Midi - am I missing something?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bulls Hit
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Bulls Hit

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I've only ever used audio-only recording s/w. Currently my daw runs Cakewalk GT3, and I have recently become interested in software synths.

So I dl'd a free NI sysnth, hooked up my Casio keyboard midi out to drive it, and recorded the resulting noise as audio input into GT3.

I realise I can't quantise and stuff but what am I missing here without being able to record midi tracks? I guess with midi I could insert a different synth on the track and create a different sound which would save me rerecording the audio, but is that it?
 
Yeah, if that's as far as you want to take it.

Midi is as simple as you want to make it or as complex as you need it to be.

And quantizing is only the tip of the iceberg. A whole world of freely configurable arrangement with a virtual 3 piece combo up to and including a virtual 110 piece orchestra is waiting just behind the midi door. You'll find pitch bends that are editable until they accent the part just right, vibrato that sneaks in subtly or beats the listener over the head as you choose, continuous controllers that can make synths or sampled instruments breathe and scream and sigh and moan and then do it all over again the exact same way.

Most movie soundtracks today are executed by one keyboardist with an extensive midi setup, either software or hardware or both. And a bunch of chart pop is too.
 
Then there's things like -- you work out a group of tracks in the key of Eb, but then you realize you can't sing quite inside your range over it... so bingo, with MIDI tracks you can have it all in D or Db or whatever key you want. Or, you have a melodic phrase that's got notes of the major scale and you want variations of the same phrase but with a minor flavor, a diminished flavor, and an augmented flavor... so easy to do with MIDI, not at all in audio unless you just re-record the variations...
 
And then you also have the ability to use MIDI to control your external gear for audio. For example you could setup a MIDI track to send data to automate your rack-mounted guitar processor, and that track will send data to control Delay (so your delay is always locked to the beat even if the tempo changes), Send chorus rate and depth data so you can utulize a different chorus sound from verse to verse.

You can even send program change data so that when you get to that slow part of the song your processor will automatically change from distorted channel to clean channel, automatically set the feedback level for the onboard flanger, and dial in a wetter reverb with multi-tap tempo locked delay, and all the while you did'nt even need to think about walking over and stomping any switches, all you had to do was focus on playing the part to the best of your ability.
 
OK thanks for the tips guys.


I guess I won't be needing a midi sequencer just yet
 
Bulls Hit said:
I guess I won't be needing a midi sequencer just yet
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Awwww. And I was so sure we were had another convert to the dark side.
 
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