Midi Instrumentation - As Real As It Gets

I tend to struggle with midi instruments vs. live. The pros and cons of both tend to make the situation somewhat frustrating.

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. 

Amazing Sax Solo

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.

Midi Instruments Episode 1 - UVI Suite 

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! 

"Hot Fish" - Amy Kurylo

As always, I hope you're creating, making, be amazing in your own way! Be inspired! Be creative! 

KEEP MOVING FORWARD!!!

TTFN,

Amy

Script Re-Re-ReWrites

Have you ever tried to start an engine that doesn't want to go?
Or worse, you have engine power, but are stuck?

GAAAAAAAH!!!!

It's like you're revving an engine and getting nowhere!

LOL! 

Well, I know this feeling so well, because I'm in the middle of REWRITES!!! 

AGAIN? You say... Yep. Again. Until it's done

So, to help you and me remember how to break free, I thought I'd write down some things we can do to get out of this horrible, treacherous, predicament.

How to Break Free and Move Forward

1.  Get someone else to look at your work.
    Good, bad, or indifferent, having that extra mind/eyes looking at your work will help you revisualize what's working and what isn't -- even if they don't point it out to you.
2.  Get Away From PEOPLE and distractions.
   Hey, I love my family. You love yours. But the creative process is not conducive to CONSTANT INTERRUPTIONS.
3. Enter the Dragon 
   Put on your Grr face. Buckle down and just do it. Slog through no matter what the aftermath. BUT, keep a copy of the original just in case your rewrites turn out disastrous. Even if they do though, it's worth it to go ahead and push through this blockade... Could be the key to your masterpiece.
4. Consider a Break
   To know more, Follow this link: When to Step Away From Your Work.  As this is the absolute opposite of where you want to go, sometimes it is necessary to stop for a bit and smell the roses so you can be more productive later.
5. Do the Dishes
   This may be considered a break, but I find that I am most productive when I do this one menial task. It allows my mind to wander and gets in touch with the more creative side of me. And if it is a break, it's a very short one.
6. Listen/Read/Look at someone else's work
   Ideas can spark from looking at another creative master. It may be something that kicks you in the right place. So try it!
7. Finally, Watch THIS:

As Always.... KEEP MOVING!

Amy

The Greatest Liar In Your Toolbox

There is a deceiver in our midst. 

A shadowy figure that lurks at the ready to throw off your guard. It's nefarious. It's fiendish. It is cruel... It will have you crying... Yes, crying! Even you, the guy with the heavy metal background and thousands of tattoos! I see you back there! You will ball like a little baby after it is through with you. A Big, Harry, Tattoed, Heavy Metal Man-baby!!!

Where is it? In your stereos. Your car, your home, your boom box... And it's name is Bass Boost. 

You may say, "Ppphhttt! HA-HA! Is that what you're talking about?!? That's stupid! I know about Bass Boost. You just shut it off."

 BUT, did you know that sometimes it goes by other names? Or sometimes, there is no name, it just is automatically embedded in some systems and you have to physically counter act it in order to hear a true mix? 

For example, on my expensive home stereo, it's called "Night". So the last mix you heard of mine, Can't Say No, you might have thought it was thin, or tinny. That's because the studio monitors were telling me good things, but when I'd listen on my stereo, the Night feature was on - so it boosted the bass. This caused me to do at least 30+ mixes trying to get rid of the boomy bass. *Sigh* So aggravating. 

Another time the gremlin struck was with my last album.  My car stereo doesn't have a bass boost, but is so bass heavy!  After mixing, I went out to the car excited to listen to all the music I had worked so hard on, only to be put to tears because of how boomy the bass was. I was devastated and basically destroyed my work trying to get it to sound correct in my car stereo. It wasn't until later that I realized what happened. 

This is a huge issue for anyone trying to mix/master their own work.
  Most of us like to listen to our pieces on several different devices/systems to hear what it will be like for our patrons. So please, be aware of this sinister prankster. 

***  Make sure to use a reference track not only in your mixing, but on the other places you listen to your finalized mix.    ***

It will make a world of difference.  I have learned my lesson. 

Don't let this, or anything else stop you from making music. You can do it. 

Dream Big. Move Mountains.

Amy