All about MIDI
The MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard has had a profound impact on the music industry since its introduction in the early 1980s. MIDI allows electronic musical instruments, computers, and other digital equipment to communicate with each other, allowing for the creation and manipulation of digital music in a way that was previously not possible.
Before MIDI, electronic musical instruments were typically standalone devices, with no way to integrate or communicate with other instruments or computers. MIDI changed all that, by allowing electronic musical instruments to send and receive performance data to and from each other. This made it possible to record and edit digital musical performances with ease, and opened up new possibilities for musical expression and collaboration.
MIDI also allowed for the development of music software, such as digital audio workstations (DAWs) and synthesizers, which have revolutionized the way music is created, recorded, and produced. With these tools, composers, producers, and musicians can create, edit, and manipulate music in new and innovative ways, resulting in a vast array of musical styles and genres.
The widespread adoption of MIDI technology has also led to the development of MIDI-compatible hardware, including controllers, drum machines, and other musical instruments, which has further expanded the creative possibilities for musicians and producers.
MIDI Interfaces
A MIDI interface is a device that allows musical instruments, computers, and other digital equipment to communicate with each other using the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) protocol. The MIDI interface acts as a translator between MIDI-enabled devices, converting MIDI data into signals that can be understood by the connected devices.
MIDI interfaces come in various forms, including standalone boxes, integrated components within synthesizers and other musical instruments, and USB-connected devices. They typically have a number of MIDI input and output ports, allowing multiple devices to be connected and communicated with simultaneously.
The use of a MIDI interface is essential for many musicians and producers, as it enables them to connect their musical instruments and equipment to a computer or other digital device for recording, editing, and production purposes. MIDI interfaces also allow for the creation of complex musical performances by allowing different MIDI-enabled devices to communicate and control each other.
In summary, the MIDI interface is a crucial component in the creation and production of digital music, allowing musicians, producers, and composers to connect and control a wide range of MIDI-enabled devices and software, enabling them to create complex and dynamic musical performances.
In conclusion, the introduction of the MIDI standard has had a profound impact on the music industry, revolutionizing the way music is created, recorded, and produced. MIDI has opened up new possibilities for musical expression and collaboration, and has paved the way for the development of a vast array of new musical styles and genres.
MIDI interface or MIDI controller?
These two get mixed up constantly, and buying the wrong one is a common and frustrating mistake. A MIDI controller - a keyboard, pad grid or set of knobs - is something you play. It generates MIDI data and sends it to your computer, usually over USB. A MIDI interface does not generate anything: it is the bridge that carries MIDI data between your computer and hardware that has traditional 5-pin DIN MIDI sockets, such as an older synth, a drum machine or an outboard sequencer.
If you only want to play software instruments from a keyboard, you need a controller and nothing else. You need a MIDI interface when you have hardware with DIN sockets that your computer cannot otherwise talk to. Note also that many audio interfaces include a MIDI in and out - if yours does, that may be all the MIDI connectivity you need.
Budget MIDI Interfaces
If you need to connect one or two pieces of hardware, a compact USB MIDI interface will do the job for very little money. These are genuine MIDI interfaces, not controllers:
- M-Audio Uno: a simple 1-in/1-out USB MIDI interface, bus-powered, with the MIDI sockets on captive cables. It has been a standard cheap answer to this problem for years and works on Mac and Windows without drivers.
- Roland UM-ONE mk2: another 1-in/1-out USB interface, similarly plug-and-play, with a switch for connecting to iOS devices as well as a computer.
- CME U6 MIDI Pro: a compact multi-port interface that also supports Bluetooth MIDI, and is one of the more reliable options if you are working on Linux or a Chromebook.
- The MIDI ports on your audio interface: worth checking before you buy anything. Many interfaces - the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 and 4i4, Steinberg's UR series, MOTU's M4 and others - include a MIDI in and out already.
For a single synth or drum machine, any of these is enough. Buy on the number of ports you need and whether you want iOS or Bluetooth support, rather than on sound quality - a MIDI interface carries control data, not audio, so it does not colour your sound.
High-end MIDI Interfaces
Once you are running several pieces of hardware at once, you want multiple independent MIDI ports rather than a chain of devices passing data through each other:
- MOTU micro lite: 5 MIDI inputs and 5 outputs over USB, giving each instrument its own port and its own set of 16 channels.
- MOTU MIDI Express XT: 8 in and 8 out, with routing, merging and filtering handled in the box itself, so it can keep working as a standalone MIDI patchbay with no computer attached.
- iConnectivity mioXL: aimed at large hardware rigs, with extensive port counts plus network MIDI, so several computers and instruments can share the same setup.
- Black Lion Audio MIDI Eight: a dedicated 8-port USB MIDI interface, for people who want MIDI routing handled by a box that does only that.
The thing to compare here is the number of genuinely independent ports, and whether the unit can route and merge on its own without a computer. Both matter far more than brand, and neither has any effect on audio quality.