Midi Overview
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard and communication protocol that allows musical devices (instruments, computers, recording software, pedalboards, effects processors, and more) to communicate with each other. Midi is used to communicate music note data, music commands, and vendor specific (system exclusive) commands.

Music Note Data:, Midi can be used to record and play musical notes. For example, when you press a note on a Midi keyboard, the note number (ie: the note pressed), the note velocity (how hard the note was played) and the keyboard 'channel' are encoded into digital Midi data which is sent to your computer's recording (DAW) software. Software such as Pro Tools, Reaper, Cubase, can read, record, and play back midi data. Playback of midi recorded data will sound identical to the original performance. Midi music data encoding is standardized across all music gear manufacturers.

Music Commands:Your digital piano keyboard likely has buttons, sliders, foot pedals, and wheels to adjust volume, pitch bend a note,..... In Midi jargon, these are called 'continuous controllers', or more commonly, 'controllers'.. Controllers do not change the note being played but rather transmit information to the listening device. For example, your keyboard may have a slider that is used to control the volume of your keyboard. This slider does not affect the note being played, but 'controls' the volume of the note being played (by sending a Midi 'continuous controller 7' information to your PC, amplifier, or PA system). The target device recognizes the volume controller and adjusts the keyboard volume accordingly. Midi Continuous Controller implementation is mostly standardized across all music gear manufacturers.

Vendor Specific Commands:, Midi provides a free form Midi format called 'System Exclusive' which provides musical equipment vendors with options to implement manufacturer specific functions in their musical equipment. For example, you may own a Roland guitar effects processor that has hundreds of 'patches'. Each patch has many possible settings, such as reverb, chorus, delay,... Since Roland's guitar effects processors have unique internal circuitry that does not apply across all Midi device manufacturers, Roland implements unique SysEx commands to control their devices. The most common SysEx commands are backup and restore commands; to backup and restore your Midi device configuration to your PC.

MidiXLate router details.
The MidiXLate router is a true router, meaning every midi packet is inspected and 'routed' to it's intended destination(s). Routing Midi data greatly reduces Midi network traffic, eliminating a flood of extraneous midi network data. Excessive Midi note data and Midi 'active sensing' commands can easily increase Midi network latency, killing a Midi network's efficiency. With Midi routing, the sending and receiving midi devices are now much simpler to configure because the midi data received at a midi device is guaranteed to be intended solely for that midi device. For the average home user with only a few Midi devices, a Midi router may not add much value. A Midi hub is the right option. For a performing group (or sophisticated home studio) with a large number of midi devices and complicated midi network, the MidiXLate router can be a life saver. With MidiXLate, you have complete control of Midi 'port filtering', 'translation', and 'channel locking' capabilities. As for MidiXLate's performance, the engine of the router is a blinding fast Atmel SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3 processor running at 84 MHz, providing extremely low latency.

In addition to Midi routing, the MidiXLate router provides 'port filtering' capabilities. For each of the six input ports and six output ports, you can specify, by port, to process or ignore, note on/off, continuous control, progam change, and/or system exclusive commands.
The router also provides a pseudo Network Address Translation (NAT) features called 'Translation' where midi data can be 'translated from one Midi format (such as note data) to another Midi format (such as continuous controller). This is extremely helpful when there is no direct path for one piece of midi gear to control another piece of Midi gear.
Next, the router has a Channel Locking feature providing flexible rules to lock midi data (sent to an output port) to a particular midi channel. For example, assume you have a drum machine attached to output port 6. All drum notes are required (by Midi standard) to be encoded to Midi channel 10,yet some drum patch providers fail to encode their drum patches to midi channel 10. With MidiXLate, you can force all data to your drum machine to midi port 10. Channel Locking has many other useful features.

MidiXLate router use case.
Assume you have a keyboard (with keys, sliders, knobs, switches, and drum pad) connected to the MidiXLate router on input Port 1.
Further assume you have a Yamaha MU15 drum machine connected to MidiXLate router on output Port 2.
Further assume you have a Roland Integra Synth module connected to MidiXLate router on output Port 3.
Further assume you have a Reaper Digital Analog Workstation (DAW) connected to MidiXLate router input port 4 and output port 4.
Lastly assume you have MidiOX running on a development PC connected to MidiXLate router output port 4.
Configure the MidiXLate software to send Keyboard drum pad data to Yamamha MU15 drum synth.
Next, configure the MidiXLate software to send keyboard keys to Roland Integra synth.
Next, configure the MidiXLate software to send keyboard knobs, sliders, and switches to select Roland synth patches, volume, tempo,...
Next, configure the MidiXLate software to send keyboard transport controls (start,stop, play, record) to Reaper synth.
Next, configure the MidiXLate software to send keyboard knobs, sliders, and switches to select Reaper channels, volume, tempo,...
Optionally, split your keyboard keybed into 'zones' using the MidiXLate 'Translation' feature
Optionally, configure your Reaper DAW to send recorded Midi performance data to the Yamaha drum synth and Roland Integra synth.
Lastly, start MidiOx on your development PC and monitor ALL the Midi traffic on your Midi network!
This configuration would be VERY DIFFICULT to accomplish with a Midi HUB, but moderately easy with MidiXLate!

MidiXLate pricing and availability.
MidiXLate routers are custom builds. I typically build a handful of routers each year. If you would like to 'try before you buy', send an email to SierraDigitalAudio@gmail.com. I rent demo routers for $150 month (in 2024) and the customer pays for shipping (both ways). The price of renting a router is applied to the purchase price. If you want to purchase a new router, the purchase price is $850 (in 2024). I hand build these routers in the mountains of northern California and the profit margin on each router is slim. As a customer, you will receive excellent support (limited phone and unlimited email), discounts for router upgrades & accessories, and priority for router (hardware and software) customizations.

As a typical musician, you likely have many midi devices such as keyboards, guitar effects, drum machines, voice processors, and more. You will find it helpful to catalog all of your Midi commands and optionally send those midi commands from your PC desktop to your midi devices (the same Midi commands that are sent from your Midi device.) For example, assume you have a performance where every song requires a different keyboard patch, drum pathch, guitar patch, guitar volume, .... With MidiControl, you can define groups (bookmarks) by song and list all the midi commands to setup each song. Using your PC desktop, you can send the Midi commands to all your midi devices to setup for the next song (patch changes, controllers, ...) Alternatively, as shown in the example screens, each bookmark can represent a Midi device and the Midi commands used to control the device.

To start, connect all of your midi devices to your computer via a Midi hub (which you have likely already have done). Next, download, install, and configure MidiControl (FREE!). When configuring midi control, define bookmarks (groups) for each midi device and/or song. Next, setup the midi commands used by your midi gear (keyboards, pedal boards, effects processors,...) Once your setup is complete, simply press the 'Send' button next to each Midi command to control your midi devices. You now have a simple means to control all of your Midi devices from your PC! Scripting of midi commands is being considered for the next release.