!"# %#&#'()*#+, (- !#."+('(/0 1 234#5 6748.

9
:0+,"#48;#<4 = 6>%>
!"# %&'() *+,+-& .'- /0 1)(-& /2-)3 1432-#5 34/62&#(7777)& (438#57
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
DIgILuI LecInoIogy opened up LIe wuy Ior u IosL oI new deveIopmenLs In musIc. TIese were noL conIIned Lo LIe
reuIm oI dIgILuI musIc pIuybuck, wIIcI wus dIscussed In LIe prevIous cIupLer. !"# 8+,<(57.,8(+ (- 6>%> 8+
9?@A Iud Iuge ImpIIcuLIons boLI Ior pop musIcIuns und Ior consumers, openIng up u new runge oI creuLIve
possIbIIILIes. Toduy's musIcIun Is ubIe Lo produce un enLIre song Irom sLurL Lo IInIsI wILI onIy u compuLer und u
mIcropIone.
MIDI
6>%> 1 6748.3' >+4,<7*#+, %8/8,3' >+,#<-3.# Is u dIgILuI communIcuLIons proLocoI. n AugusL oI 1q8,
musIc munuIucLurers ugreed on u documenL LIuL Is cuIIed "MD 1.o SpecIIIcuLIon".
TIIs becume possIbIe wIen munuIucLurers ugreed u common sysLem In 1q8 (LIe MD 1.o spec.) wIIcI uIIowed
eIecLronIc InsLrumenLs Lo conLroI und communIcuLe wILI eucI oLIer. TIIs Look LIe Iorm oI u seL oI sLundurds Ior
Iurdwure connecLIons, und Ior messuges wIIcI couId LIen be reIuyed beLween devIces. By 1q8, vIrLuuIIy every
new musIcuI keybourd on LIe murkeL Iud u MD InLerIuce.
MD uIso provIdes LIe meuns Ior eIecLronIc InsLrumenLs Lo communIcuLe wILI compuLers - wIIcI cun LIen
send, sLore und process MD duLu. TIIs Is cenLruI Lo LIe IuncLIon oI u sequencer: u devIce Ior InpuLLIng, edILIng,
sLorIng und pIuyIng buck duLu Irom u musIcuI perIormunce. L records muny deLuIIs oI u perIormunce - sucI us
duruLIon, pILcI und rIyLIm - wIIcI cun LIen be edILed.
!"# %&' () *+,+-./+*0
MD wus perIups LIe IIrsL Lrue eIIorL uL joInL deveIopmenL umong u Iurge number oI musIcuI munuIucLurers. An
8+574,<0 4,3+53<5 enubIIng musIcuI communIcuLIon beLween musIcuI Iurdwure synLIs und sequencers Ior
exumpIe. By 1q8, vIrLuuIIy every new musIcuI keybourd on LIe murkeL Iud u MD InLerIuce.
!"&) (' 1.2)&(2+* (2 3(*( *&)&0
L Is ImporLunL Lo remember LIuL MD LrunsmILs communds, buL IL 54#- 94& &('9-/)& '9 '25)4 -):9';. TIe
MD specIIIcuLIon IncIudes u common Iunguuge LIuL provIdes InIormuLIon ubouL evenLs, sucI us noLe on und
oII, preseL cIunges, susLuIn peduI, pILcI bend, und LImIng InIormuLIon.
B8+3<0 %3,3 - (jusL Lo uId undersLundIng).
CompuLers use bInury duLu.
A buse z numerIc sysLem. We ure used Lo u buse 1o or decImuI sysLem.

!"# %#&#'()*#+, (- !#."+('(/0 1 234#5 6748. 9

:0+,"#48;#<4 = 6>%>
n u bInury sysLem LIere ure onIy z numerIc vuIues o und 1- on or oII.
So In u bInury number LIe IIrsL coIumn records sIngIe unILs up Lo 1, LIe second coIumn records zs, LIe LIIrd qs,
LIe IourLI 8s und so on.
EucI dIgIL oI resoIuLIon Is cuIIed u bIL und cun represenL LIe vuIues on or oII. A byLe Is 8 dIgILs oI dIgILuI
InIormuLIon.
C"3, 84 3 6>%> *#443/#D
By combInIng byLes LogeLIer, MD messuges ure consLrucLed. TIere ure z cuLegorIes oI MD messuge:
1. E"3++#' messuges ure mosLIy Lo do wILI perIormunce InIormuLIon senL on MD cIunneIs.
z. :04,#* messuges IundIe sysLem wIde jobs IIke MD TImecode und ure noL senL on cIunneIs.
AII MD messuges ure consLrucLed Irom uL IeusL 1 sLuLus byLe und 1 duLu byLe, oILen muny, muny more.
TIe IIrsL byLe Is u 4,3,74 20,# (IdenLIIIes LIe nuLure oI LIe InsLrucLIon eg. NoLe on, MuIn VoIume) LIe IoIIowIng
53,3 20,#4 provIde duLu perLInenL Lo LIuL InsLrucLIon.
OI course, MD messuges ure senL uguInsL u cIockJLImIng proLocoI und us sucI ure reIuLIve Lo LIme. ogIc`s
MuLrIx (pIuno roII) edILor sIows MD noLe on, noLe oII und veIocILy duLu reIuLIve Lo LIme In un eusy Lo
undersLund grupIIc IormuL.
Becuuse oI LIe bInury sysLem q bIL resoIuLIon provIdes u runge oI 16 numerIcuI possIbIIILIes.
8-bIL = z6 possIbIIILIes.
TIe IIrsL dIgIL (mosL sIgnIIIcunL bIL or 6:B) oI u duLu byLe Is uIwuys o. TIe seven remuInIng dIgILs oI LIe duLu
byLe LIus gIve 3 <3+/# (- 9FGH
IJ3*)'# 6>%> *#443/#
Here Is un exumpIe oI u sImpIe byLe MD messuge comprIsIng u :,3,74 byLe und z %3,3 byLes. TIIs messuge
Is LeIIIng u sound moduIe seL Lo respond on MD cIunneI 1 Lo sLurL pIuyIng u noLe (C) uL u veIocILy oI 1o1.
E"3++#' K(8.# 6#443/#4
C"#+#&#< 3 6>%> 8+4,<7*#+, 84 )'30#5L 8,4 .(+,<(''#<4 MN#02(3<5L )8,." O"##' #,.P ,<3+4*8,
."3++#' &(8.# *#443/#4H !"#<# 3<# G ."3++#' &(8.# *#443/# ,0)#4 HHH
9H Q(,# R+
FH Q(,# R--
AH S('0)"(+8. N#0 )<#447<#
TH U-,#<,(7."
VH S<(/<3* ."3+/#
WH E(+,<(' ."3+/#
GH S8,." 2#+5 ."3+/#
1. Q(,#1R+ TIIs messuge IndIcuLes LIe begInnIng oI u MD noLe und consIsLs oI byLes. TIe 1sL byLe (SLuLus
byLe) specIIIes u noLe-on evenL und cIunneI. TIe znd byLe specIIIes LIe number oI LIe noLe pIuyed. TIe rd byLe
specIIIes LIe veIocILy wILI wIIcI LIe noLe wus pIuyed.
z. Q(,#1(-- TIIs messuge IndIcuLes LIe end oI u MD noLe. TIe 1sL byLe (SLuLus byLe) specIIIes u noLe-oII evenL
und cIunneI. TIe znd byLe specIIIes LIe number oI LIe noLe pIuyed. TIe rd byLe specIIIes LIe reIeuse veIocILy.
. S('0)"(+8. N#0 )<#447<# Key pressure or uILerLoucI, wILI eucI key sendIng ILs own IndependenL messuge
q
!"# %#&#'()*#+, (- !#."+('(/0 1 234#5 6748. 9
:0+,"#48;#<4 = 6>%>
q. U-,#<,(7." TIIs messuge Is sImIIur Lo poIypIonIc key pressure buL Is senL wIen uddILIonuI pressure Is
uppIIed Lo u key LIuL Is uIreudy beIng IeId down. AIso, LIere Is onIy one sensor Ior LIe wIoIe keybourd I.e. IL`s
monopIonIc uILerLoucI
. S<(/<3* ."3+/# TIese messuges wIII cIunge LIe progrums oI devIces respondIng on LIe cIunneI on wIIcI
LIey ure senL.
6. E(+,<(' ."3+/# TIese messuges uILer LIe wuy u noLe sounds by sIIdIng IL, susLuInIng IL, moduIuLIng IL eLc.
Here ure LIe numbers Ior uII deIIned MD conLroI cIunge conLroIIers. TIe IIrsL z numbers (o Lo 1) ure course
udjusLmenLs Ior vurIous purumeLers. TIe numbers Irom z Lo 6 ure LIeIr respecLIve IIne udjusLmenLs (Ie, udd z
Lo LIe course udjusL number Lo geL LIe IIne udjusL number, excepL Ior LIe GeneruI Purpose SIIders wIIcI Iuve no
IIne udjusL equIvuIenLs). or exumpIe, LIe course udjusLmenL Ior CIunneI VoIume Is conLroIIer number ;. TIe
IIne udjusLmenL Ior CIunneI VoIume Is conLroIIer number q (;+z). Muny devIces use onIy LIe course
udjusLmenLs, und Ignore LIe IIne udjusLmenLs.
o Bunk SeIecL (course)
1 ModuIuLIon WIeeI (course)
z BreuLI conLroIIer (course)
q ooL PeduI (course)
PorLumenLo TIme (course)
6 DuLu EnLry (course)
; VoIume (course)
8 BuIunce (course)
1o Pun posILIon (course)
11 ExpressIon (course)
1z EIIecL ConLroI 1 (course)
1 EIIecL ConLroI z (course)
16 GeneruI Purpose SIIder 1
1; GeneruI Purpose SIIder z
18 GeneruI Purpose SIIder
1q GeneruI Purpose SIIder q
z Bunk SeIecL (IIne)
ModuIuLIon WIeeI (IIne)
q BreuLI conLroIIer (IIne)
6 ooL PeduI (IIne)
; PorLumenLo TIme (IIne)
8 DuLu EnLry (IIne)
q VoIume (IIne)
qo BuIunce (IIne)
qz Pun posILIon (IIne)
q ExpressIon (IIne)
qq EIIecL ConLroI 1 (IIne)
q EIIecL ConLroI z (IIne)
6q HoId PeduI (onJoII)
6 PorLumenLo (onJoII)
66 SusLenuLo PeduI (onJoII)
6; SoIL PeduI (onJoII)
68 eguLo PeduI (onJoII)
6q HoId z PeduI (onJoII)
;o Sound VurIuLIon
;1 Sound TImbre
;z Sound ReIeuse TIme
; Sound ALLuck TIme
;q Sound BrIgILness
; Sound ConLroI 6
;6 Sound ConLroI ;
;; Sound ConLroI 8
;8 Sound ConLroI q
;q Sound ConLroI 1o
8o GeneruI Purpose BuLLon 1
(onJoII)
81 GeneruI Purpose BuLLon z
(onJoII)
8z GeneruI Purpose BuLLon
(onJoII)
8 GeneruI Purpose BuLLon q
(onJoII)
q1 EIIecLs eveI
qz TremoIo eveI
q CIorus eveI
qq CeIesLe eveI
q PIuser eveI
q6 DuLu BuLLon IncremenL
q; DuLu BuLLon decremenL
q8 Non-regIsLered PurumeLer (IIne)
qq Non-regIsLered PurumeLer
(course)
1oo RegIsLered PurumeLer (IIne)
1o1 RegIsLered PurumeLer (course)
1zo AII Sound OII
1z1 AII ConLroIIers OII
1zz ocuI Keybourd (onJoII)
1z AII NoLes OII
1zq OmnI Mode OII
1z OmnI Mode On
1z6 Mono OperuLIon
1z; PoIy OperuLIon
GH S8,." 2#+5 TIese messuges ure LrunsmILLed wIenever un InsLrumenLs pILcI wIeeI Is movedH WIIIe
uImosL uII cIunneI voIce messuges ussIgn u sIngIe duLu byLe Lo u sIngIe purumeLer sucI us key # or veIocILy
(1z8 vuIues becuuse LIey sLurL wILI 'o,' so = z^;=1z8), LIe excepLIon Is pILcI bend. I pILcI bend used onIy
1z8 vuIues, dIscreeL sLeps mIgIL be Ieurd II LIe bend runge were Iurge (LIIs runge Is seL on LIe InsLrumenL, noL
by MD). So LIe ; non-zero bILs oI LIe IIrsL duLu byLe (cuIIed LIe mosL sIgnIIIcunL byLe or MSB) ure combIned
wILI LIe ; non-zero bILs Irom LIe second duLu byLe (cuIIed LIe IeusL sIgnIIIcunL byLe or SB) Lo creuLe u 1q-bIL
duLu vuIue, gIvIng pILcI bend duLu u runge oI 9WLA@T vuIues.
6>%> X8'#4

!"# %#&#'()*#+, (- !#."+('(/0 1 234#5 6748. 9

:0+,"#48;#<4 = 6>%>
MIdI IIes conLuIn InIo on noLes, veIocILIes, conLroIIer codes wIIcI cun be InLerpreLed by uny progrum LIuL
supporLs SLundurd MD IIIe IormuL. TIese ure uccessed und creuLed by LIe ImporL und exporL MD IIIe
communds.
MD composILIon und urrungemenL Lukes udvunLuge oI MD 1.o und GeneruI MD (GM) LecInoIogy Lo
uIIow musIcuI duLu IIIes Lo be sIured umong muny dIIIerenL IIIes due Lo some IncompuLIbIIILy wILI vurIous
eIecLronIc InsLrumenLs by usIng u sLundurd, porLubIe seL oI communds und purumeLers. Becuuse LIe musIc Is
sLored us InsLrucLIons ruLIer LIun recorded uudIo wuveIorms, LIe duLu sIze oI LIe IIIes Is very smuII by
compurIson.
6>%> X>YI: K:H UZ%>R X>YI: [ !"# S<(4 3+5 E(+4\
U5&3+,3/#4 (- 6>%>\
X8'# :8;# 1 Becuuse MD IIIes sImpIy conLuIn LIe duLu ubouL LIe musIc, LIey ure mucI smuIIer LIun
oLIer musIc IIIes.
X7''0 I58,32'# 1 You cun edIL und cIunge LIe musIc oI u MD IIIe In wuys wIIcI ure ImpossIbIe
wILI oLIer uudIo IIIes. I you wunL Lo cIunge u noLe In LIe mIddIe oI LIe Lruck Irom u D Lo u C, you cun
do IL In u snup. You cun uIso udjusL LIe Lempo Lo muke LIe musIc pIuy IusLer wILIouL worryIng ubouL IL
soundIng IIke LIe CIIpmunks ure perIormIng IL.
%8435&3+,3/#4 (- 6>%>\
Y8*8,#5 !8*2<#4 - wIen creuLIng MD IIIes one Is IImILed Lo LIe GM sound bunk.
6