Midification

Introduction

Midification is a word coined from MIDI and modification to refer to the process of converting a musical instrument to enable it to output MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) signals.

Early in 2009, Google offered nearly 14,000 search hits for the word, asking first, as did Wikipedia "Did you mean modification?"!

There may well be a need for a disambiguation page for the word, as there appear to be other uses.

Midification is certainly used, for example, to describe the process of taking an old electronic organ, and replacing almost all of its old electronics by modern circuitry which will cause the instrument to output MIDI signals. The rational is that much of the electronics in organs that were built, for example, in the 1970s are becoming irreparable, owing to lack of spares and lack of technicians trained on such equipment. And yet, the instrument is often a magnificent creation, and owners are reluctant to consign it to the dump.

See for example: Midification of an Organ

Outline of Midification of an Organ

A complete older-style electronic organ consists of one or more keyboards, including pedals, a set of stops to select different simulated pipes, a set of tone generators, and an amplifier.

In a total midification exercise, all the old electronics would be removed, leaving the keyboards, stops, and a few other control switches. In some cases, the switch that each key controls might be replaced by a modern micro switch, since the older switches may not be suitable.

The keys and controls would then be connected to one or more MIDI controllers, such that the only output of the instrument would become a MIDI data stream, probably on a USB port. That would be connected to a device capable of turning the MIDI data stream into musical notes, which would then be fed to amplifiers and loudspeakers.