MIDI, Digital Music Composition, Windows Digital Audio Software, Digital Audio Recording, Live Audio Engineering, MIDI Guitar, General Music Theory and Composition.
Experience
Experience in the area:
- 25 years working with Computers and Digital Music.
- 10 years as a professional Live Sound Engineer.
- 5 years as a professional Studio Recording Engineer.
- 2 years as Creative Director of an internet-based Audio Production Company specializing in Sampling and Digital Audio.
Organizations:
- Currently active as a Beta Tester for various Audio Software Companies.
- Regular contributor to various Software Support Forums.
Education/Credentials:
- Dip. Technology Telecommunications Electronics (B.C.I.T.)
- A.A. Degree (U.B.C./S.F.U.)
- College Cert. in Jazz Guitar Composition (V.C.C.)
- College Cert. in Fine Arts (E.C.I.A.D.)
My name is Nathan and I am a composer. I'm composed many song using Finale 2009 and recently brought Sonar 8 Producer to truly get the song to sound right for the CD. All my life (I'm 20 years old) I can't play anything instruments good enough to record live so i use MIDI. I have learned to produce a song the correct way by buying and watching all the products from Multi-Platinum Pro Tools. So I know song production, but in Multi-Platinum Pro Tools they record and edit live instruments. I, on the other hand, uses MIDI. My questions are:
1. In the tutorial videos, they EQ the instruments to make them sound right before exporting onto CD, but since I used MIDI, do I have to EQ the instruments as well. I mean they are not real instruments that I recorded live, they are VSTi sounds that I got from Dimension Pro (a VSTi in Sonar 8). I mean, I do change the velocity of the VSTi instrument track to make them sound more alive, add reverb and delay, etc, but do I have to apply EQ to a musical part that I use MIDI to create???
2. This is pretty much the same question as the top one, but about Compression. Now, I know I have to apply EQ and Compression to my vocals because my vocals was recorded live through a microphone. But do I...or should I apply compression to my other instrumentals parts that I've used MIDI (from Dimension Pro and other VSTi such as Ministry of Rock, Rapture, etc.) to create in the final mastering processes? All in all, what I want to know is, since i use MIDI (not real instruments) to create my instrumental tracks (drums, piano, guitar, violin, etc.) do I go through the same editing process that a producer must go through if he/she were recording live instruments?
Answer Hi Nathan,
MIDI is simply control information that tells your VSTi plug-ins to play some audio at a certain time at a certain pitch. This audio might be pre-recorded audio, or generated in real-time via algorithms... but it is just audio, the same as if you had recorded it yourself.
When you have your composition close to being ready, you will listen to all the sound being generated from all the tracks that you have created... then go through each track and EQ the sound so that it can either be clearly distingished from the background (in the case of solo instruments) or blend smoothly together (in the case of background instruments). You will also use EQ to remove any harsh or objectionable overtones or harmonics from any instrument, or likewise, enhance those that sound good.
It makes no difference if the sound was generated from MIDI or not... you will still use EQ on the final sound to get it to fit within your particular mix of instruments and sounds.
Compression is used to reduce the dynamic range of a sound. Use compression to prevent a sound from fading out too quickly, or from "standing out" when you prefer it to blend in with other sounds.
EQ, compression, and reverb are the main ways a professional mix engineer controls the overall sound of a song for playback, such as a CD. How these tools are used makes the difference between a poor recording and a great one... even when the same original source tracks are used. Learning to use these tools can take a lifetime of experience, which is why professional engineers are highly prized and sought out by musicians and composers. Often, their valuable skills simply can not be matched.
Another good technique is to compare your own mix to something similar that has been professionally mixed... using it as a rough guide to EQ your own sound and keep you "on track."
Some companies produce sound libraries that have the EQ and compression already added to the actual samples so that the sound you get from the sampler is basically ready to add to a mix... but even in this case, you will still want to add your own EQ to have it fit perfectly into your own composition.
Have fun mixing your own compositions! You will find that the mixing process can be as creative and exciting as the actual composition process itself - and in many cases, can be just as important. Don't be afraid to experiment and use your ears to guide you.
