Arrangement: Video 002 of w33t's Instructional Tutorial Videos
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In this video I continue the development of our song.
Throughout the video, I do my best to teach and highlight every step that I take when I am creating a new song. I talk a bit about music theory, quite a bit about my own personal theories (some maybe not so musical), some tried and tested techniques and I also show some personal not-so-tried-and-tested techniques which I have developed over the years.
In the video I demonstrate some more usage of two audio programs, Sony Sound Forge and Cakewalk Sonar 5 Producer Edition.
I begin the video where we last left off: In Cakewalk at our completed, 4 bar motif. I then take this motif and loop and extend it for several minutes by copying and pasting. This is somewhat akin to creating a large amount of clay from which to sculpt.
Once we have a large âspineâ from which to branch I then discuss different ideas on how to actually begin a song. After a brief discussion I proceed to use Cakewalk Sonar to trim-away from the very beginning of the song in order to create an intro.
After the intro is completed satisfactorily, I then begin to identify the areas of the song where there should be diversity: where perhaps a break or a bridge might be created.
Upon identification of these areas I discuss different theories on how one might go about changing up the song in order to add interest and flavor. I then proceed to use Cakewalk Sonar to implement changes to these areas of the song.
In addition to these changes I show different methods for creating musical breaks and bridges and implement these changes in the composition.
During the course of the writing process I locate a section of the composition which should stand out boldly from the rest of the song. I then show how I go about keeping the main theme true while still creating a unique and original section of the overall song.
Once we have created these various areas in the song I determine that the song, in itâs present form, is complete. This is the point where we proceed to mixdown using Cakewalk Sonar 5 Producer Editionâs console for the process of mixing down the audio.
During the initial mixdown I discuss briefly some best practices and I demonstrate how certain subtle changes to the channels mixing board can influence the overall sound of the final master track. I also discuss the use of various effects and audio processing techniques like reverb, audio equalization, compression and multiband dynamics.
Once the mix-down process has completed and we have a mixed down final audio wav file we then proceed into final mastering using Sony Sound Forge 7.
Within Sound Forge 7 I discuss briefly the nature of the audio waveform and then proceed to further expand on the use of dynamic processing (audio compression and audio limiting) to further enhance the audio waveform. I demonstrate the use of audio spectrum analysis using the spectrum analyzer to determine if any additional audio equalization should take place using the EQ.
After processing the wav file and applying the various audio effects we arrive at the final audio file.
The song is complete.
But of course, to paraphrase the great poet Paul Valery, âA poem is never finished, only abandoned.â
Thus we have now decided our song is complete enough to be abandoned :)
Making Beats (b33tz): "Tutorial" 001 of...well, apparently 999 ;)
Read More About This Video
This is the first video tutorial that I have made in order to create an exposition of my music writing process. I hope that this video will be largely instructional as well as documentary.
Throughout the video, I do my best to teach and highlight every step that I take when I am creating a new song. I talk a bit about music theory, quite a bit about my own personal theories (some maybe not so musical), some tried and tested techniques and I also show some personal not-so-tried-and-tested techniques which I have developed over the years.
In the video, I demonstrate basic usuage of two audio programs, Sony Sound Forge and Cakewalk Sonar 5 Producer Edition, and two DXi/VST software synthesizers used within Cakewalk Sonar â the rgc:audio z3ta+ Waveshaping Synthesizer and the Garritan Personal Orchestra.
Virtual instruments are a vital part that should be in every studio of a modern electronic musician.
I begin the tutorial video by showing how I use Sony Sound Forge to browse through various drum loops that I have saved over the years in order to pick a couple that I think sound nice. The tone of these audio samples will wind-up setting the overall mood for the song.
After picking out the drum loops that I wish to use, I then demonstrate the method that I employ to extract the individual drum samples from the drum loops and I show a couple shortcuts and ways of editing the audio samples.
Once I have extracted and edited the drum samples I then import them into Cakewalk Sonar 5. Once there, I reveal my method for bringing these samples into Cakewalk and setting them up to be moved around to create an original drum beat. I then show how I go about choosing the correct tempo (speed) for the track.
Once we have a prototype of our foundational drum beat, I instruct the viewer on how I setup and use the rgc:audio z3ta+ Waveshaping Synthesizer software synth to create a baseline bass line to serve as the core musical progression for the music piece. I choose an appropriate sounding instrument bank, set it up for recording and show how to use looped recording to repeat the drum loop while I play potential bass riffs with my midi keyboard.
I do run into some problems along the way which you yourself may or may not encounter â in the video I very briefly show a couple methods I use for getting around these problems.
After recording many potential riffs for the bass line, I instruct on how to pick and choose the best takes from the large array of tracks created from the recording. I demonstrate how to take these recorded riffs and arrange them to create a full 4 measure motif. I then disclose the techniques that I employ to adjust the recordings to be more precise in time with the rhythm and tempo of the musical piece.
Once we have our 4 measure motif I lead the viewer through my various manipulations of the individual drum samples in order to create a varied and more interesting drum line for the motif. In doing this, I hope to illuminate the ways that some of our modern, more enjoyed, popular rhythms, with which most of us are familiar, are developed.
During the manipulation of the drum samples, I discuss my particular mindset which I use to determine how the overall feel of the musical motif will develop.
Once we have completed this part of the 4 measure motif I then proceed to load up the Garritan Personal Orchestra software synthesizer to use for my melodies. This is a synthesizer that I love. I am a big fan of orchestral sounds, and the Garritan Personal Orchestra is simply the best virtual orchestra you can buy. I use the Garritan Personal Orchestra to create the melody for this piece of music.
During the implementation of the Garritan Personal Orchestra virtual instrument I show a bit of the console of Cakewalk â the virtual mixing board of Cakewalk. I show the use of a couple of the virtual effects offered through Cakewalk, in particular the Sonitus:fx suite â which I find to be a wonderful group of highly-efficient, high sound quality virtual effects. I use these virtual effects in order to boost the audio levels and to bring out details in the tone of the virtual instruments.
I then show some basic use of the musical staff: how by using the staff it can actually be very easy for the viewer to write melodies to go with the motifs they have developed.
At the end I discuss, very briefly, how to use the Sonitus:fx Multiband to pre-master the master output of the musical track.
In closing I discuss how long it takes to create this music motif, and what potential work will need to be done going forward - hopefully to be shown in the next tutorial/example videos to be released soon!
Thank you for visiting :)
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