July 17, 2013 Music Programming / Sequencing 101 – Essential Preparation
I’ve often been asked, “What are some things I can do to improve my music programming / sequencing?” In my experience, the most important thing you can do is: Learn how to play the instruments you are programming! You don’t have to become a virtuoso, but a basic understanding of how each instrument work will take your music programming to the next level. I’ve heard drum programming before where they programmed a tom fill while the ride cymbal kept going. The fill was complex enough that what was programmed would be physically impossible to play. Or a programmed flute plays a 15 measure line without a breath. Those are dead giveaways that it was programmed. With the quality of the soft-synths and samplers these days it’s stunning how, if you have an understanding of the instrument, you can have VERY believable tracks/parts. And not only believable, but musical too
production | tagged elctronica, mac, music production, production, programming, protools, sequencing, soth synths