However, combined with the software it provides interaction with the game. On it’s own, the controller doesn’t do anything.
Think of MIDI as being like a controller for a games console. MIDI on its own does not make a sound, but when combined with a virtual instrument or hardware synth the sound gets triggered. When you record MIDI piano, you are not recording audio. The signal sent by one instrument can be understood by another, or fed into your music software. An 88-key digital piano can be expanded to control more sounds and virtual instruments, connecting via a USB MIDI connection to a computer or to another piece of hardware. You could use a MIDI controller to control a modular synthesizer, for instance. It is basically a standardized language that allows one piece of music hardware and software to “talk” to another. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. This article describes MIDI as the most powerful tool in music, and it is hard to disagree with this statement. If you are using acoustic instruments then MIDI won’t be compatible, but it can open up a world of digital opportunities. Most pianists will come across MIDI if they are going to use any sort of digital equipment at all. Most keyboards and digital pianos have some sort of MIDI compatibility which means that you can easily record in this format. MIDI is very useful technology and almost universally used by musicians.
