What are sequencers and Synthsiziers?

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Henry Low

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Hello guys, I am a newbie to music making hardware. My question is.. What do sequencers and synthsiziers do? I am currently thinking about working on a song and I need drums and sound effects too accompany the piano music that I will be playing. Can someone help me explain how I can add those sounds in either with using a sequencer or synthisizer?
Thanks in advance.
 
A sequencer is a box that allows to record/program and playback a series of midimessages. Midi messages include such things as note on (with parameters to say how loud and which notes), note off, .... Most sequencers come with a built-in soundsource, mostly sampleROM based (samples in ROM, you cannot change them), but a built-in soundsource is not required.

A synthesizer is something that allows the user to synthesize waveforms. In musical context that means, it allows you to make sounds. This can be done in different ways... Subtractive synthesis is the most common. You start with an oscilator, the output of that goes thru a filter, and is amplified using a certain envelope as modulating input for the amplifier. Today these things are simulated digitally.

Some synths are ROM based. They synthesize sounds originating from a sample in a rom. But this is rather close to what we would call a rompler; a soundsource that just plays back samples, which can be edited a little using effects of some sort and some modulation.

Then there's a sampler. Which is basically the same as a rompler, with this difference that the samples aren't burnt in a rom, but can be changed, recorded yourself and edited....
 
Thanks for the explanation. :) Currently I have a Technics P-50 keyboard, and I want to add drums to my music or percussion stuff, how will I go about doing so?
 
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Is there such thing as a program that is basically a drum machine?

If I were to buy a drum machine, which one would you recommend me getting?
 
Ah icic, Thanks.

This Reason program you are talkin about, can I programme drum sequences? ( are they call sequences? lol). If i can, does it come with the drum sounds? Thanks in advance.
 
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