What is MIDI?
MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It's a language that musical instruments, computers, and software use to talk to each other. But here's the crucial thing - MIDI contains no sound. It's a set of instructions, like a recipe card telling a chef what to cook, not the meal itself.
When you press a key on a MIDI keyboard, it doesn't send audio. It sends a message: "Note C4 was pressed at velocity 95." Your DAW receives that message and tells a virtual instrument to produce the actual sound. Change the instrument and the same MIDI data sounds completely different - like giving the same recipe to a French chef and a Japanese chef.
What MIDI Messages Carry
MIDI messages are surprisingly simple. Think of them as very specific cooking instructions - each one tells the instrument exactly one thing to do.
Note On / Note Off
Start playing a note, stop playing a note. These always come in pairs. Every Note On needs a matching Note Off, or the note rings forever.
Velocity
How hard the note was played, from 0 to 127. This usually controls volume and brightness. A gentle tap versus a firm press - like the difference between simmering and a full rolling boil.
Channel
MIDI has 16 channels, numbered 1-16. Each channel typically controls a different instrument. It's like having 16 separate order tickets in a kitchen - each goes to a different station.
Control Change (CC)
Knobs and sliders - things like modulation wheel, sustain pedal, and expression. These adjust parameters in real time while notes are playing.
Why MIDI Matters
MIDI was created in 1983 so that instruments from different manufacturers could communicate. Nearly 40 years later, it's still the backbone of music production. Here's why:
Tiny file size. A full MIDI arrangement is just a few kilobytes. An equivalent audio recording would be megabytes. MIDI files are the grocery list, not the groceries.
Total flexibility. You can change every note, adjust timing, swap instruments, shift key, or alter tempo - all without losing quality. Try doing that with a recording.
Universal compatibility. MIDI works across every DAW, every operating system, and every virtual instrument. A MIDI file from 1990 still opens perfectly today.
How This Connects
When you use Starts or Progressions on produc.ing, every chord, melody, and bass line you generate is MIDI data. The piano roll you see is a visual representation of MIDI notes. When you export, you get a MIDI file that any DAW can open - ready to assign your own instruments and shape into a finished track.
Key takeaway
MIDI is instructions, not sound. It tells instruments what to play, when, and how hard. Because it's data rather than audio, you can edit, rearrange, and reassign sounds with complete freedom.
Next: how MIDI represents specific pitches and dynamics with note numbers and velocity.
See MIDI in action
Starts generates MIDI arrangements you can export to any DAW.