What is required to “Midi” an accordion?

Midi requires a switch (a physical contact or magnetic sensor) to be installed on each key and button to transmit a signal identifying which note(s) are being played. This together with a small circuit board and minimal wiring comprises a basic Midi installation. Midi is powered by a small voltage which is normally supplied by a special power pack via the same cable that carries the note information from the accordion to the expander.

Some Midi systems feature a control panel allowing settings and sounds to be changed quickly and easily. Depending on the system, control panels can be mounted on the accordion’s treble grill or incorporated into the power pack.

A Midi installation adds very little weight to an accordion and is supplied with the necessary power pack and connection cables.

How many sounds can be played at once?

Midi sends signals along sixteen separate channels. A signal sent on channel 2 for example, will be received on channel 2 by the expander which will play the sound which has been selected for channel 2. Different sounds can be assigned to each channel.

A Midi accordion has a channel for the bass, a channel for the chords, and one (sometimes two) channels for the treble. As different sounds can be selected on the expander for each channel, up to four sounds - one on the bass, one on the chords and one or two on the treble - can be played simultaneously.

Modern expanders also provide rhythms, auto-accompaniment and backing track playback features which can be triggered by a Midi accordion.

Should one expander not be enough, several can be linked together using Midi cables and used at the same time, making the choice of sounds and sound combinations vast!

And of course, there is still the sound of the accordion reeds!!

Upgrading Midi

Modern electronic instruments become obsolete very quickly due to rapid advances in synthesiser and sampling technology. Fortunately, upgrading a Midi accordion with the latest sounds can be achieved without purchasing a new instrument - only the Midi expander needs to be updated since it, not the accordion produces the electronic sounds.

Installing Midi

Midi can be installed in an existing accordion, or specified and factory fitted to a new accordion. The Accordion Lounge offers factory fitted Midi systems by Musictech as an option on all new made to order accordions.

To discover more about Musictech Midi, click on the any one of the systems shown below.

Bass Microphone Capsule

Treble Volume Control

Bass Volume Control

Microphone output socket (1/4” Jack)

Treble Microphone Capsule

9V Battery Connector

MT-04N Microphone System

Amplifies treble & bass.
Linear frequency response 20Hz - 20Khz.
Signal/noise ratio 58 dB.
Less feedback and better volume control with zero clipping due to new circuitry with SMD devices.
9 Volt battery powered.

Internal microphone systems are an effective, discrete and convenient way of capturing the sound of an accordion.

Contemporary systems employ multiple microphone capsules installed inside the accordion, with separate volume controls for the treble and bass mounted on the treble grill. Other than a socket for the connection of a microphone lead - normally located on the underside of the accordion - the volume control knobs are the only visible evidence that an accordion is equipped with internal microphones.

Microphone systems add very little weight to an accordion and can be installed in existing or specified and factory fitted to new instruments.

Accordion Microphone Systems

The Accordion Lounge offers factory fitted microphone systems by Musictech as an option on all new made to order accordions. Musictech systems utilise high quality Sennheiser microphone capsules to capture the “real” sound of the accordion.

To see the full range of microphone systems from Musictech, click here.

Please call or email us for further details and pricing.

Accordion Midi and Microphones

Accordion Midi

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (Midi) is a standard system by which musical instruments equipped with a digital interface can communicate with each other.

When a note is played on a Midi instrument, a signal is transmitted to other connected electronic Midi instruments, expanders or backing modules triggering them to simultaneously play the same note or notes.

An acoustic accordion fitted with Midi allows you to play digitally synthesised/sampled sounds (e.g. piano, organ, guitar, brass etc.) generated by a connected expander together with, or instead of the accordion’s reeds.

Midi adds a further creative dimension to the accordion’s versatility, and is often favoured by entertainers looking for a varied range of sounds and accompaniment options to enhance their performance.

A basic Midi set up comprises a:-