What is MIDI? Easy explanation of how an instrument makes a sound even though there is no sound

MIDI is not the voice itself, but performance information such as ``which notes to play, when to play, and at what intensity.'' It is easier to understand if you think of music scores and performance instructions as data.

Main information contained in MIDI

The pitch, starting position, length, velocity representing the strength, pedal, pitch bend, control information that moves the tone, etc. are recorded.

No sound produced by MIDI alone

MIDI is an instruction, so a software sound source or external sound source that actually produces sound is required. If you select a piano sound source, you can play the same MIDI as a piano, and if you select a synth, you can play the same MIDI as a synth.

Advantages of MIDI

You can freely adjust the pitch, rhythm, length, intensity, and timbre even after recording. Even instruments that cannot be played can be input one note at a time. It has the characteristic that the sound quality does not deteriorate significantly even if the tempo is changed.

MIDI keyboard may not be a sound source

Many MIDI keyboards are controllers that send keyboard operations to a computer. The main unit alone does not produce sound; a USB-connected DAW and software sound source are required.

How to use quantize

This is a function that aligns the input timing to the beat. If it is 100% aligned, it may become mechanical, so there is a way to reduce the amount of correction and correct only important sounds.

Creating facial expressions with velocity

All sound flat at the same intensity. If you change the strength by paying attention to strong and weak beats, piles of phrases, and ghost notes, it will become natural.

When passing MIDI to another environment, the sound source and effects used will not be the same. If you want to be sure to share your finished sound, export to audio.