to-analog converters. The low-fidelity reproduction[24] of these ubiquitous[26] cards was often assumed to somehow be a property of MIDI itself. This created a perception of MIDI as low-quality audio, while in reality MIDI itself contains no sound,[27] and the quality of its playback depends entirely on the quality of the sound-producing device (and of samples in the device).[19]:227 MIDI software Main article: List of MIDI editors and sequencers The main advantage of the personal computer in a MIDI system is that it can serve a number of different purposes, depending on the software that is loaded.[2]:55 Multitasking allows simultaneous operation of programs that may be able to share data with each other.[2]:65 Sequencers Main article: Digital audio workstation Sequencing software provides a number of benefits to a composer or arranger. It allows recorded MIDI to be manipulated using standard computer editing features such as cut, copy and paste and drag and drop. Keyboard shortcuts can be used to streamline workflow, and editing functions are often selectable via MIDI commands. The sequencer allows each channel to be set to play a different sound, and gives a graphical overview of the arrangement. A variety of editing tools are made available, including a notation display that can be used to create printed parts for musicians. Tools such as looping, quantization, randomization, and transposition simplify the arranging process. Beat creation is simplified, and groove templates can be used to duplicate another track's rhythmic feel. Realistic expression can be added through the manipulation of real-time controllers. Mixing can be performed, and MIDI can be synchronized with recorded audio and video tracks. Work can be saved, and transported between different computers or studios.[28][29]:164–6 Sequencers may take alternate forms, such as drum pattern editors that allow users to create beats by clicking on pattern grids,[2]:118 and loop sequencers such as ACID Pro, which allow MIDI to be combined with prerecorded audio loops whose tempos and keys are matched to each other. Cue list sequencing is used to trigger dialogue, sound effect, and music cues in stage and broadcast production.[2]:121 Notation/scoring software Main article: Scorewriter With MIDI, notes played on a keyboard can automatically be transcribed to sheet music.[4]:213 Scorewriting, or notation software typically lacks advanced sequencing tools, and is optimized for the creation of a neat, professional printout designed for live instrumentalists.[29]:157 These programs provide support for dynamics and expression markings, chord and lyric display, and complex score styles.[29]:167 Software is available that can print scores in braille.[30] Musitek's SmartScore (formerly MIDIScan) software performs the reverse process, and can produce MIDI files from scanned sheet music.[31] Prominent notation programs include Finale, published by MakeMusic, and Encore, originally published by Passport Designs Inc., but now by GVOX. Sibelius, originally created for RISC-based Acorn computers, was so well-regarded that, before Windows and Macintosh versions were available, composers would purchase Acorns for the sole purpose of using Sibelius.[32] Editor/librarians Patch editors allow users to program their equipment through the computer interface. These became essential with the appearance of complex synthesizers such as the Yamaha FS1R,[33] which contained several thousand programmable parameters, but had an interface that consisted of fifteen tiny buttons, four knobs and a small LCD.[34] Digital instruments typically discourage users from experimentation, due to their lack of the feedback and direct control that switches and knobs would provide,[35]:393 but patch editors give owners of hardware instruments and effects devices the same editing functionality that is available to users of software synthesizers.[36] Some editors are designed for a specific instrument or effects device, while other, "universal" editors support a variety of equipment, and ideally can control the parameters of every device in a setup through the use of System Exclusive commands.[2]:129 Patch librarians have the specialized function of organizing the sounds in a collection of equipment, and allow transmission of entire banks of sounds between an instrument and a computer. This allows the user to augment the device's limited patch storage with a computer's much greater disk capacity,[2]:133 and to share custom patches with other owners of the same instrument.[37] Universal editor/librarians that combine the two functions were once common, and included Opcode Systems' Galaxy and eMagic's SoundDiver. These programs have been largely abandoned with the trend toward computer-based synthesis, although Mark of the Unicorn's (MOTU)'s Unisyn and Sound Quest's Midi Quest remain available. Native Instruments' Kore was an effort to bring the editor/librarian concept into the age of software instruments.[38] Auto-accompaniment programs Programs that can dynamically generate accompaniment tracks are called "auto-accompaniment" programs. These create a full band arrangement in a style that the user selects, and send the result to a MIDI sound generating device for playback. The generated tracks can be used as educational or practice tools, as accompaniment for live performances, or as a songwriting aid. Examples include Band-in-a-Box,[39]:42 which originated on the Atari platform in the 1980s, One Man Band,[40] Busker,[41] MiBAC Jazz, SoundTrek JAMMER[42] and DigiBand.[43] Synthesis and sampling Main articles: Software synthesizer and Software sampler Computers can use software to generate sounds, which are then passed through a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to a loudspeaker system.[4]:213 Polyphony, the number of sounds that can be played simultaneously, is dependent on the power of the computer's Central Processing Unit, as are the sample rate and bit depth of playback, which directly affect the quality of the sound.[44] Synthesizers implemented in software are subject to timing issues that are not present with hardware instruments, whose dedicated operating systems are not subject to interruption from background tasks as desktop operating systems are. These timing issues can cause distortion as recorded tracks lose synchronization with each other, and clicks and pops when sample playback is interrupted. Software synthesizers also exhibit a noticeable delay in their sound generation, because computers use an audio buffer that delays playback and disrupts MIDI timing.[45] Software synthesis' roots go back as far as the 1950s, when Max Mathews of Bell Labs wrote the MUSIC-N programming language, which was capable of non-real-time sound generation.[46] The first synthesizer to run directly on a host computer's CPU[47] was Reality, by Dave Smith's Seer Systems, which achieved a low latency through tight driver integration, and therefore could run only on Creative Labs soundcards.[48] Some systems use dedicated hardware to reduce the load on the host CPU, as with Symbolic Sound Corporation's Kyma System,[46] and the Creamware/Sonic Core Pulsar/SCOPE systems,[49] which used several DSP chips hosted on a PCI card to power an entire studio's worth of instruments, effects, and mixers.[50] The ability to construct full MIDI arrangements entirely in computer software allows a composer to render a finalized result directly as an audio file.[14] Game music Early PC games were distributed on floppy disks, and the small size of MIDI files made them a viable means of providing soundtracks. Games of the DOS and early Windows eras typically required compatibility with either Ad Lib or SoundBlaster audio cards. These cards used FM synthesis, which generates sound through modulation of sine waves. John Chowning, the technique's pioneer, theorized that the technology would be capable of accurate recreation of any sound if enough sine waves were used, but budget computer audio cards performed FM synthesis with only two sine waves. Combined with the cards' 8-bit audio, this resulted in a sound described as "artificial"[51] and "primitive".[52] Wavetable daughterboards that were later available provided audio samples that could be used in place of the FM sound. These were expensive, but often used the sounds from respected MIDI instruments such as the E-mu Proteus.[52] The computer industry moved in the mid-1990s toward wavetable-based soundcards with 16-bit playback, but standardized on a 2MB ROM, a space too small in which to fit good-quality samples of 128 instruments plus drum kits. Some manufacturers used 12-bit samples, and padded those to 16 bits.[53] Other applications MIDI has been adopted as a control protocol in a number of non-musical applications. MIDI Show Control uses MIDI commands to direct stage lighting systems and to trigger cued events in theatrical productions. VJs and turntablists use it to cue clips, and to synchronize equipment, and recording systems use it for synchronization and automation. Apple Motion allows control of animation parameters through MIDI. The 1987 first-person shooter game MIDI Maze and the 1990 Atari ST computer puzzle game Oxyd used MIDI to network computers together, and kits are available that allow MIDI control over home lighting and appliances.[54] Despite its association with music devices, MIDI can control any device that can read and process a MIDI command. It is therefore possible to send a spacecraft from earth to another destination in space, control home lighting, heating and air conditioning and even sequence traffic light signals all through MIDI commands. The receiving device or object would require a General MIDI processor, however in this instance, the program changes would trigger a function on that device rather than notes from MIDI instrument. Each function can be set to a timer (also controlled by MIDI) or other condition determined by the devices creator. MIDI devices Connectors MIDI connectors and a MIDI cable MIDI connectors and a MIDI cable. The cables terminate in a 180° five-pin DIN connector. Standard applications use only three of the five conductors: a ground wire, and a balanced pair of conductors that carry a +5 volt signal.[39] :41 This connector configuration can only carry messages in one direction, so a second cable is necessary for two-way communication.[2]:13 Some proprietary applications, such as phantom-powered footswitch controllers, use the spare pins for direct current (DC) power transmission.[55] Opto-isolators keep MIDI devices electrically separated from their connectors, which prevents the occurrence of ground loops[56]:63 and protects equipment from voltage spikes.[5]:277 There is no error detection capability in MIDI, so the maximum cable length is set at 15 meters (50 feet) in order to limit interference.[57] Diagram of a MIDI connector A MIDI connector, showing the pins as numbered. Most devices do not copy messages from their input to their output port. A third type of port, the "thru" port, emits a copy of everything received at the input port, allowing data to be forwarded to another instrument[5]:278 in a "daisy chain" arrangement.[58] Not all devices contain thru ports, and devices that lack the ability to generate MIDI data, such as effects units and sound modules, may not include out ports.[35]:384 Management devices Each device in a daisy chain adds delay to the system. This is avoided with a MIDI thru box, which contains several outputs that provide an exact copy of the box's input signal. A MIDI merger is able to combine the input from multiple devices into a single stream, and allows multiple controllers to be connected to a single device. A MIDI switcher allows switching between multiple devices, and eliminates the need to physically repatch cables. MIDI patch bays combine all of these functions. They contain multiple inputs and outputs, and allow any combination of input channels to be routed to any combination of output channels. Routing setups can be created using computer software, stored in memory, and selected by MIDI program change commands.[2]:47–50 This enables the devices to function as standalone MIDI routers in situations where no computer is present.[2]:62–3 MIDI patch bays also clean up any skewing of MIDI data bits that occurs at the input stage. MIDI data processors are used for utility tasks and special effects. These include MIDI filters, which remove unwanted MIDI data from the stream, and MIDI delays, effects which send a repeated copy of the input data at a set time.[2]:51 Interfaces A computer MIDI interface's main function is to match clock speeds between the MIDI device and the computer.[58] Some computer sound cards include a standard MIDI connector, whereas others connect by any of various means that include the D-subminiature DA-15 game port, USB, FireWire, Ethernet or a proprietary connection. The increasing use of USB connectors in the 2000s has led to the availability of MIDI-to-USB data interfaces that can transfer MIDI channels to USB-equipped computers. Some MIDI keyboard controllers are equipped with USB jacks, and can be plugged into computers that run music software. MIDI's serial transmission leads to timing problems. Experienced musicians can detect time differences of as small as 1/3 of a millisecond (ms)[citation needed] (which is how long it takes sound to travel 4 inches), and a three-byte MIDI message requires nearly 1ms for transmission.[59] Because MIDI is serial, it can only send one event at a time. If an event is sent on two channels at once, the event on the higher-numbered channel cannot transmit until the first one is finished, and so is delayed by 1ms. If an event is sent on all channels at the same time, the highest-numbered channel's transmission will be delayed by as much as 16ms. This contributed to the rise of MIDI interfaces with multiple in- and out-ports, because timing improves when events are spread between multiple ports as opposed to multiple channels on the same port.[45] The term "MIDI slop" refers to audible timing errors that result when MIDI transmission is delayed.[60] Controllers Main article: MIDI controller There are two types of MIDI controllers: performance controllers that generate notes and are used to perform music,[61] and controllers which may not send notes, but transmit other types of real-time events. Many devices are some combination of the two types. Performance controllers A Novation Remote 25 two-octave MIDI controller Two-octave MIDI controllers are popular for use with laptop computers, due to their portability. This unit provides a variety of real-time controllers, which can manipulate various sound design parameters of computer-based or standalone hardware instruments, effects, mixers and recording devices. MIDI was designed with keyboards in mind, and any controller that is not a keyboard is considered an "alternative" controller.[62] This was seen as a limitation by composers who were not interested in keyboard-based music, but the standard proved flexible, and MIDI compatibility was introduced to other types of controllers, including guitars, wind instruments and drum machines.[4]:23 Keyboards Main article: MIDI keyboard Keyboards are by far the most common type of MIDI controller.[37] These are available in sizes that range from 25-key, 2-octave models, to full-sized 88-key instruments. Some are keyboard-only controllers, though many include other real-time controllers such as sliders, knobs, and wheels.[63] Commonly, there are also connections for sustain and expression pedals. Most keyboard controllers offer the ability to split the playing area into "zones", which can be of any desired size and can overlap with each other. Each zone can respond to a different MIDI channel and a different set of performance controllers, and can be set to play any desired range of notes. This allows a single playing surface to target a number of different devices.[2]:79–80 MIDI capabilities can also be built into traditional keyboard instruments, such as grand pianos[2]:82 and Rhodes pianos.[64] Pedal keyboards can operate the pedal tones of a MIDI organ, or can drive a bass synthesizer such as the revived Moog Taurus. A performer playing a MIDI wind controller MIDI wind controllers can produce expressive, natural-sounding performances in a way that is difficult to achieve with keyboard controllers. Wind controllers Main article: Wind controller Wind controllers allow MIDI parts to be played with the same kind of expression and articulation that is available to players of wind and brass instruments. They allow breath and pitch glide control that provide a more versatile kind of phrasing, particularly when playing sampled or physically modeled wind instrument parts.[2]:95 A typical wind controller has a sensor that converts breath pressure to volume information, and may allow pitch control through a lip pressure sensor and a pitch-bend wheel. Some models include a configurable key layout that can emulate different instruments' fingering systems.[65] Examples of such controllers include Akai's Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) and Electronic Valve Instrument (EVI). The EWI uses a system of keypads and rollers modeled after a traditional woodwind instrument, while the EVI is based on an acoustic brass instrument, and has three switches that emulate a trumpet's valves.[5]:320–321 Drum and percussion controllers A MIDI drum kit Drum controllers, such as the Roland V-Drums, are often built in the form of an actual drum kit. The unit's sound module is mounted to the left. Keyboards can be used to trigger drum sounds, but are impractical for playing repeated patterns such as rolls, due to the length of key travel. After keyboards, drum pads are the next most significant MIDI performance controllers.[5]:319–320 Drum controllers may be built into drum machines, may be standalone control surfaces, or may emulate the look and feel of acoustic percussion instruments. The pads built into drum machines are typically too small and fragile to be played with sticks, and are played with fingers.[2]:88 Dedicated drum pads such as the Roland Octapad or the DrumKAT are playable with the hands or with sticks, and are often built in the form of a drum kit. There are also percussion controllers such as the vibraphone-style MalletKAT,[2]:88–91 and Don Buchla's Marimba Lumina.[66] MIDI triggers can also be installed into acoustic drum and percussion instruments. Pads that can trigger a MIDI device can be homemade from a piezoelectric sensor and a practice pad or other piece of foam rubber.[67] Stringed instrument controllers A guitar can be fit with special pickups that digitize the instrument's output, and allow it to play a synthesizer's sounds. These assign a separate MIDI channel for each string, and may give the player the choice of triggering the same sound from all six strings, or playing a different sound from each.[2]:92–93 Some models, such as Yamaha's G10, dispense with the traditional guitar body and replace it with electronics.[5]:320 Other systems, such as Roland's MIDI pickups, are included with or can be retrofitted to a standard instrument. Max Mathews designed a MIDI violin for Laurie Anderson in the mid-1980s,[68] and MIDI-equipped violas, cellos, contrabasses, and mandolins also exist.[69] A MIDI controller for use with an iPhone A MIDI controller designed for use with an iPhone. The phone docks in the center. Specialized performance controllers DJ digital controllers may be standalone units such as the Faderfox or the Allen & Heath Xone 3D, or may be integrated with a specific piece of software, such as Traktor or Scratch Live. These typically respond to MIDI clock sync, and provide control over mixing, looping, effects, and sample playback.[70] MIDI triggers attached to shoes or clothing are sometimes used by stage performers. The Kroonde Gamma wireless sensor can capture physical motion as MIDI signals.[71] Sensors built into a dance floor at the University of Texas at Austin convert dancers' movements into MIDI messages,[72] and David Rokeby's Very Nervous System art installation created music from the movements of passers-through.[73] Software applications exist which enable the use of iOS devices as gesture controllers.[74] Numerous experimental controllers exist which abandon traditional musical interfaces entirely. These include the gesture-controlled Buchla Thunder,[75] sonomes such as the C-Thru Music Axis,[76] which rearrange the scale tones into an isometric layout,[77] and Haken Audio's keyless, touch-sensitive Continuum playing surface.[78] Experimental MIDI controllers may be created from unusual objects, such as an ironing board with heat sensors installed,[79] or a sofa equipped with pressure sensors.[80] MIDI (/ˈmɪdi/; short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a protocol, digital interface and connectors and allows a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers and other related devices to connect and communicate with one another.[1] A single MIDI link can carry up to sixteen channels of information, each of which can be routed to a separate device. MIDI carries event messages that specify notation, pitch and velocity, control signals for parameters such as volume, vibrato, audio panning, cues, and clock signals that set and synchronize tempo between multiple devices. These messages are sent to other devices where they control sound generation and other features. This data can also be recorded into a hardware or software device called a sequencer, which can be used to edit the data and to play it back at a later time.[2]:4 MIDI technology was standardized in 1983 by a panel of music industry representatives, and is maintained by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA). All official MIDI standards are jointly developed and published by the MMA in Los Angeles, California, US, and for Japan, the MIDI Committee of the Association of Musical Electronics Industry (AMEI) in Tokyo. Advantages of MIDI include compactness (an entire song can be coded in a few hundred lines, i.e. in a few kilobytes), ease of modification and manipulation and choice of instruments.[3] |
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