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Making Accompaniment Tracks With MIDI

by Michael Tyler
Computer Music Products

This section has tips and suggestions you will find useful as a MIDI composer. I hope that you find something new that will help your recordings "come to life." Select from the following topics to learn how to add more realism and expressiveness to your MIDI recordings…

Adding Fades and Crescendos

The "correct" way to add any volume fades and crescendos within MIDI tracks is to make use of MIDI CONTROLLER #11 (expression). You should NOT use the VOLUME CONTROLLER (#7).

STEP 1 - Select all the measures in a song you want to add a fade to (let's say for example, the first 2 measures of the beginning of the song on all the tracks).

STEP 2 - You can make the song gradually fade-in by using the function in your software that allows you to enter a "series of controllers." Find that function for your software, referring to your manual if necessary. With your target measures selected, enter a starting value of "0" and an ending value of "127" for Controller #11. The software will automatically enter all the intermediate controller values between the minimum and maximum values you typed in.

STEP 3 - Go back to your main track view, play the song from the beginning and listen to your fade-in! You create fade-outs the same way, but of course, reversing the values (starting value 127 to an ending value of 0).

Many sequencers have on-screen fader controls that you can slide up or down , recording their movements. This is another way to enter fades and crescendos. However, these faders are usually assigned MIDI Controller #7 (volume), which is the INCORRECT way to do fades and swells. If your sequencer allows it, re-assign the fader in question to transmit MIDI Controller #11, instead. This way your maximum volume levels normally assigned to each track remains untouched. This simplifies things immensely. When you use C#11 (controller 11), it is making the adjustments of volume in percentages of the maximum volume you have assigned to the track. In other words, if you have a track with a maximum volume of "90," you can be assured when using a fader on C#11, it will have a range of zero volume (0%) to maximum volume (100%) and, at the same time, won't ever exceed your master volume setting of "90" for that track. Let's say you use C#7 (volume) instead. The danger here is that you can easily go beyond your maximum level of "90" that you have assigned to that track when using an on-screen fader. This can really mess up the overall balance in relation to the other tracks. Using Controller #7 for continuous volume changes has the potential of placing all kinds of confusing volume messages in your tracks. This could easily come back to haunt you later! Develop the habit of using CONTROLLER #11 for volume swells and fades within MIDI tracks.

STILL ANOTHER way to add a fade or a crescendo, is to use the VELOCITY feature of MIDI. This is not normally used for melodic tracks for volume changes, but is primarily used in affecting individual drum sounds. Since all drum sounds are normally on MIDI Channel 10, using Controller 7 or 11 would affect ALL the drum sounds at once. This might or might not be what you want. If you want to do a crescendo on a just a snare drum roll, for example, you have to use the VELOCITY feature to affect ONLY the notes of the drum roll! Here's how you do it…

STEP 1 - Select only the drum roll notes you want affected. If the drum roll is all by itself (on it's own track) then it's easy to select it. If it is "mixed" in with other drum notes on the same track, then you'll have to use your "SELECT BY FILTER" function in your sequencer software. Check your documentation if necessary on how to do this in your particular software.

STEP 2 - With the drum roll notes selected, you use the "CHANGE VELOCITY" command in your software to make the roll start soft and end loud to create your crescendo. Your Change Velocity function will have starting and ending values that need to be entered. You might want to start with a 50% velocity and end with a 100% velocity setting to see how it sounds. Do that, then go back to the track view and play back that section. If it sounds right, then you are done. If not, "UNDO" your velocity settings and try entering different values until it sounds good to you.
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To Quantize or Not to Quantize?

Quantizing can be handy for aligning notes that you played a little "off-timing." It is typically used for evenly spaced beats in a drum track, but may be used in any track that requires "tightening." Many software sequencers offer intensity settings for their quantizing feature. This is a nice option since quantizing a track to absolute timing perfection can often remove the natural performance quality. You don't usually want your compositions to sound "robotic," so use quantizing sparingly and take advantage of lower intensity settings so you don't squeeze the life out of your recordings.
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Inserting Program Changes On A Track

You can add instrumental variety in your MIDI recordings by inserting Program Changes in the midst of any track you have already recorded. For instance, you can have a track start out with an ACOUSTIC PIANO sound for the first several measures and then automatically switch to a HARPSICHORD for awhile, then go back to the ACOUSTIC PIANO. There are a couple ways this is accomplished. In practically all software programs, you can insert the change via the EVENT LIST view. In many programs there may actually be a specific function of the software labeled INSERT PROGRAM CHANGE, which might be easier and quicker. Check your software documentation to see what its "preferred" method is. For our example here, however, I'll show you how to insert the changes via the EVENT LIST…

STEP 1 - Select the track you want to insert the change, and go into the EVENT LIST view.

STEP 2 - Your Event List will display all events occurring in your track including exact measure/times of each event, the event type, what channel the event is on, event values, velocities, and durations. Scroll to the measure where you want to insert your Program Change. Insert a new line for the new event you are about to put in.

STEP 3 - Type in a measure/time value that doesn't conflict with any other events (if a note or other event occurs at the same exact time as your Program Change, the playback will "glitch").

STEP 4 - Go to the EVENT TYPE column and select Program Change.

STEP 5 - Go to the EVENT VALUE column and type in the instrument number that you want (refer to your GM instrument list to find out the instrument number).

STEP 6 - Exit out of the event list and go back and play the score. You should hear the original sound assigned to the track change to the new sound at the point you inserted the Program Change. To make the track return to the original sound again, follow the steps as before, but insert the original instrument number at the point you want it to change back.

There are couple points I want to emphasize about the use of Program Changes.

• Only use them when necessary. If you have some free channels left in your song (in other words, if you haven't used all 16 channels) then it may be better to ""cut & paste" the song sections you want to have playing with a different instrument sound, to new tracks with their own individual MIDI channel assignments.
  
• Insert Program Changes so that they never occur at the same time another MIDI event is occurring.
  

If you are planning to distribute or sell your MIDI songs to a wide and varied audience, it is best to avoid the use of Program Changes. This is because some MIDI soundcards don't respond well to such an event in a song and may cause problems on playback.
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Use Setup Measures!

It is a good idea to have a "blank" measure at the beginning of your MIDI songs to be utilized as a SETUP MEASURE before a song actually starts playing. This is particularly important if you are planning to distribute your MIDI songs to others. The SETUP MEASURE will contain several messages that are sent to the playback device to assure your song plays as you intended.

Here are the basic "guidelines" for a SETUP MEASURE:

It must be the same time signature as the song and a length equivalent to at least 4 quarter notes (exception being 3/4 and 6/8 meters).

NO MUSICAL NOTES are allowed in a Setup Measure. If you have a pickup note at the beginning of a song, it must occur in a measure FOLLOWING the Setup Measure.

EACH Track should have the following MIDI Messages contained in its Setup Measure…

If you are composing MIDI songs for GM instruments, you should include a GM SYSTEM ON Message at the beginning of the first part of your Setup Measure of the first Track only, as follows:

(Note: This is the ONLY System Exclusive Message allowed in a General MIDI score.)

If you are composing MIDI songs for GS instruments, you should put the GS RESET Message at the beginning of the first part of your Setup Measure of the first Track only, as follows:

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Recommended Instrumentation & Channel Assignments
For GM/GS Compositions

The following recommendations are suggested when composing a General MIDI score for distribution. Although this is an "informal" recommendation, it is the format adopted already by most commercial MIDI song distributors. I suggest you develop the habit of using this format in the interest of consistency for yourself and others!

MIDI Channel Recommended Instrumentation