Introduction

Mido is a popular Python library used for working with MIDI files and messages. It offers a simple and efficient way to manipulate MIDI data, making it a powerful tool for both beginner and advanced programmers. In this article, we will explore how to use Mido, discuss its features and capabilities, and provide some examples to help you get started with MIDI programming using Mido.

Installation

Before we begin exploring Mido, we first need to install it. Mido can be installed using pip, the Python Package Installer. To install Mido, open your terminal or command prompt and enter the following command:

pip install mido

Once you have installed Mido, you can import it into your Python project by adding the following line of code at the beginning of your script:

import mido

Working with MIDI Messages

Mido allows us to work with MIDI messages in a clean and user-friendly way. MIDI messages are essentially small packets of data that contain information about a specific aspect of a MIDI performance, such as a note being played or a controller being moved. With Mido, we can easily create, manipulate, and send MIDI messages. Here is an example:

import mido
out_port = mido.open_output('Virtual MIDI Port')
msg = mido.Message('note_on', note=60, velocity=64)
out_port.send(msg)

In this example, we first open a MIDI output port using the mido.open_output() function, which allows us to send MIDI messages to a MIDI device. We then create a note_on message using the mido.Message() function, which specifies that we want to turn on a note with a value of 60 (which is equivalent to a middle C on a piano) and a velocity of 64. Finally, we send the message using the out_port.send() function.

Reading and Writing MIDI Files

Mido also provides a convenient way to read and write MIDI files. Here is an example of how to create a new MIDI file using Mido:

import mido
mid = mido.MidiFile(type=1)
track = mido.MidiTrack()
mid.tracks.append(track)
track.append(mido.Message('program_change', program=12, time=0))
track.append(mido.Message('note_on', note=60, velocity=64, time=0))
track.append(mido.Message('note_off', note=60, velocity=127, time=100))
mid.save('new_song.mid')

In this example, we first create a new MIDI file using the mido.MidiFile() function, specifying that the type of the file is type 1. We then create a new MIDI track and add it to the file using the mid.tracks.append() function. We add three MIDI messages to the track using the track.append() function, which specifies that we want to change the program to 12 (which is the sound that will be used), start a note with a value of 60, turn off the note, and finally, save the MIDI file to disk using the mid.save() function.

Conclusion

Mido is a powerful Python library that provides a simple and efficient way to work with MIDI data. In this article, we explored some of the basic features and capabilities of Mido, including working with MIDI messages and files. With its ease of use and flexibility, Mido is a great tool for anyone who wants to work with MIDI in Python, whether you are a beginner or advanced programmer.