Post by JohnG on Jul 22, 2013 16:33:17 GMT
This is the first of a series of MIDI sequencing 'Tips' I intend to post to the group.
I shall judge by the feedback whether or not to continue them.
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The first topic I'd like to take a look at is the thorny issue of 'sound volume' from a MIDI file.
There are many issues that effect the volume of sound that comes from the playback of a MIDI file. The most obvious is the volume control of your playback software or within Windows (or Mac OS).
I'm going to advocate that you turn this control up, whilst lowering the other controls within the MIDI files that you play.
My reasons for suggesting this are from using hardware, such as the early SB16 sound card, then adding a DB50-XG daughter board to it, then SW1000-XG, then MU128, then MU1000 and SC8850.
A couple of years ago I moved over, almost exclusively, to virtual instruments like GPO4, an orchestral library, from Gary Garritan.
In all cases this was the solution that always worked best, no exceptions.
I have used these solutions both in a 'home studio' environment and as 'live' entertainment through a mixing desk to PA loudspeakers.
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One of the problems I frequently come across is a MIDI file authored with channel volumes turned up all the way, i.e. to 127. That's like pushing the channel faders on a mixing desk right to the top for every instrument. It almost always ends up delivering distortion. (Not always, e.g. if we have just one carefully mic'd up acoustic instrument that is being played rather quietly.)
But, with an analogue mixing desk there is always a bit of 'headroom' designed into the circuits (at least with decent equipment there is) so the amount of distortion that results is usually no big deal.
However, when we're talking digital, there is an absolute limit to the maximum amplitude we can store. That's it, when we try to go above it catastrophic 'clipping' results. The top of the waveform is 'chopped off' and it sounds dreadful, usually a kind of cracking noise. A simple analogy; we can count to ten on our fingers and thumbs (unless you're clever and use binary). Now I want you to count to eleven, no toes please. It can't be done, ten is the limit.
So we need to keep that 'channel volume' control in a safe area. The MMA (the owners and publishers of the MIDI standard) recommend channel volume should initially be set at just 100. (see *1) And note, 'initially'.
So I advocate on any new MIDI file you receive, take a look at the channel volumes and if they're wound right up to 127, wind them back down to 100, at least initially. Of course you may find one or two tracks that high, the others slightly lower. If so, then try winding them down proportionally. I.e one may be at 127 another 110. Set them for example to 100 and 90 respectively.
That's the first part.
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In a previous answer to a post I wrote about 'note on velocity'. Again, a control within the note on message to be used with thought. I wrote about musical notation and how scores could be marked with the letters starting with 'ppp', meaning 'incredibly softly', through pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff and then fff, the latter meaning incredibly loudly. (see *2) This gives us four ranges of softness and the same of loudness.
Again, all too often I find MIDI files authored with note velocities at the maximum 127. To me that's like clenching your fist and smashing it down on a keyboard or drum or whatever. Not what I'd call musical, maybe fine for thrash metal.
Most people play orchestrally between p and f with the occasional foray into louder or softer. Maybe with more popular jazz or country music and main stream popular, we might move that up a little. For heavier rock music up a little further still. Most MIDI instruments, like their acoustic counterparts sound better, more natural, played with velocities between 40 and 110. for louder music, with a narrower dynamic range, maybe 64 to 110.
So when you get a new MIDI file take a look at those note velocities. If they're way up pull them down a bit. This is most easily done, in my experience, by using what's called a controller pane, usually located at the foot of the piano roll view (PRV). A curve of note on velocities can be drawn in, following the dynamics of the tune in question, a track or instrument at a time.
And don't forget to do the same with the percussion track, although you may find that for rock music velocities are generally toward the high end much of the time.
That's the second part.
-----------------------------------------------
Now that you have the file sounding (hopefully) more realistic, it's time to look at those channel volumes again. Try setting the drums so that they're as loud as you want, then bring the bass to the right level, and then gradually adjust each instrument into the mix. If you can't get one instrument loud enough, reduce the level of the other instruments a bit. The idea should be to get most within a 70 to 110 channel volume level, only using 120 when a really quiet sample needs boosting.
That's the third part.
-----------------------------------------------
Finally, what about bowed and blown instruments?
What we've explored is fine for hit, plucked, and played (like a piano) instruments, but all the others are capable of changing their loudness after the note has been initiated. Here we should seriously consider using the MIDI expression controller, normally defaulted to a value of 127, to add some mid-note dynamics to woodwinds, brass and strings. That is if they're not just played loud. And again this can usually be drawn in, on a per track basis, in a controller pane within the piano roll view.
Don't use channel volume for this, that is designed to be used to set comparative instrument volumes within the mix according to the MMA.
That's the fourth part.
----------------------------------------
The key to producing good MIDI sounding MIDI files is not to be prescriptive but to use your imagination. Experiment and learn, be prepared to be surprised by what you discover.
-----------------------------------------
Notes.
*1. Only 100? That's like throwing away a fifth of the overall volume isn't it? No, not when we understand how a logarithmic control works. (see*3)
The overall 'dynamic range' of CD digital audio is about 96dB (decibels). In the digital world we write 0dB as being the maximum and anything below that as a -ve (negative) value. So the quietist signal is written -96dB.
*2. ppp = piano pianissimo, MIDI velocities 1 to 15, centre 8.
pp = pianissimo, MIDI velocities 16 to 31, centre 24.
p = piano, MIDI velocities 32 to 47, centre 40.
mp = mezzo piano, MIDI velocities 48 to 63, centre 56.
mf = mezzo forte, MIDI velocities 64 to 79, centre 72.
f = forte, MIDI velocities 80 to 95, centre 88.
ff = fortissimo, MIDI velocities 96 to 111, centre 104.
fff = forte fortissimo, MIDI velocities 112 to 127, centre 120.
*3. Working from the absolute digital maximum of 0 dB, here is how channel volume settings map to volume levels.
120 = -1dB
110 = -2dB
100 = -4dB
90 = -6dB
80 = -8dB
70 = -11dB
60 = -13dB
50 = -17dB
40 = -21dB
30 = -25dB
20 = -33dB
10 = -46dB
1 = -84dB
Values are rounded to the nearest dB.
So you can see that moving channel volume down to 100 only serves to reduce maximum loudness by about 4dB, not much.
Copyright John L Garside © 2013.
I shall judge by the feedback whether or not to continue them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The first topic I'd like to take a look at is the thorny issue of 'sound volume' from a MIDI file.
There are many issues that effect the volume of sound that comes from the playback of a MIDI file. The most obvious is the volume control of your playback software or within Windows (or Mac OS).
I'm going to advocate that you turn this control up, whilst lowering the other controls within the MIDI files that you play.
My reasons for suggesting this are from using hardware, such as the early SB16 sound card, then adding a DB50-XG daughter board to it, then SW1000-XG, then MU128, then MU1000 and SC8850.
A couple of years ago I moved over, almost exclusively, to virtual instruments like GPO4, an orchestral library, from Gary Garritan.
In all cases this was the solution that always worked best, no exceptions.
I have used these solutions both in a 'home studio' environment and as 'live' entertainment through a mixing desk to PA loudspeakers.
----------------------------------------------------------------
One of the problems I frequently come across is a MIDI file authored with channel volumes turned up all the way, i.e. to 127. That's like pushing the channel faders on a mixing desk right to the top for every instrument. It almost always ends up delivering distortion. (Not always, e.g. if we have just one carefully mic'd up acoustic instrument that is being played rather quietly.)
But, with an analogue mixing desk there is always a bit of 'headroom' designed into the circuits (at least with decent equipment there is) so the amount of distortion that results is usually no big deal.
However, when we're talking digital, there is an absolute limit to the maximum amplitude we can store. That's it, when we try to go above it catastrophic 'clipping' results. The top of the waveform is 'chopped off' and it sounds dreadful, usually a kind of cracking noise. A simple analogy; we can count to ten on our fingers and thumbs (unless you're clever and use binary). Now I want you to count to eleven, no toes please. It can't be done, ten is the limit.
So we need to keep that 'channel volume' control in a safe area. The MMA (the owners and publishers of the MIDI standard) recommend channel volume should initially be set at just 100. (see *1) And note, 'initially'.
So I advocate on any new MIDI file you receive, take a look at the channel volumes and if they're wound right up to 127, wind them back down to 100, at least initially. Of course you may find one or two tracks that high, the others slightly lower. If so, then try winding them down proportionally. I.e one may be at 127 another 110. Set them for example to 100 and 90 respectively.
That's the first part.
--------------------------------------------
In a previous answer to a post I wrote about 'note on velocity'. Again, a control within the note on message to be used with thought. I wrote about musical notation and how scores could be marked with the letters starting with 'ppp', meaning 'incredibly softly', through pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff and then fff, the latter meaning incredibly loudly. (see *2) This gives us four ranges of softness and the same of loudness.
Again, all too often I find MIDI files authored with note velocities at the maximum 127. To me that's like clenching your fist and smashing it down on a keyboard or drum or whatever. Not what I'd call musical, maybe fine for thrash metal.
Most people play orchestrally between p and f with the occasional foray into louder or softer. Maybe with more popular jazz or country music and main stream popular, we might move that up a little. For heavier rock music up a little further still. Most MIDI instruments, like their acoustic counterparts sound better, more natural, played with velocities between 40 and 110. for louder music, with a narrower dynamic range, maybe 64 to 110.
So when you get a new MIDI file take a look at those note velocities. If they're way up pull them down a bit. This is most easily done, in my experience, by using what's called a controller pane, usually located at the foot of the piano roll view (PRV). A curve of note on velocities can be drawn in, following the dynamics of the tune in question, a track or instrument at a time.
And don't forget to do the same with the percussion track, although you may find that for rock music velocities are generally toward the high end much of the time.
That's the second part.
-----------------------------------------------
Now that you have the file sounding (hopefully) more realistic, it's time to look at those channel volumes again. Try setting the drums so that they're as loud as you want, then bring the bass to the right level, and then gradually adjust each instrument into the mix. If you can't get one instrument loud enough, reduce the level of the other instruments a bit. The idea should be to get most within a 70 to 110 channel volume level, only using 120 when a really quiet sample needs boosting.
That's the third part.
-----------------------------------------------
Finally, what about bowed and blown instruments?
What we've explored is fine for hit, plucked, and played (like a piano) instruments, but all the others are capable of changing their loudness after the note has been initiated. Here we should seriously consider using the MIDI expression controller, normally defaulted to a value of 127, to add some mid-note dynamics to woodwinds, brass and strings. That is if they're not just played loud. And again this can usually be drawn in, on a per track basis, in a controller pane within the piano roll view.
Don't use channel volume for this, that is designed to be used to set comparative instrument volumes within the mix according to the MMA.
That's the fourth part.
----------------------------------------
The key to producing good MIDI sounding MIDI files is not to be prescriptive but to use your imagination. Experiment and learn, be prepared to be surprised by what you discover.
-----------------------------------------
Notes.
*1. Only 100? That's like throwing away a fifth of the overall volume isn't it? No, not when we understand how a logarithmic control works. (see*3)
The overall 'dynamic range' of CD digital audio is about 96dB (decibels). In the digital world we write 0dB as being the maximum and anything below that as a -ve (negative) value. So the quietist signal is written -96dB.
*2. ppp = piano pianissimo, MIDI velocities 1 to 15, centre 8.
pp = pianissimo, MIDI velocities 16 to 31, centre 24.
p = piano, MIDI velocities 32 to 47, centre 40.
mp = mezzo piano, MIDI velocities 48 to 63, centre 56.
mf = mezzo forte, MIDI velocities 64 to 79, centre 72.
f = forte, MIDI velocities 80 to 95, centre 88.
ff = fortissimo, MIDI velocities 96 to 111, centre 104.
fff = forte fortissimo, MIDI velocities 112 to 127, centre 120.
*3. Working from the absolute digital maximum of 0 dB, here is how channel volume settings map to volume levels.
120 = -1dB
110 = -2dB
100 = -4dB
90 = -6dB
80 = -8dB
70 = -11dB
60 = -13dB
50 = -17dB
40 = -21dB
30 = -25dB
20 = -33dB
10 = -46dB
1 = -84dB
Values are rounded to the nearest dB.
So you can see that moving channel volume down to 100 only serves to reduce maximum loudness by about 4dB, not much.
Copyright John L Garside © 2013.
