If you use MIDI and always wondered how - and why - it works, MIDI 101 is for you! Informative and entertaining, "MIDI Demystified" is a required tutorial for anyone looking to get the most out of their MIDI hardware and software.

This tutorial is written, narrated, and even animated (!) by veteran composer, keyboardist and synthesist Peter "Ski" Schwartz. Designed to "demystify" MIDI in an entertaining yet incredibly informative way, this 4-hour magnum-opus of MIDI will show you everything you've ever wanted to know about MIDI in your studio.

"MIDI Demystified" starts out with a detailed historical vignette taking MIDI from its humble beginnings through to its current state-of-the-art technology. Peter then investigates, explains and provides solutions to the many different MIDI situations that all musicians encounter in both live performance & in a studio setting.

Featuring dozens of animated MIDI signal-flow diagrams, live action footage, and beautiful images of the latest MIDI gear along with vintage MIDI devices, Peter explains the potentially dry subject of MIDI in a way that makes the learning process accessible and fun!

MIDI 101: MIDI Demystified is filled with all kinds of unexpected and informative surprises, and plenty of musical examples in a wide variety of styles. MIDI 101 teaches you everything there is to know about MIDI while keeping you entertained in the process!

So join Peter “Ski” Schwartz on his incredibly fun filled romp through the amazing, musically microscopic and meaningful world of MIDI.

Table of Contents:

1. Welcome
2. Somewhere in MIDI-eval Europe… (a short film)
3. Controllers, Sound Modules, Plugins, and other MIDI ...
4. An Overview of MIDI Messages, and Perspectives on Wh...
5. MIDI Connectors and Connections
6. MIDI In, Out, and Thru
7. The Golden Rule of Signal Flow
8. MIDI Thru, in Detail
10. MIDI Channels & Channel Voice Messages Primer
11. Transmit and Receive Channels, and Applications Par...
12. Transmit and Receive Channels, and Applications Par...
13. Omni Mode
14. The Serial Nature of MIDI Messages
15. The Message Structure of Channel Voice Messages
16. Note On and Note Off Message Structure, Note Off Va...
17. MIDI Note Numbers
18. Note Off Handling in Percussion Controllers
19. Basic Concepts (or, "A Guide to Making Music Using ...
20. Comparison of Mono & Poly Aftertouch-based Effects
21. Aftertouch: MIDI Message Structure (Mono and Poly)
22. Applications for Program Change Messages
23. Program Change: Message Structure, and, the Dangers...
24. Pitch Bender Message Basics
25. Pitch Bend MSB and LSB
26. Adjusting the Pitch Bend Range
27. Introduction to Control Change Messages
28. Message Structure, Continuous and Switch Controller...
29. Controller Default Values and Compatibility
30. Perspectives on Control Change Message Function
31. CC's 7, 10, and 11
32. CC's 0, 32, and 74
33. The Meaning of Multi-Timbral, and, Sequencing with ...
34. Multi-Timbral Plugins
35. When and Why You'd Need One
36. Connecting and Using USB Devices
37. Comparing MIDI and USB-over-MIDI
38. How Mergers Work
39. Sequencing Using a DAW and a Multi-Timbral Sound Mo...
40. "The Mind of MIDI" -- Thinking Through a More Compl...
41. The Local Control
42. Bringing it All Together: Combining MIDI Concepts a...
43. Basic Concepts
44. Master and Slave Devices
45. Scenarios: Deciding on Which Device to use as the M...
46. MIDI Clock in Detail
47. MIDI Time Code (MTC)
48. Sysex Primer and Bulk Dumps
49. Recording Sysex Data (and why you'd want to do that...
50. Recording Sysex Data, Part 2 (Sound Parameter Chang...
51. Annoying Blinking LED's
52. All About Binary Numbers and Why We Have Only 128 V...
53. Hexa-whatimal?
54. The Importance of Reading MIDI Implementation Chart...