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How to Connect MIDI Cables

MIDI cables, short for musical instrument digital interface cables, can connect a musical instrument such as a keyboard to a computer. The musician can then record and edit the music he plays on his keyboard. The cable allows the keyboard and the computer to communicate so the computer can record the exact notes pressed, how hard they were pressed and the current volume. It only takes a few minutes to connect an instrument using MIDI cables.

Things You'll Need

  • MIDI cable
  • MIDI to sound card cable
  • MIDI to USB Connector
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Instructions

    • 1

      Locate the MIDI ports on your keyboard or other musical instrument. MIDI ports are round with a tiny square cut out at the top and five small gouge marks cut out at the bottom. Check the user manual if you can't find the port or gently try the cable on the various ports until you find one it fits into. Connect the round ends of the MIDI cable to the MIDI ports in your instrument

    • 2

      Check your computer for a game port. The game port resembles a large sideways rectangle with lots of holes in it and a larger hole on each end. Not all computers have the game port. If yours does, you can plug a MIDI to sound card cable into the computer and the MIDI ports on your keyboard. If your computer does not have a game port, proceed to Step 3.

    • 3

      Plug the remaining end of the MIDI cable into a MIDI to USB connector. Plug the connector into the USB port on your computer, the small rectangular slot, and your instrument should connect.

    • 4

      Check your computer for a MIDI port. A newer computer may have a MIDI port, and you can plug the MIDI cable directly from the instrument into this port without needing any connectors.

Digital Music

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