Just wanted to add something about feel..

[Merryband1]

I think I accidentally did that with my Dark Bring a Torch. Just slightly off-meter, but it breathes. At least, I hope it does!
As being one who avoids quantization like the plague (mostly working with acoustic instruments, anyway, so far), I've had more trouble staying ON the beat than being too strictly beat-driven.

That's a great tip, and I plan to keep it in my toolbox from now on. (Sorry, Peter/funsongs! )

Cheers,
Merry

[cosmicdolphin]

Depnds what genre you are writing, some are better with everything locked to the grid

[Merryband1]

Depnds what genre you are writing, some are better with everything locked to the grid

I'd think that would be especially true with EDM!
Merry

[JohnnyP]

I think I accidentally did that with my Dark Bring a Torch. Just slightly off-meter, but it breathes. At least, I hope it does!
As being one who avoids quantization like the plague (mostly working with acoustic instruments, anyway, so far), I've had more trouble staying ON the beat than being too strictly beat-driven.

That's a great tip, and I plan to keep it in my toolbox from now on. (Sorry, Peter/funsongs! )

Cheers,
Merry

For sure Merry! Some songs you listen back to and they sound so stiff. Especially when going for an organic feel using VSTs. To me you just have to move some notes back manually to loosen things up.

[JohnnyP]

Depnds what genre you are writing, some are better with everything locked to the grid

Yep Mark. I should have put a qualifier in my original statement. I was mostly commenting on listings calling for an organic feel.

[Merryband1]

For sure Merry! Some songs you listen back to and they sound so stiff. Especially when going for an organic feel using VSTs. To me you just have to move some notes back manually to loosen things up.

That's a good tip, too! I'm still learning how to use the VSTs, so moving notes around a bit to loosen them up sounds like it will make them sound more human!

Merry

[JohnnyP]

For sure Merry! Some songs you listen back to and they sound so stiff. Especially when going for an organic feel using VSTs. To me you just have to move some notes back manually to loosen things up.

That's a good tip, too! I'm still learning how to use the VSTs, so moving notes around a bit to loosen them up sounds like it will make them sound more human!

Merry

yep, I snap to the grid and then move notes selectively. Especially if it's a repeating melody in a higher register. A higher register that's quantized seems to stick out more to my ears. And it doesn't take much note movement at all to change that.

[Merryband1]

yep, I snap to the grid and then move notes selectively. Especially if it's a repeating melody in a higher register. A higher register that's quantized seems to stick out more to my ears. And it doesn't take much note movement at all to change that.

Thanks for the tip! I'm looking forward to learning my VSTs and applying everything I learned from the Rally session with Randon Purcell!

Merry

[JohnnyP]

Thanks for the tip! I'm looking forward to learning my VSTs and applying everything I learned from the Rally session with Randon Purcell!

Merry

As Paulie pointed out, there is software to humanize MIDI tracks.

I always humanize (randomize) time AND velocity if appropriate (the genre, I mean). But before doing that, I might "humanize" manually.
Randomization is not necessarily humanization, so, one has to be careful. There are sophisticated plugins that utilize distributions, but you
got to pay for them (so I don't have them).

Tom

Yeah good point Tom. Velocity is something I always change too. I’m not a piano/keyboard player but you can always make something sound better by adjusting velocity. Horn hits are usually harder/louder on the first note cuz the player has air lol. Not so much at the end of a riff.

And to humanizing I’ve used it in Logic but it’s almost always “too random” for me. I like to just listen to the melody and it becomes evident which notes need to be softened.

[Merryband1]

Excellent points, both of you! Thanks!

Merry