INTRODUCTION TO SYNTHESIZERS - hol.gr

... and the Roland D-550 module
But some modules are even smaller than that: they are only electronic cards residing inside a personal
computer. Usually we don't refer to these as "synthesizers", but as "wavetable sound cards".
Computers
No matter what kind of music we are creating, computers are without doubt the most powerful tools for
composing and creating music ever - and certainly not only for electronic music. So, what is needed for
computer aided music composition?
Apple iMac running Cubase VST
First of all we need a computer, of course.
Almost any half-decent personal computer can
handle the task of MIDI recording and processing
with the greatest ease. Recorded MIDI-data also
takes up very little space on the hard-drive.
As long as we only work with raw MIDI-data - and
not audio - we really don't need the latest and
fastest computer hardware available.
But to enter the MIDI data in a some way, we need some kind of input device - usually a MIDI keyboard or
synthesizer. These piano-like keyboards are the most natural and convenient input devices: anything we play on
the keyboard is translated into MIDI data. If you remember, we have already looked at these keyboard
controllers in a previous chapter about MIDI sequencing.
Now we want these commands to be transferred into the computer, where they can be edited, stored and
played back. But since most computers don't have built-in MIDI-jacks, we must use some kind of MIDIinterface.
Roland UM-4 MIDI-Interface
MIDI-interfaces come in various shapes and sizes. Some are internal cards, which need to be inserted in an
available PCI or ISA slot inside your computer. Others are standalone units, which are plugged into the printer
port on the back of the computer. The most modern interfaces use the USB-standard, which further simplifies
the communication issues between electronic music equipment and computers.
Finally, we need a suitable MIDI-software running in the computer - and we're all set!
19