MIDI - What can you do with it?

Control other Instruments
So if you connect your keyboard to one more keyboard through MIDI, you can actually play the sounds from both the instrument. What you need to do is designate one of the keyboards as a Controller and set it to some sound, say piano. Connect the other Keyboard to the Controller keyboard and set it to some other sound, say strings. Now, when you play some notes on the controller keyboard, it will send midi data to the other keyboard and you will actually hear both the sounds, piano as well as strings.

MIDI IN, MIDI OUT, MIDI THRU
In all the keyboards you will find slots marked as MIDI IN and MIDI OUT at the rear of the keyboard. Some keyboards also have the MIDI THRU slot. When you want to connect two instruments, you connect the MIDI OUT from one instrument to the MIDI IN of the other instrument. This way the first keyboard can send out MIDI messages to the other keyboard.

The MIDI THRU connection allows the incoming MIDI data to be passed to other external instruments. You can easily create and play, all by yourself, a very complex network of keyboards by using the MIDI THRU connection. You will need to use MIDI cables to do all this connections.

Play MIDI Files
You can download MIDI files or you can buy MIDI recorded CD's and play those songs using the sounds of your keyboard. The MIDI songs are written in such a way that your keyboard reads the MIDI data and plays it back using the sounds of the instruments mentioned in the MIDI data. The MIDI songs also act as good teaching aid as you can follow the song note by note as it is being played on the keyboard.

Download Songs, Styles, Sounds
You can download additional MIDI sounds, styles or songs in your keyboard by downloading them from the internet. The keyboard manufacturers keep on introducing new styles, sounds based on the current market trend and these can be used for a small charge.

Some keyboards can be connected directly to the internet without needing a Computer. This is the easiest way to download MIDI songs. Alternatively, you can download the songs on your computer and then copy the songs from your computer to the keyboard using a floppy disk or a CD.

MIDI Software
The most popular MIDI software is the Software Sequencer. You only need to connect your musical keyboard to your computer and you are ready to record. You will need a software sequencer like Sonar, Cubase, Reason, etc which records all your performances. Please go through the MIDI controller link below to know more.

A lot of MIDI software is available in the market which helps you to learn to play or helps you to sight-read. You just need to connect your keyboard to your computer through MIDI. You are then ready to explore and play the various exercises without needing your teacher around.

You also get software which translates whatever you play on your keyboard into musical notations. So if you are not very good at writing notations, you can use one of the MIDI software which generates the notations for you. If you are a teacher, you can use it to generate exercises for your students.

• What is a MIDI Controller?
• MIDI Keyboards
• USB Midi Cable - Connection made easy

Go back to the Home page from the MIDI page