layout: default
title: Setting Up MIDI
---
-
+
+<h2>What Can Ardour Do With MIDI?</h2>
+<p>
+ <dfn><abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr></dfn>
+ is a way to describe music data and to control music hardware and
+ software. Ardour can import and record MIDI data, and perform a
+ variety of editing operations on it. Furthermore, MIDI can be used to
+ control various functions of Ardour.
+</p>
+<p class="note">
+ Ardour does not include a <dfn>synthesis engine</dfn> to produce audio
+ from MIDI data, but relies on plugins or external hard- and software
+ for the task. This can be a stumbling block for first time users who
+ expect MIDI input to result in audio output by default.<br />
+ Please see the section on working with plug-ins for more information on
+ turning MIDI data into audio output.</p>
+
+<h2>MIDI Handling Frameworks</h2>
+<p>
+ MIDI input and output for Ardour are handled by the same "engine"
+ that handles audio input and output. Up to release 3.5, that means
+ that all MIDI I/O takes place via JACK. JACK itself uses the
+ native MIDI systems of the operating system to receive and send
+ data which are:
+</p>
+
+<h3>OS X : CoreMIDI</h3>
+<p>
+ <dfn>CoreMIDI</dfn> is the standard MIDI framework on OSX systems.
+ It provides drivers for MIDI hardware and libraries needed by MIDI
+ software clients.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Linux : ALSA MIDI</h3>
+<p>
+ <dfn><abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound API">ALSA</abbr> MIDI</dfn>
+ is the standard MIDI framework on Linux systems. It provides drivers
+ for MIDI hardware and libraries needed by MIDI software clients.
+</p>
+<p>
+ The <dfn>QJackCtl</dfn> control software displays ALSA MIDI ports
+ under its "ALSA" tab (it does not currently display CoreMIDI ports).
+ By contrast, JACK MIDI ports show up under
+ the <kbd class="menu">MIDI</kbd> tab in QJackCtl.
+</p>
+
+<h2>JACK MIDI Configuration</h2>
+<p>
+By default, JACK will not automatically detect and use existing MIDI
+ports on your system. You must choose one of several ways
+of <dfn>bridging</dfn> between the native MIDI frameworks
+(e.g. CoreMIDI or ALSA) and JACK MIDI, as described in the sections
+below.
+</p>
+
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