Tag Archives: keyboard

MIDI Keyboards 101: How Does a MIDI Keyboard Work?

After understanding what a MIDI controller truly is, we get down to another basic concept, “How does a MIDI controller really work?”

A MIDI keyboard looks like any keyboard, but the difference is that MIDI keyboards do not send or create any sound on its own. MIDI controllers only produce MIDI info that is then translated to the PC or any other MIDI-enabled synthesizer or software.

The MIDI controllers transpose into a simple note on and note off info (1 means on and 0 means off). Your MIDI controller will record all of this data, including changes in velocity of the keys and drum pads, the level at which faders and buttons are utilized and so on. MIDI info will all be in numbers, essentially the 1 and the 0 and bunch of other numbers. Everything you’ve been doing in your MIDI synthesizers will be recorded in your MIDI controller. Then that is the time that the MIDI controller will transfer this information to your personal computer and software. And that is when you can hear the music you made.

Miguel (a thought up name, insert any name you would like in there if you like) tries to make music with his laptop. He doesn’t have any other person to play on the keyboards, drum, and guitars. So he uses a MIDI keyboard to do it all by himself. He starts by hitting the keys and incorporating some action on the drum pads. Now, these sounds would not be broadcast to the laptop and software he uses. Here is where MIDI comes in.

According to a post on nettoyersonmac.fr – the MIDI controllers translate into a simple note on and note off data (1 means on and 0 means off). Your MIDI controller will record all this information, including changes in speed of the keys and drum pads, the level at which faders and buttons get used etc. MIDI information will all be in numbers, fundamentally the 1 and the 0 and bunch of other numbers. Everything you have been doing in your MIDI synthesizers will be recorded in your MIDI controller. Then that’s the time the MIDI controller will transfer this info to your PC and software. And that’s when you can hear the music you just made.