MIDI changed music.

Consider what a Classically trained Musician needs to do, to make his
music heard.

He needs to,

1. Write it
2. Get a bunch of musicians
3. Practice
4. Play
5. goto 1
6. Record the Final Cut in a Studio

With MIDI,

1. Write it. Save it, with a Software
2. Get the electronic instruments to play it for him
   -or-
   Get a computer Software to play it for him
3. Tweak
4. Record the Final Cut in Software or a Studio

MIDI is – Musical Instrument Digital Interface.

It abstracts Music Notation into bytes.
Since its just bytes, you can replay it with Software.

MIDI made production,

• Dirt Cheap
• Made Producers more efficient

How about Audio Quality ?

• A Classical Ensemble still has its place. Panning is very unique there.
• But MIDI + Electronic Instrument increased the Range.
  It helped form whole new genres in Music like EDM, IDM, SynthPunk …

Limitations ?

• MIDI is limited to 16 instruments.
• Integers.
• 16 is a big number.
• OSC overcomes these.

Usage

To use MIDI you need two things,

1. A Sequencer

   This generates MIDI messages like,

   Command param1 param2 param3
   Command param1 param2
   Command param1 param2 param3
   Command param1 param2
   …

   Important messages are,

   1. Note On => Channel [1-16]**, Pitch[0-127], Volume[0-127]
   2. Note Off “
   3. Controller => No [0-127], Value[0-127]

   ** Channel 10 is reserved for Drums.

   Note On and Note Off are typically sent by keys, buttons.
   Controller Messages are typically sent by knobs and pedals.

2. A Synthesizer

   This accepts MIDI data.
   It Maps channels to DSP.
   It Maps knobs** to effects like distortion and reverb.

   ** The positions of the knob are called patches.

3. A Sampler.

   This accepts MIDI data.
   It Maps channels to sound recordings.
   It Maps knobs to effects like distortion and reverb.

If you buy Music Hardware you have both 1 and 2.

But usually the sequencing capabilities are limited in a synth.
So you can’t Edit MIDI data in the instrument.

Some notes,

0. You can buy hardware and get a Synthesizer + a limited Sequencer.

1. You can buy A Sequencer and use a Computer as a Synthesizer

or

2. Use a Software Sequencer to Program your Synthesizer

or

3. Forget Hardware and go complete nuts with Software

Recommended Software

Ableton
FL Studio
Cubase
Garage Band
Renoise – I have this, recommended for Demoscene lovers.

• You can shop for VST, AU which are DSP made in software.

• The above Softwares come with sane defaults and don’t require a Hardware Synth,
  to make sounds.

• A popular sequencer notation developed by Softwares is called Piano Roll

• FL Studio comes a Step Sequencer, which is very useful for beat making.

SooperLooper - A very unique software which can help you in loop driven music.

Recording Software

Audio Hi-Jack
Audacity

Recommended Sequencers

Akai MPK49

Recommended Samplers

Akai MPC*
Korg Microsampler

Recommended Synths

Novation Mininova
Korg microKorg
Electribe – I have this.

Misc

Midi Pipe
Overtone

The Legendary Moog sound,

Also, Robots love it.