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Concepts
Introduction to the terms and fundamentals of Synfire
Audio System
About instruments, devices, racks, Drones and the general architecture of the Audio/MIDI system
Instruments
Instruments interpret phrases to render MIDI output.

Concepts
Introduction to the terms and fundamentals of Synfire
- Music Prototyping
  What it's all about
- Parameters
  The components music is rendered from
- Figure Notation
  The most influential parameter that intuitively denotes musical expressions
- Harmony Concept
  About scales, chords, keys and everything that constitutes harmony
- Phrases
  A bunch of parameters bundled together
- Rendering
  Mapping the entirety of all parameters to MIDI output
- Arrangements
  About tracks, containers and everything that goes with an arrangement
- Snippets
  Small containers for live performance and improvisation
- Palettes
  Surfing the space of harmony
- Libraries
  Collections of phrases and parameters, the building blocks for arrangements
- Factories
  Generating random parameters and phrases based on musically meaningful rules
- Sketches
  Conducting music in real-time
- Audio System
  About instruments, devices, racks, Drones and the general architecture of the Audio/MIDI system
  - Instruments
    Instruments interpret phrases to render MIDI output.
    - Category
    - Playing Ranges
      Setting the target MIDI range for an instrument
  - Devices
    Device Descriptions keep important meta-data for sounds
  - Racks
    Hosting your sounds.
  - Audio Engine
    Background application that hosts audio plug-ins on behalf of Synfire
  - MIDI Routing
    About the signal flow of MIDI data
  - Cognitone Transport
    ReWire module for synchronizing the transport of a DAW with Synfire
  - Drones
    Plug-ins that operate in a DAW on behalf of Synfire
- User Interface Basics
  Fundamental principles you should know to get started more quickly

Instruments

Instruments interpret phrases to render MIDI output.

An Instrument interprets the Parameters of a Phrase to render MIDI output, taking care of its Playing Ranges, Category and other properties. Consequently, if you alter the properties of an instrument, this will almost certainly alter MIDI output.

The properties of an Instrument include

Name
Sound
Category (or type)
Playing Ranges
Custom Controllers and Articulations
Program/Patch selection details

Instruments show up in an Arrangement as labeled Tracks or as strips on a Matrix Console. There are also Global Instruments (and invisible instruments) at work, when you surf a Palette, preview a Progression or browse a Library.

Note: Instruments are used over the course of an entire arrangement. Changing the sound midway is not supported. Create a new instrument for every sound you want to use.

Multiple Voices

Multiple tracks may use the same Sound for the purpose of separating voices. Technically, these are separate Instruments, although musically you would consider them separate voices. For example, you can add two instruments for the left and right hand of a piano part, or four instruments for the individual voices of a counterpoint part. These instruments will use different Playing Ranges, Interpretation settings and other parameters, so you can control the rendering of each individual voice.