Process of Sequencing Project:
Listen to the final track here: Rather Be
How to set up a project
What is a DAW?
A DAW is a programme on the computer specifically designed for recording, editing and playing digital audio files. You can use a digital audio workstation to edit and mix audio sources. It also allows you to see how the tracks visually line up over time.
DAW's are very important within all aspects of sound production; radio, television and music are a few examples. Popular DAW's that people like to use in sound production are Cubase, Garage Band and Logic.
How I have used Cubase to Sequence for my task?
We decided to use Cubase as our DAW as it is a very professional software to use within the studio. I have used Cubase to sequence in some instrument tracks in aim to create a song. There are a variety of sounds and instruments loaded onto cubase, we used the HalLion Sonic SE quite a lot.
For this task I worked on an Apple iMac (2011), with the iMac osX Lion 10.7.5 system. This is a good choice of operating system to use as the oxS is a lot more reliable than Windows, making the system less likely to crash, which is very important in audio production as you might be setting up for a gig and you really wouldn't want your computer to crash.
Source: http://academic.pgcc.edu/~njudy/mt/MIDI/gm.html
Setting up a Track with HalLion SE
What is a Midi?
Midi stands for 'Musical Instrument Digital Interface', and it transmits information about how the music is produced rather than representing the musical sound directly. The sound is very smal and lacks in detail, but that could be a good thing as the file size is only little, but then the audio track could lack in sound control.
Midi is almost like a set of instruction which controls and tells an electronic device how to play a certain sound.
What is General Midi?
General Midi (GM) is a soundset used by most Wavetable synthesizers and soundcard to ensure that the devices are compatible with each other. GM is a set of 120 standard sounds and also drum kits. General Midi allows Midi track to be able to produce their own individual instrument sounds.
Below is a list of all 128 General Midi Sound Tracks.
128 General Midi Tracks/Patches with Midi Change Numbers
Prog# Instrument Prog# Instrument
PIANO CHROMATIC PERCUSSION
1 Acoustic Grand 9 Celesta
2 Bright Acoustic 10 Glockenspiel
3 Electric Grand 11 Music Box
4 Honky-Tonk 12 Vibraphone
5 Electric Piano 1 13 Marimba
6 Electric Piano 2 14 Xylophone
7 Harpsichord 15 Tubular Bells
8 Clavinet 16 Dulcimer
ORGAN GUITAR
17 Drawbar Organ 25 Nylon String Guitar
18 Percussive Organ 26 Steel String Guitar
19 Rock Organ 27 Electric Jazz Guitar
20 Church Organ 28 Electric Clean Guitar
21 Reed Organ 29 Electric Muted Guitar
22 Accoridan 30 Overdriven Guitar
23 Harmonica 31 Distortion Guitar
24 Tango Accordian 32 Guitar Harmonics
BASS SOLO STRINGS
33 Acoustic Bass 41 Violin
34 Electric Bass(finger) 42 Viola
35 Electric Bass(pick) 43 Cello
36 Fretless Bass 44 Contrabass
37 Slap Bass 1 45 Tremolo Strings
38 Slap Bass 2 46 Pizzicato Strings
39 Synth Bass 1 47 Orchestral Strings
40 Synth Bass 2 48 Timpani
ENSEMBLE BRASS
49 String Ensemble 1 57 Trumpet
50 String Ensemble 2 58 Trombone
51 SynthStrings 1 59 Tuba
52 SynthStrings 2 60 Muted Trumpet
53 Choir Aahs 61 French Horn
54 Voice Oohs 62 Brass Section
55 Synth Voice 63 SynthBrass 1
56 Orchestra Hit 64 SynthBrass 2
REED PIPE
65 Soprano Sax 73 Piccolo
66 Alto Sax 74 Flute
67 Tenor Sax 75 Recorder
68 Baritone Sax 76 Pan Flute
69 Oboe 77 Blown Bottle
70 English Horn 78 Skakuhachi
71 Bassoon 79 Whistle
72 Clarinet 80 Ocarina
SYNTH LEAD SYNTH PAD
81 Lead 1 (square) 89 Pad 1 (new age)
82 Lead 2 (sawtooth) 90 Pad 2 (warm)
83 Lead 3 (calliope) 91 Pad 3 (polysynth)
84 Lead 4 (chiff) 92 Pad 4 (choir)
85 Lead 5 (charang) 93 Pad 5 (bowed)
86 Lead 6 (voice) 94 Pad 6 (metallic)
87 Lead 7 (fifths) 95 Pad 7 (halo)
88 Lead 8 (bass+lead) 96 Pad 8 (sweep)
SYNTH EFFECTS ETHNIC
97 FX 1 (rain) 105 Sitar
98 FX 2 (soundtrack) 106 Banjo
99 FX 3 (crystal) 107 Shamisen
100 FX 4 (atmosphere) 108 Koto
101 FX 5 (brightness) 109 Kalimba
102 FX 6 (goblins) 110 Bagpipe
103 FX 7 (echoes) 111 Fiddle
104 FX 8 (sci-fi) 112 Shanai
PERCUSSIVE SOUND EFFECTS
113 Tinkle Bell 121 Guitar Fret Noise
114 Agogo 122 Breath Noise
115 Steel Drums 123 Seashore
116 Woodblock 124 Bird Tweet
117 Taiko Drum 125 Telephone Ring
118 Melodic Tom 126 Helicopter
119 Synth Drum 127 Applause
120 Reverse Cymbal 128 Gunshot
GM Drum Tracks
MIDI Drum Sound MIDI Drum Sound Note # Note # 35 Acoustic Bass Drum 59 Ride Cymbal 2 36 Bass Drum 1 60 Hi Bongo 37 Side Stick 61 Low Bongo 38 Acoustic Snare 62 Mute Hi Conga 39 Hand Clap 63 Open Hi Conga 40 Electric Snare 64 Low Conga 41 Low Floor Tom 65 High Timbale 42 Closed Hi-Hat 66 Low Timbale 43 High Floor Tom 67 High Agogo 44 Pedal Hi-Hat 68 Low Agogo 45 Low Tom 69 Cabasa 46 Open Hi-Hat 70 Maracas 47 Low-Mid Tom 71 Short Whistle 48 Hi-Mid Tom 72 Long Whistle 49 Crash Cymbal 1 73 Short Guiro 50 High Tom 74 Long Guiro 51 Ride Cymbal 1 75 Claves 52 Chinese Cymbal 76 Hi Wood Block 53 Ride Bell 77 Low Wood Block 54 Tambourine 78 Mute Cuica 55 Splash Cymbal 79 Open Cuica 56 Cowbell 80 Mute Triangle 57 Crash Cymbal 2 81 Open Triangle 58 Vibraslap
HalLion Sonic SE/Sylenth for Software Synthesisers.
A software synthesiser is a computer programme/plug-in that generates a digital audio sound.
HalLion Sonic is a sampler which is compatible with software synthesisers such as Cubase. It has several features, such as; 192kHz, 32 Stereo Outputs and 6 Channel Surround Support. The sampler contains over 2,500 Synthesised sounds and full VST expression support allowing for smart articulation editing in Cubase. HalLion Sonic includes a wide range of several high-end audio effects: including, Reverence, Convolution Reverb and VST Amp Stimulation and more.
Sylenth is a plug-in Synthesiser which is very well trust within the audio world. The synth has the ability to use 2 oscillators at a time by having a part A and a Part B to the sound, with an amp and a filter. Also, with Sylenth you can manipulate sounds by adding several effects. This is a good synthesiser for lead synths and electric bass-lines as it gives a crisp and clear sound.
Oscillators- This is an electric circuit which produces a signal. It converts Direct Current into Alternating Current.
VST (Virtual Studio Technology)- This is a type of software interface which can combine audio synthesisers and plugins with audio editors and recording systems. VST uses a digital signal to imitate the traditional recording studio hardware.
Sylenth is a plug-in Synthesiser which is very well trust within the audio world. The synth has the ability to use 2 oscillators at a time by having a part A and a Part B to the sound, with an amp and a filter. Also, with Sylenth you can manipulate sounds by adding several effects. This is a good synthesiser for lead synths and electric bass-lines as it gives a crisp and clear sound.
Oscillators- This is an electric circuit which produces a signal. It converts Direct Current into Alternating Current.
VST (Virtual Studio Technology)- This is a type of software interface which can combine audio synthesisers and plugins with audio editors and recording systems. VST uses a digital signal to imitate the traditional recording studio hardware.
Using Groove Agent for your Drums
Media Bay/ Groove Agent for Software Samplers
These two types of software both include samples of sounds to use in personal pieces. This allows you to be creative with sound and vary the instruments used in sequenced music. This is great as it ensure that not all sequenced music sounds the same, and ensures that composers and creators can add their own unique touch to the piece.
Using the Key Editor to input notes
How midi is managed (midi manager/list editor in DAW).
The Midi is managed by a very small part of the DAW, which is called the Midi Device Manager. Here all Midi patches can be controlled and shown using a little pop up library. This is a very very good thing to have on a DAW as it allows you to control all devices from just one pannel.
How to use the KeyStudio Keyboard to input notes
Types of Midi Connections
Midi In Midi in is where the data is taken which has been input into the external hardware (e.g. a Midi Controller/Keyboard).
Midi Out This is where the signal comes from. It transmits data from that particular machine to a device, such as a sequencer.
Midi Thru The midi thru takes data which has been input and then echos it out. The midi signal/data passes through in order to be received by machines circuited into the rig set up.
As you can see, the list editor tells you about the length of the note and pitch of the note. Most importantly, this feature gives you the opportunity to edit the notes used in the sequence.
You could also manage midi using a midi manager. The midi manager tells you about the midi controls/devices connected to your PC/Mac and allows you to have assigned midi devices for specific midi ports available to the system. It is important for letting you to install a new device into the system. It looks like this:
How is midi managed?
Midi can be managed by using a list editor. This is a very important feature in DAW's as it will give you important information and details about the notes and data input. Below is a screenshot of a list editor in Cubase:
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| List Editor in Cubase Source: GuitarGuitar.co.uk |
You could also manage midi using a midi manager. The midi manager tells you about the midi controls/devices connected to your PC/Mac and allows you to have assigned midi devices for specific midi ports available to the system. It is important for letting you to install a new device into the system. It looks like this:
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| Midi Manager in Cubase Source: SoundOnSound.com |
Midi Controllers
A Midi controller is device which uses support from a DAW to control virtual midi instruments. This is the human interface component for Midi and its job is extremely important as it transmits Midi data to Midi enabled devices.
Most commonly, piano style controllers/keyboards are used as Midi controllers. Quite a few of these have slide of knob components on to control and try to impersonate the 'real' sound of a synthesiser. You can also get drum systems which have the midi option and also a sound generator (useful for players to practice their music with headphones on). Drum pads and samplers are a very popular choice for percussion reproduction using midi, and they're used to increase the sound palette of an average percussion sound. You will be able to see in the pictures below a few examples of some Midi controllers:
| Roland A-88 Midi Controller |
| Novation Lauchpad MK2 Live Controller for Ableton |
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| Yamaha DTX450K Electronic Drum Kit |
Types of Midi File
There are several types of midi file which are all suitable for different purposes. The most common type of midi tracks are type 0 and type 1. Type 0 is a midi file which contains all of its data in one multitrack. Whereas type 1 is a midi file which contains each channel of midi data on a separate track. Type 2 isn't as popular as type 0 or 1, and it is where multiple patterns are arranged in the song.
More information at: http://midi-tutor.proboards.com/thread/44/10-midi-file-formats
Sequencing Project
Soundcloud Link
https://soundcloud.com/user-804953953/rather-be-unmixed-2
https://soundcloud.com/user-804953953/rather-be-unmixed-2
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