Midi question

[ESPplayer7]

i originally posted this in the wrong forum, here it is, first off what exactly is a midi controller and what would be its use, eg.? is it the same thing as a synthesizer? And my other most important question is what exactly is a midi channel, i know it sends whatever sound the midi instrument plays to the receiving device but i dont understand the concept of assigning say a preset on my preamp a midi channel. Is this so that i can have different channels with different settings that i can switch to by changing the midi channel via program like cubase? Arnt banks used for that on the preamp? sorry for all the questions just want to learn this stuff, thank you.

 

[ssscientist]

Here are links to two good articles on midi basics - part one and part two. They may be a little too basic for you, but we can all use a refresher course now and then...

first off what exactly is a midi controller and what would be its use

A midi controller - in it's current usage - is a keyboard with no sounds of it's own but with the ability transmit midi note information and a whole bunch of controllers that come in handy when using the midi keyboard as an input for a sequencer with or without one or more 'soft synths'. Soft synths are virtual synthesisers that have no phyisical body but are just clever combinations of computer code made to produce audio in various ways.

what exactly is a midi channel

There are 16 midi channels, and you can think of them as separate tunnels down which many kinds of midi messages travel. Note information is the first and most important - what note is played, how hard it is played and how long it is held. The sound receiving the note info can be controlled by a program change command, and further modified by continuous controllers provided the synthsizer or soft synth is able to make use of them. Also, midi clock and midi time code messages can be sent down the midi tunnel, as well as miscellaneous bytes like running status and midi machine control.

You've obviously given this midi thing a lot of thought, because some of your concepts are tied up in tight knots with the wrong stuff knotted in with the right stuff. Those links at the top of my reply should help clear things up - and don't fail to post again if something isn't as clear as it should be.