A hardware MIDI device or software instrument (such as an instrument plug-in).Hardware that lets computers connect to and communicate with MIDI devices (such as the M-Audio MIDISPORT).Any physical MIDI keyboard, sound module, effects device, or other equipment that can send or receive MIDI information.Any MIDI device that transmits MIDI performance data. These include MIDI keyboards, MIDI guitar controllers, MIDI wind controllers, and others. Controllers transmit MIDI from their MIDI OUT ports.Any device (such as Command|8), which uses a MIDI connection to send control messages to a software program, but is not generally used to record MIDI information.The ability of one MIDI device to play several different instrument sounds (such as piano, bass, and drums) simultaneously on separate MIDI channels. This makes it possible for a single multitimbral MIDI instrument to play back entire arrangements.A physical MIDI port on a MIDI interface or a virtual MIDI port created in software. There are separate ports for MIDI In and Out. Physical MIDI ports connect to external MIDI devices using MIDI cables. Virtual MIDI ports connect software plug-ins and applications (see also “Virtual MIDI Nodes”).Up to 16 channels of MIDI performance data can be transmitted on a single MIDI cable. The channel number separates the different messages so your sound sources can receive the correct messages.A MIDI command that tells a sound source which of its sounds (or sound patches) to use. The MIDI protocol lets you choose from a range of 128 patches.Many devices have more than 128 patches, which are arranged in banks. The Bank Select Message is a MIDI command that specifies the bank of patches from which to choose.A controller setting found on most MIDI keyboards that lets them play their own sound source. Disabling “local control” ensures that a device’s internal sound source is only played by external MIDI messages (such as those sent from Pro Tools when MIDI in Pro Tools is routed to the MIDI keyboard). When using Pro Tools, “local control” should usually be disabled (for example, when using MIDI Thru). When “local control” is off, your keyboard still transmits data to its MIDI OUT port.MIDI instructions that allow real-time changes to notes that are currently sounding. These include pitch bend, modulation, volume, pan, and many others.MIDI data commonly used for sending and retrieving patch parameter information for storage purposes.When using MIDI with instrument plug-ins in Pro Tools, virtual MIDI nodes are created. These nodes act like MIDI ports and provide software MIDI connections between Pro Tools and other MIDI software, such as instrument plug-ins. For example, when you insert Propellerhead’s Reason as a ReWire client on a track, the various MIDI inputs to Reason become available to Pro Tools MIDI and Instrument track MIDI outputs.