How do you get organized?

[Goa Travellers]

Hello,

 

Each of us organizes himself his own way to take control of all instruments (hard and soft), with all MiDi and audio tracks, be it for live performance or at the studio. There are different ways. Here are a few questions that come to mind:

• Do you use only hard synths and drum kits, or only soft ones, or a mixture?
• Do you use the PC sequencer for both live performance and at the studio?
• When you perform live, do you basically play your tunes one after the other, or do you have your own large tune specifically made for this purpose?
• If you perform live, how do you manage transitions from one tune to another (if you use actual synths)?
• When performing live, do you simulate that you're playing, and use an MP3 playlist while turning the knobs? Eh eh
• Do you assign a MiDi channel per drummer kit instrument (e.g. One MiDi channel dedicated to bass drum, another one for snare drum, etc.)
• How do you manage/remember all positions of pots on analog vintage synths when going from one tune to another, in order to always have the expected sound?
• Do you separate all audio outputs of all possible instruments, for left/right? (e.g. L/R for kick drum, L/R for lead, L/R/ for pad, L/R for synth 1, L/R for bass line, etc.) That would be n instruments × 2 audio channels = twice the number of instruments for the whole number of audio channels...
• Do you gather audio outputs on the mixing console by logical groups? (e.g. two slide pots for L/R of all drummer kit, two slide pots for all special effects, two slide pots for basses, etc...)
• Do you use an MPC? If so how do you manage the limitations? (lack of tracks, only 16 pads, arguably not convenient...)
• Do you record all MiDi events such as turning pots, selecting the instrument?
• Did you split your MiDi channels according to your instruments? (e.g. channels 1 to 10 for drummer kit ; channels 11 to 20 for synths, etc.)
• How do you gather your MiDi channels in your PC sequencer interface?
• When composing, do you first compose the main instrument from the beginning to the end, then on top, add the rhythm from the beginning to the end, then the bass, then the pad, then create transitions, then add effects. Or, do you compose at a slower pace but you compose all instruments at the same time, and you even add and fine-tune all effects as you move on?
• Did you find a way to simulate slide pot motions using MiDi on your analog synths with a CV/Gate to MiDi interface? Or isn't there a way?
• If you mix MP3s, how to you keep kick drums in sync from one tune to the other? Is there an automatic procedure, or only the hard way?

Thanks for sharing

[CoLoUr DoTZ]

Hello,

 

Each of us organizes himself his own way to take control of all instruments (hard and soft), with all MiDi and audio tracks, be it for live performance or at the studio. There are different ways. Here are a few questions that come to mind:

 

 

i´m just a Hobbyist musician who loves to play with synths, as a guitarist plays his guitar, although from time to time I play the record button.... I quite would like to hear also how other people organize themselves....

 

Do you use only hard synths and drum kits, or only soft ones, or a mixture?

 

Anything that makes sound, kids toys, synths, papers, a tomato, a door....... anything...

 

 

Do you use the PC sequencer for both live performance and at the studio?

 

I don´t play live, at home yeap, a classic horizontal sequencer.

 

 

How do you manage/remember all positions of pots on analog vintage synths when going from one tune to another, in order to always have the expected sound?

 

I record them as audio.

 

 

 

Do you separate all audio outputs of all possible instruments, for left/right? (e.g. L/R for kick drum, L/R for lead, L/R/ for pad, L/R for synth 1, L/R for bass line, etc.) That would be n instruments × 2 audio channels = twice the number of instruments for the whole number of audio channels...

 

I have a mixer only for tracking, but I record everything in mono, there is not such a thing as a stereo synth, only ones with effects, but I try to record everything dry and use effects after.

 

 

Do you gather audio outputs on the mixing console by logical groups? (e.g. two slide pots for L/R of all drummer kit, two slide pots for all special effects, two slide pots for basses, etc...)

 

Yes, and most of the time I use same channel numbers for same things. This way I know always where everything is.

 

 

Do you record all MiDi events such as turning pots, selecting the instrument?

 

Try to record everything as audio. When there is lots of tweaking yeah, I record live the tweaking a few times, and then print to audio.

 

 

Did you split your MiDi channels according to your instruments? (e.g. channels 1 to 10 for drummer kit ; channels 11 to 20 for synths, etc.)

 

Here every synth has it´s own input, so no need to split. I also don´t use much multis in synths

 

 

When composing, do you first compose the main instrument from the beginning to the end, then on top, add the rhythm from the beginning to the end, then the bass, then the pad, then create transitions, then add effects. Or, do you compose at a slower pace but you compose all instruments at the same time, and you even add and fine-tune all effects as you move on?

 

Hard to tell, but mostly I lay harmony and progressions first and melodies and effects later....

 

 

Did you find a way to simulate slide pot motions using MiDi on your analog synths with a CV/Gate to MiDi interface? Or isn't there a way?

 

I don´t understand the question......

 

If you mix MP3s, how to you keep kick drums in sync from one tune to the other? Is there an automatic procedure, or only the hard way?

 

Have a look at djing with ableton live, there are some documents in their website which explain how. Also have a search at mixing in key concept......

 

 

Hope some more people share, I´m also quite curious.

[Goa Travellers]

Nice, thanks!

My question was that analog synths have their knobs of which motion can't be simulated with MiDi control commands, while they can on digital synths. In this case, how to you modify, say, ADSR, on an analog synth using a PC sequencer without moving the knobs?

[CoLoUr DoTZ]

Nice, thanks!

My question was that analog synths have their knobs of which motion can't be simulated with MiDi control commands, while they can on digital synths. In this case, how to you modify, say, ADSR, on an analog synth using a PC sequencer without moving the knobs?

 

Then you can not. Some vintage synths can be midified ( i believe ), some others no. Mostly only note messages can be sent throught the CV inputs, so all tweaking must be done live a be recorded in audio. This is good as the musicians interpretation and feel stays in the tune. I just don´t like to much all this perfected edited stuff.

 

On the other hand, there is now so many new Analog synths with midi, patch saving, etc... that sound really good. All vintage synths are starting to be only a collectors object, and their expensive 2nd hand prices don´t make sense anymore.

[Goa Travellers]

I have tried analog emulation synths but I dislike the sound of it, it is too sharp and metallic. I prefer authentic warm sound. Exception to this is the x0xb0x, which sound is really nice, and it seems it's pure analog.

[Rotwang]

Great thread. I only started trying to make music relatively recently and I'm still finding out what works for me (so far everything I've made is too embarrassing to share), so obviously nothing that follows should be considered advice. With that said, here are my answers to those questions that are applicable:

 

Do you use only hard synths and drum kits, or only soft ones, or a mixture?

Other than samples I make all the sounds I use with software I wrote.

 

Do you separate all audio outputs of all possible instruments, for left/right? (e.g. L/R for kick drum, L/R for lead, L/R/ for pad, L/R for synth 1, L/R for bass line, etc.) That would be n instruments × 2 audio channels = twice the number of instruments for the whole number of audio channels...

My software just outputs .WAV files, so none of this is applicable. I can't make music in real time.

 

How do you gather your MiDi channels in your PC sequencer interface?

There's no MIDI involved, but when using my sequencer's GUI I keep track of which sound is which by colour-coding them according to what colour they bring to mind, and I also give them onomatopoeic names.

 

When composing, do you first compose the main instrument from the beginning to the end, then on top, add the rhythm from the beginning to the end, then the bass, then the pad, then create transitions, then add effects. Or, do you compose at a slower pace but you compose all instruments at the same time, and you even add and fine-tune all effects as you move on?

So far I've been writing music 8 bars at a time, starting with the kick and bass and then adding more stuff until I'm pleased with the result. Though I also find myself going back and reworking earlier sections after I listen to what I've made so far and decide that it's crap. I generally have a vague idea of what I want to happen in later parts of the track that I haven't got to yet, but when I try putting my ideas into practice they don't turn out how I hoped so I do something else instead. The end product is much more the result of experimentation than planning.

[CoLoUr DoTZ]

I have tried analog emulation synths but I dislike the sound of it, it is too sharp and metallic. I prefer authentic warm sound. Exception to this is the x0xb0x, which sound is really nice, and it seems it's pure analog.

 

 

I have kind of the same opinion, I actually dislike very much the access virus , but I was not referring to all the Virtual analogs, but to all the new analogs like Dave Smiths stuff, new Moogs, Jomox, MFB, Vermona, Studio Electronics, Cwejman, acidlab etc etc..You can get an idea of what is out there in the analog world in Schneiders Büro website.

 

http://www.schneidersladen.de/en/

 

 

Great thread. I only started trying to make music relatively recently and I'm still finding out what works for me (so far everything I've made is too embarrassing to share), so obviously nothing that follows should be considered advice. With that said, here are my answers to those questions that are applicable:

 

 

 

Other than samples I make all the sounds I use with software I wrote.

 

 

 

My software just outputs .WAV files, so none of this is applicable. I can't make music in real time.

 

 

 

There's no MIDI involved, but when using my sequencer's GUI I keep track of which sound is which by colour-coding them according to what colour they bring to mind, and I also give them onomatopoeic names.

 

 

 

So far I've been writing music 8 bars at a time, starting with the kick and bass and then adding more stuff until I'm pleased with the result. Though I also find myself going back and reworking earlier sections after I listen to what I've made so far and decide that it's crap. I generally have a vague idea of what I want to happen in later parts of the track that I haven't got to yet, but when I try putting my ideas into practice they don't turn out how I hoped so I do something else instead. The end product is much more the result of experimentation than planning.

 

 

That is really cool!! I met a few years ago a guy call Arguru, he had a trance band called Alienated Buddha and they made lots of stuff with this softsynth he had written. He got to sell the code and the softsynth is what we know now as DiscoDSP Discovery.

 

What is your soft based on?? Subtractive synthesis?? some sort of digital sound generation?? Any samples somewhere???

[Rotwang]

That is really cool!!

Thanks!

 

What is your soft based on?? Subtractive synthesis?? some sort of digital sound generation?? Any samples somewhere???

It's based on nothing in particular; I intentionally learnt nothing about DSP before I started since I felt it would be more fun to try to figure as much out for myself as possible. But it's pretty versatile - as well as factory functions to create things like sine waves, square waves, white noise etc. it has methods which apply arbitrary filters to a sound's Fourier components for subtractive synthesis, it can add together parametrised sets of sine waves for additive synthesis, pitch bend for FM synthesis, as well as output waveforms based on arbitrary mathematical functions or shapes that are drawn "by hand". It also has a few standard effects like reverb and timestretch.

 

It's very slow and memory-inefficient, though; I made it as a learning exercise rather than a serious competitor to other software (which I've never used). No samples yet, but if I have time I may finish my first attempt at psytrance and post the result within the next few weeks.

[Goa Travellers]

Thank you guys for sharing your experience so far. I'm sure more musicians would like to share with us the way they work as well

[Panoptes]

• Do you use only hard synths and drum kits, or only soft ones, or a mixture?
• Do you use the PC sequencer for both live performance and at the studio?
• When you perform live, do you basically play your tunes one after the other, or do you have your own large tune specifically made for this purpose?
• If you perform live, how do you manage transitions from one tune to another (if you use actual synths)?
• When performing live, do you simulate that you're playing, and use an MP3 playlist while turning the knobs? Eh eh
• Do you assign a MiDi channel per drummer kit instrument (e.g. One MiDi channel dedicated to bass drum, another one for snare drum, etc.)
• How do you manage/remember all positions of pots on analog vintage synths when going from one tune to another, in order to always have the expected sound?
• Do you separate all audio outputs of all possible instruments, for left/right? (e.g. L/R for kick drum, L/R for lead, L/R/ for pad, L/R for synth 1, L/R for bass line, etc.) That would be n instruments × 2 audio channels = twice the number of instruments for the whole number of audio channels...
• Do you gather audio outputs on the mixing console by logical groups? (e.g. two slide pots for L/R of all drummer kit, two slide pots for all special effects, two slide pots for basses, etc...)
• Do you use an MPC? If so how do you manage the limitations? (lack of tracks, only 16 pads, arguably not convenient...)
• Do you record all MiDi events such as turning pots, selecting the instrument?
• Did you split your MiDi channels according to your instruments? (e.g. channels 1 to 10 for drummer kit ; channels 11 to 20 for synths, etc.)
• How do you gather your MiDi channels in your PC sequencer interface?
• When composing, do you first compose the main instrument from the beginning to the end, then on top, add the rhythm from the beginning to the end, then the bass, then the pad, then create transitions, then add effects. Or, do you compose at a slower pace but you compose all instruments at the same time, and you even add and fine-tune all effects as you move on?
• Did you find a way to simulate slide pot motions using MiDi on your analog synths with a CV/Gate to MiDi interface? Or isn't there a way?
• If you mix MP3s, how to you keep kick drums in sync from one tune to the other? Is there an automatic procedure, or only the hard way?

1)Both, Some soft synths are a nice and easy way to make kicks/ other percussion, and bass sounds.

2)no live performances to much automaton going on.

3-5)My creations aren't on this level yet.

6)yes

7)ifs it to hard to remember I put it on paper

8)i don't know what exactly your asking here....

9-10)no

11)i try to mix everything down asap

12)no

13)midi man 4x4 usb input, works 99% of the time

14)I may have a melody in mind but I usually start from the kick >bass> mid/high freq pads, melodies.....

15)Only certain newer analog synths can such as the andromeda a6

16)First off make sure the tempos are similar. Are you using cdjs turntables, or software??

[Goa Travellers]

Thanks! I don't mix. The Andromeda synth is a great product. Alesis wanted to be part of the top synths history here!

[CoLoUr DoTZ]

Thanks!

 

 

 

It's based on nothing in particular; I intentionally learnt nothing about DSP before I started since I felt it would be more fun to try to figure as much out for myself as possible. But it's pretty versatile - as well as factory functions to create things like sine waves, square waves, white noise etc. it has methods which apply arbitrary filters to a sound's Fourier components for subtractive synthesis, it can add together parametrised sets of sine waves for additive synthesis, pitch bend for FM synthesis, as well as output waveforms based on arbitrary mathematical functions or shapes that are drawn "by hand". It also has a few standard effects like reverb and timestretch.

 

It's very slow and memory-inefficient, though; I made it as a learning exercise rather than a serious competitor to other software (which I've never used). No samples yet, but if I have time I may finish my first attempt at psytrance and post the result within the next few weeks.

 

 

Sounds like a start for something..... good luck and lots of fun with it!!!!

[Goa Travellers]

Two more questions:

• Do you use the arpegiator integrated into your instrument when composing, or do you enter the arpegiator notes into your PC sequencer so that it resends the notes in loop to your instrument?
• For an instrument, do you have 2 separate MiDi tracks: one for notes and another one for miscellaneous midi controls? Or just one MiDi track for both notes and MiDi controls?

Thanks!

[needle ninja]

Do you use only hard synths and drum kits, or only soft ones, or a mixture?

I use a mixture since softsynths are so much more convenient.

Do you use the PC sequencer for both live performance and at the studio?

My PC sequencer has a tendency to drop out one the first play through for some reason but is solid otherwise

I hear Ableton Live is good for live performance and would get it if I played live more.

When you perform live, do you basically play your tunes one after the other, or do you have your own large tune specifically made for this purpose?

One after the other with improvised live stuff.

If you perform live, how do you manage transitions from one tune to another (if you use actual synths)?

I play a track at a time and don't try to be a DJ.

When performing live, do you simulate that you're playing, and use an MP3 playlist while turning the knobs?

I like to play my synths live for some chaos in the mix of tracks.

Do you assign a MiDi channel per drummer kit instrument (e.g. One MiDi channel dedicated to bass drum, another one for snare drum, etc.)

I separate by type. Bass gets its own track, snares get a track, HH and hits and cymbols get a track etc.

How do you manage/remember all positions of pots on analog vintage synths when going from one tune to another, in order to always have the expected sound?

I don't. Midi does that for me.

Do you separate all audio outputs of all possible instruments, for left/right? (e.g. L/R for kick drum, L/R for lead, L/R/ for pad, L/R for synth 1, L/R for bass line, etc.) That would be n instruments × 2 audio channels = twice the number of instruments for the whole number of audio channels...

No

Do you gather audio outputs on the mixing console by logical groups? (e.g. two slide pots for L/R of all drummer kit, two slide pots for all special effects, two slide pots for basses, etc...)

As I stated above I separate by group according to tone and timbre.

Do you use an MPC? If so how do you manage the limitations? (lack of tracks, only 16 pads, arguably not convenient...)

No, but a hardware drum machine can be easily integrated. I used to use a Kurzweil synth sampler and dedicate 3 midi chanels to it.

You can always send program change messages through midi.

Do you record all MiDi events such as turning pots, selecting the instrument?

I sure do.

Did you split your MiDi channels according to your instruments? (e.g. channels 1 to 10 for drummer kit ; channels 11 to 20 for synths, etc.)

Sonar assigns a new midi track for each softsynth added and I add a midi track for each program of my Moog I include.

How do you gather your MiDi channels in your PC sequencer interface?

Sonar has the midi tracks inside of folders associated with each software synthesizer.

When composing, do you first compose the main instrument from the beginning to the end, then on top, add the rhythm from the beginning to the end, then the bass, then the pad, then create transitions, then add effects. Or, do you compose at a slower pace but you compose all instruments at the same time, and you even add and fine-tune all effects as you move on?

Sometimes one way, sometimes the other.

Did you find a way to simulate slide pot motions using MiDi on your analog synths with a CV/Gate to MiDi interface? Or isn't there a way?

Thankfully my synth is fully midi intigrated. The only trouble arrives with the filter and resonance pots whitch are not set to 0-127 but send far more numbers. There are CV to midi adapters out there.

If you mix MP3s, how to you keep kick drums in sync from one tune to the other? Is there an automatic procedure, or only the hard way?

I don't mix much and only know of beatmatching from a few DJs I've talked to.

 

Note though that I have only made one psytrance track in the last two years.

[Padmapani]

• Do you use only hard synths and drum kits, or only soft ones, or a mixture?
• Do you use the PC sequencer for both live performance and at the studio?
• When you perform live, do you basically play your tunes one after the other, or do you have your own large tune specifically made for this purpose?
• If you perform live, how do you manage transitions from one tune to another (if you use actual synths)?
• When performing live, do you simulate that you're playing, and use an MP3 playlist while turning the knobs? Eh eh
• Do you assign a MiDi channel per drummer kit instrument (e.g. One MiDi channel dedicated to bass drum, another one for snare drum, etc.)
• How do you manage/remember all positions of pots on analog vintage synths when going from one tune to another, in order to always have the expected sound?
• Do you separate all audio outputs of all possible instruments, for left/right? (e.g. L/R for kick drum, L/R for lead, L/R/ for pad, L/R for synth 1, L/R for bass line, etc.) That would be n instruments × 2 audio channels = twice the number of instruments for the whole number of audio channels...
• Do you gather audio outputs on the mixing console by logical groups? (e.g. two slide pots for L/R of all drummer kit, two slide pots for all special effects, two slide pots for basses, etc...)
• Do you use an MPC? If so how do you manage the limitations? (lack of tracks, only 16 pads, arguably not convenient...)
• Do you record all MiDi events such as turning pots, selecting the instrument?
• Did you split your MiDi channels according to your instruments? (e.g. channels 1 to 10 for drummer kit ; channels 11 to 20 for synths, etc.)
• How do you gather your MiDi channels in your PC sequencer interface?
• When composing, do you first compose the main instrument from the beginning to the end, then on top, add the rhythm from the beginning to the end, then the bass, then the pad, then create transitions, then add effects. Or, do you compose at a slower pace but you compose all instruments at the same time, and you even add and fine-tune all effects as you move on?
• Did you find a way to simulate slide pot motions using MiDi on your analog synths with a CV/Gate to MiDi interface? Or isn't there a way?
• If you mix MP3s, how to you keep kick drums in sync from one tune to the other? Is there an automatic procedure, or only the hard way?

1. it's all software.

2.-5. i've never played live

6. yep

7. no hardware synths

8.-13. i mix only in my DAW

14. i start with kick/bass and melodies, add pads/... and then sequence it when i have sufficient material for a whole track, adding some additional effects and details at the end.

15. no hardware

16. i don't dj.

 

that was quick

[Goa Travellers]

Cool, thanks

What about my 2 more questions?

[Rotwang]

I don't believe we've had your answers yet, GT.

[Panoptes]

Two more questions:

• Do you use the arpegiator integrated into your instrument when composing, or do you enter the arpegiator notes into your PC sequencer so that it resends the notes in loop to your instrument?
• For an instrument, do you have 2 separate MiDi tracks: one for notes and another one for miscellaneous midi controls? Or just one MiDi track for both notes and MiDi controls?

Thanks!

 

 

1)I only use arp while crafting the sound assuming I don't have the composition done beforehand

2)with midi you can combine multiple midi command types into one track. I usually record the notes first. Following the notes I record over the same track adding any other automation desired.

[Veracohr]

Do you use only hard synths and drum kits, or only soft ones, or a mixture?

• Do you use the PC sequencer for both live performance and at the studio?
• When you perform live, do you basically play your tunes one after the other, or do you have your own large tune specifically made for this purpose?
• If you perform live, how do you manage transitions from one tune to another (if you use actual synths)?
• When performing live, do you simulate that you're playing, and use an MP3 playlist while turning the knobs? Eh eh
• Do you assign a MiDi channel per drummer kit instrument (e.g. One MiDi channel dedicated to bass drum, another one for snare drum, etc.)
• How do you manage/remember all positions of pots on analog vintage synths when going from one tune to another, in order to always have the expected sound?
• Do you separate all audio outputs of all possible instruments, for left/right? (e.g. L/R for kick drum, L/R for lead, L/R/ for pad, L/R for synth 1, L/R for bass line, etc.) That would be n instruments × 2 audio channels = twice the number of instruments for the whole number of audio channels...
• Do you gather audio outputs on the mixing console by logical groups? (e.g. two slide pots for L/R of all drummer kit, two slide pots for all special effects, two slide pots for basses, etc...)
• Do you use an MPC? If so how do you manage the limitations? (lack of tracks, only 16 pads, arguably not convenient...)
• Do you record all MiDi events such as turning pots, selecting the instrument?
• Did you split your MiDi channels according to your instruments? (e.g. channels 1 to 10 for drummer kit ; channels 11 to 20 for synths, etc.)
• How do you gather your MiDi channels in your PC sequencer interface?
• When composing, do you first compose the main instrument from the beginning to the end, then on top, add the rhythm from the beginning to the end, then the bass, then the pad, then create transitions, then add effects. Or, do you compose at a slower pace but you compose all instruments at the same time, and you even add and fine-tune all effects as you move on?
• Did you find a way to simulate slide pot motions using MiDi on your analog synths with a CV/Gate to MiDi interface? Or isn't there a way?
• If you mix MP3s, how to you keep kick drums in sync from one tune to the other? Is there an automatic procedure, or only the hard way?
• Do you use the arpegiator integrated into your instrument when composing, or do you enter the arpegiator notes into your PC sequencer so that it resends the notes in loop to your instrument?
• For an instrument, do you have 2 separate MiDi tracks: one for notes and another one for miscellaneous midi controls? Or just one MiDi track for both notes and MiDi controls?

 

1. No live performance yet, although I'd like to. That's why I bought Ableton Live in the first place, I just haven't gotten that far yet.

5. Typically one MIDI track per drum, sometimes if I have multiple toms or bongos or some kind of multi-drum group of similar sounds it will be on one track.

6. I only have one synth that isn't controllable via MIDI, and it doesn't have full envelope controls (x0xb0x). If I did have such a vintage synth, and was mid-writing, I might keep a chart.

7. There's no reason to convert a monophonic sound into a 2-channel audio file, it just takes up twice the space and is still mono.

8. I don't use groups usually.

9. No MPC here.

10. I record all manual modulation.

11. I have a 4-in 4-out MIDI interface, so I only need one MIDI channel per output, so I keep everything on channel 1. Exceptions are when I use the 'Combo' mode on the PEK to play two sounds at once (I don't really ever use it the way it was intended, to make combination sounds), and the Emu Orbit can play on 16 channels at once, I just don't use it much anymore.

12. All my MIDI, audio and instrument channels and tracks are typically just in the order I add them to the project. Sometimes if I have an aux channel specific to one sound, I'll move the mixer channels together, sometimes that's useful for certain things.

13. I don't have a set way I write a song.

15. I don't DJ, but yes I believe various DJ softwares have various ways of aiding tempo matching.

16. My instruments don't have arpeggiators, but if they did I wouldn't use them.

17. Generally just one MIDI track per instrument, although I have at times found a use for a separate track for modulations, especially when I kept changing the notes but wanted to keep the modulation. Not often though.

 

 

Thanks! I don't mix. The Andromeda synth is a great product. Alesis wanted to be part of the top synths history here!

 

The Andromeda wasn't really thanks to the general Alesis corporation, it was a small group of people in the company (at the time) who were passionate about analog synths and made it happen. One of those people is named Dave Bryce, and he frequents online keyboard forums, and he's posted parts of the Andy story. Pretty interesting.

[needle ninja]

Two more questions:

• Do you use the arpegiator integrated into your instrument when composing, or do you enter the arpegiator notes into your PC sequencer so that it resends the notes in loop to your instrument?
• For an instrument, do you have 2 separate MiDi tracks: one for notes and another one for miscellaneous midi controls? Or just one MiDi track for both notes and MiDi controls?

Thanks!

 

 

1.The firmware update on the Moog little phatty added an arpegiator and I like it but I don't really use it much in compositions because of the fact that arpegiators are not original and also because it doesn't have anything more then basic patterns.

I did recently use a patch on z3ta+ that has arpeggiation, but that synth has a huge amount of patterns available so I didn't think it was too repetitive.

What I did is play notes that work with the arp. 5ths and 4ths to stay musical and put the notes at places were the change makes sense.

The pattern on my DAW looks like a bunch of long notes that are all held until the next note in sequence but with arpeggiation it's a continuous pattern that shifts up and down a 5th or a 4th after 4 measures or so.

 

2.I try not to have more tracks then I have to because I hate zooming in and out all the time so I put as much data on each midi track as I can.

Midi throughput can handle a lot of data (31.5 kBaud). I've only experienced problems when sending pitchwheel data.

When recording pitchwheel input I unplug the midi IN so that it doesn't loop back.

[Padmapani]

Two more questions:

• Do you use the arpegiator integrated into your instrument when composing, or do you enter the arpegiator notes into your PC sequencer so that it resends the notes in loop to your instrument?
• For an instrument, do you have 2 separate MiDi tracks: one for notes and another one for miscellaneous midi controls? Or just one MiDi track for both notes and MiDi controls?

1. i very rarely use the integrated arpeggiator. making a midi loop just gives me much more flexibility and is easier to use.

2. just one track. my cpu can't take it when i have more than 80 channels in logic and i don't see any advantage...

[Insejn]

I will pin this topic.

[Goa Travellers]

Goa trance music has many special effects, weirds sounds here and there all the time. Two more questions to musicians:

• Do you have all your SFX sounds, transition drum rolls, ready and muted, and you just trigger them every once in a while? Or do you work differently? How?
• Before starting composing your instrument notes, do you have your group of SFX sounds ready, or do you invent them as the tune composition goes on?

Thanks!

[Padmapani]

Goa trance music has many special effects, weirds sounds here and there all the time. Two more questions to musicians:

• Do you have all your SFX sounds, transition drum rolls, ready and muted, and you just trigger them every once in a while? Or do you work differently? How?
• Before starting composing your instrument notes, do you have your group of SFX sounds ready, or do you invent them as the tune composition goes on?

Thanks!

 

 

1. i have them in the arrange, just like any synth part.

2. i invent them as a make the track (sometimes i add them after the rest is nearly finished if some part seems too empty). but i might also import them (and alter them a bit) from an older track if i feel that it would fit in nicely with the part i'm working on.

[Goa Travellers]

Cool, thanks!