MaGIC: Media-accelerated Global Information Carrier

Or: "Why does my Les Paul have an RJ-45 connector?"

An open source protocol developed by Gibson, the guitar company. MaGIC is essentially a modified ethernet standard which allows musical instruments to communicate digitally, (via Cat 5 cable), with devices such as amplifiers, mixing desks, recording devices and, of course, your PC. An ASIC embedded within your device, err, instrument allows the 'network' to recognize it and adapt accordingly. For example, a mixing desk can set effects settings on the channel you plug your guitar into.

With 100 times the bandwidth of MIDI and run-outs of up to 100 metres, a single Cat 5 cable can handle up to 64 MaGIC data channels, (audio data, control information etc). Being ethernet based, communication can be bi-directional: Control data, for example can be sent both ways. Just think - you'll be able to bypass the sound engineer and increase your own level in the mix!!

I wonder what Jimi would make of all this?

References

http://magic.gibson.com/MaGICfaq.pdf
http://labs.gibson.com/aboutus.html