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A few questions on midis
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mquirk1
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
63
Posts :
384
Posted : Dec 28, 2004 05:07
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I have a couple of questions about midis in cubase:
1. Would it be better to use a different midi program, or even a VST like absynth or something, record the midi being played to wav, then using the wav file in cubase, instead of using cubase as the midi player. I ask this because 1., midi seems to take up a lot of cpu/ram, and 2. all the plug-ins (phasers, reverb etc) seem only to be able to be used with audio files and not midis?
So effectively you end up with a wav file of a synthesizer playing, but I don't know how I'd do this or even if it's worth doing.
2. In cubase, how do you, for example, change the eq of a midi file as it is playing, to get that sort of effect of a melody where the notes and instrument stay the same, but the sound goes from more bass to mroe high end etc. Is there a plug-in that will do this, and again, does it only work with audio files or midi too?
I'm a bit of a cubase novice so I'd appreciate the help. |
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Pypedream
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
45
Posts :
245
Posted : Dec 28, 2004 09:57
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Hi Friend,
For the first part of your question, you should be able to process MIDI with any of the effects available in Cubase. From the mixer strips, your MIDI channel will only show the MIDI insert effects. Don't ignore these - some (such as transformer) have very useful applications for music creation. Make sure you are working from the VST Instrument channel settings strip and not the MIDI channel strip. Your other question refers to a "filter sweep" which can be done by modualting a variety of parameters, but commonly filter frequency. Try setting your own automation curves in reason or cubase - you will need to choose the parameter to be automated in the folder for your VSTi in the track list. Hope this is helpful:)
ML
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mquirk1
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
63
Posts :
384
Posted : Dec 28, 2004 14:17
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Hey thanks for the reply. Along the same lines as my first question, once you convert a midi track to wav, is that it, the sound quality of that wav is forever locked to what it was when it was created? I ask this, because the computer I am composing music on at the moment has a really bad soundcard (like soundblaster 16 or something), and I plan to take my cubase project, once I have written and arranged it properly, to a friend who has a much better sound card, and polish/eq/mix it down on his computer. This goes for stuff like recording sound effects/instruments/samples eg from videos as well, should I wait to do all of that stuff using his computer and just get the bear midi structure done on mine? |
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drummel
Started Topics :
5
Posts :
50
Posted : Jun 28, 2005 21:53
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ok, but if you are using a hardware synth? Can you apply vst efx? I only see the midi tracks there and don´t know how to put the vst efx on that channel. You must to record as a wave file first and put it into a audio track to apply the efx?
Any tips?
tnx |
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vox
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
114
Posted : Jun 29, 2005 12:37
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Quote:
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On 2004-12-28 05:07, mquirk1 wrote:
I have a couple of questions about midis in cubase:
1. Would it be better to use a different midi program, or even a VST like absynth or something, record the midi being played to wav, then using the wav file in cubase, instead of using cubase as the midi player. I ask this because 1., midi seems to take up a lot of cpu/ram, and 2. all the plug-ins (phasers, reverb etc) seem only to be able to be used with audio files and not midis?
So effectively you end up with a wav file of a synthesizer playing, but I don't know how I'd do this or even if it's worth doing.
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plugins can be used with midi if you use that midi to play a virtual synth. then you apply the effect to that synth. and midi itself takes up virtually no ram at all, since the most complicated midi i have (in a bunch of about 5000 files) is about 80 kb in size. the memory and cpu usage is a matter of your virtual synths and fx, not the midi itself.
about the wave file in cubase - you can simply bounce the midi part and it is a very simple process. is it worth it? well, if the sequence is good and it sounds good, i suppose so 
however, if i use a midi file, i never render to wave, i just play a virtual synth with that midi.
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2. In cubase, how do you, for example, change the eq of a midi file as it is playing, to get that sort of effect of a melody where the notes and instrument stay the same, but the sound goes from more bass to mroe high end etc. Is there a plug-in that will do this, and again, does it only work with audio files or midi too?
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you cannot change the eq of a midi file, since eq is a matter of audio. midi is just a bunch of notes. can you eq a note sheet? guess not. you do not eq a midi file, you eq the synth that midi is playing.
the effect you are trying to achieve is usually created by inserting a filter with an lfo linked to filter frequency in the signal chain. that filter can be an external plugin, or a filter included in the synth itself.
and again - you cannot add audio effects to midi, because midi is just a list of notes.
 http://myspace.com/voxproject |
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vox
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
114
Posted : Jun 29, 2005 12:42
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Quote:
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On 2004-12-28 14:17, mquirk1 wrote:
Hey thanks for the reply. Along the same lines as my first question, once you convert a midi track to wav, is that it, the sound quality of that wav is forever locked to what it was when it was created? I ask this, because the computer I am composing music on at the moment has a really bad soundcard (like soundblaster 16 or something), and I plan to take my cubase project, once I have written and arranged it properly, to a friend who has a much better sound card, and polish/eq/mix it down on his computer. This goes for stuff like recording sound effects/instruments/samples eg from videos as well, should I wait to do all of that stuff using his computer and just get the bear midi structure done on mine?
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the quality of wave files is not in any way connected to the quality of your soundcard and does not degrade in time or by any other factor if you leave it that way. the quality of your soundcard affects quality of recording and playback (the quality of inputs and outputs), but if you render to wave within cubase or any other program, it does not matter which soundcard you have, since the signal never leaves the computer - you can do it even without a soundcard.
if you want to rip music from cd and use the samples from there, or cut some sounds from divx or dvd video on your computer, you can do it without thinking about your soundcard, since its quality does not affect those processes.
so - make all the wavs in your home, arrange the project, and make the mixdown on your friends' computer.
http://myspace.com/voxproject |
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vox
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
114
Posted : Jun 29, 2005 12:45
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Quote:
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On 2005-06-28 21:53, drummel wrote:
ok, but if you are using a hardware synth? Can you apply vst efx? I only see the midi tracks there and don´t know how to put the vst efx on that channel. You must to record as a wave file first and put it into a audio track to apply the efx?
Any tips?
tnx
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you answered yourself - you must record your synths to your computer to apply vst fx. another way is to have your synth outputs wired to your soundcard inputs, and put the vst fx to your input channel, but then you will experience some latency, so it is better to avoid that.
and again - you cannot add fx to midi, just like you cannot add fx to note sheet (basically, midi file is an extended version of note sheet).
http://myspace.com/voxproject |
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drummel
Started Topics :
5
Posts :
50
Posted : Jun 29, 2005 16:50
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Tnx Vox! |
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e-motion
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
71
Posts :
933
Posted : Jun 29, 2005 17:53
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my experience is with my slow computer so i think i can give advice
try to work each instrument at a time. turn off the other instruments in the VST Intruments window and if it's still slow, turn off insert effects on the mixer (from channels you're NOT working !)
try leaving only the channel you're working plus the kick and percursion channels.
for this i only work with a 2 or 4 bar loop until i have everything ready for writting.
when you have everything ready just export each channel to a single wav file. open another cubase project and add audio tracks for each file and import those files. it's time to tweak... now you can add compressors, equalization, limiters and everything without eating your CPU up (because there is no CPU loss with synthetizers, which are the great CPU users).
if your eq's, compressors and whatever still eat your CPU up try replacing them with http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com Golden stuff... they use very little CPU. i use the golden compressor in almost everything except the kick (which, for me, requires a multiband compressor... Waves Master Bundle hehe)
for your second question you can use a phaser plugin or automate the cutoff of your synth (or maybe a filter plugin) to increase... i recommend a bandpass filter for this.
hope i was clear, good luck
EDIT: for reference, my computer is a Pentium III 1000 mhz, SoundBlaster PCI64 and 384 SDR Ram. |
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