Pro Tools Reference Guide14
System Exclusive Data MIDI data commonly
used for sending and retrieving patch parameter
information for storage purposes.
Common MIDI Misconceptions
MIDI is not audio, and by itself makes no sound.
MIDI is control information only. It is like the
piano roll for a player piano; it provides control
information for what note to play when, for
how long, and at what volume. For example,
when you strike a key on a MIDI keyboard, it
sends a message to a MIDI instrument or tone
generator to play that particular note at that
particular velocity. This could be its internal
tone generator, an external MIDI instrument, or
an instrument plug-in, which can be contained
completely within Pro Tools. In order to create
or play a MIDI recording, you must have a MIDI
instrument. Audio from your instrument can be
sent to an external mixer or monitored through
your Pro Tools audio interface.
If you are using an external MIDI instrument, it
must be connected to MIDI ports that are recog-
nized by your computer. These ports can be on a
Pro Tools interface that has MIDI ports (such as
an Mbox 2) or some other MIDI interface (such
as a Digidesign MIDI I/O).
To actually hear an external MIDI instrument,
you need to connect its audio outputs to a mix-
ing console or connect it to one of the audio in-
puts of your Pro Tools audio interface.
Just as each Pro Tools system has unique hard-
ware features, each MIDI device has its own fea-
tures (and limitations) as to the number of
voices and instruments it can play at one time.
Consult the device’s documentation for infor-
mation on its capabilities.
Virtual MIDI Nodes
When using MIDI with instrument plug-ins in
Pro Tools, virtual MIDI nodes are created. These
nodes act like MIDI ports and provide software
MIDI connections between Pro Tools and other
MIDI software, such as instrument plug-ins. For
example, when you insert Propellerhead’s Rea-
son as a ReWire client on a track, its various
MIDI inputs to Reason become available to
Pro Tools MIDI and Instrument track MIDI out-
puts.
DigiBase
DigiBase is a database management tool for
Pro Tools. DigiBase expands upon basic
Pro Tools search and import capabilities by pro-
viding powerful tools to manage your data both
inside and outside of your sessions, on any hard
drive connected to the system.
A database is a way of organizing data such that
it can easily be searched, sorted, managed, and
utilized. Your checkbook is an example of a da-
tabase file. For every check you write, you enter
a new record. That record contains information
about the check, such as when you wrote it, to
whom you wrote it, and for what amount. This
information is written in specific columns, or
fields. Everything you need to know (the check’s
metadata) is there, even though the check itself
is not.
Signal paths for external MIDI instruments
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