Midi is the standard electronic language 'spoken' between electronic instruments and the computerized devices which control them during performances. Developed in the early 1980s, MIDI technology allows a keyboardist to kick off a drum synthesizer with one key or a computer to store a sequence of composed notes as a MIDIfile, for example. The keyboard, drum synthesizer and computer all recognize the same set of binary code instructions.
Brief history:
Before midi in the early 1970's electronic musical devices were becoming increasingly common and affordable although there was no compatibility between manufacturers.
In 1981, Dave smith(an audio engineer) proposed digital standard for musical instruments at the Audio Engineering Society show in New York. By the time of the January, 1983 Winter NAMM Show, Smith was able to demonstrate a MIDI connection between his Prophet 600 (a later version of the groundbreaking Prophet 5 analog synthesizer) and a Roland JP-6. The MIDI Specification 1.0 was published in August 1983.
MIDI brought an unprecedented state of compatibility which revolutionized the market by ridding musicians of the need for excessive hardware. In the early 1980s, MIDI was a major factor in bringing an end to the "wall of synthesizers" phenomenon in progressive rock band concerts, when keyboard performers were often hidden behind huge banks of analog synthesizers and electric pianos. Following the advent of MIDI, many synthesizers were released in rack-mount versions, which meant that keyboardists could control many different instruments (e.g., synthesizers) from a single keyboard.
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