MIDI (short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is an electronic musical instrument industry specification that enables a wide range of digital musical instruments, computers and other related devices to connect and communicate with one another. The primary functions of MIDI include communicating event messages about musical notation, pitch, velocity, control signals for parameters (such as volume, vibrato, audio panning, cues, and clock signals between multiple devices). Establishment of the MIDI standard occurred in the early 1980s, yielding a number of significant benefits to both professional and hobby musicians, as well as recording artists.