How does MIDI work? (Musical Instruments Digital Interface)
What is MIDI and what can you do with it?
MIDI is a connection to an electronic musical instrument or a lateral music related device. For example, a keyboard or synthesizer, but also a device that can convert the signal from a guitar to MIDI. You also often find a MIDI connection on peripherals such as effect equipment (chorus, delay, reverb, etc.) or on a mixer. You can also buy a MIDI interface to connect to a computer. This also gives the computer MIDI connections and allows you to use them in combination with other devices that also have MIDI connections. In some cases, you connect a device to the computer using a USB connection and MIDI communication via USB without any physical MIDI connections.
MIDI is not music or sound, it's just commands.
The MIDI connections and cables allow the connected devices to talk to each other. No music or sound goes through the cables, but just digital commands. The assignments are sent via the MIDI OUT connector, so you need to connect them to a MIDI IN connection from another device. That will listen to these assignments. The commands can also be sent to multiple devices by connecting the MIDI THRU connection of a listening device to the MIDI IN of a subsequent listening device. The MIDI THRU connection is also a MIDI output, where the commands that come in via the MIDI IN connection are sent out immediately. So there's always one device that sends the commands and a lot of devices can listen to these commands at the same time.
