Virtual Instruments and Sequencing

Proses Pembuatan Lagu/Musik

Tracking Mixing Mastering

Virtual Instrument and Sequencing - Considerations

Hardware to Software

Analog to Digital

Virtual Instrument• Virtual instruments or ‘soft synths’ and ‘soft samplers’ are software

implementations of sound generators that can be controlled via the plug-in architecture.

• For example VSTi and DXi are examples of VST or DirectX virtual instruments.

• Mostly they rely on the host’s CPU power to perform the synthesis operations and there is an increasing number of software versions of previously ‘hard’ sound generators.

• In many ways this can be quite convenient because it does away with the need for cumbersome external devices, MIDI cables and audio mixing.

• synthetic and sampled sound generation can be handled within the workstation, and the audio outputs of these virtual instruments mixed internally, the studio can really begin to be contained within a single box. External interfaces are then only required to handle acoustic sources such as vocals, guitars and other naturally recorded material.

Hardware Instruments

Digital Audio Workstation

Powerful Computer Technology

Software Instruments

Software Formats

• VST – Virtual Studio Technology (Cubase)

• AU – Audio Units (Apple)

• MAS – Mark of the Unicorn Audio System (MOTU)

• RTAS – Real Time Audio Suite (Pro Tools)

• DX, DXi – DirectX (Microsoft/Cakewalk)

Getting the Most Out of Your Virtual Instruments

• Fast Computer

• Lots of RAM

• Knowledge of Computer Operating Systems

• Knowledge of Audio/MIDI Interfaces

• Knowledge of MIDI Controllers

• Knowledge of DAW programs/Latency

• Good Audio System

Sequencing• Sequencers are probably the most ubiquitous of audio and MIDI

applications. • A sequencer will be capable of storing a number of ‘tracks’ of MIDI and

audio information, editing it and otherwise manipulating it for musical composition purposes.

• It is also capable of storing MIDI events for non-musical purposes such as studio automation Popular packages such as ProTools and Logic now combine audio and MIDI manipulation in an almost seamless fashion, and have been developed to the point where they can no longer really be considered as simply sequencers.

• In fact they are full-blown audio production systems with digital mixers, synchronisation, automation, effects and optional video.

• The dividing line between sequencer and music notation • MIDI input is used for entering note pitches during setting, whilst output is

used for playing• the finished score in an audible form.

Hardware Sequencing

Evolution of Sequencing

Software Sequencing

Evolution of SequencingDigital Audio and the DAW

MIDI

MIDI

Basics

• Music Instrument Digital Interface

• 16 MIDI Channels

• MIDI Parameters (Velocity, Volume, Panning, etc.)

• MIDI Values (Mostly 0-127)

MIDIMIDI Files

• Export from Program

• Import to Program

• Quantization

• File Formats (1, 0)

• General MIDI

MIDIGeneral MIDI

• Based on the concept of 16 Channels

• No more than 16 tracks (i.e., 16 channels)

• Channel 10 reserved for Drums

• All patch numbers are the same (e.g., Violin on one GM Instrument would have the same patch number on a different GM instrument)

• Used for MIDI file sharing (internet greeting cards, computer sounds, gaming, etc.)

The Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

The Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

Common Programs

• Sonar (Cakewalk/Roland)

• Digital Performer (MOTU)

• Cubase (Steinberg)

• Pro Tools (AVID)

• Logic (Apple)

The Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

Typical Features

• MIDI Sequencing

• Digital Audio Recording

• Several Editing Methods

• Proprietary Instruments

• Signal Processing/Mixing

• Plug In Capability

• Video Import/Export

• Sync

Common Editors – Track Editor

Common Editors – Notation Editor

The Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

Common Editors – Piano Roll Editor

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