Understanding Midi

M

mr. torture

Member
Midi Channels?

Forgive me, but I am a complete noob when it comes to midi. Why is there midi channels and what are they used for?

Example of what I think:

16 midi channels available means you can send each instrument to it's own channel, similar to a mixing console?

Such as: Kick drum to channel one, snare to two and so on. So you can seperate midi information and control each instrument individually?

Also: How does this apply to a control surface that uses midi to control faders, pan, channel select, record, play, stop etc.?

Would a control surface need to use all available midi channels to work, since there is so much information being transmitted?

Thanks!
 
Thank you for the link, I am still a bit confused though.
Just how much information, or how many notes can be sent on one midi channel?

If I have 16 channels available, do I need to seperate the kick, snare, high hat etc. to it's own channel? How does the control surface work? How many channels does it require to control a fader, pan etc?

Thanks!
 
the midi spec calls for 128 notes per channel... there should be no real reason to assign a channel for each drum... map them to a particular note and reserve the channels for other instruments...
 
mr. torture said:
Just how much information, or how many notes can be sent on one midi channel?
Click to expand...

As much as your hardware will handle.
If I have 16 channels available, do I need to seperate the kick, snare, high hat etc. to it's own channel? How does the control surface work? How many channels does it require to control a fader, pan etc?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

No not at all. Each instrument will be assigned to a note on the same channel. Generally it is a good idea to devote a full midi channel to mixer automation etc and a midi channel to each instrument
 
My explanation and possible solution to your problem in the Keyboard forum must have sounded like I was speaking in Hieroglyphics and you were without a Rosetta Stone.

If you had told me about your lack of midi knowledge up front I would have made my answer more basic, but I assumed that you had to know at least midi basics to spend almost $3000 on a very sophisticated midi controller.

The revamped Tweakheads guide linked in TimOBriens post is MUCH better than it used to be with some understandable omissions but no out-and-out wrong information as in the past.

See if that helps you.

When you've got the basic concepts of midi down, reread my answer to your MPC, BFD, M24 and Sonar question in the Keyboard forum and post again with questions.
 
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