BtecSoundOliverCharles: Unit 49: Introduction to Music Technology

Unit 49: Introduction to Music Technology

Sequencing a Pop Song

Scenario - Your client has asked you to produce a sequenced, midi recreation of a well-known pop song for a karaoke album. You have been given a notated score with all parts, but have been asked to include extra features you can hear and to creatively interpret and develop the track using editing skills.

Task 1 -

Create a midi sequence of a piece of music from a given score.

You will be given a chord structure and melody line of a pop song. You will have to listen closely to the original to identify all instruments playing, and accurately recreate this using Cu base using midi sequencing techniques.

You will be required to submit:

A full mix down to your project which includes the specified track you have sequenced.
A report on your project, stating all track, effects and automation used.

You may include screenshots and/or evidence in your submission.

Summary:

As part of our unit we have been set the task of creating a midi sequence using Cubase of a piece of music given to use with the score in a conclusion to give us a basic skillset and understanding of commonly used software and techniques in the music industry. In our case the song given to us was 'Rather be' performed and produced by Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne.

Using this track will give us an insight on how such as successful song is produced and take these techniques and ideas into future prospects.

"Rather Be" is a song by English electronic music group Clean Bandit. It features vocals by Jess Glynne. The track was released on 17 January 2014 as the fourth single from the group's debut studio album, New Eyes (2014).

The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart and was the third fastest-selling single of 2014, and the highest-selling January single since "Spaceman" by Babylon Zoo in 1996. The song spent four weeks at number one, selling over one million copies since release and becoming only the seventh single to go 3× Platinum. In the United States, the song peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was placed at number four on Billboard's 10 Best Songs of 2014 list.

"Rather Be" has also become an international hit in part due to the song's video becoming a viral hit on YouTube. Featuring Haruka Abe, it has over 420 million views. It won the Best Dance Recording category at the 2015 Grammy Awards in the United States.

Operating System and Cubase:

In our case we are using the software and operating system provided to us by the Sixth Form. This being Cubase 6 as our digital audio workstation and an Mac oS X operating system.

However, to further my knowledge I wanted to explore and research the possible other softwares and operating systems for personal awareness of the typical products used in the industry and develop an understanding of them.

D.A.W.'s - A digital audio workstation (D.A.W.) is an electronic device or computer software application for recording, editing and producing audio files such as songs, musical pieces, human speech or sound effects.

There are several sequencing software's available in modern technology some of them include:

Apple Logic Pro

A Mac running Logic is almost an expected find when you head into a professional musician’s studio - it’s a supremely elegant music production solution that just works.

2015 saw a flurry of activity in Logic land. First, in January, we had Logic X 10.1, which, on top of a variety of workflow enhancements, offered new Drummers, a brand new Drum Machine Designer plugin, a redesigned version of Logic's much-loved Compressor, a new, expanded sound library, and the ability for Retro Synth to make wavetables from imported audio.

Then, in August, came the surprise release of Logic Pro X 10.2, which brought a revised version of Camel Audio's awesome Alchemy synth to the party.

Things have been a little quieter in 2016, but we're certainly not at the stage where it feels like Logic is being left behind. And then there's that price: by any measure, Logic Pro is a steal. If you own a Mac, it's pretty hard to resist.

Ableton Live

It's hard to overstate the impact that Live has had on the music software marketplace. When the first version was released in 2001 it threw out the traditional design rulebook and established itself not just as a recording program for composers, but also as a performance instrument in itself. Since then, it's exploded in popularity and influenced the development of countless other desktop and mobile apps.

It's been a big year for Ableton, with version 9.5 of Live heralding the arrival of a redesigned Simpler sampler and new Max for Live instruments. The company has also released its Push 2 controller, a superb piece of hardware that, when used in conjunction with Live, gives you a unique music-making experience.

There's even been time to release Ableton Link, a new technology that enables wireless syncing between Live and other desktop and iOS apps, and is fast becoming an industry standard.

Ableton is still innovating then, and offers a fabulous DAW that's popularity, among new and existing users alike, shows no sign of dwindling.

Image-Line FL Studio

FL Studio began life as Fruity Loops, the phenomenally popular step-based beat/groove maker that’s been used by aspiring producers the world over (Deadmau5 included). However, full-on DAW status was achieved some time ago - if you think that this is merely an entry-level application that only allows you to create loops, you need to take a second look.

Version 12 of FL Studio, released in 2015 year, represented one of the most significant overhauls to the program in years. It offers a vectorial UI that looks great on high-resolution monitors, a redesigned and resizeable mixer, and updates to several of the software's plugins. Most recently, we've had version 12.3, which brings realtime audio stretching to the party.

Is this a good point for the newcomer to jump onboard? Absolutely. FL Studio still lends itself more readily to in-the-box composition and mixing, rather than as the centre of a more traditional recording setup, but there's little it can't do in regard to the former.

What's more, in the context of what's going on in the rest of the DAW market, Image-Line's 'lifetime free updates' policy is looking more attractive than ever. The knowledge that you'll never have to pay an upgrade fee after that initial outlay is certainly reassuring.

Steinberg Cubase Pro

On the market since the days of the Atari ST, Cubase has been around for the advent of audio recording, plugin effects and instruments (Steinberg actually invented the VST standard) and every other major DAW development.

At the start of 2015, this long and winding development road brought us to Cubase Pro 8, which featured a rebuilt audio engine, VCA faders, new options for bouncing MIDI and audio parts, and composing aids in the form of Chord Pads and the Chord Assistant. There were changes to the UI, too, plus new effects and a whole lot more besides.

Since then we've had Cubase 8.5; the headline new features here are VST Transit, a cloud collaboration service, and Retrologue 2, an updated version of the analogue-style subtractive synth.

Overall, Cubase Pro feels just like what it is: a mature DAW that continues to evolve in interesting and creatively relevant directions.

PreSonus Studio One

Studio One has been gaining ground for several years, and it's now a DAW of real power and maturity.

Version 3 heralded the arrival of new arranging, sound design and composing features, and added a couple of extra software instruments, too.

In fact, Studio One 3 was a very solid update, boasting greatly improved content, a significantly more powerful and creative feature set, and a generally more professional feel. There have been further free updates since then, too, with PreSonus listening to user requests and acting on them.

It all adds up to a well-rounded DAW that, for the most part, stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its far more established rivals.

Operating Systems:

Operating systems are the low-level software that supports a computer's basic functions, such as scheduling tasks and controlling peripherals. It is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs. All computer programs, excluding firmware, require an operating system to function.

There are a few common operating systems available:

Mac OS X

macOS (originally named Mac OS X until 2012, then re-branded to OS X until 2016) is the current series of Unix-based graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Apple Inc. designed to run on Apple's Macintosh computers, having been preinstalled on all Macs since 2002. Within the market of desktop, laptop and home computers, and by web usage, it is the second most widely used desktop OS after Microsoft Windows.

Linux

Linux is the best-known and most-used open source operating system. As an operating system, Linux is software that sits underneath all of the other software on a computer, receiving requests from those programs and relaying these requests to the computer's hardware.

Open source Operating System: Generically, open source refers to a program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge.

Windows

Windows is a series of operating systems developed by Microsoft. Each version of Windows includes a graphical user interface, with a desktop that allows users to view files and folders in windows. For the past two decades, Windows has been the most widely used operating system for personal computers PCs.

Microsoft Windows is designed for both home computing and professional purposes. Past versions of Windows home editions include Windows 3.0 (1990), Windows 3.1 (1992), Windows 95 (1995), Windows 98 (1998), Windows Me (2000), Windows XP (2001), and Windows Vista (2006). The current version, Windows 7, was released in 2009.

The first business-oriented version of Windows, called Windows NT 3.1, was in 1993. This was followed by Windows 3.5, 4.0, and Windows 2000. When Microsoft released Windows XP in 2001, the company simply created different editions of the operating system for personal and business purposes. Windows Vista and Windows 7 have followed the same release strategy.

Windows is designed to run on standard x86 hardware, such as Intel and AMD processors. Therefore, it can be installed on multiple brands of hardware, such as Dell, HP, and Sony computers, as well as home-built PCs. Windows 7 also includes several touchscreen features, that allow the operating system to run on certain tablets and computers with touchscreen displays. Microsoft's mobile operating system, Windows Phone, is designed specifically for smartphones and runs on several brands of phones, including HTC, Nokia, and Samsung.

Production:

How to setup a new project in Cubase:

First things first, we had to set up an appropriate and easily workable timeline for our midi sequence.

When opening cubase the initial image shown pops up giving us options of past work and the ability to set up a new timeline. The options given are 'recording', 'Scoring', 'Production' and 'Mastering', in our case we just simple wanted to create a timeline with no specifically set properties.

Furthermore at the bottom of this tab, our desired option is given to us with the choice of file location. I used the default location to avoid any confusion and clicked 'Create'.

This action then opens up a blank timeline with all the standard properties. My initial reaction was to adapt the scale for a timeline easier to work with.

I set the quantize type to 1/16 which then shows me 16 notes to every bar.

In the bottom right corner shows vertical and horizontal sliders, by moving these it resizes how many bars are shown on the timeline. I used it to scale the timeline to a more appropriate state therefore being easier to understand and work with.

Referring to the score sheet, the first principle I wanted to get in place was the tempo. Following that shown on the score sheet I adapted the timelines tempo properties to suit being that at '115' which would then later change and be added in at a later stage.

How to create Tracks:

To create a track you can simply go to the top task bar and hover over the 'Project' tab. This will then reveal a menu with several different options, however in this case all we are looking to do is 'Add Track'. Again one hovered over this will bring up another menu with several different options the top 3 being 'Audio', 'Instrument' and 'MIDI' and in this case all we need to select is 'Instrument'.

Once selected this window will open giving you a drop down menu with the installed instrument plug-ins.

How to assign Synths to Tracks:

For my initial track I chose the option of 'Halion Sonic SE' which is a form of synthesizer.

A synthesizer is an electronic musical instrument that generates electric signals that are converted to sound through instrument amplifiers and loudspeakers or headphones. Synthesizers may either imitate instruments like piano, Hammond organ, flute, vocals; natural sounds like ocean waves, etc.; or generate new electronic timbres. They are often played with a musical keyboard, but they can be controlled via a variety of other input devices, including music sequencers, instrument controllers, fingerboards, guitar synthesizers, wind controllers, and electronic drums. Synthesizers without built-in controllers are often called sound modules, and are controlled via MIDI or CV/Gate using a controller device, often a MIDI keyboard or other controller.

However in this case we are using a software synthesizer. A software synthesizer, also known as a softsynth, is a computer program, or plug-in that generates digital audio, usually for music. Computer software that can create sounds or music is not new, but advances in processing speed are allowing softsynths to accomplish the same tasks that previously required dedicated hardware. Softsynths are usually cheaper and more portable than dedicated hardware, and easier to interface with other music software such as music sequencers.

Once assigned, after adding this track type twice for the Synth in the song, your timeline should appear as so.

From this on the left side menu underneath the assigned plug in is the instruments option which when clicked opens up a new window with a search ability with all the forms sounds the plug in can replicate. In this case for our synth we had to choose a 'strings' sound form. Once searched it gives you all of the available options relevant to 'Strings' and a preview option. In order to try and replicate the song I previewed each of the sounds and selected the one that sounded most like that used in the song 'Rather Be'. My conclusion was to use 'String Ensemble 1'.

The next step was to begin following the score sheet and simplifying it for me I decided to work in sections of 4 bars. To do this, using the pencil tool in the top tool menu, I drew out the first 4 bars as shown.

How to Input Midi Data:

It was now time to start adding in notes to my timeline and when double clicking on the drawn 4 bars it brings up a window as shown with the relevant keys replicating a keyboard/piano. We could now start to input our MIDI data.

MIDI data is a standard protocol for the interchange of musical information between musical instruments, synthesizers and computers. MIDI was developed to allow the keyboard of one synthesizer to play notes generated by another. MIDI is not to be mistaken with music/sound files, it does not contain any actual sounds and is really nothing more than data/a set of instructions. In essence it MIDI data contains a lost of events or messages that tell an electronic device how to generate a creation sound. Common uses of MIDI are Karaoke, Old video games and mobile phones.

There are two types of MIDI message bytes: the status byte and the data byte. A byte is a group of binary digits or bits (usually eight) operated on as a unit. Status Bytes always begin with 1 and data bytes with 0, in a binary code format. That leaves only 7 bits per byte to represent the message as there are 128 possible values. MIDI messages begin with the status byte, where 3 bits (sss) are used to denote the type of message, and 4 bits (nnnn) to denote the channel number to which the message apply (maximum of 16 channels).

Using the utility you could play the MIDI keyboard connected to your PC via MIDI IN port through internal synthesizers or external tone generators connected via MIDI OUT ports. That's because the utility allows you to simply connect any MIDI input device to any MIDI output one. It means that every MIDI event received from MIDI Input device you've chosen will be forward to some MIDI Output device has been connected with.

MIDI Devices are configured in the MIDI Device Manager, and you can add one by clicking the Install Device button and selecting the appropriate device from the Add MIDI Device window and clicking OK. The device you've just added should be selected in the Installed Devices list. You can assign it to a MIDI output port by clicking the Output pop-up menu (just beneath the Import Setup button) and selecting the MIDI output port to which you have connected the actual hardware device.

To create a new MIDI Device:

Click 'Install Device' in the MIDI Device Manager.
Select 'Define New' in the Add MIDI Device window and click OK.
Next, type a name for the MIDI Device into the rather appropriately named 'Type in MIDI Device Name' window, and click OK.

Moving onto MIDI channels - General MIDI standard is 16 channels. This partially came about because a standard 5 pin MIDI cable is only capable of transmitting 16 channels of data.

Most any MIDI keyboard purchased today is capable of playing 16 channels of audio simultaneously. That means you can compose or arrange a piece that can use up to 16 instruments at the same time.

A MIDI controller is any hardware or software that generates and transmits Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) data to electronic or digital MIDI-enabled devices, typically to trigger sounds and control parameters of an electronic music performance. The most commonly used MIDI controller is the electronic musical keyboard MIDI controller, which has keys that can be pressed. When the keys are pressed, the MIDI controller sends MIDI data about the pitch of the note, the velocity and duration, which can be used to trigger sounds from a MIDI-compatible sound module or synthesizer. In our case we are using: ....

The Standard MIDI File (SMF) is a file format that provides a standardized way for sequences to be saved, transported, and opened in other systems. The compact size of these files has led to their widespread use in computers, mobile phone ringtones, webpage authoring and greeting cards. They are intended for universal use, and include such information as note values, timing and track names.

After following the score sheet I began to input the MIDI date relevant to the notes.

After completing the first four bars of the synth this is how my window looked.

After closing the window this is how my timeline now appeared with the inputted data.

How to use Groove agent & Media bay to create a drum Track:

Further down the line of the production I had to use a new function to add in the drums. After adding a new track and following the same steps, I then changed the plug in to 'Groove Agent One'.

This then gives you access to this interface which emulates as a sampler that you can assign sounds to that correspond to that on the keyboard. This allows you up to 64 samples in 8 different groups which can be differentiated for your benefit.

To assign sounds you must open the 'Media Bay' which can be found in the 'Devices' tab in the top bar of Cubase. This is a massive media library of stock samples which has a large range.

A sampler is an electronic or digital musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer, but instead of generating new sounds with filters and oscillators, it uses sound recordings (or "samples") of real instrument sounds.

In our case we are using a software sampler. A software sampler is a piece of software which allows a computer to emulate the functionality of a sampler.

Fundamentally, a sampler is a synthesiser that uses an audio file as its oscillator: load in a segment of audio (a sample”, play MIDI notes up and down the keyboard, and the sampler will play back the sample at the desired musical pitch. From here, you can loop, reverse, filter, envelope and modulate the sound via the sampler’s various synthesis-style features.

Once followed the first eight bars of the drum section on the score sheet, this is how my timeline appeared.

Sound samples have been around for years and have been used as a vital asset when producing music and some songs have even been made up entirely of samples. A good example of this would be the Prodigy's - Firestarter as shown below in Ableton:

One of the original samplers was the 'Mellotron'. The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It evolved from a similar instrument, the Chamberlin, but could be mass-produced more effectively. The instrument works by pulling a section of magnetic tape across a head.

This can be demonstrated below by the one and only Paul McCartney himself:

Sylenth:

In our case we are using 'Sylenth1'.

Sylenth1 is a virtual analog VSTi synthesizer that takes the definitions of quality and performance to a higher level. Until now only very few software synthesizers have been able to stand up to the sound quality standards of hardware synths. Sylenth1 is one that does.

It possesses several different functions and abilities, some of them include:

Release -
the time it takes for the compressor to bring up the level to be the same as the input level once it realizes that the input level does not anymore need compression (because it is now below threshold level).

A good example is that the input level now changes from -10dB back again to -40dB (below the -20dB threshold). The compressor realizes that this does not anymore need compression, so it “releases” the signal and apply some gain to bring back to its original level (uncompressed level) which is -40dB.

Envelope -

The envelope in envelope filter is referring to the control signal generated from the audio input that is used to move (or modulate) the filter. Specifically, an envelope is an estimate of the total signal level of the audio input. So if you play hard, the signal is greater than if you play softly and the filter will respond as such.

Oscillator -

Without oscillators, your synthesizer will make no sound (well, actually it can - but that's in a future article). Oscillators produce the original sound which you can hear in your patches, which is then fed through the rest of the signal path in the synthesizer. Oscillation itself is the production of a certain type of waveform, which produces a different sound depending on the shape of the waveform. The waveform is constantly ‘run' depending on the speed/pitch of the note - so if an oscillator is set to a low enough pitch you will eventually hear gaps due to the slow speed of oscillation (see LFO below). Common oscillator waveforms are:

Saw Wave - shaped like the teeth on a saw blade, this produces a very common sharp, biting tone.

Square Wave - looks like a (near) perfect square, produces a reedy, hollow sound.

Pulse Wave - a variation on the above, the pulse wave is half as wide as a square wave, and has the unique ability to have its width modulated (called ‘Pulse Width Modulation').

Triangle Wave - unsurprisingly shaped like a triangle, this sounds somewhere in between a saw wave and a sine wave.

Sine Wave - a smooth rising and falling shape (like a horizontal ‘S'), this produces a mild, soft tone.

Noise - not exactly a waveform, but a source of sound produced by a certain colour of noise.

At its core Sylenth1 houses 4 alias-free unison oscillators, which generate analog shaped waveforms. Each oscillator is capable of producing 8 unison voices in full stereo, adding up to a total of 32 voices per note. With its 16 notes of polyphony this means you can play up to 512 voices simultaneously! The oscillators perform extremely well in both the very low (down to 0.01Hz and below!) and very high (all the way up to half the samplerate) frequency regions without losing their sharpness, liveliness or character. This makes them well suited for all kinds of sounds, from the deepest basses imaginable to the highest crystal clear bells.

Attack -

Attack is the time it takes for the compressor to complete the gain reduction (or bring down the level) based on the compression ratio.

For example, if the compression ratio is set to 1:2 and the threshold is set at -20dB, this means that if the input level is -10dB (needs compression because it is above threshold), the output will be -20dB. If the attack time is set to 30ms; this means that when the input is -10dB = it takes 30ms for the compressor to reduce its gain to become -20dB (output of the compressor).

Low Frequency Oscillator -

LFO, or ‘Low Frequency Oscillator' is a special kind of oscillator which oscillates at a frequencies so low you cannot hear it - unless you deliberately tune it into the standard hearing range. It is used to modulate other parts of the synthesizer, such as the pitch of an oscillator, or the frequency of the filter. LFOs still use standard waveforms just like oscillators, but because they operate so slowly the variation in time between the start and finish of the waveform is clearly noticeable - for example, with a sine wave you are able to hear the smooth ascending and descending nature of the waveshape. Used properly, this adds animation and a moving texture to the sound in your synthesizer.

Tempo change:

As explained earlier, the tempo of the song changes after bar 8, so to adapt to this you have to add a new track which gives you the ability to change the tempo at a specific point in the timeline.

Finalizing the track:

To finish off the sequence I added in a group channel with all the wanted tracks in, this allowed me to add a fade at the end of bar 49.

Once all of tracks where in the the group you need to ensure the 'R' is selected in order for the fade we are about to put on is effective.

Using the pen tool, I drew a line that gradually decreased the volume to nothing.

Final Product:

After listening through and ensuring it all sounded perfect, I then exported the track.

This can be simply done by going to: