Here are the Frequently Asked MIDI Questions and answers.

There are always questions about MIDI. I have and I always will.
Curiosity is a good quality, right?

Below you will find a number of questions with the corresponding answers.
Click on a question and the answer will appear.

{tab title=" FAQ's general" open="false"}  

{accordion title="What about MIDI ?" open="false"}

Organs and synthesizers, you can no longer imagine it in the music world.

Playing the organ is still a profession.
You have to study intensively for years if you want to be able to play everything nicely.

Nowadays a lot is already possible to make it a bit easier for the musician.
Just think of automatic accompaniment that can now be found on keyboards and organs.
But those who want to cobble together a beautiful piece of music themselves will soon find an automatic accompaniment monotonous.

Of course, you have a rhythm variation, but that soon becomes a monotonous event.
After all, the real "breed" artists play with several instruments at the same time.
Think of the singer, drummer, keyboardist, guitarist, etc. etc.

To be able to record a piece of music as complete and varied as possible, you needed a multi-track tape deck. E.g. an 8-track REVOX or FOSTEX tape deck.
You had to record a track over and over again so that, when all tracks were ready, it sounded great together.
Those devices easily cost around 4000 euros.
So much too expensive.

If you made a mistake while playing, you could replay the entire track. Editing was not included.

Fortunately, they invented something wonderful for this.

It's called: MIDI !!!

MIDI stands for "Musical Instrument Digital Interface"

This is a standard used for many musical instruments.
It is a connection that allows the instruments to communicate with each other.

Many artists use this.
Think for example of: Jean Michel Jarre or Vangelis, but also Cher.

In fact, every artist uses this standard.
All House songs are simply designed with MIDI.

If you connect an organ or keyboard, but also a digital saxophone or guitar via the MIDI connection to the computer, you can record without limits.
Then you can change your mistakes to your heart's content without having to redo everything.
With MIDI you can also use one keyboard can control a lot of different MIDI musical instruments.

MIDI has 16 channels you can work with.
One channel is reserved for the drum part and the other 15 can be used for all the different instruments you want.

All information is sent to the mutual instruments via a 5-pin DIN plug.
MIDI has three types of connections, viz. MIDI IN, MIDI OUT & MIDI THRU.
So resp. the input, output and loop-through signals for other instruments.

There are several, very extensive, sequencers that can quite easily record and edit the songs.
One of the most famous is "Cubase" by Steinberg.
But "Cakewalk" from Twelve Tone Systems is also popular with music computer users.
With modern technology you can also record audio with these sequencers. (hard disk recording)
You have so many tracks at your disposal that you will never use them all.

Midi files are just data files.
There is not an ounce of music to be found.

These data control which key to press and for how long.
Also which sound should be used and much more information.
The actual sound comes from the organ. (or the "Wavetable" of the sound card)
That's why these midi files are so small in storage size while still containing a complete piece of music.

For me it is one of the best inventions in music.
Unfortunately I only have one pair of hands and feet and that is often too short to make a beautiful piece of music.
So we use the computer for the other hands that I'm missing.

I hope it's a bit clear what MIDI means.

Have fun, that's the most important thing.

And I must say....
It's my 2nd Hobby. (Wife and children of course the 1st)
For me personally, an organ with upper and lower keyboard and pedal is still the most beautiful thing there is. Do everything yourself and make something beautiful out of it.
But MIDI is a great support to get even more out of the music than what we thought possible.

There is a lot of great MIDI stuff available on the internet, such as tens of thousands of MIDI files.

Again, have fun making and listening to music using MIDI.

{/accordions}{accordion title="Why are there no Midifiles on Jan's Midipage ?" open="false"}

Existing Midifiles usually have copyrights.
Even if you have played an existing melody yourself.
Pretty bummed, but it's no different.
Before you put Midifiles on your site, please read my Midi Copyright Page.
Click here to go to my Midi Copyright Page.

{/accordions}{accordion title="How can you convert Midi to a 'Wav' file ?" open="false"}

1. You can just record it through a sound recorder.

    I use "Cool Edit" but "Wavelab" is also a nice recording machine.
   You start up a midi player (Winamp is already suitable).
   You also start, for example, "Cool Edit".
   So you will record with one and play with the other.
   Please pay attention that you have selected the inputs in the sound properties, when recording.

   (checked). Otherwise the recorder will not record anything. (See image)

2. There are also special programs that do this automatically.
    The one I know is unfortunately shareware but works fine. It's called "Wingroove WG Player"
    With the unregistered version you can convert a Midifile to a "WAV" file in 30 seconds.

    Click here to go to the site to download "Wingroove". (1.2MB)

    Virtual Roland Soundcanvas is another program that can do this automatically.
    Click here for more information about the Virtual Roland Soundcanvas.

A separate page has now been created where you can read step by step how to turn a Midi file into a Wave file.
This way you can eventually burn an Audio CD of your Music Arts.
{/accordions}{accordion title="How can you convert 'Wav' to a Midi-file ?" open="false"}

Now there is "Amazing Midi - Wav to Midi converter for Music transcription"
It is now Freeware !! So try it out.
Click here to go to the Amazing Midi site.

This program converts 'Wav' files into Midi files.
Of course you shouldn't be too demanding to convert a 'Wav' file because this is of course much more difficult than van
Convert Midi to 'Wav'.

If Amazing Midi does not work, there is also a program called: "Widi - Music Recognition System"
This is Shareware, so you can try it out to your heart's content.

There is also Intelliscore, a program that converts mp3s/Wav to midi.
A trial version is also available for download.

{/accordions}{accordion title="Is there also Copyright on Midifiles?" open="false"}

Sniff, snotter..... Yes, unfortunately it is.
Rest assured that almost ALL Midifiles contain copyright.
How this works exactly is quite complicated.
Have a look at Jan's Midi-Copyright page.
Here it is explained as understandably as possible what Copyright means.
One thing is certain. BEWARE IF YOU WANT TO SHARE MIDI FILES WITH ANOTHER !!!{/accordions}{accordion title="What does Omni mode, Mono mode & Poly mean?" open="false"}

On a sequencer or computer with a sound card you will not often need these "modes",
but on musical instruments these "modes" can be very useful.

There are 4 "modes"

1. Omni On, Poly: It receives all information on all channels, Polyphonic (several tones at the same time)
2. Omni On, Mono: It receives all information on all channels, Monophonic (you can only play one note at a time)
3. Omni Off, Poly: It only receives one chosen Midi channel, Polyphonic.
    (Commonly used professionally with sequencers)
4. Omni Off, Mono: It only receives one chosen Midi channel, plays only one note on this channel.
(Commonly used with Guitar Controllers).

{/accordions}{accordion title="Why can't I connect 2 Midi-in with a normal T-junction plug?" open="false"}

Sometimes you want to connect "Midi-in" twice to the same device.
This was especially a problem in the past because you had to change plugs to record and play.
Midi goes through a serial cable (2 wires). This means that all information is stored one by one in packets one after the other
being sent.
Midi signals are square wave signals with a start edge and a stop edge.
It is therefore understandable that if you play a signal twice (You and the computer, for example), very quickly, one after the other
you get a distorted signal. The signal must therefore be synchronized through the midi cable.
For this "Midi-mergers" were invented.
Nowadays this is no longer necessary because the computer has an internal loop-through system, often called "MROS".
(You hear what you play and what you record).{/accordions}{accordion title="Why can only one Midi program run on the computer at a time?" open="false"}

Just like 2x Midi-in (see previous question), no 2 sequencers or media players can play/record Midi at the same time.
This is because of the synchronization pulses that a Midi signal emits. (The signals must be delivered neatly one after the other.)
So if we don't transmit the midi signal exactly on time, the receiver will go into tilt.
Don't forget:  A Midi signal is a data signal and not just a stream.

Fortunately, there are programs that solve this for us. These synchronize the data signals.
Examples of this are:

BOME Midi Translator (see question about internal Midi connections)

• Midimux (13 KB) (a driver that you have to install)

• Multimid (18 KB)

If you install one of these programs you can use several Midi programs at the same time.

Click on Midimux or Multimid to download this program.

idi programs at the same time.
Click on Midimux or Multimid to download this program.

 {/accordions}{accordion title="Where should I pay attention to with Midi connections? ?" open="false"}

1. Obviously no Midi-in twice on the same device. (See 2 questions back)
2. Do not connect the Midi back to itself via another device. (see image below)

3. The standard Midi cables are fitted with 5-pin "Din Sync" plugs. Well known to us from the audio equipment.

So know well which cable goes where. !!!
Midi signals are very sensitive and cannot withstand audio signals.
(Although they are nowadays protected with so-called "Opto-couplers" (light-sensitive isolating contacts)

4. If Midi cables need to be converted/exchanged, turn off the music equipment just to be sure.
Then nothing can go wrong.

{/accordions}{accordion title="What exactly is Midi-Thru ?" open="false"}

"Midi-Thru" is a Midi output that loops through signals from the "origin machine" (Master) to the next
Midi device. (and this again to the next etc. etc.)

This means that you can operate all Midi devices from the first keyboard (the Master).
This is of course very useful if you have one keyboard and several sound modules.

{/accordions}{accordion title="Can I also make Midi connections internally in the computer? ?" open="false"}

Yes, that's possible.

There is a special program called "Hubi's Loopback" or "BOME Midi Translator" for this
This program allows you to run multiple Midi programs at the same time.
Consider, for example, a Midi sequencer and the special Midi Soundfont bank mixer. (from your sound card, for example)

Installation requires some knowledge. So read the description of this carefully.

With "Hubi's Loopback" or "Hardware Midi Cable" you can even make a direct internal connection so that you via your (music) keyboard you can directly listen to your sound card/wavetable.

Bome's Midi Translator is also a good solution.

{/accordions}{accordion title="When did Midi actually originate? ?" open="false"}

In the fall of 1981 there were 2 people, Chet Wood and Dave Smith, who came up with a new standard protocol.
This protocol was named "USI" (Universal Synthesizer Interface).

On January 16, 1983 at the "NAMM Convention" in Anaheim (sort of a music fair) this protocol was enthusiastically accepted by many manufacturers.
Then this protocol was given the name MIDI.

Hard work was done  and after many improvements the final Midi protocol was ready at the end of 1982.

The official protocol, "Midi Specification 1.0", became reality on August 5, 1983.
This protocol is supported by "MMA" (Midi Manufacturers Association) and "IMA" (International Midi Association).

In February 1983, the first Synthesizer with Midi interface was released.
This was the "Prophet 600" from "SCI" (Sequential Circuits Incorporated).

 The first Midi-Synthesizer. De "Prophet 600"

{/accordions}{accordion title="What is a System Exclusive (Sysex) ?" open="false"}

A "System Exclusive" or simply "Sysex" is a piece of information that is placed at the beginning of a Midifile.
First this is read in and then the Midifile starts playing.

"Sysex" is exclusive information for a particular synthesizer. (Oberheim, Korg, Roland etc.)
It contains an exclusive "ID number" of this brand.
For example, specific information can be entered here, such as special sounds of this brand.

Other brands of synthesizers, which do not have this "ID number", automatically ignore this "Sysex".

For a detailed explanation of System Exclusive (Sysex), see Midipage.nl

{/accordions}{accordion title="What is Multitimbral ?" open="false"}

Multitimbral means that a synthesizer or other Midi device can play several sounds at the same time.
For example an organ sound on MIDI channel 1 and a string sound on MIDI channel 2 and a Bass on MIDI channel 3.

{/accordions}{accordion title="What is s GM,GS or XG standard ?" open="false"}

A "GM" standard contains midi data that is implemented in a midi file by default.
( GM = General Midi ) Consider, for example, which sounds or effects a midi file should have.

A "GS" standard is the same as a "GM" standard but specifically intended for 'Roland' instruments.
'Roland' has added some extra features that you can use in a midi file.

For an "XG" standard the same applies as a "GS" standard, but then it is intended for the 'Yamaha' instruments.

{/accordions}{accordion title="Is there a monitor (reading screen) that reads the midi data? (For the technicians)" open="false"}

Yes, that exists. (otherwise the question wouldn't be here, right?)

The program is called "Midimon"

This program displays all incoming midi signals such as:

• Note on (key is pressed)
• Note off (key is released)
• Program Change (other sound selected)
• and of course much more.

"Midimon" (24 KB)

There is also an extended version of a Midimonitor called Midi-OX (also Freeware)
Do you want to be able to filter more data and change settings and are you not just looking at the Midi data?
Please have a Look on this site 

{/accordions}{accordion title="What kind of Midi instruments are there ?" open="false"}

You can actually connect Midi to anything.
If the Midi device is not digital, a Midi element can be placed on it.
So there is:
The Synthesizer (obviously)
The Sound Modules or Expanders (Sound Modules without the Music Keys)
The digital saxophone
The electric guitar (with Midi pickup)
A Midi microphone (for the voice)
A Midi Drum Kit
Lasershows and Lightshows can also be controlled with Midi

{/accordions}{accordion title="How does a Midi cable from P.C. to MIDI instrument out ?" open="false"}

The Midi Cable From P.C. to MIDI instrument connected to the P.C. side a flat 15-pin D-connector Midiplug, male for behind PC, female for joystick
in front of the game port entrance. (This is also the Midi port).
On the other side are two 5-pin Din sync plugs. The 5 pin din sync. plug One for the Midi-in and one for the Midi-out.
There is also an extra connection plug for the Joystick. (Otherwise we would have lost it, wouldn't we?)
This is it now, the Midi cable
The Midi cable from P.C. to Midi instrument.
This Midi cable costs approximately €16 to €18

{/accordions}{accordion title="When I choose another page I hear double Midifiles, how is that possible ?" open="false"}

Web pages Can play a Midifile.
If you choose a link, your page will change to another page and so will the Midifile.
If a new window opens and this window also plays a Midifile, you will therefore hear two Midifiles
Conclusion: If two windows are open, you can hear two Midifiles.
The best thing you can do this way is to turn off the Midifile in the main menu by pressing the stop button
(stop at the top of the screen)

{/accordions}{accordion title="How can I listen to my Midi files from my keyboard and not from my sound card?" open="false"}

With different Midi programs you can choose between different Midi devices such as:
Midi Keyboard (Midi Out)
Internal wavetable of sound card (Midi Synth)
It goes without saying that this is program dependent.
With Cubase you do this at the "Setup MME", which can be found in your start menu at the submenu of Cubase.
At Cakewalk you choose this in the program. As follows:
"Settings" => "Midi Devices" => choose "Midi Out" or "Midi synth".
Don't forget to choose "Move Selected Devices on Top" afterwards. (or something)
Then the active choice appears above. Often prevents problems.
Other Midi programs often work in the same way.

{/accordions}{accordion title="What is a Wavetable (on your sound card)?" open="false"}

A "Wavetable" is a sound bank that is present on your sound card.
Sometimes there are even several Wavetables on your sound card. Simple and more beautiful.
Such a Wavetable usually contains 127 sounds that are compatible with any standard Midi instrument.
Every sound has its own place. (The piano in position 1 and the Hammond Organ in position 17)
Such a Wavetable also contains drum instruments.
The beauty of this is that the Midifile controls the sounds of the Wavetable. That saves a lot of memory in Midifile.

{/accordions}{accordion title="That Midi sound bank (Wavetable) sounds simple to me. Can't that be any other way ?" open="false"}

That possibility exists. This can be done in several ways.

Many sound cards have several "Wavetables" (the standard Midi sound banks).
These are often referred to as Midi-Synth.

The "Creative Soundblasters" (From AWE32, AWE64, Live and beyond) have several Midi Synths.
For example, the AWE 64 sounds best on "Midi Synth 620"

Check this out. You do this as follows:

• Go to Settings => Control Panel

• Choose Multimedia

• Choose the "Midi" tab

• Is the "Midi Output" set to the highest choice? If not change this and listen to see if this is better.
  
  

Many other brands of cards also have this option. Try it out. Maybe it's successful.

Another possibility is that you can also set external sounds (banks) with some sound cards.
"Creative Labs" with its Soundblasters also has this possibility.
Take a look at the website of your sound card to see if this is possible, and if so, download a sound bank.

{/accordions}{accordion title="How can I select my Midi in, Midi out & Midi Synth ?" open="false"}

Sometimes you don't know whether your Midi program is recording.
You are not sure whether the computer program receives its Midi data.
Or you want the computer to send the Midi data directly to your keyboard or directly to your sound card itself.

For this you have to tell the program where the signals should go.

With old versions of Cubase, do this with "Setup MME" (can be found via START => STEINBERG CUBASE => SETUP MME).

With old versions of Cakewalk, do this in the program. (OPTIONS => MIDI DEVICES).

If you have chosen the Midi Output, don't forget to put your choice at the top. Your program will then give priority to this.
("Move Up" or "Move Selected devices on top")

{/accordions}{accordion title="Why don't the Midi Files run directly from my Keyboard (internally via floppy) ?" open="false"}

Midi files can be written in different formats. We know Midifiles in "Format 0", "Format 1" & "Format 2"
The higher the number, the more modern and therefore more extensive the data that a Midifile contains.
The vast majority of Midi files are written in "Format 1".
As a result, the slightly older Keyboard only supports "Midi Format 0".
"But I do want to load all those beautiful Midifiles into my beautiful Keyboard" ?!?
Fortunately, there are programs that can convert the Midi Files from Format 1 to 0.
Such a program is called a "Midifile Converter" (Original huh).

There is also a slightly more luxurious program that converts the Midifile formats.
This program is called: GNMIDFMT, MIDI Format 0,1,2 Converter for Windows.
"GNMIDFMT" is a 5-day demo/shareware. After that you have to register.{/accordions}{accordion title="Are there also cheap Midi recording programs? ?" open="false"}

Yes, there are plenty of cheap and even free Midi recording programs (Midi Sequencers) to be found on the internet.
Have a look at Jan's Midisoftware page
Here are several Midi programs described with nice links.

{/accordions}{accordion title="How do I get midi files on my website ?" open="false"}

You can place Midifiles on your website in two ways.

1. As background music on your page

2. A Midifile that your visitors can download from you.

A page is (usually) created in HTML code.
How to place the Midifiles in HTML code is done as follows:

"song.mid" is of course the Midifile of your choice.
Do not retype the purple printed text.

{/accordions}{accordion title="When I press a key it takes a while and then the tone comes. How is that possible ?" open="false"}

In all likelihood you are playing with a software sound bank.
Or a program that provides the sounds.
Unfortunately, there is a small delay between pressing a key and actually hearing the tone.
If you just play a Midifile with this without playing along yourself, you will not be bothered by this.
But if you want to play yourself, this is very annoying because the latency (delay) plays tricks.
Programs like "Yamaha XG50" & "Roland Virtual Sound Canvas" have this latency feature.
Also VST instruments (VSTi) have the same problem.
Wavetables (sound banks) that are fixed to the sound card do not have this delay and we can therefore play freely.
The average sound card of, for example, Creative Soundblaster quickly struggles with a latency of 40 to 50 milliseconds.
I even had one of (don't be alarmed) 744 ms.
The best solution is to buy a zero latency sound card. "M-Audio Audiophile 2496" is an example of this.

{/accordions}{accordion title="Are there also immediately playable (real-time) accompaniment machines? ?" open="false"}

Sure, here are two±

• M.A.A.S. (Midi Auto-Accompaniment Systems) van RMCA

• Music Companion

This gives you a nice extensive accompaniment machine. Can we play directly with chord accompaniment?

With Band in a box you have to set the chords in advance before you can play.
With these 2 programs you don't have to.
Band in a box is a bit more extensive, but Music Companion & M.A.A.S. are worth playing with.

Music Companion is from WMS software, but for some reason they don't exist anymore. I can no longer find the website. I did find an (older) demo on the internet.

{/accordions}{accordion title="What is Midi Mapper anyway ? " open="false"}

Midi Mapper is nothing more than a Microsoft Windows utility that can assist in mapping sound selection, channel, etc. during playback.
From an application point of view, the Midi Mapper resembles a Midi output device.
The Midi Mapper receives data, processes it and sends the data to a Midi output device specified in the Midi setup map.

{/accordions}{accordion title="What is GM2 or General Midi 2 ?" open="false"}

In September 2003 a new update was included in the Midi.
General Midi is the standard that was realized on August 5, 1983.
This protocol is supported by "MMA" (Midi Manufacturers Association) and "IMA" (International Midi Association).
Time is urgently needed to come up with extensions that must of course be supported by everyone.
So this happened in 2003.
The "MMA" and the "AMEI" (Association of Musical Electronics Industry) have put together this new protocol.
General Midi 2 update 1.1 to be precise is fully compatible with the "regular" GM standard.
This protocol now contains more specifications and properties of sounds. Effects such as Portamento, Sostenuto, Soft, Filter Resonance, Release Time, Attack time, Brightness, Decay Time, Vibrato Rate and many more are now standard in GM2.

{/accordions}{accordion title="What is VST ?" open="false"}

VST is an abbreviation of Virtual Studio Technology. Steinberg (of Cubase) is the developer of this.
The audio software in Cubase is enriched with plugins (programs/modules processed in Cubase).
This gives you real-time beautiful extensions that you can add to your Cubase sequences or play with it yourself.

VST plugin

Examples of these plugins include "Effectizer_1.1", "MrDonald", "KTrancer" or "ORGANized_trio".
These plugins can be effects modules or complete organs/synthesizers
Many are available for free download on the Internet.

VST Host

For a plugin you need a Host program, such as Cubase. Otherwise the plugin cannot run.

But Cubase is not the only one that supports VST plugins.
So you also have: Cakewalk, Fruityloops and Ableton Live.

But we aim for fun and free, right?
There are also free (freeware) Host programs such as: VST-host.

Above you see the program VST-host with the plug-in ORGANized_trio

{/accordions}{accordion title="What is Latency ?" open="false"}

Latency is the delay you hear between pressing the key of your organ/keyboard and actually hearing the sound.
Because VST instruments are often used nowadays, you can understand that this requires a lot of calculations.
Software synthesizers often had a delay when playing.
So are VST instruments.
Now we are working hard to ensure that the delay (latency) is as low as possible.
Good sound cards already have virtually zero latency (approx. 6 milliseconds).

{/accordions}{accordion title="What means ASIO ?" open="false"}

ASIO is a driver developed by Steinberg for virtual organs, synthesizers or effects devices.

Many programs today support ASIO because it is a widely used driver.

ASIO stands for "Audio Stream Input Output".
ASIO4all is a generic Universal ASIO Driver for WDM Audio.

To download: visit www.asio4all.com
The latency of ASIO4all is about 11 milliseconds. That in itself is fine.
You will hear a difference at about 40 milliseconds.
The latency of a regular windows driver (the ASIO Multimedia driver) is about (don't be alarmed) 750 milliseconds.
either press a key, go have a coffee, come back and you will hear the tone of your VST organ. (so to speak then)

If you have installed this ASIO driver it is not yet activated.
Make sure in your settings that this driver is active instead of the windows driver.
The better sound cards have their own ASIO drivers.

{/accordions}{accordion title="I can't hear any sound when I play with Quartz Audiomaster Free. I also don't see a midi-in." open="false"}

That could be two things:

First, your Midi track is probably not selected to forward Midi.
You have to activate the recording for the relevant Midi track.
Press the 2nd red block so that it lights up.
(The button next to the purple arrow).
"MidiThru" must be enabled for this. Click on Control => Midi Thru (must be checked now)
Or just press F12 to disable or enable Midi Thru.

It is also possible that you have not chosen the Midi output correctly.

Click on: Options => MIDI Devices => Look at the rightmost screen MIDI Out Device.

Choose the desired MIDI Out Device here. Just try them out.
Microsoft MIDI-mapper don't choose. He can disable Midiports.

Click "Close" and play.

{/accordions}{accordion title="Midi and Windows Vista or Windows 7, is this possible? I only hear problems." open="false"}

It is indeed true that Windows Vista is so large and modern that a simple operating system like Midi is overlooked.
Nowadays things are a lot better with the newer systems. From Windows 10, there are virtually no problems anymore.

Anyway there were a lot of compatibility issues with Vista and Midi.
I did get a tip that some Midi interfaces come with a vista driver. Seems to work.

The EMU Xmidi 1x1 (1 midi-in and 1 midi-out) is a USB-Midi interface
which is also compatible with Windows Vista.
This is already for sale for under 30 euros.

You can read how to work with Vista and Midi in the PDF of emu.com

{/accordions}{tabs title=" MIDI Hardware Questions" open="false"}

{accordion title="I don't have a game port on my computer only USB. How do I connect Midi now ?" open="false"}

The more modern sound cards and PCs no longer have a normal game port connection.
Everything is USB that strikes the clock.
Then we now have a problem. OUR MIDI CABLE DOES NO LONGER FIT !!

Fortunately, there is a solution for this. MIDI can also be done via USB.

We do this using a USB MIDI-INTERFACE.

An example of this is the "Midiman Midisport 2x2" (2x Midi-in & 2x Midi out).
This interface neatly takes care of the Midi signals via the USB port of the computer.

For the PDF description, look at:

http://www.midiman.com

Midiman Midisport 2x2 

{/accordions}{accordion title="How do I actually connect Midi equipment (from computer to organ/keyboard) ?" open="false"}

Connecting everything is still a problem for many.
How do I connect my Midi keyboard or Midi organ to the computer?
What stuff do I need?

I have also dedicated a page to this with accompanying pictures. Just couldn't be easier.

Click here to go to Jan's Midi-connectionpage .

 {/accordions}{accordion title="What is MIDI Specification 1.0 and The USENET MIDI Primer ?" open="false"}

"Midi Specification 1.0", is the first official Midi protocol. This was realized on August 5, 1983.
This protocol is supported by "MMA" (Midi Manufacturers Association) and "IMA" (International Midi Association).

"The USENET MIDI Primer" is the first Midi Document written by "Bob Mc. Queer".

Click here to read the document of "Midi Specification 1.0".
Click here to read the document of "The USENET MIDI Primer".

{/accordions}{accordion title="What are the 127 GM standard Midi sound effects ?" open="false"}

Midi has 127 standard sounds that are universal on all standard GM-Midi instruments.
Wavetables (sound bank of the computer's sound card).
But also Midi instruments such as organs, keyboards, etc.
Usually these are counted as 0 to 127, but 1 to 128 is also common.
Often these first 127 sounds are considered "Bank 0"
further "banks" (e.g. Bank 1 or Bank 2) are usually specific sounds of the device itself.
Then you talk about sounds 128 to 255 (bank 1) or sounds 256 to 383 (bank 2), etc.
Click here to go to the list of the 127 standard Midi sounds and their corresponding numbers.

{/accordions}{accordion title="What is the difference between .MID-files & .KAR-files ?" open="false"}

.MID-files are of course Midifiles & .KAR are Karaoke-files.

Karaoke files are also Midi files, only now with lyrics.
Many Karaoke players recognize these .KAR files.

 {/accordions}{accordion title="Are there also possibilities for Midi on a Pocket PC ?" open="false"}

Yup. There are certainly possibilities for Midi on the Pocket PC.
Most Pocket PCs run under "Windows CE" or "Windows Mobile"

There are also Midi programs for the Pocket PC (or PDA, if you want to call it that).
There aren't many yet, but these are the best known.

• Griff Music Studio Sequencer

• GS player for Midi Freeware

• IntelliArt Midi Player Pocket Gear

• Midnote van PDA Musician

Look for other software at Jan's Midi Softwarepagina

{/accordions}{accordion title="My Soundblaster Audigy has a separate, small connection for Midi, what should I do now ?" open="false"}

There are of the "Soundblaster Audigy 2" types that have a small connection to connect Midi.
These have a somewhat unusual plug/connector. The so-called Mini Midi Connector.

Use the "Mini to Standard Midi Adapter" by connecting it from your "Soundblaster Live! Drive IR, Audigy Platinum Drive , Audigy Platinum eX Drive, or Live! CT4620 Digital I/O Card" and connect it to your Midi keyboard.

Also check the website of EMU that sells these cables.
of
The shop-pagina of Creative Labs 

 {/accordions}{accordion title="How does the connection of a Midi plug look like?" open="false"}

Ordinary Midi plugs or plugs (whatever you want to call them) are 5-pin DIN plugs of the type DIN41524.

because Midi is controlled serially, only 2 connections need to be wired.

Look for details at "Hardwarebook.net"

For the technicians among us there is a nice page where the Midi connections are discussed in more detail.
Just look at the page VEGO's ïllustrated encyclopedia of electronics.

{/accordions}{accordion title="After connecting the equipment, my Midi still does nothing. What am I supposed to do ?" open="false"}

"I really want to work with Midi but I can't get that @#$@ thing to work " !!!

Well, Midi itself is easy to install, but it remains a computer. Those things keep causing problems.
It can happen very occasionally that you are just the one who has bad luck and that it doesn't want to work from the start.

If the base doesn't want to, we have to check from the base that everything is installed properly.

For these questions is "Jan's Troubleshoot Page" made. Click on it to go to this page.

{/accordions}

{accordion title="Are there also Midi-Church organs or Midi-Theater organs ?" open="false"}

The foundation "STORM" maintains a pipe organ with MIDI.
This church organ is located in the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady in the village of Maurik, located in the Betuwe.
Both the keyboards and the pedal are equipped with MIDI-out, the keyboards are even velocity-sensitive.

Look for more info: www.midiorgel.nl

The Dutch Organ Federation, a great institution that the theater organs
honors and restores has built, among other things, the Compton Theater Organ.
A mega job but executed very precisely and seriously.

This Theater Organ is also equipped with Midi.

For example, look at the Theater organs that are under the care of the NOF:

NOF (Nederlandse Orgel Federatie)

{/accordions}{accordion title="What does a Midi Guitar look like ?" open="false"}

There are several Midi guitars on the market.
A very nice one is the Midi guitar "Yamaha_EZ-AG"

It is a so-called "self teaching guitar" with LEDs on the frets.
For example, you can load Midifiles that then, for example, light up the melody on the frets.

This guitar contains a built-in GM/XG sound module.
"Midi in" and "Midi out" are also present on this guitar.

{/accordions}{accordion title="Can you also play Midi on an electric guitar without a Midi pickup??" open="false"}

Of course. There is a program called "Guitar Synth" from Laterol Solution ltd.
"Guitar Synth" is a program that converts, simply put, "microphone" vibrations into Midi sound.
Only in this case it is not microphone vibrations but guitar string vibrations.
The program converts the vibrations of the guitar string (via the guitar itself) into sound from your Midi-wavetable of your sound card.

You connect your electric guitar (with an adapter plug from Jack/Headphone plug to mini-jack/Walkman headphone plug
to the Microphone in (not your line-in) of your sound card.

Guitar Synth can be downloaded from: www.lateralsol.com

So you play a tune on your guitar and you hear church organ on your computer.
The condition is that you have to install  "Midi Yoke" .
Midi Yoke is a MIDI Patch Cable driver or a Windows multimedia driver.

Then restart your computer and install Guitar Synth.

Press the square "Sampling" button and play.

It is a shareware version. Unfortunately, there will be no full version available at the moment because the creator "Ian Mold" has sadly passed away.
Hopefully someone will come along and want to perfect Ian's work. Ian, thanks for all..

{/accordions}{accordion title="Can you also connect Midi to a normal guitar? ?" open="false"}

Yes, you need some stuff for that. Not cheap, but a gigantic world opens up for you.
Playing church organ or saxophone on your guitar, who wouldn't want that ;-)  Of course you can also play drums on your guitar !!!
The brands I know are from Yamaha and Roland.

The Yamaha G1D & G50

The Roland GK-2A & GI-10

The funny thing is that you can also connect a microphone to the Midi converters or Midi interface (it must have a name).
This converts your voice to a Miditone.

You can connect the Midi converter or Midi interface to synth modules or organs/keyboards with "Midi in".

{/accordions}{accordion title="Midi wind instruments like a Midi saxophone, what does that look like ?" open="false"}

Of course there are also wind instruments that are Midi adapted. Sometimes also with a Midi converter, sometimes already directly adjusted Midi.
They come in different brands.

For more information see also at:http://uea-io.de/breathcontrol/controlers.html

{/accordions}{accordion title="Can I also change pitches in Midifiles ?" open="false"}

Yes, with a nice word they call it "Transpose" or in English "Transpose".
Almost all MIDI sequencers such as Cubase and Cakewalk can do this.

How this works ? Have a look at Jan's Miditips. This is discussed here.

{/accordions}{accordion title="Midi Drums, are also there ?" open="false"}

Of course.
They are digital pads controlled by Drum sound modules.

{/accordions}

{accordion title="Are there also standalone VST players (without a computer)?" open="false"}

Science does not stand still. We can make smaller computers and in the music and VST world everything is also moving forward quickly.
For several years now SM-Pro Audio invented the V-machine and V-rack.

{/accordions}{accordion title="Will older musical instruments be equipped with Midi?" open="false"}

Older musical instruments are indeed provided with Midi. It is often necessary because the old system is worn out.
We are also busy with friends to overhaul a real theater organ. The old relay system (some 80 years old) is worn out.
Yet this relay system very ingeniously controls many real instruments such as hundreds of organ pipes, but also drum instruments, xylophone, glockenspiel, effects such as car horn, birds, tram bell and other effects that used to be used in silent film.

Now "Solid State" has already been installed at several theater organs. Now also at the Compton theater organ. This works great.
The system is called "Uniflex" and has already proven its worth in the world.

{/accordions}{/tabs}

Het RME- team

.