One of the most common forms of digital interface is the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). MIDI is a standard or protocol that is compatible with computers, electronic musical instruments, and other musical hardware. In effect, MIDI allows many different sorts of instruments and computers to communicate with one another, and to share data. One of the reasons for the success of MIDI is that it doesn’t rely on an audio or media signal, it is instead made up of a pure digital data stream that can be interpreted and understood by any number of music-related instrumentation and computers.
MIDI files can be transferred from one instrument, computer or related piece of hardware to another with a MIDI In and MIDI Out connector. Generally, any MIDI-compatible instrument or hardware will have a MIDI interface pre-installed which will allow MIDI files to be transferred in binary form through the MIDI connector to the other attached hardware or instruments. MIDI connectors fall into the DIN connector class 5/180∞, and can be purchased from specialized computer stores and some musical instrument retailers.
MIDI files are so widespread that there is a huge number of related MIDI editing software available; some freeware, some shareware, and some for purchase. Most are both Mac and Windows compatible, however some editors will only run on Linux. Some editors will give you more than one file format option, but the standard for MIDI is generally the Standard MIDI Format (.mid). Other common MIDI formats are MIDI-Karaoke (.kar), XMF (eXtensible Music File), and RIFF-RMID.
MIDI files can be transferred from one instrument, computer or related piece of hardware to another with a MIDI In and MIDI Out connector. Generally, any MIDI-compatible instrument or hardware will have a MIDI interface pre-installed which will allow MIDI files to be transferred in binary form through the MIDI connector to the other attached hardware or instruments. MIDI connectors fall into the DIN connector class 5/180∞, and can be purchased from specialized computer stores and some musical instrument retailers.
MIDI files are so widespread that there is a huge number of related MIDI editing software available; some freeware, some shareware, and some for purchase. Most are both Mac and Windows compatible, however some editors will only run on Linux. Some editors will give you more than one file format option, but the standard for MIDI is generally the Standard MIDI Format (.mid). Other common MIDI formats are MIDI-Karaoke (.kar), XMF (eXtensible Music File), and RIFF-RMID.