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YPP-200
Using the MIDI Functions
The YPP-200 is MIDI-compatible, featuring MIDI IN and MIDI OUT terminals
and providing a variety of MIDI-related controls. By using the MIDI functions
you can expand your musical possibilities. This section explains what MIDI is,
and what it can do, as well as how you can use MIDI on your YPP-200.
No doubt you have heard the terms “acoustic instrument” and "digital instrument." In the
world today, these are the two main categories of instruments. Let’s consider an acoustic piano
and a classical guitar as representative acoustic instruments. They are easy to understand. With
the piano, you strike a key, and a hammer inside hits some strings and plays a note. With the
guitar, you directly pluck a string and the note sounds. But how does a digital instrument go
about playing a note?

What Is MIDI?

As shown in the illustration above, in an electronic instrument the sampling note (previ-
ously recorded note) stored in the tone generator section (electronic circuit) is played based on
information received from the keyboard. So then what is the information from the keyboard
that becomes the basis for note production?
For example, let’s say you play a “C” quarter note using the PIANO 1 sound on the YPP-
200 keyboard. Unlike an acoustic instrument that puts out a resonated note, the electronic
instrument puts out information from the keyboard such as “with what voice,” “with which
key,” “about how strong,” “when was it pressed,” and “when was it released.” Then each piece
of information is changed into a number value and sent to the tone generator. Using these
numbers as a basis, the tone generator plays the stored sampling note.
● Example of Keyboard Information
Voice (with what voice) PIANO 1
Note number (with which key) 60 (C3)
Note on (when was it pressed) and Timing expressed numerically (quarter note)
note off (when was it released)
Velocity (about how strong) 100 (strong)
Acoustic guitar note production
Pluck a string and the body
resonates the sound.
Digital instrument note production
Based on playing information from the keyboard, a sampling note
stored in the tone generator is played through the speakers.
Sampling
Note
Tone Generator
(Electronic circuit)
Playing the keyboard
LSampling
Note
R