User manual YAMAHA MIDI BASICS

[. . . ] 4 1. What's MIDI? MIDI is an acronym that stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, a technology that allows electronic musical instruments to communicate with each other, by sending and receiving performance information. [. . . ] For example, you can change an incorrectly played note to the correct one, change the song tempo, transpose the song to a desired key, etc. This feature of MIDI is very effective for creating a song or practicing with a musical instrument. 1 2. What You Can Do With MIDI By connecting multiple MIDI devices (musical instruments and/or computer) with a cable, the MIDI data can be transmitted and received. For example, if you record your keyboard performance as a MIDI data, the recorded data can be transmitted to another instrument (or computer) and played back on it. You can even edit that data on the computer. You can also buy MIDI data (computer files) of your favorite songs from Internet websites (such as yamahamusicsoft. com) and listen to the data by playing it back on your instrument or computer. Generally, MIDI cable is used for connecting an instrument to another instrument, and USB cable is used for connecting instruments to a computer. For details, refer to the owner's manual of your instrument. NOTE MIDI data has the following advantages over audio data: · The data size is much smaller than audio data such as mp3, wav, etc. · The data can be effectively and easily edited. (Example 1) Using one keyboard to control a second, connected keyboard MIDI instrument MIDI transmit MIDI OUT MIDI IN (Example 2) Recording your keyboard performance to computer and editing the data Edited data can be played back on the keyboard again. MIDI instrument USB cable Computer USB TO HOST NOTE USB Proper sequencer software must be installed to the computer in order to edit MIDI data. (Example 3) Playing back MIDI data which you have bought from an Internet website on your instrument The MIDI data can be loaded to your instrument via USB flash memory. USB flash memory MIDI instrument Internet website NOTE USB USB TO DEVICE In order to connect USB flash memory, your instrument must have a USB TO DEVICE terminal. 2 3. MIDI Channels MIDI performance data is assigned to one of sixteen MIDI channels. [. . . ] These include System Exclusive Messages for transferring data unique to each instrument manufacturer and Realtime Messages for controlling the MIDI devices. NOTE The messages transmitted/received by your instrument are shown in the MIDI Data Format and MIDI Implementation Chart included in your instrument. 4 [. . . ]