MIDI

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

Musical Instrument Digital Interface, a technical standard adopted in 1983 that defines a protocol for digital musical instruments, computers, and audio devices to communicate performance data — including note on/off messages, pitch, velocity, control changes, and timing information — in real time; MIDI does not transmit audio but rather instructions about musical events, allowing a keyboard controller to trigger sounds in a synthesiser, a sequencer to drive a drum machine, or a digital audio workstation to record and edit performances with precision; MIDI revolutionised music production by enabling the synchronisation of multiple devices, the recording and editing of performances without re-recording audio, and the integration of hardware instruments with computer-based composition and production environments