MIDI Recording and Song Creator

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Recording to MIDI / manipulating MIDI Recordings
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MIDI Recording and Song Creator

Postby dentyr » 31 Jul 2022 17:40

MIDI vs AUDIO recording. If you are confused, it might be helpful to think of the difference as follows: “Audio recording is about capturing the sound of the actual performance.” “MIDI recording or 'sequencing' is about capturing the actual notes of the performance.” And if you have 'captured' the actual notes, it means you can make alterations to (or 'add into') what has been played after you have recorded it.
Stereo audio is like a baked cake. It is not possible to remove the sugar or the flour, nor is it possible to remove specific sounds, tones or instruments once they appear on a recording.

Recorded MIDI on the other hand, is like having access to the cake recipe during development of the composition. It allows you to tweak this, remove that and modify everything about the ingredients – tasting it as you go.

MIDI is effectively a multi-note and multi-channel recording for musicians and composers.

In this Topic I shall be looking at what you can do with the MIDI Recorder.
Yamaha call the MIDI Recorder the SONG Recorder and when you have recorded your MIDI SONG, you put it into the top left slot 'A' in the MAIN screen.

        The MIDI (SONG) Recorder.
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Multitrack Recording on Yamaha Keyboards

The initial layout.

When you switch on the keyboard the ‘A’ button on the top left of the screen (the SONG slot) shows New Song. This is the default.

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If you have recorded or played another song (Yamaha call MIDIs Songs) it will show up in this slot. So, to start with a clean slate, set that to New Song by pressing the TWO buttons on the LEFT side (REC and STOP) together.

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Now you are almost set to go.

Midi records to 16 channels.
Channel 1, 3 and 4 are for your R1, R2 and R3.
Channel 2 is reserved for the left voice.
Channel 9 to 16 are the Style voices.

This is the basic initial setup for your melody and style for the Midi.

As you go through each of the steps below ... DON”T FORGET TO SAVE!!!!!

Setting the Registrations.

Now set your registrations to the voices and styles that you want to record, remembering that ALL the R1, R2 and R3 will play the melody notes so be selective. Example, set R1 as Piano and R2 as Strings. That will be enough for that. Set the Left Voice as eg. a Choir for going onto Channel 2. That will give a choir accompaniment with the style. The voice will be the chords that you play.

Put that setting into REGISTRATION MEMORY button 1. Change the voices for REGISTRATION MEMORY button 2. Example, Vibraphone on R1 and Soft Sax on R2 and maybe Choir Ooh on R3; and so on with other registration buttons.

Now go to the Mixing Console and separate the voices for your stereo effect and volume balance and octave balance, remembering to register these to the registration buttons.

Now you are set to make your SONG.

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Getting your recording going.

Having pressed the Record and Stop buttons together you now press the REC button. A red light will flash (which, in essence, tells you to stop or you will get into frustrations!). Ignore this and look at your MAIN screen. There will be TWO rows of icons showing you the channels to be recorded (at the bottom of the screen). If you have got this far you are great!

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The main screen will show BAR 001; BEAT 1. This will stay there until you start your playing. It will then show you the location that you are at, eg. BAR 24; BEAT 2. As they say in AFL “Play On” to the end of your song, changing your registration buttons as you want.

Now for the fun part that Yamaha forgot! Press the STOP button on the MIDI recorder (one of the buttons you pressed before) and you will get a BIG grey box telling you that the Song will be lost if you don’t save it. Yamaha forgot to tell you how to do this!!!

I will tell you now.

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Press the “A” button, top left of the main screen, the one you pressed to get “New Song” and the main screen will now show the PRESET tab. Yamaha love pushing their bits so just tab across to the USER tab. Then you will see on the bottom of your screen a SAVE button. Highlight this (hope you know how to do this) and the box will come across the bottom of the screen for you to name your song. Lower 6 will save your song.

If you have got this far then you are a star!
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DON”T FORGET TO SAVE!!!!!
Keyboards: Yamaha Tyros 4, PSR SX700, PSR S970and StagePa300
I knit dolls and animal toys.
I always try to do things which I can't do in order to learn how to do them. ..
Werk maakt je vrij. Muziek maakt je blij. Work sets you free. Music makes you happy.
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Re: MIDI Recording and Song Creator

Postby dentyr » 31 Jul 2022 21:10

Next step to Orchestrations.

So now you want to add other instruments to your symphony.

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Press the Record button again and all your tracks will be shown as REC. Using the buttons under the screen switch these to ON. They toggle through REC, ON and OFF. You want them to be ON so that you can hear what you have played. Channels 1, 2, 3, &4 will be full as will channel 9 to 16.

You will have to record to Channel 5 and 6 for your next instruments. Go back to “Setting the Registrations” and get the new voices into R1 & R2.

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You want now to record to Channel 5. Great! With all the channels showing ON press the UPPER 5 button together with the REC button and the little box on the left will come to light. It is a cantankerous thing so bear with it until it come up. Using the little red arrows on the side move the highlight bar up to Right 1. Now do the same for the UPPER 6 button. You will see that Right 1 is not there anymore. That is to save you overwriting the channel so select Right 2.

Now you are ready to record descants or frills for the song. This is where you need to be a good musician, not necessarily a good player. Re-set your R1 & R2 to the new frill voices and save to Registration button 1 & 2. Make sure that your stereo is also set and the volumes are OK. These and background additions so they need to be quieter than the main melody.

Follow that pattern for channels 7 & 8 and you have your symphony all together.

DON”T FORGET TO SAVE!!!!!

When you start to play you will hear all that you have played before if the channels are ON.

At this point you have created your very own symphony.
Keyboards: Yamaha Tyros 4, PSR SX700, PSR S970and StagePa300
I knit dolls and animal toys.
I always try to do things which I can't do in order to learn how to do them. ..
Werk maakt je vrij. Muziek maakt je blij. Work sets you free. Music makes you happy.
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2020 September (Joint Winner); November
2021 May (Joint Winner)
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dentyr
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Posts: 1683
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Location: Victoria, Australia

Re: MIDI Recording and Song Creator

Postby dentyr » 31 Jul 2022 22:08

Now for the exciting part.

Return to the MAIN screen. (You do know how to do that don’t you?)
Now go to the DIGITAL RECORDING button on the RIGHT side of the screen and select STYLE CREATOR.
Tab across to the EDIT tab and you will see all the bits and bobs that make up your style. Here you can change whatever you like. It is not up to me to tell you what to change. Try it, you may like it.

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Now go to the DIGITAL RECORDING button on the RIGHT side of the screen and select SONG CREATOR. Tab across to CHORD. Don’t be fooled – this is the INTRO in here. You have seen the style chords in STYLE CREATOR.

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Tab across to 1-16 and see what you have on Channel 1.

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Here you can change many things like correct wrong notes etc. This area is massive so I don’t want to go into great detail. It is for you to play with. Just remember that you can’t damage anything on the keyboard unless you hit it with a hammer.

DON”T FORGET TO SAVE!!!!!

By pressing the “F” button you will step through the Channels 1 to 16

Finally, this can be very exciting and produce genuine orchestral music if you are a good musician. By that I mean being able to add frills to the main melody. Generally the singer or the lead instrument plays the melody, the rest is frills and fancies.
Keyboards: Yamaha Tyros 4, PSR SX700, PSR S970and StagePa300
I knit dolls and animal toys.
I always try to do things which I can't do in order to learn how to do them. ..
Werk maakt je vrij. Muziek maakt je blij. Work sets you free. Music makes you happy.
Image .. Image
Challenge Winner
2020 September (Joint Winner); November
2021 May (Joint Winner)
2023 May; August (Joint Winner)
User avatar
dentyr
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Posts: 1683
Joined: 23 Jan 2018 16:14
Location: Victoria, Australia


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