Even if you are one. Whether you’re a modular synth nerd or the bassist in a troglodyte doom metal band, the chances are almost 100 percent that you’ve encountered an instrument that uses MIDI. The communication protocol is more than 40 years old, yet it has hardly changed since Roland, Oberheim, and Sequential Circuits collaborated on a universal language that musical instruments could use to talk to each other. Its low-tech nature is its greatest strength, making it a fast and reliable way to control a rack of synths or guitar pedals with hardly any digital bandwidth. MIDI is great because it’s barely evolved.
what is Evolved is a cottage industry of musical accessories that do wild and wonderful things beyond just being interchangeable digital keyboards using MIDI. Are you keen to adjust filters and delay times with the swipe of your hand like a bad conductor? There’s a MIDI gadget for that. Do you love U2’s The Edge and his ability to change the tone of his guitar with just the press of a foot? There is a MIDI pedal for that. Wouldn’t you rather be walking around a fortress of synths like Keith Emerson so you can access an organ and electric keyboard for that wedding gig on the horizon? There is a MIDI controller for that.
MIDI devices come in all shapes and sizes, and I’ve tested dozens in my decade-long quest for a setup that’s intuitive, robust, and easy on my backache. I dabble in both guitar effects and amateur synth shenanigans, so items that can double dip in both worlds for a spartan setup are highly preferred. Some are impressive and whimsical, while others are unsexy and utilitarian, yet absolutely necessary for growing veins with complex pathways and connections. My approach to this whole setup may need to be re-evaluated once the upcoming MIDI 2.0 protocol hits the ground running, but until then here’s a list of some of my favorite MIDI gear that I play with on a day-to-day basis. I work on
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