MIDI composition

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) composition takes advantage of the MIDI interface to allow musical data files to be shared among various electronic instruments by using a standard list of commands and parameters known as General MIDI (GM). Because the music is simply data and not actually recorded wave forms, (the data is essentially a series of "on" and "off" commands, along with numerical information) it is therefore maintained in a small file format. Several computer programs allow manipulation of the data so that composing for an entire orchestra is possible and can be reproduced by any electronic instrument that adheres to the GM standards. There are many websites that allow downloads of popular songs as well as classical music, and there are also some websites where midi composers can share their works and compete with others. One of these is Midi Contest, which also provides interaction between composers through forums and voice chat.
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