MIDI

What is MIDI?

MIDI stands for Musical Instrument

Digital Interface

Some Clarification:
MIDI doesnt directly describe
musical sound
MIDI is not a language

It is a data communications protocol

History of MIDI
1900s: electronic synthesizers developed
1970s: digital synthesizers developed
Each manufacturer used different design
scheme, with their own keyboard / panel
At that time, synthesizers were
monophonic
With a particular input device, each player
can only run one or two synthesizers at the
same time
To use a wide range of synthesized
sounds, many players were needed
History of MIDI
People decided to do something about it.
1981, 3 synthesizer companies
Sequential Circuits
Roland
Oberheim Electronics
met in to start to discuss the issue
1982, synthesizer companies such as Yamaha, Korg,
Kawai joined.
1983, full MIDI 1.0 Detailed Specification released

It standardized the control signal and inter-machine

communication between synthesizer devices
The last official edition incorporated
everything through 1996 (still 1.0,
version 96.1)-- an updated edition is
expected in 2004
MIDI Ports
It use a five-pin DIN connector

Inexpensive and readily available

Only 3 pins among 5 are used until
now
Both ends of MIDI line are the same.
MIDI Ports

Serial transfer, data are sent bit

by bit
Hence:
- transmission rate is slow at only
31,250 bits/sec.
- Too slow to transmit samples in
real-time
- have to do off-line sample dump
MIDI Interface
MIDI In
MIDI data enters each item of MIDI equipment
through the MIDI In port.
MIDI Out
All the MIDI data generated by individual pieces of
equipment are sent out through the MIDI Out port.
A common error for MIDI setup is: inverted
connection of MIDI IN/OUT
MIDI Thru
These are used to re-transmit all information
received at the MIDI In port using the MIDI Thru port
connections.
Often these ports are used to create a chain of
connected devices in a single MIDI data path, called
a 'daisy chain'.
Limitations of MIDI

1. Slow -- Serial transfer

When there have too much
continuous data transfer (e.g. a
lot of control data) MIDI choke
Solution: can be solved by EVENT
FILTERING
e.g., discard less important
messages (esp., system exclusive
messages)
Limitations of MIDI

2. Slow -- MIDI is only control

information (like Csound score),
and time is needed to synthesize
the sound
computation time MIDI lag
Solution: users have to avoid using
patch (instrument) which uses a lot
of memory
e.g. Cymbal in channel 10 of Nokia
Cellular phone
Limitations of MIDI

3. Sound quality varies

It depends on which synthesizer
you use
Solution:
users have to judge by ear, to see
which sound is good
Standardized with General MIDI
(GM) (discussed later)
Limitations of MIDI

3. Sound quality varies

the size of MIDI file is very small!
e.g. :
a three minutes wav file, 48kHz, stereo:
size of 40MB
a three minutes MIDI file, with 10
channels:
size of 40kb
It is because MIDI file doesnt
actually contain audio data, but only
control information (like Csound
score)
MIDI Transmission Protocol
MST 1 0 LST

Each message begin with ONE

start bit (logical 0)
Then followed by EIGHT
message bits
End with ONE stop bit (logical 1)
Each 8-bit MIDI message byte,
specifies either a status value, or
data value
MIDI message types

MIDI Messages

Channel

Mode

Voice

System

Real Time

Common

System Exclusive
MIDI message types

1. channel messages:
MIDI channel messages have 4 modes:
Mode 1: Omni On + Poly, usually for testing devices
Mode 2: Omni On + Mono, has little purpose
Mode 3: Omni Off + Poly, for general purpose
Mode 4: Omni Off + Mono, for general purpose
where:
i. Omni On/Off:
respond to all messages regardless of their channel
ii. Poly/Mono:
respond to multiple/single notes per channel
MIDI message types

2. channel voice messages

Carries the MUSICAL COMPONENT of
a piece
usually has 2 types: m m m m c c c c
i. status byte:
the first 4 most significant bits identify the
message type,
the 4 least significant bits identify which
channel is to be affected
ii. data byte:
the most significant bit is 0, indicating a data
byte.
The rest are data bits

0 d d d d d d d
MIDI message types:
channel voice messages
a. Note On
To start a note, with particular pitch
and velocity, on a particular
channel
1st byte: Status byte

1 0 0 1 c c c c
1001 means note on,
cccc is the binary representation of the message
channel
MIDI message types:
channel voice messages
a. Note On
2nd byte: Pitch Data byte

0 d d d d d d d

0 means it is a data byte

ddddddd is the binary representation of the
pitch. (decimal 0-127).
A particular MIDI note number does not
designate a particular pitch.
But most commonly, for example, for GM, 60 =
Middle C (C4), then 59 = B just below middle C
(B3), 62 = D just above middle C (D4).
MIDI message types:
channel voice messages
a. Note On
3rd byte: Velocity Data byte

0 v v v v v v v
vvvvvvv is the binary representation of
velocity (loudness) of the note (decimal 0-
127).
The velocity value does not specify a
particular loudness. It depends on velocity
map of the synthesizer/sampler, but 0 is
typically silence and 127 is typically loudest.
MIDI message types:
channel voice messages
b. Note Off
To end a note, with particular pitch, on a
particular channel
Its structure is very similar to Note On, except
that the 1st byte (status byte) is 1000cccc.
Note off message will stop a presently playing
note of the same pitch.

The velocity data byte of note off, however, does

not mean to end a note with a particular
velocity.
It describes how to release a note instead.
For example, end velocity = 127, means to
release the note immediately. End velocity = 0
means to die away slowly.
End velocity is not implemented on many
synthesizers
MIDI message types:
channel voice messages
c. Program Change
Assign particular patch (instrument)
to a channel
Usually, synthesizers have assigned
program numbers to each patch
The manufacturer decides how to
assign which number to which patch
(GM has a table to standardize this)
1st byte: Status byte 1100cccc
2nd byte: program number data
byte 0ddddddd
MIDI message types:
channel voice messages
c. Program Change
Some synthesizer have less than 128
patches
They will ignore the program number assigned,
which are too large
Some synthesizers have more than 128
possible patches.
User can use any of the 128 patches at the
same time
But not more than that 128 patches at the same
time
They can choose a different setting by selecting
a different BANK.
MIDI message types:
channel voice messages
d. Control Change
Assigns some effect to the sound in the
channel
1st byte: Status byte 1011cccc
2nd byte: control change type 0ddddddd
3rd/4th byte: control change value 0ddddddd

We can use a different controller hardware

to input control changes
for example, modulation wheel, foot pedal
MIDI message types:
channel voice messages
e. Pitch Bend
1st byte: Status byte 1110cccc
2nd byte: pitch bend value
(least significant 7 bits) 0ddddddd
3nd byte: pitch bend value
(most significant 7 bits) 0ddddddd
data bytes usually of have14 bits of resolution
describes the pitch bend of a played note
e.g. while playing a middle C note
a Pitch bend message, of data -100
will bend the middle C a bit downward, toward B
The amount of bending, depends of different
synthesizer settings
MIDI message types:
System messages
1 1 1 1 t t t t t = type

System messages affect the entire

device, regardless of the channel.
For system message:
the most significant 4 bits are always
1111,
the least significant 4 bits will identify
the TYPE of the message.
Since system messages affect all channels.
(No need to use 4 bits to specify which
channel is affected.)
MIDI message types:
System messages
1. real-time system messages
co-ordinate and synchronize
the timing of clock-based MIDI
devices
Usually sent at regular
intervals, to ensure that every
device in a MIDI system
marches to the same beat
MIDI message types:
System messages
1. real-time system messages
a. Timing Clock
1st byte: Status byte
11111000
sent at regular intervals (e.g. 24
per quarter note for tpq=24)
sent by master clock, to the
other slave devices
provides timing reference for the
slave devices
MIDI message types:
System messages
1. real-time system messages
b. Start
1st byte: Status byte 11111010
Direct slave devices to start playback from time
0
c. Stop
1st byte: Status byte 11111100
direct slave devices to stop playback
song position value doesnt change
can restore the playback at the place where
it stops with the continue message
d. Continue
1st byte: Status byte 11111011
direct slave devices to start playback from the
present song position value
MIDI message types:
System messages
1. real-time system messages
e. System Reset
1st byte: Status byte 11111111
devices will return the control value
to default setting.
e.g. reset MIDI mode / program
number assigned to patch
MIDI message types:
System messages
2. System Exclusive messages
MIDI specification cant address every
unique need of each MIDI device
leave room for device-specific data
sysEx message are unique to a specific
manufacturer
1st byte: Status byte 11110000
2nd byte: manufacturer ID,
e.g. 1 = sequential, 67=Yamaha
3rd byte (onwards): data byte(s)
MIDI message types:
System messages
3. common system messages
d. End of Exclusive (EOX)
System Exclusive message can
carries any number of bytes
No other message can arrive
until it ends
EOX will be used to indicate that
a sysEx message is ended
1st byte: Status byte 11110111
Running Status

Not a type of MIDI message

It is a short-cut technique
A series of notes are
represented with a single status
byte
Better transfer efficiency
e.g. very useful for drum-set
patternsetc
Running Status
Series of messages with Status Bytes
144 60 39 144 64 43 144 67 37

1st 2nd message, 3rd

message, C E note on, message, G
note on, velocity= 43 note on,
velocity= 39 velocity= 37

Running Status

144 60 39 64 43 67 37

1st 2nd message, 3rd message,

message, C E note on, G note on,
note on, velocity= 43 velocity= 37
velocity= 39
General MIDI
Optional to manufacturer
But it is a good addendum
to the MIDI 1.0 Detailed Specification

MIDI itself doesnt specify message or data

Program number 1 What does it mean?
Piano? Flute? It is up to Manufacturers
decision!
Program number 3 can be flute on
synthesizer A, but can be horn on
synthesizer B!
What is General MIDI

So, we have GM
Define a set of available sound
patches, with their program numbers
fixed
Sequence recorded on one GM
synthesizer is then recognizable
on other synthesizers.
General MIDI specification

1. Instrument Patch Map

a list of 128 sounds, with assigned
program numbers
Loosely grouped into 16 families, each
with 8 variations
2. Percussion Key Map
3. Other specification generally follow
MIDI 1.0
32 simultaneous notes
MIDI Channels: 16
60 = Middle C
General MIDI specification
Instrument Patch Map Family Classification
1-8 Piano
9-16 Pitched Percussion
17-24 Organ
25-32 Guitar
33-40 Bass
41-48 Strings
49-56 Ensemble
57-64 Brass
65-72 Reed
73-80 Pipe
81-88 Synth Lead
89-96 Synth Pad
97-104 Synth Effects
105-112 Ethnic
113-120 Percussive
121-128 Sound Effects
General MIDI 2

Now we have GM2 already

Increases:
number of available sounds
amount of control available for sound
editing / musical performance.
For example:
control number 75 = Decay Time
control number 76 = Vibrato Rate (cc#76)
All GM2 devices are also fully
compatible with GM1.
Other General MIDI standards

1. GM Lite
Based on the assumption that
the reduced performance may
be acceptable
- For example, different in
specification compared with GM1:
16 (half GM1) simultaneous notes
1 Simultaneous Percussion Kits
(GM1 has two channel 11 can be set
as percussion kit if necessary)
Other General MIDI standards

2. Scalable Polyphony MIDI (SP-MIDI)

composers can indicate how MIDI data
should be performed by devices, with
different polyphony.
by eliminating certain instrument parts,
chosen by the composer.
Widely used for mobile cellular phones
e.g. for a SP-4 polyphony can be preset for a
Nokia 3200 phone:
it have 4 channel polyphony
with melody line be the 1st priority
channel 10 be the 2nd priority
and the rest be the 3rd priority
Limitations of GM

1. Dynamics
How should a note of pressure 120
on program number 1 be performed?
Different samplers use different voice
samples
what if manufacturer A uses a
Steinway piano, manufacturer B
uses a Yamaha piano?
The dynamics can be very different!
Limitations of GM

2. Instrument definition
We know what is a flute

But, what is FX2 (sound track) ?

?
MIDI Hardware

a. Pure Musical Input Devices

Most common: Keyboard

Optional Features
i. Note Polyphony:
Nowadays, most keyboard have polyphony
(a $200 keyboard made in the Mainland,
can have 10 polyphony)
ii. Touch response
A keyboard can sense different levels of
input pressure
MIDI Hardware

Other possible pure input MIDI I/O

devices:
Guitar, Flute, Violin, Drumset
MIDI Hardware

b. Other Musical Input Devices

Keyboard + synthesizer
= keyboard synthesizer
have real-time audio output
Some keyboard synthesizers support DSP (Digital
Signal Processing)
Which gives more available effects
e.g. phaser, chorus

Keyboard + synthesizer + sequencer

/sampler/effects processors.
= keyboard workstation
you can then compose and make music,
just with a keyboard
MIDI Hardware

c. Controllers
Numbered controllers
e.g. volume panel
Continuous Controllers
You can roll the controller to get a particular
value
e.g. modulation wheel
On/Off controllers
can send two different values (e.g. 0/127)
e.g. foot pedal (sustain pedal)
MIDI Hardware

c. Controllers
bidirectional controllers
it will jump back to the center
when released
e.g.. pitch wheel

universal MIDI controller

Can control all types of control events

In some products, the panel can synchronize
with the software: the panel will move if you
adjust parameters in the software.
MIDI Hardware
d. Synthesizer
Generates sound from scratch

Method:
1. Wavetable/direct synthesis.
store the series of numbers the represent the amplitude
values of a waveform, at each sample interval, then recall
the stored value to produce sound
2. frequency modulation (FM) synthesis
Simple waveforms change the frequencies of other simple
waveform, produce a new waveform.
3. additive synthesis
add together a number of harmonics at different frequency
4. subtractive synthesis
starts with a waveform that is already rich in harmonics,
then filter out unwanted harmonics to produce a desired
sound
5, phase distortion
a simple waveform is altered to produce a more complex
one
MIDI Hardware
Example: Yamaha SY85 Synthesizer
What synthesis technique does it use?
Sampling wavetable
for attack for sus/decay

lowpass
filter
out
Plays back samples in attack, and then begins looping
one period of samples for sustain and decay.
Uses LPF with decreasing cutoff frequency to make
wavetable output gradually become less bright.
Uses 5-segment amplitude envelopes for wavetable
synthesis.
MIDI Hardware
e. Sequencer
replay a sequence of MIDI messages
f. MIDI interface

connect a group of MIDI devices together

g. sound sampler
record sound, then replay it on request
Can perform transposition shift of one base sample,
to produce different pitches
Can take average
of several samples,
then produce a
timbre interpolated
output sound
MIDI Software
a. Software Sampler
e.g. Gigastudio, Kontakt

P.S. now, most studio use software samplers for pop song,
instead of hardware sampler.
WHY?
Since it is more economical, and more efficient to update

For example, the hardware sampler Roland XV5080, cost

HK$17500.
Its additional sound sample sub-cards are very expensive
($2000 for 100 samples)
Also, the model of samplers are updated very quickly. For
example, the last model XV5050 already cannot use the
latest Roland SRX sub-card already
MIDI Software
a. Software Samplers
However, for example, Gigastudio costs around
$4000 for the software
A 3GB of additional sound samples only costs
around HK$1000.
All new samples are compatible to latest version
since version 2.5

As you can hear in the later section, you will find

that the software synthesizer is actually performing
MUCH BETTER than hardware synthesizer OF
SIMILAR PRICE RANGE.
MIDI Software
b. Recording software
e.g cakewalk sonar, cool
edit pro , CUbase, logic,
protools

Much more efficient than

using tape recording
Can redo recording
process
Can easily do editing
Also allows effects (reverb,
echo, etc)
MIDI Software
c. Score editor :
e.g. Finale, cakewalk overture
you can listen to the score by
playback option
neat and tidy
can do transposition/chord
identification.etc, more easily
than using handwritten score
Can input a score with real
instruments, then tidy it up by
quantization
Example of a recording
process

This is a Daisy-chain network, where

device are connected serially
Example of Comparing
different sampler performance
You can hear the difference between
different synthesizers/modules, for
playing the same MIDI file.

1. Yamaha PCI FM Synthesizer

2. Roland XV-5050 (JV series)
3. Gigastudio

And one more demo for Gigastudio:

Applications of MIDI

1. Studio Production
recording, playback, cut-and-splice
editing
creative control/effect can be added

2. Making score
with score editing software, MIDI is
excellent in making score
some MIDI software provide function of
auto accompaniment/intelligent chord
arrangement
3. Learning
You can write a MIDI orchestra, who are
always eager to practice with you!
Applications of MIDI

4. Commercial products
mobile phone ring tones, music box
music..
5. Musical Analysis
MIDI has detailed parameters for every
input note
It is useful for doing research

For example, a pianist can input his

performance with a MIDI keyboard, then

we can analyze his performance style
by the parameters