Virtual Instruments:
 |
 |
 |
As mentioned in the Computers and Music section, Virtual Instuments are the fastest growing area of computer based music technology. This allows the computer itself to be used as a sound generating device much like a hardware synthesizer or music sample player.
A Virtual Instument is best thought of as a hybrid: The input and recorded data are in MIDI format, thus they have the editing flexibility of MIDI but the internal output is audio.
There is a growing trend for companies that produce music sequencing software to include a range of Virtual Instruments in the package. There is also a large and growing collection of third party providors that sell Virtual Instruments.
The Virtual Instrument is often installed into the same computer as the music sequencing program and will be accessed from within the same. This allows all instument settings and modifications to be saved with the song or arrangement.
As Virtual Instruments use the computer's CPU, RAM and hard disk space to gererate their sound there is a finite amount of silmultaneous instances that the computer can produce. So it is becoming more common for composers to use more than one computer. One as the music sequencer and others to host the Virtual Instruments.
To reduce the load on the computer it is also common to 'print', 'bounce' or 'freeze' a Virtual Instrument. This process creates an audio file of the performance, then the instrument can de dis-engaged or turned off to free up computer resources. In most cases all the settings are saved allowing the VI to be re-instated so that changes may be made at a later time.
Virtual Instruments come in a variety of modes:
- SYNTHESIZER: These create sounds as found in analog and digital synthesizers. They may also emulate a particular mode of vintage instrument. In gereral the computer will model the oscillators, filters and amplifiers in the original hardware. Elaborate GUIs with interactive sliders and encoders make editing a sound user friendly. In the virtual MS20 from Korg the software models the actual electronic components used to build the original.
- SAMPLE PLAYER: These instuments rely on a library of pre-recorded sounds or samples to be installed on the computers hard drive(s). Commonly used to reproduce acoustic instruments for example piano or instruments of the orchestra. For the novice composer Garritan Personal Orchestra is relatively in-expensive.
- VIRTUAL DRUMMERS: These programs usually consist of two distinct elements. Drum samples that can be triggered or sequenced by the user and drum patterns, usually as MIDI files that provide pre-sequenced grooves. As they are MIDI files they can be easliy tailored or edited. The MIDI files can be loaded into the music sequencer and used to play the drum samples. Sounds and patterns are often recorderd by professional musicians in quality studios. Toontracks EZ-Drummer is a well price expandable virtual drummer.
 |
 |
 |