Live Instruments:
- While you can easily have the sound you want with a live instrument, you can't control how the instrumentalist will interpret your work, even if you do spell everything out for them prior to the recording session.
- There's payment involved with live musicians... But don't get me wrong, I'm all for supporting my fellow musicians, I just have spent a lot on these midi patches and would like them to be what they promise.
Midi Instruments:
- Complete control, but they don't always sound real - Even with the best midi patches.
- Expensive for good ones.
- Can be difficult to control.
So, where does that leave us?
While we could just live with the presets of the midi controls and not worry about the best sounds for our midi devices, if we want the best sounds they can produce, we'll need to read the instructions and play with it.
Like getting directions from a Albanian cabbie,
this is can be confusing depending on the company you get your patches from.
Now, I'm not an expert yet, but I do want to show you what I've learned and hopefully help you to gain some perspective on your midi instruments.
I'm going to attempt to explain the UVI Instruments to you and how to use them. If you have the UVI suite, download this image, it will help you make sense of it.
Take special note of #9. They don't tell you this, but this area controls much of the other areas on the same board. For example, "Pitch" controls how much of #8 gets thrown into your mix. "Filter" takes care of #6 LFO and the 4 different filters that can be assigned.
Currently, I'm working on a Alto Sax part that is kinda kicking my butt. I need it to sound as authentic as possible. Here's a recording of an alto sax to use as a reference.
It also has some slides, but I'm having a hard time making it sound real. Getting closer all the time though.
To help navigate the UVI suite, here's a video I made to help you make sense of the interface.
As you can see, it's not as cut and dry as the handout they give you in the guide.
In the next episode:
"How to Tweak Midi Instruments"
Looking at the individual parts -> working with volume, velocity, breath control, etc...
STAY TUNED!!!
Anyway, here's a cut of the song that I recorded. Love to hear your feedback! Is it catchy? Do you love it? Why? Dislike it? Why? Let me know!
As always, I hope you're creating, making, be amazing in your own way! Be inspired! Be creative!
KEEP MOVING FORWARD!!!
TTFN,
Amy