

MIDI keyboards can be viewed in two basic categories small, compact 25-key devices (some as wide as a standard laptop) and wider, 49-key, desk-based options. This data can be manipulated with ease, and allows you to edit the performance independently of the actual sound. It does NOT send an audio signal, it is only sending data, which is exactly what makes MIDI so powerful. By playing a sequence on a MIDI keyboard for example, you are sending information to your DAW on what notes where played, how long the notes lasted, how hard you played the notes and other signals.

To put it simply, MIDI is basically the language that allows computers, music instruments and other hardware to communicate.
