This was great thanks so much! I’m a classically trained pianist. I have no idea how to use the midi keypads at all, and none of the RU-vid video guys explain it well enough without complicating it and sounding smartarsed without really explaining it. It’s great you explain it from pianist perspective in mind.
Wow, this is far and away the most helpful intro to MIDI I've ever seen! I grew up on an acoustic grand piano, then used a Rhodes through the 70s and onto a Yamaha DX7 in the 80s. Never really used (or thought I needed) MIDI. This has been so helpful in understanding this technology from a pianist's standpoint. Thank you!
Hahaha...I like your term, GROUND LEVEL, actually they were those who really were over using the convinience of this digital interface .while without the Midi they don't even know the keyboard and its use.hahaha. ....(no offense to those who pretend to be playing live) live-wired maybe.
PM Chuck! You're the man! I learned more from you in 9 minutes than a lot of these ,esp young bucks, combined! NOTHING touches Old School! I'm pushing 60. I studied music (woodwinds) for a while, but haven't played in almost 25 years. THIS TIME I want to enjoy myself, have fun, and-- ultimately-- attempt to create the musical sounds and production concepts i have in my head. I can kick myself because I had a chance to take MIDI course when it first hit the scene. I'm NOT a keyboardist, but I can play and form scales and chords. I'd appreciate your suggestion on how to approach learning more about sound engineering at my age. Keep up the great work! So glad I stumbled upon your video! Peace...
I can not thank you enough for this video. I’ve just recently purchased a Yamaha PSR E363 and I’m starting to learn to play the keyboard. I was so confused about what a midi is. It’s my life’s ambition to be able to play movie scores.
I think that 1. Saying music interface for digital instruments limits the idea of midi because theres software like WIDI which take audio from analog instruments and outputs a midi signal to the unit therefore music instrument digital interface is sorta another meaning 2. This is a great video very simply explained and very easy to understand
Great !!!! works. Just blow my head off on how to explain MIDI to my14 yr. daughter for whom i just got a sythn. keyboard. Tq for making it so simple/complete.
Yes, I've done a lot of MIDI programming and the succinct but precise way the designers of the MIDI protocol planned it all is just beautiful. When I started using MIDI quite a few years ago there were no USB/MIDI cables or adapters. In two of my PCs I still have the Creative Labs sound card with the MIDI adapter for the joystick socket!
Not that you or any of your viewers probably care, but MIDI can also be used to control DMX software stage lighting controllers like the one from Sweetlight. This means you can set up scenes and trigger form something like a Novation Launchpad. Sorry to digress. But on music, if you get a key board w/ action you like, but not sounds? Add an outboard sound module. MIDI is seriously cool stuff.
So very simple straightforward and explanatory! Now i figure out to differentiate between typical look alike those instruments with tuts are for. I thought those are just piano and keyboards and midi was one of keyboards. Thanks for enlightment
Oh, thank goodness for your video! I was going crazy trying to understand this. Trying to connect my computer with pre-done MIDI files to a church organ that has MIDI, and I didn't have a clue. I was afraid I'd wreck the organ!
Nice Video Chuck. Very informative to a old timer like myself not familiar with MIDI. Back during the Mid to later 1960’s while in high school I played in a Rock Band. Back then my keyboard of choice was a Farfisa Combo Compact Organ and a Vox Continental Organ. Of course back then there was no MIDI. Skip ahead to around 1989-1990 I purchased my first Keyboard a Casio CT670. Still have it to this day in very nice shape. It has MIDI IN,OUT and Thru sockets. Jump ahead to somewhere in the last 8 years or so I purchased a new Roland VR-09. I had to have it after what I saw it could do even though I don’t play outside my own home anymore. For years I thought about MIDI on occasion. I read different articles about it but never use what I read to do anything with it. What I would like to do today is make my Roland VR-09 the Master Keyboard and connect it through MIDI to my older Casio CT670 essentially making it the Slave Keyboard. My thinking tells me by doing this using a double keyboard stand will essentially make the two Keyboards similar to a double keyboard Organ. It would be nice to extend the VR-09 Keyboard into 2 Keyboards so to say. Just curious of your thoughts Chuck on what I am trying to accomplish.
MIDI has been around quite as computers were invented...,its not limited for recordings only. Here in this video, the guy explains it clearly HOW midi was invented for. It actually helps control the multiple functions of possible multiple compatible music gears. From initial to after touches to wave forms ... From transmitting to receiving datas. This video is best to save and Learn on.
Thanks for that enlightening video. I am just getting into MIDI with Lowrey Sensation organ, Steinberg UR22 and a few DAWS. You have helped me getting MIDI to the DAW. Thankyou, and we wish you a very Merry Christmas.
So the short answer is that midi is a digital (think computer) system for recording data not music per se. It does not record or send/ receive an audio signal like the old tape machines etc. It records etc., only data. Like a computer it only stores the key you press, the velocity of that key, the duration and several other factors relating to the data of that key. Therefore, because you are NOT storing or sending /receiving audio you can easily manipulate it like a computer. If you misspell a word in a word processing program you can easily correct it later that sort of thing. In fact, using a computer and a digital workstation, think mixing board, you can later basically alter almost every aspect of your recorded MIDI, not audio, data. The pitch, notes, velocity, timing, everything. This is why half the MUSAK recorded today is really just computers which have been programmed to play a certain way there are no, or very few, actual musicians. However, don't expect to actually sound like Eric Clapton or Ginger Baker, unless perhaps you sample them, and yes they use computers to analyse sounds that occur on recordings to figure out whether you have stolen someone else's sounds and put them out there for commercial use and you will be sued to pay for it. It's great to have MIDI just don't expect it to replace an actual human musician. There are many nuances of playing that are basically pretty difficult to copy using just a computer. They are getting better though. So if you want to spend like $20,000 to get all the kewl stuff and you know how to play, at least keyboard, you can sound almost like an entire band.
Your comprehension is pretty much straight on! But that is one aspect of MIDI - there's much more! It can also be used to control other MIDI instruments (one MIDI device can control up to 16 MIDI devices by daisy chaining each device's MIDI IN and OUT jacks to the next device's). In fact, I use a Keytar (keyboard that straps around your neck like a guitar) when I want to go into the audience during a performance - it has a MIDI OUT which I hook a MIDI cable into, and the other end goes into my digital piano (on stage) so that when I play the Keytar, it actually sends the MIDI info to my stage piano, which in turn plays it as though I were sitting at that stage piano! MIDI also has other uses, like controlling stage lights from a keyboard, and other things. So basically my "intro to MIDI" only covered one aspect.
By MIDI you just giving informations to computer which key you press, how strong and how long do you holding it. It depends of your DAW ( [ Digital Audio Workstation ] program for making music) and its plugins like Virtual Piano, Virtual Drums, Virtual Strings ... etc etc what sound you will get from your MIDI recorded file. Every plugin has its own scheme of keys (for example in drummer you can have C2 as kick and D2 as Snare, C4 as Crash and A5 as 1st Tom.... You can play and record Piano song then you can load your MIDI file to another instrument/plugin and you can get sound of organ on it. Also you can easily edit your file by erasing or moving or cutting the notes, balance the volume or length of it and save it as MIDI.Simply said MIDI is notation for Virtual instruments same like for musician is notation sheets. BTW you can play MIDI also in older mobile phones as ringtone since it works on the same basis. You just need to know which key is which tone or instrument in polyphony of phone.
I knew nothing about MIDI before watching your video. Now, I know about MIDI. The old time paper tape player pianos have come along way with today’s technology!
Great advice, Thank you. I just wished you coud have also focused on connecting the muisc keyboard up to the computer to ansmit soundd, because this is somthng Ive never done and I like to learn. Maybe you have in another video. I'll take a look.
Also by the way I got an Arturia Keylab 49 key MIDI as my Christmas Gift in December 2019. Over a Month later & I'm yet to even Unbox it & set it up. However when I finally do, I plan on making Videos of the Unboxing & Setup & also its Use.
Hey Chuck! This is a great intro to MIDI, I’ll share this link for those who need a tutorial. I run into a lot of people with MIDI questions, what it is, which you’ve just answered in this video, but also how to set it up, what cables to use, how to use it with VSTs, how to route it out their MacBooks and through their audio interface so they can hear it on external speakers, etc... Perhaps a Part II - MIDI w/VST Setup would be beneficial? Thanks for the great work Chuck!
Thank you so much for this explanation! My Casio Celvano piano came with MIDI and I had no idea what it was! I'll have to try it out and see if it helps me with my practice sessions.
Why do you need a MIDI out _and_ in, on your instrument? I understand the data going out to be sent to your computer/DAW, for recording, but what data would travel _back_ to your keyboard (from your computer) and for what purpose? Is that to take something pre-recorded and send it from your computer (DAW?) to your instrument so that it plays back the song on your instrument? Just want to make sure I'm understanding this. Also, when you record in MIDI, as opposed to actual sound, are you still able to hear what you're playing as you record? Also when you've got the one piano hooked up to the other -- are you hearing the sound come out of the 2nd piano? And is there a way to hook up two pianos together where you get the sound of the 2nd piano playing through the speakers for the 1st?
Well done video. Thanks a lot for that. exemplary video. And if you will release a video about any way how to connect any Workstation for Exempel PC3A to a MIDI interfaces order to record music signal.
This is an amazing video. Great to hear. I have been trouble installing a midi. I have a cheap midi out to USB which it is a cable with 5 oins to USB. When i plugged into my computer and I pressed a key for example, if I play C, it plays a different note and if I keep hitting middle c, it plays another note and it holds even if I'm not pressing the keys. I do not know if it is the problem with the cable, usb 2.0, my laptop has no usb 2.0, but only 3.0, the problem with the piano keyboard or the operating system. I use a Roland XP-10. It is an old piano.
H i, pianoman! So glad I found your channel. I'm 76- been playing since I was about 9. Im now retired from carpentry and getting interested in leaving some of my musical interpretations for my grandkids. I especially enjoy a 3 piece jazz group (piano/bass/drums), so I've been looking at the editing software out there for my Yamaha S-90. What would you suggest I get knowing my intentions and the fact that I really don't need anything very complicated? Thanks for whatever advice you can provide. Ches, Columbia, SC
I would suggest posting your question on a couple of the music forums out there - www.pianoworld.com and www.musicplayerforums.com - that's where you'll get the best advice for what you want to do.
