22 Dec
2004
22 Dec
'04
5:12 p.m.
Hans Fugal wrote:
I'm interested in rendering some organ works
electronically. The first
step of course is to get the music in the computer, e.g. in MIDI
format.
The piece I'm working on you can see at
http://www.xmission.com/~fugalh/in_dulci_jubilo.pdf
I can play this piece well enough. I don't have a MIDI pedalboard but
the pedal line is easy enough to add later. But as you can see the
music is in multiple voices, and I would like to instrument each voice
differently. I have tried recording them one at a time, in an ensemble
style, but even when I follow a metronome it ends up sounding like
trash. I have decided that either I need to work on my ensemble
playing or I am going about it the wrong way. Maybe I should just
record the manuals and try to separate out the parts into separate
tracks as a post-processing task. That's going to be a problem when I
try to do something else that requires more than one manual since I
only have one MIDI keyboard. Also, as much as I'd like to, I don't
have the time to learn each piece I'd like to render to the point of
perfect performance like I have this one.
What do you all do in this situation? The same issues naturally apply
to other styles of music as well, e.g. choral or orchestral.
Hans,
This may not be too helpful with your particluar needs, but all complete
compositions I've recorded with MIDI have been done by necessity one
voice at a time. With Jazz, Blues, and Rock the key is putting down the
timekeeping track(s) first. For example, drums and rhythm instruments
over which melody and color instrumets are added. This approach allows
both good timing and good expression for anyone at all comfortable with
automated programs that provide accompaniment for either practice or for
building up a complete recording.
I assume your timing is working well but expressiveness is lacking with
the pieces you're trying to build. If that is so, then it's not a
simple matter of getting more used to following the metronome, or
quantizing after recording.
One possibility would be to record under a duet situation where you get
someone to play a critical timekeeping part on a keyboard or other
instrument (guitar) acoustically while you record your first parts
digitally. That way you'd have the ensemble feel, and also the creative
interplay with another live musician, both of which should help you get
the feel down that you'd like to have.
Others with more experience or even a technological solution to offer
will be more helpful, so good luck.
Frank
--
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