What do people mean by "patches"

[Tabris]

I'm thinking of buying a keyboard and taking some piano lessons but before I do, I would like to know what "patches" are. I get quite confused when people say things like " the keyboard dude from symphony x has cool patches"

 

[bobvex]

sounds.... tones and stuff like that.

Like "he has a good atmospheric spooky patch"

Learn MIDI First, then get into crazy patch editing, and key programming and shit like that.

 

[sumairetsu]

A "patch" is a tone and effects assigned to a certain spot on a keyboard's menu or effects unit.