In use since the 1980s is MIDI. It was a protocol intended to facilitate interfacing between rival audio devices. It’s safe to argue that the recording industry was radically transformed. The MIDI protocol will be well-known to anyone who works in the music industry. Of course, MIDI isn’t a technology that has sat back and relaxed. Oh no. In that time, it has undergone numerous upgrades.
Table of Contents
What Is Bluetooth MIDI?
The idea of Bluetooth MIDI was created by Apple and first appeared in iOS 8.0 and later. The MIDI development team chose to adhere to this standard. After all, MIDI’s main purpose has been to make it simple to connect different audio devices together.
Why not use the Apple implementation if it was successful and had users? Simply put, Bluetooth MIDI is a technology that enables wireless communication between MIDI devices. Imagine playing the piano with every button push being recorded on your computer or even the phone in your hand (some current pianos have Bluetooth MIDI built in).
There are no cables at all. Additionally, no specialized software is needed. A recording device will support Bluetooth MIDI if it supports MIDI. All there is to it is that. It is essentially MIDI connections through Bluetooth, quite similar to how you would connect Bluetooth headphones. It simply leads to wireless connectivity, something MIDI has never been successful with because a good MIDI setup requires so many wires.
Bluetooth MIDI Benefits
The latency of Bluetooth MIDI is only a few milliseconds. USB is in the tens of milliseconds in comparison. On paper, it might not seem like much, yet this makes a significant difference. The technology is currently close to flawless, but like with other MIDI advances, it is expected to get even better with time. Naturally, the main benefit of Bluetooth MIDI is that it does support the MIDI protocol. This implies that Bluetooth MIDI devices will function with any hardware, software, etc. that is compatible with MIDI.
With your Bluetooth MIDI devices, you have the same level of control as you would if you were physically connected to a MIDI interface. In actuality, the only change will be the absence of wires. Even while utilizing Bluetooth MIDI, you won’t be aware of it. The fact that many devices can be adapted to support Bluetooth MIDI is the nicest feature. Some of the more vintage equipment fall under this. This is so that you may simply plug a MIDI device into Bluetooth MIDI adapters that are available. It is pleasant and easy.
In actuality, setting up a Bluetooth connection is very similar to any other Bluetooth connection. Naturally, Bluetooth MIDI increases the number of devices you can connect to. In the past, you would need to buy some pretty high-end equipment to get everything up and running if you wanted to use MIDI with your mobile device.