Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of digital synthesizers and their associated digital control systems. Synthesizers and drum parts can be played on one conventional piano keyboard with the various voice synthesizers linked together using the musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) system. The MIDI data containing information on key presses are always preceded by the data specifying a “channel” on which the data are to be received. Most MIDI controlled instruments allow the musician to allocate a particular instrument to a particular channel, so it is possible to record performances of several musical parts by building up a recording of MIDI event data rather than the musical sounds themselves. The MIDI interface is designed to use an industry standard universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) integrated circuit. The Harris semiconductor CDP6402 is commonly used, but there are equivalents. The CDP6402 is designed to provide all the necessary formatting and control for interfacing between serial and parallel channels.
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