https://blog.landr.

com/what-is-midi/

What Is MIDI?: 11 Things You Need to

Know About Music’s Most Powerful Tool
By Rory Seydel
Tools
16 . 11 . 16

So what is MIDI? It’s a great question.

There’s tons of confusing topics in music. Some of them you’ll never need to learn. Because
they’re just not that useful for your process… If you’re making EDM there’s no point is learning
how to tune a banjo right?

But other parts of music production are important for ALL producers.

Like MIDI.

It’s a versatile tool that allows you to do so much in the studio.

It turns a MIDI controller into any instrument you want with VST plugins. It gives you huge
editing power, and syncs your entire studio into a lean and efficient track factory. And that’s just
a few of the benefits… But it’s a huge subject with a lot to learn. So what is MIDI?

To get the most out of MIDI you need to know what it means, when it works, and how to use it.
To be honest, I’m pretty new to MIDI myself. I’m still learning.

But I’m going to share a few key concepts that helped me understand it when I was just starting
out.

This MIDI guide will give you everything you need to know for making MIDI a powerful part of
your process—from basic MIDI connections to using MIDI to generate an entire composition.

If you’re already using MIDI, I’ll also cover some useful tips to get the most out of your current
setup.

So let’s get started!

What Is MIDI?
MIDI is short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It’s a language that allows computers,
musical instruments and other hardware to communicate. A MIDI setup includes the interface,
the language that MIDI data is transmitted in, and the connections needed to communicate
between hardware.
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Who Invented MIDI?

MIDI was first developed in the early 80s to standardize communication between music
hardware.

Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi proposed the idea of a standard instrument language to the
other major manufacturers, including Oberheim, Dave Smith Instruments and Moog, in 1981.

Over the next year, representatives from every major manufacturer worked together to create,
modify and perfect MIDI.
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The MIDI standard was unveiled in 1982. Kakehashi and Dave Smith both later received
Technical Grammy Awards in 2013 for their key roles in the development of MIDI—about time!

All these companies put aside their personal interests for the common good of all of us. MIDI is
the glowing result that’s still the basis for tons of music today.

Isn’t it cool what happens when we all work together!

Now you know how MIDI was born, so let’s get our hands dirty and start using it.

MIDI Notes and MIDI Events

When using a MIDI instrument, each time you press a key a MIDI note is created (sometimes
called a MIDI event).

Each MIDI event carries instructions that determine:

https://blog.landr.com/what-is-midi/

 Key ON and OFF: when the key is pressed/released

 Pitches or notes played
 Velocity: how fast and hard the key is pressed
 Aftertouch: how hard the key is held down
 Tempo (or BPM)
 Panning
 Modulations
 Volume

MIDI also carries MIDI clock data between 2 or more instruments. This allows for perfect
synchronization between your whole setup.

MIDI clock data is dependent on the tempo of your main device—usually the sequencer. So if
you change your main tempo, MIDI ensures that your setup stays synced. It’s like a tiny digital
band leader for all your gear!

MIDI Sequencers
The most common MIDI setup uses a sequencer as the main hub. Sequencers are used to record,
edit, send and playback the MIDI data that makes up your project. They can be hardware like an
Akai MPC or sound station, or a computer running a DAW sequencer or other sequencing
program.

The sequencer is the hub for your track. It sends instructions to all the different parts of your
setup, records your performance, and keeps track of your overall arrangement. MIDI is what
makes it possible.

What MIDI Isn’t

Let me clear something up real quick. ‘Cause it’s a super common mistake.

MIDI does NOT transmit an actual audio signal.

MIDI is data. It’s a set of instructions that machines use to speak.

Sequencers record the data transmitted via MIDI. They DO NOT record the actual audio signal.
That’s why a MIDI sequence on your piano roll appears as small rectangles.

NOT a waveform like an audio track.

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Which is what makes MIDI so beneficial. MIDI data is compact, editable and easy to move
around. Think of the MIDI notes you record as instructions for how the machine should be
played back. The MIDI notes aren’t the actual audio clip itself.

So instead of hearing the actual audio recording played back to you, the MIDI notes you record
tell your synthesizer or drum machine to trigger any sound you’d like.

This makes auditioning a new sound on the same performance super simple. MIDI also allows
you to edit a performance independently of the actual sound, which means you don’t actually
have to record a new performance just to try a new sound out.

It’s exactly like a player piano. Your MIDI notes are the same as the roll that makes the keys
play on a player piano play by themselves. It’s just the digital version.

Got it? Ok great.

Here’s how to get connected and start MIDI’ing.

MIDI Connections
In order to get the most from your MIDI setup, you need to understand each connection in your
MIDI configuration.

Most MIDI connections are made using a 5-pin DIN cable.

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These audio cables are most commonly referred to as MIDI cables (fairly obvious but still
important).

While most MIDI connections still use strictly MIDI cables, some setups only require a USB to
USB connection, or USB to MIDI depending on your gear or MIDI interface situation.
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To get MIDI data from your setup into your DAW, a MIDI interface is often needed. A MIDI
interface allows your gear to send and receive MIDI data to and from your best DAW software
or sequencer of your choice.
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Find out more about MIDI interfaces here.

MIDI In, MIDI Out, and MIDI Thru

Let’s go through each MIDI port type and talk about what they do.

 MIDI OUT
The MIDI OUT transmits MIDI data from a device like a sequencer or a synthesizer to
another source. If you’re using a DAW or sequencer to send information to outboard
gear, then your sequencer’s MIDI OUT would go to the gear’s MIDI IN. Most times your
sequencer or DAW is the only time you use the MIDI OUT. The rest of the instruments
in your chain will use MIDI THRU or MIDI IN.
 MIDI IN
The MIDI IN receives MIDI data from another source. The MIDI IN on your gear is used
to receive instructions from your sequencer or another piece of hardware.
 MIDI THRU
MIDI THRU duplicates the data coming to the MIDI IN port. This allows you to connect
multiple devices without needing multiple ports on your sequencer or MIDI interface.

MIDI THRU allows you to connect all your gear together with one central sequencer. It’s called
‘Daisy Chaining.’

No THRU? No Problem.
Most modern gear with MIDI capabilities comes with a MIDI THRU port. But some units do not
include MIDI THRU capabilities.

A simple fix is to use a MIDI splitter. It gives you multiple THRU ports (I’ll talk about this more
in a sec) so no daisy chaining is needed.
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Since the THRU duplicates the information coming to the MIDI IN, you can send information
‘THRU’ to the next device.

So everything can be plugged and synced without having to MIDI connect every piece of gear to
your sequencer. It looks something like this:

MIDI OUT → MIDI IN → MIDI THRU → MIDI IN → MIDI THRU → MIDI IN

This chain can go on until all your MIDI channels are filled right up.

Which brings us to the next important MIDI topic…

MIDI Channels
MIDI data is transmitted on MIDI channels. This means you can sequence up to 16 different
sounds from one instrument. as long as they’re on different channels.

Most MIDI instruments are capable of transmitting MIDI data on 16 different channels. Which
might not seem like a lot.

But 16 channels is a good creative limitation to have. 16 channels to send MIDI data on should
be more than enough.

16 channels is a good creative limitation to have.

https://blog.landr.com/what-is-midi/

Hot Tip: Don’t get confused with the MIDI TRACK number in your DAW. It’s easy to mix up
the MIDI track number with the MIDI channel.

Setting the MIDI Channel

To communicate properly, your DAW or sequencer and your MIDI controller have to be set
to the same MIDI channel.

Picture it like your gear phoning each other—they have to use the right number to get in touch!

Each sequencer, controller and instrument has its own process for setting the MIDI channel. So
check your manual for the details.

MIDI channels can be a bit confusing. So let me explain.

Say you wanna make a lead part AND a bass line from the same synth. Your DAW or MIDI
sequencer can record the MIDI notes of your lead line and your bass line from the same synth as
long as each sound is assigned to a different channel.

If the channels are set properly, the bass line and lead will play as an entire composition when
you play it back. You can repeat this process for all 16 possible channels and edit each layer
independently.

Note: your synthesizer needs to be multitimbral in order to playback multiple sounds.

So arranging, editing, and playing back an entire track from one instrument is possible with the
help of MIDI.

Picture it like your gear phoning each other—they have to dial the right number to get in touch!

Simple right?

So now you understand HOW to hook up your MIDI operation. Perfect.

Now let’s find out WHY that’s a good thing.

The Benefits of MIDI

I know what you’re thinking, “why can’t I just connect the audio signals of all my gear, isn’t that
way easier?”

The truth is, recording only audio tracks is limited compared to what a tight MIDI setup offers.

MIDI helps to make your performances better and in less time.

https://blog.landr.com/what-is-midi/

The true power of MIDI is that it allows for continual editing of both the sounds and
performance without any need to re-perform the part.

Don’t like the piano sound? Trigger a new one. Changed your mind about the chord progression?
Edit the MIDI sequence and re-trigger the sound. These are just a couple of the ways MIDI
benefits your workflow.

In fact, even the simplest MIDI loops can expanded into a full multi-track session in no time.

Put simply, MIDI helps to make your performances better and in less time.

Let’s look at a few common MIDI setups and talk about the upside of each one.

Common MIDI Setups

MIDI Controller and DAW (Computer)
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This is the bread and butter of today’s home studio. It’s the most common MIDI setup for a
reason—It’s simple, portable, affordable and powerful all at once.

Your best DAW and MIDI keyboard of your choice is everything you need to create hundreds of
tracks.

A MIDI keyboard paired with your DAW gives you access to infinite creative tools. With the
help of VST plugins this setup turns your MIDI controller into whatever you want it to be:
Millions of different synths, drum machines, guitars, flutes, horns, or pretty much anything else
you can dream up.
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It’s the most common MIDI setup for a reason—it’s simple, portable, affordable and powerful all
at once.

The power of this simple and affordable set up comes from assigning parameters in your DAW.
The MIDI controller can control any VST plugin you can get your hands on.

The trusty DAW piano roll allows you to edit sequences and compose with the help of the
controller to play your parts.

Plus many MIDI controllers come with knobs, pads and sliders that are assignable as well
through your DAW.

This setup it light and intuitive for composing all genres of music via MIDI. As music
production becomes even more accessible, this pairing will become more common as a studio
setup that’s more than capable.

Computer, MIDI Interface and Synthesizers

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https://blog.landr.com/what-is-midi/

This setup is a bit more complex than your classic MIDI controller and DAW configuration.

The main benefit of this setup is the full analog sound it gives while still being able to sequence,
edit, and arrange directly from your DAW.

The rich analog sound of the hardware, paired with the sampling, sequencing and arrangement
capabilities of your DAW is a perfect and versatile studio setup.

But of course, none of it would be possible without MIDI. In this situation, your DAW acts as
the main hub for sending and sequencing all the MIDI information.

Using the DAW Piano roll, each hardware unit can be told to play a specific sequence of notes
across all the possible MIDI channels. Not bad for a few cords!

Sequencer, Drum Machine, and Synthesizer

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Not all MIDI setups have to be computer-centric.

Sometimes getting out of the box is the best way to keep your productions interesting. DAWs are
powerful allies in music production. But all the options can get a bit mind boggling.

Keeping your setup hardware-based is a great way to hone your sound. And MIDI is the key to
syncing it all up.

In the above example, the hub of the setup is a Yamaha RS7000 Music Production Studio. It’s a
sampler and sequencer similar to the AKAI MPC family. It has full sampling capabilities
allowing you to load and chop samples or re-sample its own internal sounds.
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Not all MIDI setups have to be computer-centric.

But the real power of the RS7000 is the sequencer. With the help of MIDI, the RS7000 is
capable of triggering, controlling, sequencing and sending MIDI events to each unit in the setup.

It’s all possible with the MIDI splitter (small black box in the middle of the diagram) which I
talked about earlier.

Through the MIDI connections, the RS7000 offers real-time (you playing live), grid and step
sequencing (editing the performance while playback is stopped) for each instrument in the chain.

Once the instruments are sequenced, samples—like a drum break or chopped loop—can be
added to the track via the RS7000.  This is an all around versatile and powerful setup that
harnesses all the benefits of MIDI without needing a computer or DAW software at it’s core.

MIDI Is Never MIDI-ocre

Now that you know the power of MIDI, try it in your own studio.

MIDI gives you access to every sound you might need on a track and all the editing power you
need to make your workflow fast and seamless.

It’s a complicated subject and each setup works differently. If you’re having trouble, don’t
hesitate to get in touch! I’m happy to answer any questions you might have about your own
setup.

Because MIDI is never MIDI-ocre!

Rory Seydel is a musician, writer and father who takes pleasure in touring the world and making
records. Creative Director at LANDR.

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11 Comments

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1. Gabriel

16 . 11 . 16

Amazing!!

Reply

2. djgui

16 . 11 . 16

thanks a lot brothers and sister from Landr

Reply

3. Cornell

16 . 11 . 16

I have a asr10 which comes with no sounds…..I need midi….sampling is cool and all but
I want plug ins

Reply

4. Harry

17 . 11 . 16

It is so incredibly complex and it is overwhelming. I have a cakewalk X1 producer set up

that I’ve tried to get the midi thing happening but because it is just so complex and
overwhelming I just stopped beating my head against the wall. While I appreciate this
article a great deal it only affirms that I am unable to comprehend this extremely
complicated menagerie known as MIDI. It’s so damn frustrating.

Reply

o Scott Parsons

17 . 11 . 16
https://blog.landr.com/what-is-midi/

Hey Harry,

Thanks for reaching out! Sorry to hear that you’re having trouble :( MIDI can
definitely be a frustrating subject.

I’d be happy to help you out if you let me know what specific issues you’re
having with your setup. Let me know and let’s get you connected!

Best,
Scott

Reply

o Justice Allah

05 . 01 . 17

That about sums up my experience. My next step is taking a course. I’m using
Maschine MK2 and don’t know what the heck I’m doing. I miss the old SP 12
Turbo.

Reply

o Jovet

21 . 06 . 17

I don’t see how it’s that complicated. MIDI is a data stream from the “OUT” of
one device to the “IN” of another. Each stream can carry 16 separate channels.
That’s pretty much all there is to it. I mean, you can make it complicated if you
want to. The MIDI devices themselves can be complicated, because of what they
can do to and with the MIDI data they receive and/or transmit.

If you’re still overwhelmed or frustrated, think of MIDI like the remote control on
your TV. The remote tells the TV what to do…. when to turn on, when to change
channels, when to turn off, etc. It doesn’t have anything to do with the actual
content that shows on the TV or that the TV is even capable of showing. You can
use the remote to tune to a blank channel, for instance. Coincidentally, this
analogy goes even further, since physical MIDI connections are electrically
isolated just like a TV remote/receiver are.

Reply

5. Marco

17 . 11 . 16
https://blog.landr.com/what-is-midi/

Thanks for the valuable information on this amazing blog!

By the way, If you have the time… listen to my track. The mastering has been done by
Landr AI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOZjnRKcvDk

Reply

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