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| MIDI Specification | |
|---|---|
| Name | MIDI Specification |
| Type | Technical standard |
| Developer | Dave Smith; Ikutaro Kakehashi |
| Initial release | 1983 |
| Latest release | 2020s |
| Domain | Digital music, electronic instruments |
MIDI Specification The MIDI Specification is a technical standard defining protocols, digital interfaces, connectors, and messages that enable interoperability among electronic musical instruments, computers, and related devices. It has shaped electronic music production, performance, and instrument design across the Roland Corporation, Sequential Circuits, Yamaha Corporation, and has been adopted by studios, concert venues, and educational institutions worldwide.
The specification emerged from collaborations among industry figures such as Dave Smith and Ikutaro Kakehashi during the late 1970s and early 1980s, involving companies like Sequential Circuits, Roland Corporation, Korg, Yamaha Corporation, Kawai Musical Instruments and Oberheim Electronics. Early demonstrations connected devices from Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, Roland Jupiter-8, Yamaha DX7 and Oberheim OB-Xa, leading to formalization at meetings hosted by trade organizations including Audio Engineering Society and manufacturers represented at National Association of Music Merchants. The original MIDI 1.0 protocol was ratified in 1983 and later maintained by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) and the Association of Musical Electronics Industry (AMEI). Subsequent developments involved inter-industry initiatives with contributions from Apple Inc., Microsoft, IRCAM, Steinberg, and academic labs such as IRCAM and CCRMA. The 2010s movement toward higher resolution culminated in the introduction of MIDI 2.0 initiatives led by the MMA and Association of Musical Electronics Industry, with technical input from companies like Yamaha Corporation, Roland Corporation, Korg, Arturia, Native Instruments, and institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The specification defines electrical, connector, and data protocol layers to ensure devices from Roland Corporation, Sequential Circuits, Yamaha Corporation, Korg, or Kawai Musical Instruments interoperate. Physical implementations include the 5-pin DIN connector used by early Roland Corporation and Sequential Circuits instruments, USB-MIDI introduced with support from Apple Inc. and Microsoft, and network transports developed with protocols influenced by IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standards and AppleTalk era networking. Core elements reference channelized message routing akin to concepts used by ARP Instruments and Moog Music designs, while timing synchronization interacts with clock sources from drum machines like the Roland TR-808 and sequencers such as the Akai MPC series. Specification components are maintained by the MIDI Manufacturers Association and cross-referenced with standards bodies including Japanese Industrial Standards Committee and International Electrotechnical Commission practices.
MIDI message types include channel messages (note on, note off, program change, control change) used by instruments like the Yamaha DX7 and Roland JV-1080, system messages for global functions used by mixers from Solid State Logic and consoles from Neve Electronics, and system exclusive (SysEx) messages for manufacturer-specific data typical of Korg patch management and Roland Corporation parameters. The specification encodes pitch, velocity, modulation, aftertouch, and control parameters into byte-oriented packets, influenced by serial communication concepts developed by companies including Intel Corporation and National Semiconductor. Higher-level formats utilize registered parameter numbers (RPN) and non-registered parameter numbers (NRPN), referenced by software from Steinberg and Ableton, and sequencing programs such as Pro Tools and Logic Pro. Timing messages like MIDI Clock and MIDI Time Code enable synchronization with devices from Alesis and Akai and interfaces from MOTU.
MIDI 1.0, rooted in implementations from Sequential Circuits and Roland Corporation, uses 7-bit control resolution, 16 channels per port, and serial transport over DIN or USB. The MIDI 2.0 initiative—driven by the MIDI Manufacturers Association, Association of Musical Electronics Industry, and contributors including Yamaha Corporation, Roland Corporation, Korg, Arturia, Native Instruments, Roli, and Expressive E—introduces higher resolution (32-bit per attribute), per-note controllers, bi-directional profiles, property exchange, and compatibility layers for legacy devices. MIDI 2.0 integrates concepts from modern networking and software ecosystems such as USB Implementers Forum and IEEE 802 families while maintaining translation layers to MIDI 1.0 implementations in devices from Korg, Yamaha Corporation, and Roland Corporation.
The specification intersects with file standards like the Standard MIDI File (SMF) used by sequencers from Steinberg and Ableton and DAWs such as Pro Tools and Logic Pro. Transport mechanisms include traditional 5-pin DIN, USB-MIDI standardized with backing from USB Implementers Forum and operating systems by Apple Inc. and Microsoft, network transports such as RTP-MIDI and protocols supported in enterprise networks influenced by IETF tooling, and wireless transports developed by companies like Bluesound and controllers from Native Instruments. Integration with container formats and interchange standards involves studios using systems from Avid Technology and broadcast infrastructures such as BBC and NPR.
Implementations span synthesizers (Yamaha DX7, Roland D-50, Korg M1), drum machines (Roland TR-808, Linn Electronics LinnDrum), digital audio workstations (Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, Avid Pro Tools), controllers (Akai Professional MPK, Novation Launchpad, Roli Seaboard), interfaces (MOTU, Focusrite), and instruments from Kawai Musical Instruments and Korg Inc.. Hardware manufacturers such as Roland Corporation, Yamaha Corporation, Korg, Sequential Circuits, Moog Music, Arturia, Elektron, and Novation embed the specification into keyboards, modules, and pedals, while software makers like Native Instruments, Steinberg, Ableton, Avid Technology, and Image-Line provide virtual instruments and routing.
The specification enabled cross-vendor interoperability that transformed studios at institutions like Abbey Road Studios and live performance rigs used by artists on tours organized by companies such as Live Nation. It fostered ecosystems populated by manufacturers including Roland Corporation, Yamaha Corporation, Korg, Moog Music, Sequential Circuits, and software firms like Steinberg, Ableton, and Native Instruments. Educational programs at Berklee College of Music, Juilliard School, and technology research at IRCAM and CCRMA incorporate MIDI in curricula and research. The specification underpins modern electronic genres and production techniques utilized by producers associated with labels such as Warp Records and studios like Sun Studio, influencing instrument design trends seen at trade shows like NAMM Show and standards policymaking within the MIDI Manufacturers Association.
Category:Music technology