D
MIDI Files
Appendix D: MIDI
Files
The Standard MIDI Þle format is a Þle interchange format deÞned by
the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA). The purpose of the format
is to allow for the exchange of MIDI data between different programs.
Any program that can read and write MIDI Þles has a common language
with which to talk to other MIDI software. The compact size of MIDI
music Þles makes them particularly useful for delivering music online.
Pro Audio can open standard MIDI Þles, and can save your projects in
standard MIDI Þle formats. Note that only the MIDI portion of your
projects is saved in a standard MIDI Þle. If your projects contain digital
audio, the audio portion of the project will be lost when you save it to a
standard MIDI Þle.
Pro Audio supports two different MIDI Þle formats, MIDI Format 0 and
MIDI Format 1. Format 0 MIDI Þles contain a single track, with all
events stored in that track. Format 1 MIDI Þles can store up to 256
tracks, just like Pro Audio project Þles. When you load a MIDI Format 0
Þle, Pro Audio splits it into 16 separate tracks, based on the MIDI
channels assigned to each event. When you save a project to a MIDI
Format 0 Þle, Pro Audio collapses MIDI information from all of its tracks
into one single track.
Pro Audio also lets you save and load Þles in the RIFF MIDI Þle format.
This is a standard Resource Interchange File Format speciÞcation that
encapsulates a Standard MIDI File of either format 0 or format 1. These
Þles typically have an extension of .rmi.
A disadvantage of MIDI Þles is that the way the Þle sounds on playback
varies based upon the sound reproduction hardware you are using. The
same song sounds very different on two different synthesizers or two
different sound cards. Another problem is that the Standard MIDI File
D
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