Hi! OK- here goes....
* MIDI is ONLY information about what has been PHYSICALLY played, or the way one wants the sound to be played. Sort of like this: Imagine you have a piano, but no strings in it, thus- no sound. *A friend knows how to explain what you are doing/playing. In another room, a second piano has strings, but no keys. (I know- just buy a real piano! lol
) OK- so, person A plays, the "interpreter" makes "note" of what is being played, how hard, etc, and then goes to person B and tells them how to hit the strings (when, how hard, which ones, etc). The interpreter is MIDI. Person A is you, and person B is a MIDI sound "source" (module, card, sampler, etc).
* MIDI is simply a "code" that was created and agreed upon by almost every manufacturer of electronic (or electro-acoustic) instruments.*A MIDI keyboard will send out a "signal" containing information about what you are playing (which key(s), how hard, how quick you let off key, etc). The MIDI info leaves the keyboard (or drum pad(s), etc) and can be sent into a computer via a MIDI interface. Once there, one can use a sequencer (Logic, Cubase, Cakewalk, Sonar, etc) to record these signals. Also, WHEN a note is to be played is recorded. "MIDI through" is the passing of this signal to a specified device, WHILE one is playing (input). Once the "signal" is recorded, one can send the recorded signals back out (through the interface) to any sound module (or source) one chooses. Or, can be sent internally to a soundcard, IF it has MIDI capabilities; or, these days- a VST/DX/etc instrument. Can also be used to control effects, VST/DX/etc, or externally through the MIDI interface to an FX device (real-time control, and MIDI time- tempo synch a delay, flange, etc- very cool
)
* *This is very cool, because one can record the "performance," and then "correct" any mistakes VERY easily with the editing features in a sequencer, add notes, make them softer-louder, etc. Sky is the limit these days! The biggest thing is that you can record and edit the performance, and THEN take your time choosing the right sound! Also, this enables people to exchange relatively small files that contain all the info for a song, in MIDI. Which brins us to...
* General MIDI. Once it was apparent that MIDI was accepted and being used by almost all the newer instruments, and then most composers, a way to exchange sequences and have them sound the same for anyone who plays it, a set of predetermined "slots" for certain sounds (instruments) was created. So, if one wrote a piece of music, using MIDI, and used a soundset that conformed to the General MIDI spec, then anyone else that had a General MIDI equiped sound module (or sound card- even most SoundBlaster have had this) could play the song back on their computer and have it sound similar. Select sound #1 on ANY soundcard or module that has General MIDI, and it will play as a piano sound. Channel 10 is designated as a drum/percussion channel. Eventually, Yamaha got a wild hair and developed XG (extended general MIDI) so that more elaborate compositions were possible. Others have since used this as well, and others have varied it.
* It goes alot deeper than this, but I have written way too much as it is
lol...If anyone has any other questions, or wants help with anything, please feel free to email me- got lots of spare time
Nikki :angel:
