Software Synthesizers and MIDI

When I started playing music in the early 70's I experimented with bass guitar, rhythm, piano and organ. But, my favorite was rhythm guitar, which was the case until the 80's. That was when I got my first synthesizer. It was built with something called MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Before MIDI, a synth manufacturer would make keyboards with interfaces that would only communicate with it's own products. So, if you had 2 keyboards from 2 different manufacturers you couldn't plug them into each other.

You could pretty much link a hotdog to a hamburger (so to speak) as long as each had standard MIDI. Then in the 90's came MIDI sequencers. This allowed you to play something on your synthesizer, and the sequencer would record your movements and play the actual synth back to you. The sequencer didn't actually record the sound from the keyboard; it would simply memorize and play back the MIDI information. So, even if you switched to a different sound it would still play back the notes on whatever sound you switched to. Awesome! You could daisy chain a bunch of synths and drum machines and create an entire musical arrangement. Further, you could make changes and corrections to you arrangement before ever having to record it to tape!

Oh, but it gets better. Now entering the arena: the multi-timbre synth! Instead of needing 16 synths or other MIDI modules if you wanted 16 different instruments in you arrangement, the multi-timbre synth could play all 16 parts at the same time! Amazing!

Jump ahead a few years in time and we're introduced to MIDI sequencing software for your home computer. Today, we have something called software synthesizers or soft synths. It's very common nowadays, to use a simple MIDI keyboard (with no internal sounds) to trigger the soft synths (residing within the computer's hard drive) to make music. As complicated as this may seem, its really not if you understand the concept as I've explained it so far.

There are basically 2 types of soft synth programs. The first is called a plug-in. With a plug-in you'll need a main or host digital audio workstaionprogram (DAW) with sequencing capabilities. From with your host DAW you can then open (or plug-in) the software synth you want to use.

The other type of soft synth is a stand-alone program that requires no host DAW. The stand-alone program will have it's own sequencing, effects and mixing capabilities. One example of a popular stand-alone soft synth is Propellerhead's Reason.

The thing I appreciate the most about soft synths is the fact that, unlike regular hardware synths, you don't have to worry about getting the music you've created INTO your computer; it's already there! All you have to do is transfer the synth sounds from your stand-alone soft synth program to your DAW program. And even that is easy as pie. Furthermore, if you're using a soft synth plug-in within a DAW host program, you really don't have to transfer at all!

If you're still using hardware sequencers and synthesizer you should do yourself a favor and take advantage of the world of computer soft synths.

Thanks for reading, and happy tracking!