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What is MIDI anyway? You may know that MIDI is a type of music file, and that it is very different from MP3 or other audio files. So, what is it really? MIDI is an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. MIDI was created as a standard way for various electronic musical instruments to interact with each other. For example, if you have a MIDI-capable keyboard, you can connect it to a drum machine and trigger the drum sounds using the keyboard. You could even connect up two or more keyboards and play them all simultaneously. To hear MIDI music through your computer, you must have a MIDI-enabled sound card. Most sound cards support MIDI as I don't even know one that doesn't support it. MP3, WAV, MIDI... What's the difference? In addition to MIDI, there is also digital audio such as WAV, MP3 and WMV files. For MacIntosh, there are also AIF or AIFF files. Recording digital audio is much like recording with a tape recorder. Therefore, vocals, musical instruments, sound effects or any type of sound can be captured on digital audio. Why use MIDI format then? There are several reasons: File size. Digital audio files can be huge as opposed to MIDI files. It can save a lot on download time. MIDI files can be edited. MIDI is recorded using a sequencer. You can then edit your MIDI file pretty much like you would edit a document with a word processor: you can copy, cut, paste, etc. Measures can be moved around or copied to make the song longer or shorter. A MIDI file can be created by using a MIDI device but there are adapters which allow MIDI notes to be entered with a guitar or other instrument. Unlike digital audio, MIDI file do not contain any recorded sounds. Instead, it is made up of numbers which tells your MIDI device how the music is to be played back. It's like an electronic music sheet. MIDI notes can be played back by your sound card either using FM synthesis or wavetable sampling. FM synthesis is, well, very synthetic. On the other hands, wavetable sound cards can generate decent sounds as it contains samples from real instruments. The bottom line is, MIDI files sound better on high-end sound cards. An alternative to expensive sound card would be the use of soundfonts. Where can I find MIDI files? There are various places on the web where you can find MIDI files, some for free and some for sale. Professional MIDI files usually sound better. Here's a llist of websites where you can find free MIDI files: eMusicmag.com   You can download or post free MIDI files. They also have a ranking system which gives you an idea of the MIDI file's quality. Updated often. FindMIDIs.com   Has a lot of MIDI files and is easy to navigate. MIDI Database   Lots of MIDI files for free. Now that I've downloaded some MIDI files, what do I do? You can play your MIDI files using most media players (Windows Media Player, WinAmp, etc.) but you won't be able to edit them. You will need a MIDI software. Here's a list of MIDI software manufacturers: Cakewalk   Cakewalk is the maker of Sonar, a professional-quality multitrack digital recording and MIDI sequencing system. For beginners, Music Creator and Home Studio offer many of the same features for less money. Other products include Guitar Tracks, Pyro MP3 maker, and many more. Cakewalk MIDI programs have been a favorite for years Coda Music Technology   Makers of Finale notation program and SmartMusic (formerly Vivace) tutorial/automatic accompanist programs. Emagic   They make the Logic and Logic Audio sequencers, for both PC and Macintosh. That should be enough to get you started! Good luck!

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