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Bill Sloyer
During our 17th lesson on Friday, 12/1, Larry and I talked about:
-Originally, MIDI was used for instruments to communicate w/each other
-Digital Performer was the first MIDI.
-MIDI parameters are: NOTE / VELOCITY (how hard or soft) / DURATION.
-MIDI used to have “aftertouch,” but it’s not popular any more. Aftertouch is MIDI data sent when pressure is applied to a keyboard after the key has been struck, and while it is being held down or sustained. Aftertouch is often routed to control vibrato, volume, and other parameters.
- A controller in MIDI has no sounds, it simply controls other synths.
-MIDI just uses USB now, but old MIDI gear has a 5-pin DIN euro cable that carries 16 channels of data. Each synth has it’s own channel. This type of gear also has 3 jacks: IN / OUT / THRU
IN: MIDI in
OUT: Audio out
THRU: MIDI out
Connecting synths w/MIDI:
-“Local On” means you hear sound from the keyboard you’re playing
-“Local Off” means your only transmitting out of the keyboard you’re playing
“Omni Mode” – synth reads all channels.
-Eurorack MIDI is a newer phenomenon: build your own synth! Google it for more. Can get pretty deep with setups!
-A Step Sequencer is like how Boom in ProT works.
-Pro Tools resolution is 960 ticks, but in digi performance, it’s half of that, 480.
-The Event Operations Window is used for MIDI editing, such as quantize, transpose, write MIDI real time properties, etc. Can split notes, but have to know piano notes & input range.
-MIDI changes can also be made in the Real Time Properties window.
-The MIDI Event List is literally a text list of all MIDI operations in a selected track.
-With Superior Drummer, you can drag a groove into a MIDI track. It’s $200-$400.
-When you turn a record in to a record company, must be ALL audio tracks, no MIDI!
-Synth types:
--Analog synthesis
--FM synthesis
--Wavetable synthesis (use bits of real audio to create sounds along w/reverb, delay)
**Samplers are now used for realistic sounds instead of synths.
-Logic X is better for composing music, as compared to ProT.
-SHOULD ALWAYS USE THE COMMENTS COLUMN IN PRO TOOLS TO RECORD INSTRUMENT & PATCH NAME.
-Use FREEZE if you aren’t recording to a track. It renders your audio and frees up computer.
-An EBow electronic bow is a small handheld electromagnet that you can play the guitar with. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoSbHKpRI4M
**TEMPO changes all the time if you do movie scoring.
-Larry recommends Pro Tools Prefs to keep your software cleaned up and running smooth. Might have to redo some settings after running the program. He uses it once a week.
-To MUTE PART of a track in the EDIT window, click on it, and then CMD + M
-CLICK TRACK: To make changes (to tempo, etc), can just simply add a long delay plugin like Larry has/does, or can also just go to EVENT à TIME OPERATIONS WINDOW
-To make changes to the click track, conductor track needs to be ON.
