ZIPI

Updated: 12/31/2022 by Computer Hope

Introduced in 1994, ZIPI (Zeta Instruments Processor Interface) is a musical interface language. It was a research project from Keith McMillen of Zeta Instruments and David Wessel and Matthew Write of UC Berkeley's CNMAT (Center for New Music and Audio Technologies). The project was made to provide greater control of sound, especially sound in a network environment and used a star network with a hub in the center.

ZIPI introduced the MPDL (Music Parameter Description Language) protocol, a new message system that is organized into 63 families. Each family accommodated 127 instruments that resulted in up to 1,016,127 individual note addresses.

Because of its complexity, lack of industry hardware support, and competing technologies, ZIPI was never fully accepted and today is not used. Today, IEEE 1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) supersedes ZIPI in every respect.

MIDI, Sound terms