Sound Module
A Sound Module functions like a storage unit for pre-recorded instrument or special effects sounds. It is usually a stand-alone, modular unit that must be connected to computer or MIDI keyboard to send it instructions. There are also software application Sound Modules available. Again, similar to the Sampler, the Sound Module tends to come without sound synthesis generation capabilties of oscillation for wave creation or any of the synthesis modelling types. Rather, the sample is used as the source of sound and any synthesis-like filtering, gating or modulation is utilized for sophisticated effects processing and file editing.
A Sound Module is a device or instrument that can reproduce either musical or special effects type sound. The stand-alone, harware ROM or sound generating synthesizer comes without the keyboard controller. However, it must be triggered by some type of MIDI controlling device. The module itself merely contains patches or programs of digitized sound in various audio formats depending on the manufacturer and usage. It is sometimes also referred a rack-mount module or stand-alone or external module. The devices can offer General MIDI, unique (non-GM), proprietary, instrumental, percussion or sound effects patches. The designated sound is then triggered by MIDI controller (either keyboard, harware sequencer or from a multi-track sequencer software application installed on a computer and connected to the Sound Module by cable). Many of the recent Sound Module models are capable of up to 128-note polyphony. Thus, similar to a Sampler, one may select “Piano” (for instance) on the Sound Module and the several octaves of piano samples are loaded into the RAM of the Sound Module. One then may trigger all of the notes with a MIDI keyboard (as long as the sampler is MIDI compatable). Sound Modules are also now being designed as software application plug-ins (they ship with CD sample files and are loaded into the RAM of the computer along with the instructions for their management) and interface with a multi-track audio production application. The digital data stream output of the Sound Module can also be routed into a Mixer or directly to a computer with a multi-track audio application and be recorded as a track in a project.