Synths and MIDIs, whats the difference?

Question

i've been in music for who knows how long & same thing goes for my friends.

& i've asked every person i know, and not one person knows thee difference between a Synth & an MIDI.

so far the best answer i got was, white scene kids use synths and black people use MIDIs haha.

Answer 1

MIDI is an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface.  It is the way that electronic instruments communicate with each other, and with computers.  A synth (synthesizer) is a keyboard instrument capable of actually CHANGING the quality of the waveform that produces each voice.  Many people SAY *synth* when what they really have is an electronic keyboard - which produce sound electronically, but you cannot CHANGE the fundamental timbre opf the sound, except for adding reverb, chorussing, etc.  

You need less bigoted friends.  So do they.

Answer 2

Midi has nothing to do with white/black.  Obviously, your musical friends havent been around that long, or they would know some basic differences between Midi and Synthesizers, and also know that musicians come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. No one instrument is gender or race biased.

  In the very early days of Synthesizers, each instrument was only capable of producing one sound only, such as brass, strings, woodwinds, piano's, sound effects.  A lot of them were only capable of playing one note at a time too.(monophonic, single note)   You could not play chords.  They also had many k***s on them, and it was these k***s that changed certain things of the waveform, such as low frequency, high frequency, pitch.  Basically you could control the waveform.  It was in the late 70's that synths began to change some.  A few manufacturers added the ability to play chords and more than one note at a time and this was called polyphonic keyboards or synths.  Bear in mind, unlike todays keyboards, where with just by punching a button and the sound changes, these had absolutely no memory whatsoever.  And, like mamianka said, most people refer to keyboards as synths... and yet.. they are not the same instrument, although electronic keyboards like the Roland Juno D CAN change the overall sound and timbre of the of the voice, as there are simple synth functions available at the turn of a k**b that WILL alter the waveform.

  If you click on this link ive provided, this is what an old school synth used to look like.  But... this is not an old school synth.  Its a modern day synth.  Yet... only plays one note at a time.. just like the early ones!

         http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-M...

    MIDI,  short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface hasnt been around all that long. In the early 80's, chances are if you bought a product from Korg, and one from Roland, they would not be able to communicate with each other.  Each manufacturer had its own language and own special cords that connected with their brands only.

  It was in 1983 that MIDI became universal. Take a look at just about any keyboard on the market today.. MIDI jacks are common place.  

   MIDI  sends information at a rate of 31,250 bits per second.  Pretty fast stuff!  And, MIDI is not limited to just keyboards.  Drum kits, drum machines, guitars(MIDI pickups, yes.. your guitar can sound like a french horn!), wind instruments, and even effects processors incorporate MIDI. Even recording consoles used in a studio have MIDI capabilites. Its to link many MIDI devices together, and to make sure they are all  run at the same tempo and are syncronized. There is a MIDI Time Code for this.(MTC)  A lot of times this is used in motion pictures and media productions, and its in use with the  SMPTE Time Code. (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) A sophisticated MIDI set-up for keyboard is kind of interesting.  What looks like a common electronic keyboard makes no sound at all.  Its use is for communication with a MIDI sound module only.  Its the module that produces the sound.  By the way.. look on the back of an electronic keyboard.  You will see the MIDI in and out jacks.  There are 5 small holes in the jacks. Only 3 of these holes or pins if its in the MIDI cable are used.  One of them is a ground. Makes sure the electricity flows in the proper direction.  One of them is used as electrical shielding. On the MIDI cable, that means that it is attached to a wire that is wrapped around all the other wires in the cable. That helps prevent the cable from transmitting or receiving any kind of electrical or radio interference that might ruin the data as it travels down the cable. And.. one pin on the MIDI cable is for sending and receiving MIDI information. One unique thing about that.. the information travels both ways in the cable! Two of the holes/pins do absolutely nothing!

   Hope this has helped define the differences between the two, and especially the MANY uses of MIDI.