Do you wish to create your own music but your course is neither about master engineering or music production? Yes, you can! Understanding the MIDI bass synthesizer is a vital part to creating your own music and with the advancement in the science and technology in the music industry, you could be a ‘bedroom producer’ through the aid of MIDI technology.

MIDI is an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface that played a great role in making music “digital”. Technically, it refers to an industry-standard protocol wherein it allows electronic music instruments, computers and other electronic equipments to synth in with each other without degradation. Thus, anybody could have the chance to create their own tracks with the quality similar to professionals from their own home.

MIDI has been widely adopted in the music industry because in comparison with analogue devices, MIDI does not convey audio signals; rather

MIDI transmits event messages regarding the following:

• pitch and intensity

• control signals for parameters such as volume, vibrato and panning, cues

• clock signals to set the tempo.

One of the electronic musical instruments that greatly utilize MIDI for easier integration and synchronization with other instruments is the synthesizer as it uses filters and tone generators to produce waveforms. These are then processed to create sound.

For hip hop lovers who desire to create their own music, this technology could be of great help. But before doing so, you should understand that when it comes to hip hop music, the main important musical instrument is the bass for this could be used in expressing the intensity of your emotions and feelings through music. Thus, recreating music to a different level of sounds would mean using a good quality MIDI bass synthesizer.

Bass synth software works as an electronic musical instrument that uses filters and tones generator to create waveforms that can be processed to generate sounds ranging from simulations of the electric bass or double bass to distorted artificial bass sounds. This is done by generating and combining signals of different frequencies. With bass synthesizers you can adjust to get the ideal sound you desire from your bass.

Bass synth pieces could be encompasses to a range of sounds and tones that includes wavetable-style, analog, and FM-style bass sounds, delay effects, distortion effects, envelope filters. Today’s midi bass synthesizer uses a frequency microprocessor component that generates signals of frequencies.

Bass synthesizer works on two basic methods:

1. Filtering of the actual sound from the bass is the first approach that you should learn and understand. This could be used for many filter effects resulting to cooler sounds such as funky squelches and burps.

2. Second would be the widely used method of pitch detection because of its reliability and consistency. In using this method, the switch takes the signal from the audio and uses it to trigger a built in synth. Since the bass synthesizer has a sensitivity control feature, it gives you the ability to mix the affected tone with the unaffected tone in whichever way you like.

These two basic methods are consistent with the rule that stands anything you plugged in the regular audio output of your bass would generate synth sounds from it.

So in using a bass synthesizer, expect two things:

– it should either start with the filtered-sound or sound of the bass

– or expect that it will detect the pitch of the audio then use it to control its sound sources.

Learning, understanding and applying these tips when using your MIDI bass synthesizer will surely make your beats pro style!

This is a curated article that was originally posted on EzineArticles by Dwight Noah. Image used with permission from Pixabay.