MIDI: Musical Instrument Digital Interface

The MIDI standard has been around since the early 1980s. At that time, electronic musical instruments were increasing in popularity, but it was difficult or impossible to connect them together. The MIDI standard solves this problem using a simple serial connection. The standard was once freely available on the Web but has since been improved and can be purchased from the MIDI Manufacturers’ Association (www.midi.org).

A MIDI connection sends control and event information over a digital serial port. It doesn’t transmit sounds or audio. For example, let’s say you have a nice MIDI keyboard that you’ve practiced on for a long time, so you’re really familiar with it. Other keyboards are OK, but they don’t ...

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