Most guys don't realize that they've been doing all of this in the box already with there soft-synths. Understanding midi will help in so many ways it's frightening. I used to programme off outboard gear regularly and it's amazing to see how the new younger guys who didn't have to do it get so confused if something goes wrong vs. the old-school guys who understand the underlying concept.
You also look really intelligent if you can use gear that doesn't have big pretty interfaces and just menu's
