Tim Deagan’s guide introduces makers to the enduring utility of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). Originally released in 1982, MIDI remains a standard for digital music due to its simplicity and robustness, utilizing a unidirectional current loop and a specific 31,250 baud rate to transmit messages like NoteOn and ControlChange without complex handshakes.
While the classic standard persists, the landscape is evolving: MIDI 2.0 (2020) introduces bidirectional communication and 32-bit resolution while maintaining backward compatibility, and Open Sound Control (OSC) offers a high-resolution, network-based alternative using URI-style addressing and modern protocols (UDP/TCP) for complex multimedia applications.