Midi

What is Midi?
Midi is a great advancement into the music industry, it has shaped the whole industry and made it
easier to create music in any type of environment, whether this is in a flagship studio or your
bedroom. Midi allows musical instruments and other digital music tools, such as an audio interface,
to communicate with each other to allow there to be a sound later on in the project. However midi
does not create a sound it creates a series of codes which is read by the digital audio work station
which converts it into sound. The types of codes midi produces are codes such as note on note off
velocity and also if there is a pitch bend. Midi stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. The
invention of this is showing how the music industry is progressing into the technical side as midi
relies on using technology such as computers accompanied with a DAW to create music, considering
midi was invented the 1980s it is seen as a highly technical piece of equipment to this day.
What instruments use Midi?
There are a variety of instrument variations that allow you to get the full effect of using midi with a
DAW to create a song. These instruments come in different shapes and sizes with also different
features attached to them.
Drum pad/Drum kit:
The drum pad and drum kit are exactly the same thing, as one is a small
controller with pads upon it and the other is set out as a drum kit. The
reason for this is because it is an easier way to record a drum kit to a higher
sound quality. The advantages of using a drum pad is that it is compact and
you can add different types of drum kits at a click of a button. Overall this is
a useful piece of equipment however it does come on certain midi
keyboards.

Guitar/Bass:
There is also guitars which can convert their notes into Midi, this is also good if you want to record a
guitar clearly, this is also good for bass guitarists as you are able to easily do the slap technique and
involve it within your track.

Midi keyboard:
The most common midi instrument is the midi keyboard. The reason for this to be the most common
midi instrument is because you are able to map the keys to any instrument within you DAW. For
example the midi keyboard keys can manipulate sounds from guitar strings all the way up to
trumpet notes. This can be done with any instrument that you have access to. Midi keyboards come
in many sizes, an example is a 25 key all the way up to a 64 key. By having different shapes and sizes
means they can fit in any type of studio space so everyone can get one. Another reason to why the
midi keyboard is very common is because they can come with different features on them which also
link to midi, those features are;

Drum pads
Pitch wheels
Modulation wheels
Velocity sensitive keys

These features allow you to do functions such as change the pitch of certain notes while you are
playing or recording a certain part of your track, this is a good feature because you are then able to
carry on with creating your track without going through each recorded note and changing the pitch
which is time consuming.
What messages does the midi keyboard send?
As midi does not create sounds itself, the midi keyboard has to send certain codes to the DAW in
order for there to be sounds. These codes can be very technical, but the main messages the midi
keyboard sends are;

Notes on this occurs when the key is pressed

Notes off this is important as there needs to be a block which makes sure no sound is
created when no key is being pressed
Modulation this is activated when the wheel is touched, can be mapped on the DAW to a
certain control
Pitch changes how the note can be scaled up, activated using the wheel
Velocity how much pressure is applied to the key which in turn shows how hard the note is
going to be played
After touch this acts similarly to a sustain pedal which can allow you to make the note last
longer

Without these messages there would be no sound generated as a code needs to be read in order for
the DAW to register a note or sequence being played. However these are only a few examples of
some of the messages that the midi keyboard sends, as every action you do on the keyboard a
message needs to be send in order for it to do something on the DAW.

What can a DAW do with the received messages?

Once you have a midi instrument connected to a Digital Audio Workstation, it is then able to send
messagages to it. Examples of a DAW are; Logic Pro X, Ableton, FL Studio and Pro tools. They all work
with every midi keyboard so all you have to do if buy one which suits to you and have all of the
features that you will need.
When it is connected and working the DAW interprets the messages send from the midi controller
which then the messages are constructed into a musical note. This happens so easily and quickly as it
then shows the development of midi and how it is continously progressing. The DAW can also
understand what you do on the keyboard to add it to the software this is because the codes the midi
controller sends are so accurate and assigned to a certain movement. When you record on the DAW
it processes the notes you play and adds them to the correct note on the piano roll.
Why might a composer use midi?
Midi is so easy to use and understand and once you have the basics of it you are then able to use it
at any time you want without any problems. One reason which a composer might use midi is that if
they are creating a musical piece which involves instruments that they cannot play they can
programme the midi keyboard to sound like the instrument they would like. This means that they
are able to add any instrument they would like to it and is seen as a big benefit.
Any reason why a composer may use midi is that if they have a deadline to a certain show that they
may have, they can use midi to their benefit to create a track quickly and at a good quality. The
reason they will be able to do this is because using midi is an efficient method to make music, you
will only need a laptop with a DAW and a small midi keyboard, then youll have access to every
instrument possible and make any song youll need.
So using midi is highly sufficent which means it will be the most preferred route to any composer or
producer as it is easy to use, it never causes any problems when using it and it is also a compact way
to make music when on the move for example.
How I have used midi
Whenever I create a track using a DAW I always use midi, the reason for this is that I feel that it is the
most easiest way to create music, as I can involve instruments that I cannot play into my music. As I
can only play guitar and bass my music would only feature those instruments and it would be hard
to vary each song I create. Another reason for why I use midi is because I believe it is also the most
basic way to make music, all you need is a midi keyboard and a DAW in order to create music, and as
I travel a lot this if perfect for me because I can still produce while im
on the go.
I have an example from where I have used midi, my first example is a
future house track which I created. I used two types of midi to this
track, one of which is using the piano keys on the keyboard to create
a melody which yould be a main for of the song. In order to make
this I would pick what key I would want the melody to be in and then
I would play around trying to create one, once I done that I would
then record it. Once I have recorded it I would then edit it slightly
which is what is another advantage about midi, being able to edit
recorded notes. The melody I have created is to the side.

Within this first track I also had a drum beat, in order to make this I decided to use the drumpads on
my midi keyboard. I done this because I believe it to be easier to record and exact drum section to
how I would like it. Once the certain drums have been programmed to the certain pads I could then
press them and it would create the sound. The pads where also velocity sensitive so the harder I
would press down the harder the attack would be on the drum. The images below show the drum
pads and my drum pattern.

My keyboard also have assignable knobs on them so I decided to have them to change the velocity
and volume of notes, this can be a quick way to quickly edit notes to have you have done it. When I
twist the knobs they would change the velocity. Within FL Studio the change in velocity is shown
unther the piano roll.

The 3 meldoies that we have created have been made by using the same method as this is how I
create music and with the help of midi they are good melodies or chords.

The advantages and disadvantages of midi

Advantages
Small/Compact
Many features
Easy to use
No need for loads of instruments
Portable
Cheap
Always updates

Disadvantage
Some have generic sounds
cannot do proffesional techniques such as
string bends
could freeze and lose your work
Cant store vocals

How integral Is to todays recording industry?

I believe that midi is highly important to the music industry, the reason for this is that if you go into
any top music studio today there is always going to be a midi devise in there, whether that is going
to be a midi keyboard or even a DAW. The reason for this is because midi is a huge advancement
within the music industry, you can do everything with it, from record an instrumentalist playing a
real instrument or a producer editing a certain drum piece. Without it music would be hard to create
and not many people would still record music as they woud give up as it is too easy. All of the top
chart music in the charts now have used midi to create their tracks as it is quick and easy but also
has sound certain instruments cannot be replicated by real instruments.
The future of midi
I belive that midi will still be around in the future, the reason for this as that it widley used in every
song created today. However I believe it is going to be slightly different as technology advancements
will happen. I believe that midi controller would get smaller but have even more features on them
such as more effects which can be introduced into song. I also think that midi would become faster
and better so that there will be no disadvantages to the whole thing. Midi will be featured in every
type of producted song in the future.