|
In
the above
photograph,
I'm with
Rick Garcia
of Hacienda
Records.
Rick and I
are shown
downloading
and
recording
the
individual
tracks from
my computer
and
keyboard.
The music
will be used
for a
commercial.
A commercial
is called a
"jingle"
in the
business.
We use
keyboards
and
computers to
write and
create most
of the
music.
In the
photograph
above, I'm
using the
instruments
(strings,
horns,
piano,
organ,
harps,
drums, etc.)
with my Korg
O1W/FD.
The keyboard
instruments
are
activated by
my computer
(the
computer
creates the
MIDI data;
volume and
length of
notes, what
octave, when
the notes
are played,
etc., to
write the
individual
tracks for a
song), and
the output
is the
combination
of all the
different
instruments
required to
complete the
score.
It all can
become quit
complicated
when you
combine
several
keyboard
instruments
in one track
to make a
combination
sound, but
the effort
is usually
worth it. |
|
Have
you ever
listened to
a four piece
band at a
local dance
and wonder
how they get
the sound of
an
orchestra?
In most
cases it's
the
keyboards
make the
sounds.
A good
keyboard can
make the
sound of a
100 piece
orchestra,
or it can
create
sounds that
have never
before been
heard.
And then
there's the
Music
Instrument
Digital
Interface
(MIDI).
MIDI opened
up a whole
new world to
the composer
and
performing
artist
alike.
Why is MIDI
such a big
deal?
Well, MIDI
allows the
user to
select
instruments
and sounds
to be saved
to
individual
tracks.
Once the
instruments
or sounds
have been
selected,
the music
can be
played for
each part,
while at the
same time it
is recorded
to its own
independent
track.
An example
of creating
a song using
MIDI:
The
instruments
and sounds
are selected
for each
track, i.e.,
drums, bass
guitar,
rhythm
guitar,
strings,
lead guitar,
etc. Then
the musician
either
writes
directly to
a music
score sheet
on the the
computer,
he/she plays
the music on
the keyboard
while the
computer
records
every part
of each
note, i.e.,
the length,
duration,
volume (the
more you
press a key
on the
keyboard,
the more the
volume of
the
individual
note or
notes), and
octave
location.
The computer
compiles all
of this
information
as it is
played.
When the
recording of
the
individual
tracks
completed.
It's time to
head down to
the studio
and record
each of the
independent
tracks.
At the
studio, the
computer is
hooked up to
either
another
computer, or
it is hooked
up to the
control
console
(mixing
board).
Once all of
the
independent
tracks from
the computer
is
downloaded,
effects are
added,
panning
(left,
center,
middle
locations)
is added,
vocals are
added, and
then the
final mix is
completed.
It sounds
like a lot
of work, and
it is, but
the result
is very
impressive.
In the old
days, to do
the same
thing, there
would have
to be
musicians
for the
orchestra
and the
other
independent
parts.
All of that
is
eliminated,
and it is
possible to
create a
finished
product (CD)
with only a
few people. |
