The Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a set of commands that allow music software and hardware to communicate. MIDI is most often used for sending commands such as Play Middle C Now, but can also be used to send information such as Current Time is: 00:00:01:23 SMPTE, or even digital sound data (see Sampling for more information).

The most common way to use MIDI is to have a master device (such as a MIDI sequencer) to generate MIDI commands to a slave device (such as a synthesizer, which plays a note when instructed). If both were in separate hardware devices, you would run a MIDI cable from the sequencer’s MIDI out port to the synthesizer’s MIDI in port.

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Generating MIDI timecode

Triggering from MIDI timecode

Pre-queueing data for synchronization

Using MIDI triggers

Using the MIDI Keyboard

Setting MIDI/synchronization preferences

Overview