Method for putting together a new song...
Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 4:29 pm
I've just finished putting together a new song: Its a one man band thing where I play all the tracks myself. OK - now I have got to the end I figured I would write down the process and see how it compares to other MTS users' methods... So here goes:
1 Sort out the time signature and put down a midi click track.
2 Put down (guitar) rhythm, lead and bass using the click. Repeat step 2 until you are fairly happy with the basics
3 Now program a drum track. This is where I discover that I play guitar just ahead of the beat, so I tweak the drums to match the groove using the MTS midi editor.. Now mute the click track 'cos you won't need it again.
4 Put down some synth tracks - these might also get their timing tweaked using the midi editor so they match the drum track.
5 Add the vocals (if any).
(now do 2-5 above again and again until its perfect...)
Mix down to 16 bit wav, burn a CD. Send to your friends and wait for stardom...
Is it finished??
No..
6 Make copies of the synth and drum tracks and quantise them, then spend a load of time with the MTS note editor removing most of the groove so the dots look nice
7 Play a new synth track to represent the melody or vocals, and quantise and tidy that as well.
8 When you have pretty dots for all the parts of the song - combine them into a single multi stream midi file, save it then import it into a music notation package
9 Spend a load more time in the notation package placing the words under the dots, adding the guitar chords, explaining where the verse and chorus is, and listening the the result to see if there is any sign of the original groove left
PS - Of course - if you don't know any dot-reading musicians, than you can dispense with 6-9 above
Just wondering how other MTS users do this thing, compared with my self invented method..
Pete
1 Sort out the time signature and put down a midi click track.
2 Put down (guitar) rhythm, lead and bass using the click. Repeat step 2 until you are fairly happy with the basics
3 Now program a drum track. This is where I discover that I play guitar just ahead of the beat, so I tweak the drums to match the groove using the MTS midi editor.. Now mute the click track 'cos you won't need it again.
4 Put down some synth tracks - these might also get their timing tweaked using the midi editor so they match the drum track.
5 Add the vocals (if any).
(now do 2-5 above again and again until its perfect...)
Mix down to 16 bit wav, burn a CD. Send to your friends and wait for stardom...
Is it finished??
No..
6 Make copies of the synth and drum tracks and quantise them, then spend a load of time with the MTS note editor removing most of the groove so the dots look nice
7 Play a new synth track to represent the melody or vocals, and quantise and tidy that as well.
8 When you have pretty dots for all the parts of the song - combine them into a single multi stream midi file, save it then import it into a music notation package
9 Spend a load more time in the notation package placing the words under the dots, adding the guitar chords, explaining where the verse and chorus is, and listening the the result to see if there is any sign of the original groove left
PS - Of course - if you don't know any dot-reading musicians, than you can dispense with 6-9 above
Just wondering how other MTS users do this thing, compared with my self invented method..
Pete