A Beginner's Guide To MIDI 11

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Do I Need A Synth Then?
Because they simply contain instructions to play a musical note, rather than digitised recorded audio, M.I.D.I. files are relatively small, and therefore provide a relatively easy way of providing a soundtrack to the World Wide Web, or CD ROM based multimedia software.
Many web pages now include embedded M.I.D.I. files, and computer games provide a musical accompaniment through M.I.D.I.
Of course, not everyone who wants to listen to music in this way has a M.I.D.I. equiped keyboard at their disposal. Luckily they don't need one.
Although M.I.D.I. files which are played via an internet connection can be routed through a M.I.D.I. interface to an external device, it is also possible to have them played by a M.I.D.I. device housed inside the computer itself. The quality of the device and its method of operation will depend on the computer, along with the additions that have been made to it, but generally, M.I.D.I. based music is an accepted facility that computers now provide.
In the case of PCs (IBM compatibles/Windows and Intel based machines), the M.I.D.I. processing hardware is usually housed along with the audio hardware on the computer's soundcard. This may simply offer the sounds themselves along with an output port to enable connection to a stereo system, or to external speakers. Alternatively, the soundcard may offer M.I.D.I. Ins and Outs, enabling the connection of a keyboard and receiving devices.

Apple Macs are already equiped with sound generating hardware, and include a software addition called Quicktime Musical Instruments, as part of the system software. This is effectively a basic GM synthesiser which will not only play M.I.D.I. files from within other programs, but may also be accessed by a sequencer as an instrument.
If you visit a web page with an embedded M.I.D.I. file you'll be able to play it as you look at the page, as long as you have a Plug-In which can process the M.I.D.I. data and send it to a M.I.D.I. equiped soundcard or to Quicktime Musical Instruments.
If you download and save a M.I.D.I. file you'll be able to play it with a variety of software when you're off-line. There are many shareware M.I.D.I. file players available, my Mac favourite is Arnold's M.I.D.I. Player, or if you have a sequencer program you could load it onto there and play it on a GM synthesiser.