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MIDI FUNCTIONS
Even though the DJX is enormously versatile and powerful on its own, it can also
be used effectively in any MIDI setup.
The DJX is MIDI-compatible, featuring MIDI IN and MIDI OUT terminals and pro-
viding a variety of MIDI-related controls. By using the MIDI functions you can
expand your musical possibilities. This section explains what MIDI is, and what it
can do, as well as how you can use MIDI on your DJX.
No doubt you have heard the terms “acoustic instrument” and “digital instrument.” In the world
today, these are the two main categories of instruments. Let’s consider an acoustic piano and a classi-
cal guitar as representative acoustic instruments. They are easy to understand. With the piano, you
strike a key, and a hammer inside hits some strings and plays a note. With the guitar, you directly
pluck a string and the note sounds. But how does a digital instrument go about playing a note?
As shown in the illustration above, in an electronic instrument the sampling note (previously recorded
note) stored in the tone generator section (electronic circuit) is played based on information received
from the keyboard. So then what is the information from the keyboard that becomes the basis for
note production?
For example, let’s say you play a “C” quarter note using the grand piano sound on the DJX keyboard.
Unlike an acoustic instrument that puts out a resonated note, the electronic instrument puts out
information from the keyboard such as “with what voice,” “with which key,” “about how strong,”
“when was it pressed,” and “when was it released.” Then each piece of information is changed into a
number value and sent to the tone generator. Using these numbers as a basis, the tone generator
plays the stored sampling note.
Acoustic guitar note production
Digital instrument note production
Pluck a string and the body
resonates the sound.
Based on playing information from the keyboard, a
sampling note stored in the tone generator is
played through the speakers.
L
R
Tone Generator
(Electronic circuit)
Sampling
Note
Playing the keyboard
Sampling
Note
The MIDI functions cannot be used in the Song mode.
WHAT IS MIDI?
WHAT IS MIDI?
