I've been writing and recording mostly blues based rock and pop songs at home for several years, but every so often I get myself into concept music projects. My ideas and tastes are pretty old school; I'm not into Hip-hop or Beats or anything like that.
I don't have much in the way of expensive equipment or instruments, so I work within certain limits. I feel like that's where a lot of creativity goes into the arrangement, and when it comes to the kind of concept music I'm producing there are virtually no rules. Often I rely fairly heavily on midi instruments in my DAW, sometimes to create the illusion of real instruments in a large studio or on a stage (which, of course, requires a fair amount of processing), while at other times I might even go for a fake sound if I'm going for a more surreal atmosphere. Lots of processing via plug-ins and occasional outboard components.
Whatever the case, I usually like to keep a human element by incorporating a few real instruments in the mix, especially on the prominent tracks. Guitar, bass, some percussion, and of course my own voice. Backing this with ambient instruments and pads seems to create a blend that works quite well for the style of music I am working on.
I was just wondering what ideas and techniques other folks here use when blending the midi world with real audio.
I don't have much in the way of expensive equipment or instruments, so I work within certain limits. I feel like that's where a lot of creativity goes into the arrangement, and when it comes to the kind of concept music I'm producing there are virtually no rules. Often I rely fairly heavily on midi instruments in my DAW, sometimes to create the illusion of real instruments in a large studio or on a stage (which, of course, requires a fair amount of processing), while at other times I might even go for a fake sound if I'm going for a more surreal atmosphere. Lots of processing via plug-ins and occasional outboard components.
Whatever the case, I usually like to keep a human element by incorporating a few real instruments in the mix, especially on the prominent tracks. Guitar, bass, some percussion, and of course my own voice. Backing this with ambient instruments and pads seems to create a blend that works quite well for the style of music I am working on.
I was just wondering what ideas and techniques other folks here use when blending the midi world with real audio.