What is the advantages and disadvantages of MIDI?

Answer 1

Because MIDI is a digital signal, it's very easy to interface electronic instruments to computers, and then do things with that MIDI data on the computer with software. For example, software can store MIDI messages to the computer's disk drive. Also, the software can playback MIDI messages upon all 16 channels with the same rhythms as the human who originally caused the instrument(s) to generate those messages. So, a musician can digitally record his musical performance and store it on the computer (to be played back by the computer). He does this not by digitizing the actual audio coming out of all of his electronic instruments, but rather by "recording" the MIDI OUT (ie, those MIDI messages) of all of his instruments. Remember that the MIDI messages for all of those instruments go over one run of cables, so if you put the computer at the end, it "hears" the messages from all instruments over just one incoming cable. The great advantage of MIDI is that the "notes" and other musical actions, such as moving the pitch wheel, pressing the sustain pedal, etc, are all still separated by messages on different channels.

Answer 2

Because MIDI is a digital signal, it's very easy to interface electronic instruments to computers, and then do things with that MIDI data on the computer with software. For example, software can store MIDI messages to the computer's disk drive. Also, the software can playback MIDI messages upon all 16 channels with the same rhythms as the human who originally caused the instrument(s) to generate those messages. So, a musician can digitally record his musical performance and store it on the computer (to be played back by the computer). He does this not by digitizing the actual audio coming out of all of his electronic instruments, but rather by "recording" the MIDI OUT (ie, those MIDI messages) of all of his instruments. Remember that the MIDI messages for all of those instruments go over one run of cables, so if you put the computer at the end, it "hears" the messages from all instruments over just one incoming cable. The great advantage of MIDI is that the "notes" and other musical actions, such as moving the pitch wheel, pressing the sustain pedal, etc, are all still separated by messages on different channels.