Creative Sequencing Techniques for Music Production: A practical guide to Logic, Digital Performer, Cubase and Pro Tools

324 Pages·2005·8.05 MB·English

by  Andrea Pejrolo

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Creative Sequencing Techniques
for Music Production
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Creative Sequencing
Techniques for Music
Production
A practical guide for Logic,
Digital Performer, Cubase and
Pro Tools
Dr Andrea Pejrolo
AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORD
PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY •TOKYO
Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier
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Focal Press
An imprint of Elsevier
Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP
30 Corporate Drive, Burlington MA 01803
First published 2005
Copyright © 2005 Andrea Pejrolo. All rights reserved
The right of Andrea Pejrolo to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted
in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including
photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
ISBN 0 240 51960 4
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Printed and bound in Great Britain
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
1 Studio setup 1
1.1 Basic studio information 1
1.2 The project studio 3
1.3 The music equipment 4
1.3.1 The MIDI equipment and MIDI messages 4
1.3.2 Channel Voice messages 7
1.3.3 Channel Mode messages 11
1.3.4 System Real-time messages 15
1.3.5 System Common messages 15
1.3.6 System Exclusive messages (SysEx) 16
1.4 The MIDI devices: controllers, synthesizers, sound modules, and
sequencers 16
1.4.1 The MIDI synthesizer 17
1.4.2 The keyboard controller 17
1.4.3 The sound module 17
1.4.4 The sequencer: an overview 18
1.4.5 Which controller? 20
1.4.6 The sound palette 23
1.5 Connecting the MIDI devices: Daisy Chain and Star Network setups 26
1.5.1 Daisy Chain setup 26
1.5.2 Start Network setup 29
1.5.3 The future of MIDI 30
1.6 The audio equipment 31
1.6.1 The mixing board and the monitors 31
1.6.2 The computer and audio connections 36
1.6.3 The audio interface inputs and outputs 40
1.6.4 Audio interface connections 43
1.6.5 Software and audio interface compatibility 44
1.7 Which software sequencer? 47
1.7.1 The primary goals you plan to achieve with your audio sequencer 47
1.7.2 Ease of use and learning curve 48
1.7.3 Which features suit you best? 48
1.7.4 Other factors to consider 51
1.7.5 What about the computer? 52
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1.8 Final considerations and budget issues 55
1.9 Summary 56
1.10 Exercises 57
2 Basic sequencing techniques 59
2.1 Introduction 59
2.2 The sequencer: concepts and review 59
2.3 How a sequencer works and how it is organized 60
2.4 MIDI tracks 62
2.5 Audio tracks 66
2.6 Organizing your projects 69
2.7 Flight-check before takeoff! 70
2.8 The first session: click track and tempo setup 71
2.8.1 Who plays the metronome? 72
2.9 Recording MIDI tracks 73
2.10 Basic MIDI editing techniques 78
2.10.1 The graphic editor 78
2.10.2 Level of Undos 80
2.10.3 The list editor 80
2.10.4 The score editor 81
2.11 Basic principles of MIDI note quantization 82
2.12 Audio track basics 85
2.12.1 Destructive and nondestructive audio editing 88
2.12.2 Playing it nice with the other tracks 90
2.13 Basic automation 93
2.13.1 Static automation 93
2.13.2 Dynamic mix: real-time automation 95
2.13.3 Editing automation data 96
2.14 Practical applications of automation 99
2.14.1 Volume automation 99
2.14.2 Pan automation 100
2.14.3 Mute automation 101
2.15 Summary and conclusion 101
2.16 Exercises 102
3 Intermediate sequencing techniques 104
3.1 Introduction 104
3.2 Groove quantization and the “humanize” function 104
3.2.1 Quantization filters 105
3.2.2 Swing quantization 109
3.2.3 Groove quantization 111
3.3 Layering of MIDI tracks 113
3.4 Layering of MIDI and audio tracks 115
3.5 Alternative MIDI track editing techniques: the drum editor 116
3.6 Alternative MIDI controllers 119
3.6.1 Guitar/Bass-to-MIDI converters 119
3.6.2 MIDI drums and pads 121
3.6.3 MIDI wind controllers 122
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3.7 Complex tempo tracks: tempo and meter changes 123
3.7.1 Creative use of tempo changes 126
3.8 Tempo changes and audio tracks 129
3.8.1 Time-stretching audio files 129
3.9 Synchronization 132
3.9.1 Synchronization of nonlinear machines 133
3.9.2 Sequencer setup for MC and MTC synchronization 136
3.10 Safeguard your work: back it up! 138
3.10.1 Backup and archive 139
3.10.2 How to calculate the size of a session 141
3.11 Summary and conclusion 142
3.12 Exercises 144
4 Advanced sequencing techniques 146
4.1 Introduction 146
4.2 Advanced quantization techniques 146
4.2.1 Custom groove creation 147
4.2.2 Editing a “groove” 147
4.2.3 Audio to MIDI “groove” creation 149
4.2.4 Audio quantization 153
4.3 Advanced editing techniques 159
4.3.1 Advanced MIDI editors 159
4.3.2 “Offline” global MIDI data transformers 159
4.3.3 “Real-time” MIDI effects 168
4.4 Overview of audio track effects 172
4.4.1 “Insert” effects 173
4.4.2 “Send” effects 174
4.5 Working with video: importing and exporting QuickTime movies 176
4.6 SMPTE: synchronization of linear to nonlinear machines 180
4.7 MIDI System Exclusive messages: the “MIDI dump” function 184
4.8 Summary and conclusion 188
4.9 Exercises 191
5 Elements of MIDI orchestration 193
5.1 Introduction 193
5.2 The rhythm section 194
5.2.1 The piano 194
5.2.2 The guitar 198
5.2.3 The bass 200
5.2.4 Drums and percussion 201
5.3 The string section: overview 204
5.3.1 Sequencing strings 206
5.3.2 Sonorities and sound libraries 206
5.3.3 Panning and reverb settings 209
5.4 Wind instruments: overview 211
5.4.1 The brass section: the trumpet and the flugelhorn 212
5.4.2 The trombone 213
5.4.3 The French horn 214
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5.4.4 The tuba 215
5.4.5 Sequencing brass: libraries, pan, and reverb 215
5.5 The woodwinds: overview 216
5.5.1 The saxophones 216
5.5.2 The flutes 218
5.5.3 The clarinets 219
5.5.4 The oboe and the English horn 220
5.5.5 The bassoon and the contrabassoon 221
5.6 The synthesizer: overview 222
5.6.1 Hardware and software synthesizers 223
5.6.2 Synthesis techniques 224
5.6.3 Analog subtractive synthesis 225
5.6.4 Additive synthesis 227
5.6.5 Frequency modulation synthesis 228
5.6.6 Wavetable synthesis 229
5.6.7 Sampling 230
5.6.8 Physical modeling synthesis 231
5.6.9 Granular synthesis 233
5.7 Summary and conclusion 234
5.8 Exercises 239
6 The final mix 241
6.1 Introduction 241
6.2 The mixing stage: overview 242
6.2.1 Track organization and submixes 245
6.2.2 The “rough” mix 247
6.3 Panning 247
6.3.1 Balance 248
6.3.2 Frequency placement 248
6.4 Reverberation and ambience effects 249
6.4.1 Specific reverb settings for DP, CSX, LP, and PT 252
6.4.2 Convolution reverb: Logic Pro’s Space Designer 253
6.5 Equalization 260
6.5.1 Equalizers in DP, CSX, PT, and LP 264
6.6 Dynamic effects: compressor, limiter, expander, and gate 268
6.6.1 Dynamic effects in DP, PT, CSX, and LP 270
6.7 Bounce to disk 275
6.7.1 Audio file formats 280
6.8 Premastering: introduction 283
6.8.1 The premastering process: to normalize or not? 283
6.8.2 Premastering equalization 284
6.8.3 Multiband compression 286
6.8.4 The limiter 288
6.9 Summary and conclusion 292
6.10 Exercises 295
Appendix: List of examples contained on the CD-ROM 296
Index 299
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Acknowledgments
This book is the result of years of training and passionate sessions spent in front of a com-
puter and a sequencer. I want to thank all the people that in one way or another have had
an impact on my education, musical growth, and musical life over the years. First of all my
dear wife, Irache, a never-ending resource for energy, assistance, and enthusiasm. I gratefully
acknowledge the immense support and help of my family, relatives, and friends. In particular,
I would like to thank my parents, Rosalba and Gianni, and my dear friend Nella. A special
thanks goes to my brother Luca, who is responsible for exposing me, at a very early age, to
MIDI and to the immense power of music, and to my brother Marco, who keeps reminding
me every day through several exceptional collaborations how lucky I am to be able to share
my music with other people.
A very special vote of appreciation goes to my dear friends and mentors from Manhattan
School of Music, Richard De Rosa, Garry Dial, and Richard Sussman. Through their help,
knowledge, and encouragement I have been able to grow not only musically but also
personally.
I would like to thank the technical reviewer, Kurt J. Biederwolf from Berklee College of
Music, for his extremely helpful contribution in fine-tuning some of the technical details of
this book. A special thanks goes to Beth Howard, Emma Baxter, Margaret Denley and
Georgia Kennedy from Elsevier U.K. for the interest they showed in the idea for this book
and for their precious support.
And finally, a big thanks to my friends and colleagues: Terre Roche, Dion and Livia Driver,
Jim Oakar, John Wineglass, Gal Ziv, Lisa Nardi, Victor Girgenti, Mike Richmond, Robert
Rowe, Ron Sadoff, The New England Institute of Art in Boston, Berklee College of Music,
the Institute of Audio Research in New York, The Audio Recording Technology Institute in
Long Island, Francesco Avato, Jonathan Scott and Martin Kiszko in Bristol, U.K., and many
others.
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