|
Most of the higher level sequencing programs are very similar, such as MasterTracks Pro®, Performer®, or Cakewalk®. If you are using sequencing software at home, feel free to keep using it. Saving your work as a Standard MIDI file allows you to easily switch between different sequencing programs. I need to begin by briefly explaining some basic MIDI/sequencing
concepts:
First, it records how softly or loudly you play. This is called "velocity." The sequencer records the velocity for each note and assigns it a number between 0 and 127. We do not ask why the range is 0-127, at this point we simply accept it. You need to understand that 127 is the loudest and 0 is silent. Second, the software records what note you play. Some sequencers assign c3 to "middle C" to avoid complications with non numeric references often used for lower notes (A, CC, etc...). Third, The sequencer records how long you play each note.
This value is called "duration". The trick is know how many partitions
the sequencer assigns to the quarter note. Performer® and Cakewalk®
assign 480 partitions to the quarter note. MasterTracks Pro®
uses 240. Some programs use as many as 960 or more.
You will need to do the math to know how long smaller note values last.
For MasterTracks Pro® the eighth note is 120, the triplet is
80, and so forth.
1) Pitchbend- Using the pitch bend wheel can be frustrating but the rewards are simply amazing. A note played with no bend has a bend of zero. The pitch bend range is usually -4000 to +4000 partitions. This range is often assignable, depending on the tone module, and can be as narrow as a whole step or as wide as two octaves. Setting your tone module to an octave can really bring your brass, reed, and string parts alive. 2) Mono- and/or Poly-pressure- Think of these as intensity parameters. This intensity will be apparent when you ask a trumpet player to play "c" above the staff ppp. It takes tremendous back pressure to execute that note so softly. And the intensity of that sound (the note- not the trumpet player yelling at you) is best thought of as mono- and/or poly-pressure. 3) Aftertouch- This is how hard you press the note down after the initial attack has been registered. The parameter is often connected with pitch variance. For example, if you press a guitar string past the point of the fret, the note will go slightly sharp because you are increasing the string's tension. The sequencer allows you to define very subtle pitch variances to enhance the realism of your performance. There are a few other parameters, but these are the ones used most often. These are the main parameters that your sequencer will record. It will not record sound! Students are often perplexed when the sequencer plays back exactly what they played into the computer, and will argue that it has to be recording sound- but its not. The sequencer simply sends that data right back to the tone module: which note, how long, how loud, etc...The advantage is the "tape" will never wear out! Every time the sequencer sends your performance data to the tone module, its a fresh performance of that material. The notes are actually being replayed. Furthermore, you can easily transpose a sequence and change its instrumentation and tempo. This is something you cannot do with a CD or cassette tape.
The next thing to understand is the difference between a tone module and a MIDI controller. A tone module is basically an electronic box full of different instrument sounds. If you have ever played a synthesizer (usually keyboard) which allows different sounds: harpsichord, organ, trumpet, bass, drums, etc... you have played through a type of tone module. A MIDI controller is a device that senses those performance parameters we discussed above and sends them to a tone module. The two devices are separate even though they may be housed inside one container- most often a keyboard. The keyboards in the lab have different patches. The sound you select is called a "patch" or "preset". It may look like a piano but it can sound like many other instruments. Your first assignment is to read a few sections in the manual and try some things on the computers in the lab. A little time spent reading and taking notes will save hours of frustration with the software. Please read and outline the following:
The Tracks window shows the information as black boxes which represent each measure. Some sequencers allow these boxes to be partial measures. The Track window displays the individual tracks in your sequence. These track can number over 500 in some sequencers. Think of tracks as each individual instrument in the orchestra. You can also use different tracks to enter one instrument part like drums or piano. You can assign different tracks for each piano part or even each voice of each part. Separate tracks can be used for the bass drum, snare, toms, and cymbals. You can even separate the toms and cymbals to their own tracks. The track window lets you see these parts at a glance- remember to type in the names as you go. The Events window displays all the data for one specific track. This allows you to find that one wrong note in measure 2, locate the note with the weird velocity, or enter more items. This is the best place to add patch changes, sysex data, controllers, etc... The Graphic Editing window displays all the data for one specific track as a piano roll (notes look like jelly beans). This allows you to see that one wrong note in measure 2, locate the note with the weird velocity, or enter more items. This is the best place to see pitches, durations, etc... The Step window shows all the notes on a grid with a keyboard on the left side. Make sure the window is wide enough to see several octaves. The notes line up horizontally on the grid. The longer the duration, the longer shape. When you click on the note, that specific noteÕs parameters pop up in a window. The information is similar to the event window but there is a visual advantage. You can see the notes in time line which allows precise duration editing. You may want a legato passage even though you played it marcato. You can make the notes slightly overlap quickly because it is so visual. In all of these windows you can highlight data similar to a word processing program. The copy, paste, cut, clear, insert, functions work basically the same- you can also mix (blend) the data.
Track and Channels can be a confusing issue. The best way to understand it is through a percussion example. Usually percussion is assigned to channel 10. Most MIDI interfaces provide 16 separate channels. The idea of assigning the drums to channel 10 came about as part of the industry standardization process. A sequencer will allow many tracks to be assigned to the same channel. Therefore, we can have a separate track for each percussion instrument even though they all end up being played on channel 10. Why do this? Imagine trying to edit the high-hat volume and having all the drum notes in the same track. You would have to scroll along in the event editing window and alter every Ab1 individually. If the high-hat had its own track you could edit the volume easily with a controller number, or even specific regions quickly with the velocity map. Most people assign every drum instrument to a different track (bass drum, snare, each cymbal, all three high-hats, etc...). This really helps create a realistic mix.
Ambient Effects give your sequences spatial realism. The primary ones are volume, reverb, delay, chorus, panning, and modulation. Tone modules which use GS (General Standard) settings can also allow you to change an instruments tuning in real-time. These are local parameters and are inserted directly into the specific track as needed. Each effect is assigned a specific control number. You simply enter this control number in the event editing window. Here are the effects, their corresponding control numbers, and how they are used: 1) Volume corresponds to controller 7. You simply click on the fader tool in the event editing window and MasterTracks Pro® inserts it into the track. You will need to enter 7 in the controller grid and a number between 0-127 in the data grid. Controller 11 also works like a volume control. Think of using these two in tandem with controller 7 as the master volume for the track and controller 11 as local volume for that specific point in the sequence. Controller 11 is often used to create fading effects (in or out). 2) Reverb corresponds to controller 91. You simply click the "I" button at the top of the event list editor to insert it into the track. You will need to enter 91 in the controller grid and a number between 0-127 in the data grid. Delay is an optional assignment for controller 91. 3) Chorus corresponds to controller 93. You will need to enter 93 in the controller grid and a number between 0-127 in the data grid. Chorus is an easy way take a violin track and turn it into several violins, depending on how much chorus is applied. 4) Panning corresponds to controller 10. You will need to enter 11 in the controller grid and a number between 0-127 in the data grid. To pan the sound all the way to the left enter "0" to have all the way to the right enter "127" - using "64" places it in the middle. 5) Tremolo corresponds to controller 1. You will need to enter 1 in the controller grid and a number between 0-127 in the data grid. This effect works great for organ, string, brass, and wind patches. It is not vibrato. Tremolo varies volume while vibrato varies pitch. 6) Tuning corresponds to controllers 100, 101, and 6. You will need to enter 100, 101, and 6, in the controller grids and numbers between 0-127 in the data grids. This effect is more advanced and is used to set either pitch bend range or instrument tuning. With this control sequence you can assign virtually any pitch to a snare drum or even have it change in real time as the sequence plays. Imagine having a drummer with 50 snare tunings! The settings for these controllers vary depending on the tone module- you will need to read the manual... or simply experiment and see what happens. Why use control numbers? Simply put, it sounds better. Another important reason is to reset you tone module (or sound card) controller settings after playing a sequence with controller settings. Imagine having a horn track in your sequence play back on a track which had an organ patch in the previous sequence with a lot of tremolo.
Download a midi files from the web and import into DP to experiment with these processes. If you have any questions just email me and I'll be glad to help! |