MIDI:
Audio:
Other:
Support
Audio Loop:
A small section of music or sound which is meant to be played back in a
loop, repeated over and over to create a rhythmic pattern or groove.
DAW:
Digital Audio Workstation: a software program that allows the user to do
most functions required of a modern recording studio, often integrating MIDI
with recorded audio tracks, virtual samplers, virtual synths,
etc. so a project can be recorded and mixed completely within the digital
domain.
MIDI:
Musical Instrument Digital Interface: A
standardized serial digital protocol used for controlling music
and sound data.
MIDI Controller:
An electro-mechanical device designed to translate physical
movement into MIDI data. For example, a keyboard controller can create MIDI note
information based upon which key is played, and how long and hard is has been
pressed. Other controllers are based on guitars (Roland GR-33 Guitar
Synthesizer), wind instruments (Yamaha BC3A breath controller),
or drums (M-Audio "Trigger Finger" or Roland V-Drums).
Virtual
Instrument:
A collection of samples that have been designed to be played
together. Virtual Instruments can be loaded into a hardware or software
sampler where they function as a virtual musical instrument, able to be
controlled using MIDI data.
Sampled Sound:
A sound that has been digitised and stored in a format which allows it to
be played back under control of MIDI data.
Sampler:
Samplers can be a stand-alone hardware unit, or they can be software based
(called a "soft-synth"), designed to be run on a computer. In
either case, samplers allow a digitised audio file to be played back and
manipulated in different ways, all under control of the composer, typically
using MIDI controllers.
Soundfont:
A widely-recognised and standardized format for organising audio data, which allows it to be played back via MIDI control. The popular SoundBlaster series of sound cards made by Creative Solutions is able to load and play Soundfonts, as are many popular audio sequencers such as Sonar and Pro Tools (using a Soundfont player plug-in).
Soundfont Player:
A small program designed to run as a Directx or VST plug-in inside sequencer software such as Sonar, Pro Tools, Logic Pro, etc. Good-quality Soundfont players are usually quite inexpensive, in fact, a free one can be found on our Supported Software Formats - Links Page here.
Soundscape:
The name given to a high-quality, detailed recording of the sound from a
real-world environment (the sound of a busy café, a highway, a passing train,
etc.) which can be used in sound designs, or as background effects for videos,
films, and multimedia productions.
44.1 Khz, 16 bit:
The standardized sampling speed and size of audio data
recorded on commercial music CD's.
Glossary