Send audio through a synthesizer, then control it with MIDI

Some hardware and virtual instruments, particularly those from Arturia, include an external input for processing audio signals through the synthesizer’s filter, VCA, and effects modules. That’s cool enough, but of course, what’s even cooler is that is that you can then use MIDI to trigger filter and VCA envelopes, turn filter resonance up high and use a keyboard to “play” the filter frequencies as the audio goes through it, and more—the only limit is the extent to which elements within the synthesizer can interact with the input signal.

The image above shows Arturia’s Mini V, which can also serve as a signal processor by feeding audio into the External Input (this appears as an available input inside your DAW). A volume control (highlighted in red) determines the level of the audio going through the synthesizer.