MIDI

What is MIDI?

The letters MIDI stand for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, which is the name of a worldwide standard for digital signals and connectors that makes it possible to exchange musical data between musical instruments and computers (machines) produced by different manufacturers. MIDI compatible equipment can exchange keyboard key press, key release, tone change, and other data as messages. Though you do not need any special knowledge about MIDI to use this keyboard as a stand-alone unit, MIDI operations require a bit of specialized knowledge. This section provides you with an overview of MIDI that will help to get you going.

MIDI Connections

MIDI messages are send out through the MIDI OUT terminal of one machine to the MIDI IN terminal of another machine over a MIDI cable. To send a message from this keyboard to another machine, for example, you must use a MIDI cable to connect the MIDI OUT terminal of this keyboard to the MIDI IN terminal of the other machine. To send MIDI messages back to this keyboard, you need to use a MIDI cable to connect the other machine’s MIDI OUT terminal to the MIDI IN terminal of this keyboard.

To use a computer or other MIDI device to record and playback the MIDI data produced by this keyboard, you must connect the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT terminals of both machines in order to send and receive data.

MIDI IN

MIDI IN

MIDI OUT

MIDI OUT

 

Computer etc.

640A-E-031A

MIDI Channels

MIDI allows you to send the data for multiple parts at the same time, with each part being sent over a separate MIDI channel. There are 16 MIDI channels, numbered 1 through 16, and MIDI channel data is always included whenever you exchange data (key press etc.).

Both the sending machine and the receiving machine must be set to the same channel for the receiving unit to correctly receive and play data. If the receiving machine is set to Channel 2, for example, it receives only MIDI Channel 2 data, and all other channels are ignored.

With this keyboard, messages received over MIDI Channels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10 can be used for multi-timbre play of up to five different instrument parts. The tone and volume settings for these five channels must be controlled by messages sent from an external device.

Conversely, keyboard operations are sent to external devices over MIDI Channel 1.

General MIDI

General MIDI standardizes MIDI data for all sound source types, regardless of manufacturer. General MIDI specifies such factors as tone numbering, drum sounds, and available MIDI channels for all sound sources. This standard makes it possible for all MIDI equipment to reproduce the same nuances when playing General MIDI data, regardless of the manufacturer of the sound source.

Though the sound source of this keyboard is not General MIDI compatible, you can still connect the keyboard to a computer or other MIDI equipment to playback General MIDI data that is widely available in stores, over computer networks, and from other sources.

NOTE

General MIDI data made up of a large number of parts may not play correctly on this keyboard.

You will have most success playing back General MIDI data that has few parts and is made up of parts on channels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10.

Messages

There is a wide variety of messages defined under the MIDI standard, and this section details the particular messages that can be sent and received by this keyboard.

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Casio LK-43 manual What is MIDI?, General Midi, Midi Connections, Midi Channels, Messages