Embellish sounds - Produce music.
Digital Audio Computer Music-Making and MIDI XG
Now more than 10 years old!
This site was originally for users of the good 'ole General MIDI (GM) and Yamaha's superior XG MIDI standard; specifically, the SYXG-50 and SYXG100 softsynths, now discontinued.
Now it's also for musicians using the computer for making music in the digital audio realm too.
But that's not to say TheWhippinipost is abandoning you GM and XG MIDI users. You can still find the comprehensive MIDI XG guide on how to interpret and use XG's specialised commandset to tap into its hidden power.
Mixing music is another area now covered with lots of articles, interviews and tutorials including the popular 10 essential mixing tips.
There's also an overview (plus many reviews) of popular computer music products, including keyboards and midi and recording equipment.
Oh the list just goes on including the ever-popular online music calculators plus a growing bank of online video tutorials for musicians - just get stuck in and discover, learn, tell your friends and enjoy!
Effects, hmmm... effects. Such a big subject, but fortunately easily dealt with for the purposes of our sound mixing tips.
Why? Simple really: effects are fun to play with but can quickly mess-up your mix; Reverbs and delays for instance, can result in instruments "over-staying" their welcome, thus "crowding the mix" - particularly if there's plenty going on anyway. It's very easy to lose definition and clarity if we're not careful.
Podcasting, in case you didn't know, is now experiencing explosive growth across the internet... and where there's entertainment, there's cash!
I used to make jingles for two or three online radio shows a few years back but it was more for fun than anything else. However, over the last few months or so I've been getting enquiries - completely out-of-the-blue - from people who remembered I used to do it back in the day. These people are either in the process of starting their own podcasts, or have begun already and realise they need some flash-whizz-bang intro with their show-ident thrown-in.
More "slap-on-the-wrist" things to beware of when fondling your EQ knobs (oo-er!).
OK... first of all, before applying and/or messing about with any EQ or effects etc... you should be just setting the relative volumes of each instrument, in order of the importance they have in your song, simple enough?
Seeing as we've used the term masking a few times, I thought we'd better add a few words to describe what it is and how to handle it.
Frequency Masking
Frequency masking is where the frequencies of two (or more) instruments are battling it out for space - ie... they share the same frequencies - and is probably one of the most common problems encountered when mixing.
Another easy trap to fall into when feeling tired and lazy is the tendency to boost an instrument in the mix via the EQ, when in fact - unless for creative reasons (like deliberately altering the sound to achieve an effect or whatever) - cutting should be your preferred option. Here's a few reasons why...
Simple and quick one today: If you want a thumping bass, keep it centre-stage, together with the kick-drum.
Bass Central
By setting the panning of bass and kick-drum to the centre, you utilise the power of both right and left speakers equally, giving you more punch for your buck.
If you're concentrating on a song-part for too long, your ears become quickly tired. You will sit there, and you will think: '...nah'; and you will convince yourself everything is fine. But what you've probably done in fact, is over-compensate without realising.
This is cool and qualifies as one of those, 'Oh why didn't I think of that!,' simple ideas that change the way people do stuff.
Let it be known that henceforth, TheWhippinpost was officially "relaunched", live, on 20th Nov 2006, BO!
WOW! My own blog at TheWhippinpost eh... who would'a thunk it!
Well I guess I should say thanks to TheWhippinpost for having me aboard - and no, I'm not performing any "extra-curricula favours" for the privilidge! ;)
