The MIDI Language

1. The MIDI Language • MIDI messages fall into five categories: • Channel (pertaining to information on a particular channel) • Voice • Mode • System (pertaining to the system as a whole) • Real time • Common • System Exclusive (SysEx)

2. System Exclusive Messages Allows a device to be addressed in ways that are not covered by the MIDI standard.

3. System Exclusive Messages Allows a device to be addressed in ways that are not covered by the MIDI standard. Allows manufacturers to include proprietary features in their products.

4. System Exclusive Messages Allows a device to be addressed in ways that are not covered by the MIDI standard. Allows manufacturers to include proprietary features in their products. 11110000 Start System Exclusive

5. System Exclusive Messages Allows a device to be addressed in ways that are not covered by the MIDI standard. Allows manufacturers to include proprietary features in their products. 11110000 Start System Exclusive Takes the system out of normal MIDI operating mode.

6. System Exclusive Messages Allows a device to be addressed in ways that are not covered by the MIDI standard. Allows manufacturers to include proprietary features in their products. 11110000 Start System Exclusive Takes the system out of normal MIDI operating mode. Followed by a manufacturer’s identification byte.

7. System Exclusive Messages Allows a device to be addressed in ways that are not covered by the MIDI standard. Allows manufacturers to include proprietary features in their products. 11110000 Start System Exclusive Takes the system out of normal MIDI operating mode. Followed by a manufacturer’s identification byte. Each manufacturer has a unique identifier assigned by the MIDI Manufacturer’s Association.

8. System Exclusive Messages Allows a device to be addressed in ways that are not covered by the MIDI standard. Allows manufacturers to include proprietary features in their products. 11110000 Start System Exclusive Takes the system out of normal MIDI operating mode. Followed by a manufacturer’s identification byte. Each manufacturer has a unique identifier assigned by the MIDI Manufacturer’s Association. Different devices by the same company may be identified by subsequent bytes.

9. System Exclusive Messages Allows a device to be addressed in ways that are not covered by the MIDI standard. Allows manufacturers to include proprietary features in their products. 11110000 Start System Exclusive Takes the system out of normal MIDI operating mode. Followed by a manufacturer’s identification byte. Each manufacturer has a unique identifier assigned by the MIDI Manufacturer’s Association. Different devices by the same company may be identified by subsequent bytes. Any number of bytes may follow for any purpose specified by the manufacturer.

10. System Exclusive Messages Allows a device to be addressed in ways that are not covered by the MIDI standard. Allows manufacturers to include proprietary features in their products. 11110000 Start System Exclusive Takes the system out of normal MIDI operating mode. Followed by a manufacturer’s identification byte. Each manufacturer has a unique identifier assigned by the MIDI Manufacturer’s Association. Different devices by the same company may be identified by subsequent bytes. Any number of bytes may follow for any purpose specified by the manufacturer. 11110111 End System Exclusive

11. System Exclusive Messages Allows a device to be addressed in ways that are not covered by the MIDI standard. Allows manufacturers to include proprietary features in their products. 11110000 Start System Exclusive Takes the system out of normal MIDI operating mode. Followed by a manufacturer’s identification byte. Each manufacturer has a unique identifier assigned by the MIDI Manufacturer’s Association. Different devices by the same company may be identified by subsequent bytes. Any number of bytes may follow for any purpose specified by the manufacturer. 11110111 End System Exclusive Returns the system to MIDI operating mode.

12. System Exclusive Messages Voice Editor/Librarians rely on System Exclusive messages to address voice parameters of individual instruments.

13. System Exclusive Messages Voice Editor/Librarians rely on System Exclusive messages to address voice parameters of individual instruments. Some writers (Loy) criticized System Exclusive as an “escape hatch,” defeating the purpose of a standard.

14. System Exclusive Messages Voice Editor/Librarians rely on System Exclusive messages to address voice parameters of individual instruments. Some writers (Loy) criticized System Exclusive as an “escape hatch,” defeating the purpose of a standard. Contrary to these warnings, SysEx has not replaced any message types covered by the MIDI standard.

15. MIDI Implementation Charts • Typically, MIDI devices cannot send and/or receive every message type

16. MIDI Implementation Charts • Typically, MIDI devices cannot send and/or receive every message type • A MIDI implementation chart details which messages a device is capable of sending and receiving

17. MIDI Implementation Charts • Typically, MIDI devices cannot send and/or receive every message type • A MIDI implementation chart details which messages a device is capable of sending and receiving • A device’s MIDI documentation will also give System Exclusive information -- what parameters may be addressed and how

18. Additions to the MIDI protocol

19. Standard MIDI Files (SMFs)

20. Standard MIDI Files • Added to the MIDI standard in 1988

21. Standard MIDI Files • Added to the MIDI standard in 1988 • These are to sequencers what plain text files are to word processors – a generic file format that may be opened in a variety of applications

22. Standard MIDI Files • Added to the MIDI standard in 1988 • These are to sequencers what plain text files are to word processors – a generic file format that may be opened in a variety of applications • They typically have the extension “.mid”

23. Standard MIDI Files • Added to the MIDI standard in 1988 • These are to sequencers what plain text files are to word processors – a generic file format that may be opened in a variety of applications • They typically have the extension “.mid” • A sequencer may export its contents to a standard MIDI file

24. Standard MIDI Files • SMFs contain the following information:

25. Standard MIDI Files • SMFs contain the following information: • MIDI events

26. Standard MIDI Files • SMFs contain the following information: • MIDI events • Delta times: amount of time between MIDI events

27. Standard MIDI Files • SMFs contain the following information: • MIDI events • Delta times: amount of time between MIDI events[This may be a relative time measurement, a number multiplied by the tempo setting, or an absolute time measurement in minutes and seconds]

28. Standard MIDI Files • SMFs contain the following information: • MIDI events • Delta times: amount of time between MIDI events[This may be a relative time measurement, a number multiplied by the tempo setting, or an absolute time measurement in minutes and seconds] • System Exclusive events

29. Standard MIDI Files • SMFs contain the following information: • MIDI events • Delta times: amount of time between MIDI events[This may be a relative time measurement, a number multiplied by the tempo setting, or an absolute time measurement in minutes and seconds] • System Exclusive events • Meta events: e.g., tempo changes, lyrics, track names, key signatures, instrument names, etc.

30. Standard MIDI Files • There are three types:

31. Standard MIDI Files • There are three types: • Type 0 All information is combined onto one track.

32. Standard MIDI Files • There are three types: • Type 0 All information is combined onto one track.When imported into a sequencer, some programs prompt the user to decide whether the file should be “exploded” into 16 tracks, with each track containing information from the corresponding channel number.

33. Standard MIDI Files • There are three types: • Type 1Track information is maintained

34. Standard MIDI Files • There are three types: • Type 1Track information is maintained(NOTE: sequencer tracks and MIDI channels are two different things. A single track may contain information on more than one channel; multiple tracks may contain information on the same channel)

35. Standard MIDI Files • There are three types: • Type 2Track information is maintained, each track has its own tempo

36. Standard MIDI Files • There are three types: • Type 2Track information is maintained, each track has its own tempo • Type 2 is implemented less often than types 0 and 1

37. General MIDI

38. General MIDI • Adopted in 1991

39. General MIDI • Adopted in 1991 • Assigns instrument types to patch numbers:

40. General MIDI • Adopted in 1991 • Assigns instrument types to patch numbers, for example: • Patch 0: Piano

41. General MIDI • Adopted in 1991 • Assigns instrument types to patch numbers, for example: • Patch 0: Piano • Patch 19: Organ

42. General MIDI • Adopted in 1991 • Assigns instrument types to patch numbers, for example: • Patch 0: Piano • Patch 19: Organ • Patch 56: Trumpet

43. General MIDI • Adopted in 1991 • Assigns instrument types to patch numbers, for example: • Patch 0: Piano • Patch 19: Organ • Patch 56: Trumpet • Also assigns drums to channel 10

44. General MIDI • Adopted in 1991 • Assigns instrument types to patch numbers, for example: • Patch 0: Piano • Patch 19: Organ • Patch 56: Trumpet • Also assigns drums to channel 10 • While a particular instrument type may sound different on different devices, this convention ensures that, for example, Patch 0 will always be piano-like.

45. General MIDI • Adopted in 1991 • Assigns instrument types to patch numbers, for example: • Patch 0: Piano • Patch 19: Organ • Patch 56: Trumpet • Also assigns drums to channel 10 • While a particular instrument type may sound different on different devices, this convention ensures that, for example, Patch 0 will always be piano-like. • By beginning each track with the appropriate Program Change event, composers can be confident that their sequences will be intelligible on any GM playback device.

46. General MIDI • While many musicians in 1991 thought General MIDI was a “dumbing down” of MIDI instruments, its adoption has allowed MIDI to become a standard multi-media element.

47. General MIDI • While many musicians in 1991 thought General MIDI was a “dumbing down” of MIDI instruments, its adoption has allowed MIDI to become a standard multi-media element. • Games could enhance soundtracks with MIDI files, knowing that the files would be functional with any General MIDI soundcard.

48. General MIDI • While many musicians in 1991 thought General MIDI was a “dumbing down” of MIDI instruments, its adoption has allowed MIDI to become a standard multi-media element. • Games could enhance soundtracks with MIDI files, knowing that the files would be functional with any General MIDI soundcard. • MIDI files could be added to web pages as long as end-users had a General MIDI plug-in (such as QuickTime).

49. General MIDI • While many musicians in 1991 thought General MIDI was a “dumbing down” of MIDI instruments, its adoption has allowed MIDI to become a standard multi-media element. • Games could enhance soundtracks with MIDI files, knowing that the files would be functional with any General MIDI soundcard. • MIDI files could be added to web pages as long as end-users had a General MIDI plug-in (such as QuickTime). • Today, virtually all synthesizers have a General MIDI bank of patches (the Yamaha W7 among them).

50. Multi Mode • Allows an instrument to play all sixteen channels polyphonically.