KVR Audio

Falconmusic · Post by **Falconmusic** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 5:41 pm

i am currently writing a computer music tutorial for people that want to make music on thier computer but have absolutly no idea how to. This can be loacated at http://falconmusicrecordings.cjb.net - I am asking yall to check threw it and make sure all the facts are true. (most of this is from my own personal experiance.)

Thanks in advance for your help

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 5:56 pm

#1) Don't preach. Give the facts. Things you're saying you 'need' are wrong. Vst support is NOT needed. Reason works plenty fine without it, for example, and is the better for it. Large sample libraries are not needed either. You also don't need to be 'serious' about writing music if you just want to have some fun banging up some loops, for example, or do remixing of other songs.

In short, nix the attitude the article conveys.

Devon

Kajiki · Post by **Kajiki** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 6:26 pm

Yup, you have to write facts, not your opinions. When you write your opinions, let the readers know that is just your opinon...don't present it as a fact.

Good writing requires good references, meaning, you have to check the facts before you put it in your writing. Also, you have to know the correct and precise usage of the technical terms. Having said that, I think the musical theory part of your writing is redundant. This part is incorrect, and even if you correct it, it's not very useful for your taget readers. I would cut all of this part and focus on the technicals of sequencer/VST.

Falconmusic · Post by **Falconmusic** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 6:56 pm

"...few things you should be looking for..." - i never said you need them.

Musical theory: I threw these in just so people will get a bit of a kick start in musical theory. I have listened to WAY to many new musitions that have no idea what a "Key" is or even wth the notes are within a key (some new guitarists have no idea what a c is.)

xoxos · Post by **xoxos** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 7:14 pm

this is true, and what you condone is always your own business.

some of those people who 'don't know what c is' might go on to astound you with their originality one day..

equal temperament is one scale.. if someone wants to make music by interfacing an instrument or technology with their biologic sensibilities, it has no less authority than making music with an instrument and prescribed rules. but i hear what you're saying.

Falconmusic · Post by **Falconmusic** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 7:33 pm

well, i went through every chapter and made some edits.

ps: I love originality. I am not going to start a theory battle though.

xoxos · Post by **xoxos** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 7:48 pm

me either

Kajiki · Post by **Kajiki** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 8:20 pm

Falconmusic wrote:"...few things you should be looking for..." - i never said you need them.

Musical theory: I threw these in just so people will get a bit of a kick start in musical theory. I have listened to WAY to many new musitions that have no idea what a "Key" is or even wth the notes are within a key (some new guitarists have no idea what a c is.)

I agree with you in saying you should give some overviews of the theory to sequencer novices. But then you have to be more careful/accurate. And it's not about a theory battle...you shouldn't impose a narrow minded musical scheme to someone who is going to learn music.

Take the first part of the theory, Harmony:
The 7th used to be considered cacophony at the time of Bach, so was rarely used at that time. You may grew up with blues, but you still can't say adding 7th will make the most plesant chord to your readers who will take your words as facts...because that is just your opinion. You are defining musical terms in an inaccurate way, and you shouldn't do that to your "students."

If you really want to educate your readers, I would think talking about the basic major/minor or I, IV, V is the first thing to do. But I don't think you want to do that because then the theory part of your writing will become huge and that will bore the readers. There are a lot of good websites that cover the theory, so you can deligate readers to them, no?

So anyway, my point is since you're trying to educate new students, you have to teach them carefully. Good luck.

Falconmusic · Post by **Falconmusic** » Fri Sep 03, 2004 3:17 am

changed the url to http://falconmusicrecordings.co.nr - though the old one still works

Sicklecell666 · Post by **Sicklecell666** » Fri Sep 03, 2004 4:15 am

Since I encouraged you, I will follow with my own abbreviated observations & suggestions. This, then, from your site. My corrections/suggestions will be in red:

Vsti's…what the heck?

Simply put, these are tone generators or sample playback instruments. VST is a trademarked proprietary format created by Steinberg, a leading devloper of virtual instruments & sequencer hosts. There are other instrument formats such as DXi, TDM, & RTAS, & MAS, but we'll stick with VST's for this discussion. I explained what a generator is in chapter one though if you have forgotten here is a quick explanation. A generator makes a sound based upon either a loaded sample or an oscillator or group of oscillators usually triggered by a Midi note on signal. Did I mention that the piano roll found in your midi sequencer of choice allows you to program a series of midi notes from right inside your computer without requiring input from an external keyboard?

These generators should have a bunch of knobs and whistles to play with. Here's some explanations for a few:

Sine, saw, tri - These are diffrent wave forms the oscillator synth is made from, alone these can sound kind of boring but combining different waveforms and/or detuning them mixed together with a bunch of modulation added effects they make up most of the sounds you here in electronic music. Samplers are another form of virtual instrument that playback recordings called samples, whether they be a looped bar of music or a single note from a real instrument such as a piano or bass guitar.

Flanger, reverb, etc - these are modulation effects which can be added to alter the sound to make it different.

oct, octave - This will transpose the notes played one octave below or above what the midi note on is telling it to play.

I have made several types of corrections: Gramattical, subjective, & substantiative. I am by no means an authority on any of this, but avoiding coloration of the information you present is critical if you are trying do do something other then introduce you own ideas; within the context of your goal, your ideas are of secondary relevance to the introduction of un-colored facts. Also, coming from one who learned like a weed in the dirt, if I had been introduced to proper terms like < note on >, < oscillator >, & < modulation > it would have been much easier for me to gain comprehension at an earlier period instead of bieng forced to connect the relationship of two seperate words meaning the same thing. I say break em in hard & fast with the proper lingo, they'll pick things up faster that way provided you have a good definition base for them to draw upon.

I also suggest as a priority you make a Glossary & consider hyper-linking key words to it, which will save you alot of space in the end with multiple explanations of the same material. I don't know how much size you have available on your site, but taking suggestions here into consideration may mean expanding a few pages if only to braoden your definitions & explanations.

One other example, saying oscillators sound boring without effects is a very subjective opinion. Saying they CAN sound boring is a much better to express yourself. That kind of train of thought is laced through most of your writing, & really needs to be curbed if you intend to remain truly objective.

And please don't take offense, but there is much room for improvement with your grammar. I would be glad to do a full proof-reading for you & help with those kind of corrections as I'm sure there are others who would as well. Simply running all the text through Microsoft Word would be a big improvement (that's exactly what I would do if you asked me to help anyways

)

I'm glad you posted this thread & I hope you get alot of good advice that you pass on to your visitors. You may be surprised how much you learn in the process of teaching others.

Good luck & keep at it!

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Fri Sep 03, 2004 4:27 am

It's hard enough learning new terminology and making the proper association (Anyone jumping between Korg's, Yamaha's and Roland synths know this one all too well). Use the proper terms, otherwise you're really doing your reader a disservice. Sickle's rewrite reads much better. I'd take him up on his offer.

Devon

Falconmusic · Post by **Falconmusic** » Fri Sep 03, 2004 4:50 am

i actually wrote all of these in ms word

but it would be nice to have it proofed. You guys are treating it like some big...thing. this is really just a side project of mine. If you could proof read it then send me the .doc files i would jump for joy then grab my head in pain. (i have a low cieling)

Kajiki · Post by **Kajiki** » Fri Sep 03, 2004 5:03 am

Ok...I'll help your little theory section.

Key:
You're actually talking about a scale. The key is just the root of the first chord of the song, which is often the first note of the scale. You really shouldn't generalize a scale as "tone, tone, semi-tone..." because that's just a major scale. Guitarists learn pentatonic scales in the begining.

Time signature:
You're not explaining it "technically." If I were a beginner, I would want to know what the denominator/numerator means.

#/b:
You should say HALF_TONE up/down. "A bit" is not accurate. They're not always the black keys of a piano.

abcdefg:
You're confusing your reader.

Tempo:
Give a precise difinition of BPM.

When you revise them, you should check some theory websites that are written in English to make sure you are using the correct terms. Good luck.

Sicklecell666 · Post by **Sicklecell666** » Fri Sep 03, 2004 5:16 am

Falconmusic wrote: You guys are treating it like some big...thing. this is really just a side project of mine.

Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

Falconmusic · Post by **Falconmusic** » Fri Sep 03, 2004 5:16 am

remember to refresh refresh refresh every page...i am updating these things pretty much every hour.

I am fixing the theory now.

computer music tutorial...needs some tips