Description
MIDI (Multiple Instrument Digital Interface) is a sound format created in the early 80s by Dave Smith of Sequential Circuits, Inc. in order to make a standard format for storing music definitions. Unlike PCM audio which stores the exact audio or tracked audio that stores samples, MIDI doesn't store the any sound itself. Instead, MIDI stores the instructions for the audio (kind of like sheet music) which a MIDI device can play back. This allows for much smaller file sizes and consistent, exact timing. However, since all MIDI devices may synthesize sound differently, MIDI music may sound different everywhere it's played.
Most MIDI files are type 1, which means that they have a header for track information and allow multiple tracks. Some MIDI files are type 0, which don't support multiple tracks, and take up slightly less space.
Some MIDI files use outdated extensions like MFF (MIDI File Format) or SMF (Standard MIDI File). Although the extensions are different, the format is the same.
Technical: All MIDI files begin with "MThd".
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