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DIN Connector

The DIN connector is an electrical connector standardized in the early 1970s by the Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN), the German national standards organization.

MIDI

The original hardware specification for the [midi] protocol was the 5-pin DIN connector.

Typical MIDI connections are male on both ends, though there are female-female connectors that allow for daisy changing.

MIDI hardware tends to be equipped with 5-pin MIDI ports (female jacks).

The THRU port on MIDI hardware immediately relays all data received at IN port facilitating device "daisy-changing" for simultaneous use.

Connector pin numbering:

• on female connector, left to right:
  • 3, 5, 2, 4, 1
• on male connector, left to right:
  • 1, 4, 2, 5, 3
• data transmitted on pin 4, received on pin 5 (at 5V DC)
• pin 2 shield/ground
• pins 1 and 3 are unused
  • they serve to distinguish from XLR?
• MIDI-XLR adapters are possible
• uniqueness of 5-pin design meant to prevent erroneous connections

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIN_connector
• MUS 407 MIDI