Korg Forums

Well, being a one man band is a bit tough. You have to imagine all the parts of a song in your head until you can get them recorded.

I'm having trouble converting the songs in my head into a production in logic. So I'm wondering, how do you go about recording your music? I've reached a point of writers block... I have tunes in my head, but whenever I try to turn them into a structure, I don't know where to start.

Basically, since I'm using 1 instrument with only two timbres, I just sequence or play a track and record it, then record the other tracks onto it. Problem with this is, if I want to add something, I need to rerecord the part, as whenever I try to cut and splice my loops, echos left from effects such as delay are always awkwardly cut off.

So, how do you go about recording a song? How do you get started? Do you record most of your parts at once and edit later, or record a track at a time? What equipment do you use to play a whole song at once using an instrument with only 2 sounds max at a time (looping pedal, sequencer, etc.)

I've only successfully completed one song, and I have no clue how I did it... a melody hit me, and it was if some muse had decided to inhabit my body and pull everything together... i recorded a piano track and added some drums, violins, and soon everything else just fell into place. Sadly, that hasn't happened since, and the song wasn't too great either due to the quality of Casio/Cakewalk sounds . However, at least I was able to get a full song structure down.

Methods and devices you recommend are welcome!

tpantano wrote:Basically, since I'm using 1 instrument with only two timbres, I just sequence or play a track and record it, then record the other tracks onto it. Problem with this is, if I want to add something, I need to rerecord the part, as whenever I try to cut and splice my loops, echos left from effects such as delay are always awkwardly cut off.

Start out with no effects; you can add them later.

Often, I'll work up a basic drum rhythm, and then add a bass line or simple melody. If it's working... add more parts, sound effects or whatever. You can always delete tracks.

It's common to create a great song that comes "out of the blue" and not find that inspiration again. In that case, listen to someone else's music or watch a few YouTube videos. Sample a style of music you don't normally listen to. That's how I ended up writing two new tunes last fall. Experiment with chord progressions, then record short melodies with them and put them aside--come back and listen a few days later. Like a fine wine, you may discover something you really like and build on it.

I actually prefer a keyboard with a built-in sequencer--just turn it on and go.

Here's something I wrote on the Korg Triton several years ago--basic drums, rhythm and simple melody line:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvgts9IGoFY

Some other thoughts--don't worry about a completed song all the time. I have dozens of "snippets" I recorded that never went anywhere. Doesn't cost anything.

Most of the time I record my ideas in a linear fashion--from start to finish--whether they are 30 seconds or 5 minutes long. Often, I'll find a cool arpeggiator pattern that works well as a foundation. That's how a recent project came about; a great arp and drum combination. I recorded about 3 minutes of it and then added other tracks.

That song was awesome!

Thanks!

you can use the cue list in SEQ mode to piece together your work. use a different sequence in SEQ mode for each section of your song. this has helped me a lot, since then you can go back and re-arrange the form of the song AFTER you've completed it...and then finally patch it together into a single sequence.

I usually start with a piano part, or a melody line, even if I end up muting out the whole track later on. Just gets me started. I treat that track like my scratch pad. Then I go back and re-record my piano part, or turn it into other instrument parts from there.

Gargamel314 wrote:you can use the cue list in SEQ mode to piece together your work. use a different sequence in SEQ mode for each section of your song. this has helped me a lot, since then you can go back and re-arrange the form of the song AFTER you've completed it...and then finally patch it together into a single sequence.

I usually start with a piano part, or a melody line, even if I end up muting out the whole track later on. Just gets me started. I treat that track like my scratch pad. Then I go back and re-record my piano part, or turn it into other instrument parts from there.

Wait, is this something you do in logic? Or on a specific keyboard?
Forgot to mention I use an R3.

tpantano wrote:

Gargamel314 wrote:you can use the cue list in SEQ mode to piece together your work. use a different sequence in SEQ mode for each section of your song. this has helped me a lot, since then you can go back and re-arrange the form of the song AFTER you've completed it...and then finally patch it together into a single sequence.

I usually start with a piano part, or a melody line, even if I end up muting out the whole track later on. Just gets me started. I treat that track like my scratch pad. Then I go back and re-record my piano part, or turn it into other instrument parts from there.

Wait, is this something you do in logic? Or on a specific keyboard?
Forgot to mention I use an R3.

Sorry for the confusion... you can do this on the Tritons and new M-series workstations. But as for the 2nd paragraph... that's useable on any sequencer

would their be a use for a sequencer on a two timbre instrument?

a hardware sequencer in the R3? not really, but using a software-based sequencer connected via MIDI, for sure! Then you can record your playing in real time. Once the note data is in there, you can make changes with volumes and effects, and extra things like that, before you make your final audio recording. You can also quantize note values, and fix mistakes and inconsistencies in your playing, and even add extra stuff you normally wouldn't play live, if desired.

Say you want to record a song with a loop that repeats a bit. You want the loop to be two measures long. However, your effects (delay etc.) extend past the measure. Cutting the loop to two measures sounds awkward. How would you go about getting around this?

This stumped me in a song I was working on earlier. I'm thinking that Logic probably has the tools to get around it if I study a bit, but IDK if there is a DAW Objective method that you might use.

tpantano wrote:Say you want to record a song with a loop that repeats a bit. You want the loop to be two measures long. However, your effects (delay etc.) extend past the measure. Cutting the loop to two measures sounds awkward. How would you go about getting around this?

Like I said before, apply effects after the song is completed.

Synthoid wrote:

tpantano wrote:Say you want to record a song with a loop that repeats a bit. You want the loop to be two measures long. However, your effects (delay etc.) extend past the measure. Cutting the loop to two measures sounds awkward. How would you go about getting around this?

Like I said before, apply effects after the song is completed.

So, say I come up with an R3 patch using some effects that make it sound nice. I should disable them and use Logics instead (so that the DAW will generate them in realtime rather than recording an unusable loop)?

Experiment with Logic--I'm sure it will offer you a wide range of effects to add after you record.

Make sure you write down what effect you disabled on the R3.

tpantano,

There are numerous ways to record music. Think about if someone asked you how to create a movie. Some people record one track at a time, and in midi or in audio. Some use an internal sequencer and set it all up in there, and then either record one track at a time or record all the tracks at once. Others midi up multiple keyboards and record them all at once. Others use loops, etc. etc. Over time you have to find the way you like to record best and that can only come with experience. It took me a long time to find my best method of working.

An easy way for you to get started is to use the loops in Logic. They are located in the media browser and they are very good. This way you can lay down a drum track, a pad, etc. and then lay down a melody line and bass using the R3 for example. Later you can make your own drum patterns in Ultrabeat and record multiple tracks using the R3 as well as continuing to use the loops as you wish. Just start simple and easy and work your way up. I know this is difficult at the beginning and I feel for you. I really do but you can do it. Once you get past a certain hump you'll be sailing. Keep recording even if it sucks. You'll discover aha moments along the way but doing it continuously is the only way.

To use a loop, you can grab a couple of drum loops that go together, drag them to the Logic tracks and hit the loop button in Logic or option-drag to copy them to the measures where you want them. This way you can lay out the basic structure of the song and fill it in as you go, for example. This is a very easy way to experiment.

The delay effect you mention is indeed awkward. I've just run into that myself. In one measure it works great because the chord in the next measure is the same so it just blends nicely but in the next part, the next measure is a different chord so the extended delay sounds horrible.

There are ways to deal with it, none are great. You can record one track with the delay up to that measure. Then record a second track with that loop with the delay off for that measure only. You could even put another effect entirely on that one measure. Logic has over 100 plug-ins and they are good so there's plenty to play with there.

At a measure you could have both, one dry track and one wet track and blend them using automation so the reverb one tapers down at the end of the measure. There are ways to automate the fx only but that's for another day.

You can use automation to taper down the loop right at the end of that measure. Up at the top of the Logic menu go to Region, View Automation. Then you have to know how to use it. You just click the first point so that it is the same db, then click a second point where you want to lower the volume to nothing, and drag the point down to the bottom. That will cut off the sound then so it doesn't bleed over into the next measure.

And the third option is just to not use that loop at that measure. There are other options for controlling these things but these are the easiest ones I can think of atm.

Many times I turn off the fx of a patch and put Logic fx on after the fact. It just depends on what else is happening in the piece. I don't know about the R3 but with Korg multis the tracks are created so they work together. If you are recording one patch at a time you may want to take fx off and use Logic fx as needed, as suggested by others. You simply disable the fx in the keyboard and then put it on in Logic. For one thing, this gives you the ability to have the same fx consistent throughout the piece. Consistent reverb type (not amount) gives a cohesive feel. And of course you don't want a muddy mess so using revery sparingly to begin with is a good idea. But there are tons of awesome creative fx in Logic to play with. Space Designer and Delay Designer are very very nice. Use them for reverb and delay to start with. You can start out with the presets.

Again, be totally open to the idea that there are a million ways to do about whatever you want to do in Logic. When I run into a wall, I walk around it until I get what I'm after. Sometimes it's not the best or most efficient way but who cares. It's the end result I'm after.

Trust me (!!!) Go to MacProVideo.com and watch the Logic tutorials and also this one: http://www.macprovideo.com/tutorial/logic405
which gives you a very simple way to construct a piece. I promise you if you watch the Logic tutorials and this one you will be light years ahead of the game. Just pay $25 for one month and watch them. There's tons more there too. Then if you want to you can stop after a month with no problem. You probably saw a post by Bear that he didn't want to do these tutorials but in the end he did and they were helpful. The main guy does have a voice, lol, but there are many people who speak on the different tutorials. I found them extremely helpful to get up to speed when I was first learning Logic.

Best...