MIDI controller

A MIDI controller is an input device and electronic musical instrument which typically converts physical interaction to Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) information. This information can be sent to a sound module, synthesizer, or sampler, or can be recorded using a music sequencer or digital audio workstation for later playback. A MIDI controller may or may not have a synthesizer or speaker built in, and most rely on external equipment to convert MIDI events into an audio signal and then into audible sound.

Often, MIDI controllers resemble traditional musical instruments. The most common type is the MIDI keyboard, which resembles a keyboard instrument like a piano, but parallels for a range of instruments exist, including wind controllers which resemble wind instruments, guitar-like controllers such as the SynthAxe, and electronic drum kits which mimic acoustic drums. There are also some controllers without acoustic parallels, the most common being MIDI-enabled music sequencers and simple drum pad controllers like the Roland Octapad, Korg PadKontrol and Novation Launchpad.

The most basic controllers transmit only data about the pitch and duration of notes, while more sophisticated devices are capable of sending further parameters, such as velocity and pitch bend. MIDI controllers can be cheaper, more portable and more versatile than full hardware synthesizers, although different types vary greatly in cost, and sending MIDI commands to a digital sampler normally produces a less authentic sound than that of a traditional instrument. MIDI controllers are an example of digital music technology, and are often used by producers of electronic music to play software synthesizers (or hardware synthesizers that lack their own keyboards).