The Art of MIDI Recording How to Enhance your Digital Audio Recording by Ron Tongue
When used properly, making a MIDI recording is an incredibly powerful tool. With today's technology, you can create realistic recordings of thousands of instruments and timbres. All you need is a computer, MIDI recording software, possibly an interface and either a MIDI keyboard, module, or virtual synth.
Then the real fun begins when you combine digital audio recording and MIDI getting the best of both worlds.
NOTE!! Recording MIDI is a very broad topic. I'll be writing several sessions on how to record MIDI. So bookmark this page and check back often. I've got a ton of experience and a whole lot to say.
What are some of the benefits to making a MIDI recording?
Well, to start with...
You can go back and fix a wrong note (or several) with the click of a mouse.
Is your rhythm a little shaky? No problem! Quantize it.
Easily add dynamics to your tracks.
Make a killer drum beat, or use a prerecorded MIDI drum loop!
Record difficult phrases at a slow tempo then speed it back up without affecting the pitch of the instruments.
Change to a different instrument after you have recorded the track.
I could go on and on.
Warning!! As awesome as MIDI can be, very few musicians actually take the time to truly learn the "art" of recording MIDI. What they end up with is a mechanical sounding recording with no emotion or character.
I've spent years figuring out how to avoid this mechanical sound. Over the next several sessions, I want to show you everything you need to know to get your MIDI studio up and running and sound like music not a machine.
Note!! You can access each topic in order by following the arrow buttons below, or jump to a desired session by using the links in the right column.
