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How to Hook Up the MIDI Module

A MIDI sound module is a device that receives MIDI data from a controller (like a keyboard) and then plays music based on the commands. A MIDI sound module serves an important purpose in digital music production because many MIDI controllers cannot produce sound on their own, so they require a secondary device to actually play the music. A sound module fulfills this need. If you have access to a sound module, you will need to do a bit of configuration before you can produce music with it.

Things You'll Need

  • MIDI cable
  • MIDI controller
  • Stereo cables
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Instructions

    • 1

      Connect a MIDI cable to the sound module port labeled "MIDI In."

    • 2

      Connect the other end of the cable to the "MIDI Out" port on a MIDI controller. This would include any MIDI keyboard or drum machine.

    • 3

      Select a MIDI channel on your controller. Depending on the controller type, you may see a knob with 16 clockwise numbers (since General MIDI uses 16 channels), or you may see a menu on your LCD screen that reads "Channels."

    • 4

      Select the same MIDI channel on your sound module. On your sound module, you will more likely found MIDI channel information on an on-screen menu (as opposed to a knob).

    • 5

      Turn on both devices. When you press any key on your controller, you should hear sound produced by the module. To change the sound, locate the "Voices" or "Presets" menu on your module and select a sound setting. Depending on the module, you may find presets such as "Trance Lead," "Digital Trumpet" or "Deep Kick Drum." Your sound module will produce the sound of any instrument you select.

    • 6

      Attach stereo cables to the "Line-Out" jacks on the sound module and to the "Line-In" jacks on a recording device, if you want to record. Now, you can transmit sound from your recorder, through your sound module, into the recording device. You can also connect your stereo cables to a public alert system for live performance.

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Digital Music

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