Basic MIDI use

• The most basic use of MIDI is that a MIDI controller sends ‘note on’ and ‘note off’ MIDI messages to a MIDI instrument, which plays those notes. A decent controller keyboard will send ‘velocity’ information with the note on, which the instrument can use in various ways, usually to set the volume of the note.
• The actual sound that gets played is determined by the instrument, not the controller.
• The sound used by a MIDI channel can be configured by sending particular MIDI messages ( not ‘note’ messages ) to the instrument via that MIDI channel. For example, applying a Pitch Bend effect in between ‘note on’ and ‘note off’.

Controller

Instrument

Amp

Sends ‘note on’ via Channel X

Receives ‘note on’ from Channel X

Associates a sound with a note from Channel X

Plays any associated sound