Practical MIDI Handbook

by R.A. Penfold

* New chapter on General MIDI
* Completely updated
* New larger page size
* Straightforward non-mathematical introduction to MIDI
* Covers use of sequencers and computers
* Glossary of MIDI terms

This third edition of the very successful Practical MIDI Handbook has been completely revised and updated in line with new developments. There's a new chapter on General MIDI and the book has been produced in a larger format to allow more extensive use of charts and photographs.

If you want a basic down to earth introduction to MIDI and its capabilities, this is the book for you. It explains the basics of MIDI and what it can do for you, shows how computers can be used in a MIDI set-up and describes the use of sequencers in music making.

There's a section on MIDI instruments - keyboards, drum machines, guitars, wind instruments etc. - and MIDI devices like mergers, pedals, effects units, switches and sync units. There's some practical advice on connecting up a MIDI system, and the book is nicely rounded off with a glossary of terms.

If you want a readable introduction to MIDI, look no further.

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1990

Reviews

[Ethan Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, it's getting a bit long in the tooth now, as is MIDI itself, but this book is a plain and simple talkthrough of everything MIDI without any unnecessary opinions or waffle. It is to MIDI what Hayne's Manuals are to cars.
I read it cover to cover a few decades ago as I was developing an editor / librarian application for the then new Yamaha DX 2, 4 and 6 operator FM synths. It really did cover everything.
Sure it doesn't cover the latest Midi 2.0 specification or even touch on USB (as far as I recall - because USB didn't exist back then).
Nevertheless this remains a good, no-nonsense guide to understanding MIDI and considering how cheaply it can be picked up it's absolutely still worth buying in 2022.
For people still using MIDI 1.0 - which will be almost everybody - this still explains everything, even things like LSB/MSB and Checksum calculation and handshaking.
The editorial style is dry as dust. This is a technical manual, not a novel, and the concise precision with which everything is described is just what you need when you are looking something up.