Computers, Sound, And Music; Midi - CAKEWALK PRO AUDIO User Manual

Computers, Sound, and Music

This section provides some background on the different ways that
computers store and play sound and music. Computers work with sound
and music in two different forms: MIDI and digital audio.

MIDI

MIDI (short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is the way
computers communicate with most sound cards, keyboards, and other
electronic instruments. MIDI refers to both the type of cables and plugs
used to connect the computers and instruments, and to the language
those computers and instruments use to talk to each other. The MIDI
standard is accepted and used worldwide. Almost any electronic
instrument you buy today will have MIDI connectors and can be used
with other MIDI instruments and with your computerÕs MIDI interface.
The MIDI language conveys information and instructions, both from the
computer to the instrument and from the instrument to the computer.
For example, if your computer wants your keyboard to play a note, it
sends a MIDI ÒNote OnÓ message and tells the keyboard which note to
play. When your computer wants the keyboard to stop playing that note,
it sends another message that stops the note from playing.
The MIDI language has many other instructions, such as messages to
change the sound that is used to play the notes (the bank and patch),
messages used to work the sustain pedal and the pitch-bend wheel, and
others. By sending the right messages at the right times, your computer
can control your electronic instrument and make it play music.
MIDI information can be sent on 16 different channels. You can set up
your MIDI equipment to listen for messages on all channels or on only a
few.
MIDI Þles contain all the MIDI messages and timing information that
are needed to play a song. MIDI Þles can be read and played by many
different programs, including Pro Audio, and can even be played by
programs on other types of computers. MIDI Þles have the extension
. .
MID
There are several important advantages of the MIDI format:
¥ Large amounts of music can be stored in a very compact form
¥ Different parts of a piece can easily be assigned to any instrument
you can imagine
¥ The music contains information on notes, tempos, and key
signatures that makes it possible to display and edit the piece using
standard musical notation
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