M - Audio musical vocabulary

Melody
Succesion of organitzation sounds formed phrases with musical sense.

MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Describes a physical standard of communication between systems (connectors, cables, communication protocol) and the characteristics of the language that makes the interchange of information possible. MIDI does not transmit sound, it transmits information. MI: Musical Instruments. DI: Digital Interface. An interface is a physical connection and the protocol (rules of communication between two physical units, such as a computer and a synthesizer). Digital implies that the mode of communication uses the binary code of the computer: Ones and noughts. In addition, it requires an amplifier to listen to the end result. It could be said that MIDI is a communication system between musical instruments through computers. The basic MIDI system allows you to record sequences of music and reproduce them with synthesizers. Therefore you need a computer with a program which can record sequences (MIDI data) which are sent to the sythesizer (sound generator) connected to an amplifier and speakers. Components of the MIDI system:

MIDI interface: a sound card inserted into the computer with a cable to connect to additional MIDI units, such as a sound module or keyboard. The MIDI interface is the entrance and exit gateway for MIDI information.

MIDI message

The MIDI system has 16 channels which can send 16 different sequences at the same time, so that you can listen to 16 sounds at once. (In practice the options are broadening, since all sequencers have over 60 channels). The basic messages produced in the MIDI system are of two types: channel messages and system messages.

Channel message work only in the channel previously defined and divided into voice and mode messages.
- · Voice messages(Voice) are based on performance, so they define what the computer does. They are usually: Note On( indicates when a note is activated), Note Off (indicates when a note is deactivated), Program Change ( indicates a change of sound from amongst the 128 timbres a multitimbric synthesizer can generate) Control Change (indicating the position of a control (from 0 to 127 and each nº indicates a different control, for example: volume, panorama, vibration, conveyance...). After-Touch and Pitch Bender are two other voice messages.
- · Mode messages (Mode) tell the synthesizer how to distribute the internal voices and there are four: Omni Off deals with the received message through the previously defined channel.Omni On deals with and reacts to every message received through independent channels. With Mono On each channel only plays one note. Mono Off o Poly play more than one note through each channel.
System messages can always be sent and control the entire MIDI system connected. There are three kinds of system message:
- common is an indicator message (tuning, selection of song...)
- real time are designs for sequencers and define the actions of stopping and starting,...
- system exclusive messages are for the exchange of information between instruments (in fact, they are exclusive messages from an instrument generator).

MIDI Controller

Supplies MIDI information for instrumental performance (dropping a key, blowing on a tuba...). The most common controller is the keyboard similar to the piano, but there are also those for guitars, violins, wind instruments, percussion... MIDI Keyboard

MIDI keyboard

MIDI synthesizer incorporating keyboard mechanism. Also capable of sending and receiving MIDI information, allowing performance from the keyboard. The MIDI keyboard is the most used performance controller.

Modality

Organization of sounds, in the occidental music are used utilizamos the major, minor , and pentatonic manner.

Modal degrees

First degree I and third III of a dyatonic scale defines the modal tone.