STORING SOUND: A chip doesn't store the sound itself: it stores numbers which describe a sound wave. The numbers indicate the height of the wave measured at regular intervals.

DRUM MACHINES: Drum macines are electronic devices that store pre-set sounds made by percussion instruments, such as cymbals, drums or maracas. You choose a sound and then play a rhythm by tapping on pads. You can also record a rhythm a
nd play it back, so you can play another instrument alongside the rhythm. Rhythms can also be made faster or slower. Most drum machines have pre-set rhythms. These can be useful if you don't want to make up your own.

PLAYING WITH SOUNDS: A keyboard is designed to store the sound waves produced by musical instruments, but it can also reproduce other sounds, such as a bird tweeting. This is done using a machine called a sampler. Some keyboards have sampled sounds. Once the sound has been stored, you can play tunes with it. You can even alter the sound by reversing it or making it echo. You can have great fun experimenting with sounds which have been stored on a keyboard. Imagine playing Mozart with a bird tweeting for each note!"