# How do we call MIDI and non-MIDI files?
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-we-call-midi-and-non-midi-files/19795
**Category:** Off-Topic
**Created:** [February 9, 2018, 4:17pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-we-call-midi-and-non-midi-files/19795 "2018-02-09T16:17:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2018, 4:17pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-we-call-midi-and-non-midi-files/19795/1 "2018-02-09T16:17:04Z")
So in graphic editing we can group file format in two main categories: vector and raster
By that comparison, MIDI are "vectors" and non-MIDI are "rasters". Do such two audio groups have names?
---
### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-we-call-midi-and-non-midi-files/19795/2 "2019-11-25T17:39:51Z")
Let me rephrase that question:
` `
` `
How are "un-fixed" files like MIDIs called and how re called files with a fixed data like FLACs or MP3s called?
Depending on the hardware you use [and as I understand the banks of sounds that it uses] one MIDI file can sound completely different. And yes, this is also true for any other file because different speakers can play different frequencies- but data for those frequencies are always read by your initial hardware [the sound card] in the same way from FLACs / MP3s, while in case of MIDI it is not the same case. [I hope I made it clear now and that I did not explained in a totally wrong way]
` `
` `
So: are there two categories for audio files? If yes: what are they names?
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-we-call-midi-and-non-midi-files/19795/3 "2019-11-25T18:15:10Z")
Is this a reasonable pair of opposites?
Midi files resemble the punch cards for (old) hurdy-gurdies where the resulting sounds depends on the installed instruments where the recorded data represents a note (with all its properties) but not a particular sound.
I would put the current digital audio formats in contrast to analogue audio sources like tape recorders or vinyl record players where both systems had the purpose to re-create a certain sound but not a note.
So IMHO comparing MIDI and mp3 files looks like comparing apples and oranges.
---
### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-we-call-midi-and-non-midi-files/19795/4 "2019-11-25T18:49:19Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> [...]
> So IMHO comparing MIDI and mp3 files looks like comparing apples and oranges.
But that is what I am after: the name for such difference
> [@Zerow](#):
>
> So in graphic editing we can group file format in two main categories: vector and raster
> [...]
Are there analogical categories for audio files? Or did nobody came up yet with a name for them?
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2019, 6:58pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-we-call-midi-and-non-midi-files/19795/5 "2019-11-25T18:58:02Z")
> [@Zerow](#):
>
> So in graphic editing we can group file format in two main categories: vector and raster
Acknowledged. These are digital picture formats.
So an equivalent would be to find the categories for sound files. Like compressed, lossless, PCM - these would be members of the category sound files.
MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface - so it has to do with instruments and not with sounds.
But if you insist on grouping instrument instructions with sounds... keep looking.