Total control over every instrument

Complete Control Over Every Instrument with MIDI

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) provides unprecedented control over each instrument in your composition. Here's how this works:

Each instrument is assigned to its own dedicated MIDI track, allowing for complete separation and independent manipulation. This separation means you can focus on perfecting one instrument's performance without affecting others.

With MIDI, you gain note-by-note control over:

Pitch

With MIDI, each note is assigned a specific numerical value (0-127) that determines its pitch. This gives you extraordinary precision:

  • Change any note to any pitch in your composition with a simple edit

  • Create microtonal adjustments using pitch bend messages (beyond standard 12-tone equal temperament)

  • Transpose entire sections or phrases up or down without re-recording

  • Implement pitch correction for off-key notes without affecting timing or velocity

  • Create complex harmonies by copying notes and adjusting their pitches to form chords

  • Experiment with unusual scales and exotic tuning systems that would be challenging to perform live

Velocity

Velocity in MIDI measures how "hard" a note is played (values 0-127), similar to how forcefully a pianist strikes a key:

  • Adjust the attack intensity of individual notes to emphasize certain parts of a melody

  • Create dynamic variations within phrases to sound more organic and human

  • Velocity often affects not just volume but also timbre - higher velocities typically produce brighter, more resonant tones

  • Program realistic crescendos and diminuendos by gradually increasing or decreasing velocity values

  • Correct performance inconsistencies by normalizing velocities across sections

  • Use velocity mapping to completely transform how an instrument responds to different playing intensities

Duration

MIDI allows precise control over how long each note sounds:

  • Specify the exact length of each note in ticks, milliseconds, or fractions of a beat

  • Create staccato effects (short, detached notes) or legato passages (smooth, connected notes)

  • Adjust note overlap to control how notes transition into each other

  • Program complex rhythmic patterns with notes of varying durations

  • Fine-tune release times to match room acoustics or musical style

  • Implement humanization by subtly varying note durations to avoid mechanical precision

Timing

MIDI offers extremely precise control over when notes begin:

  • Position notes with microsecond accuracy on the timeline

  • Adjust the timing of individual notes to create swing, groove, or other rhythmic feels

  • Correct timing errors in performances without affecting pitch or velocity

  • Create complex polyrhythms by precisely positioning notes across multiple tracks

  • Implement tempo variations while maintaining relative timing between notes

  • Synchronize notes exactly with other elements like drum beats or sound effects

Articulation

MIDI supports various forms of articulation through controller messages and note properties:

  • Add vibrato by modulating pitch over time

  • Create tremolo effects by rapidly varying velocity or volume

  • Program pitch bends for slides, glissandos, and portamento effects

  • Use aftertouch to add expression after a note has been triggered

  • Implement trill effects by rapidly alternating between notes

  • Control sustain pedal behavior for more realistic piano performances

  • Add specialized articulations like guitar hammer-ons, pull-offs, or wind instrument flutter-tonguing through appropriate MIDI controllers or program changes

Each of these parameters can be edited independently for every single note in your composition, giving you unprecedented control over the musical expression of each instrument.

You can select any sound from your available virtual instruments or sound banks for each track. This means you can experiment with different timbres - perhaps trying a note sequence with a piano sound before deciding it works better with a synthesizer or violin.

The non-destructive nature of MIDI allows for endless experimentation. You can change a note's pitch, timing, or sound without permanently altering the original data, making the creative process much more flexible compared to recorded audio.

This level of detailed control enables composers to create incredibly nuanced performances that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional recording methods.