Only 50-80 in Velocity, if I pressed harder than this I'm sure I would break the keyboard really soon lol
The notes you can see there, I entered them using my mouse, they have max velocity and sound quiet good.
I would also like to ask, is that a chord progression? I know they are chords, I just don't understand the "progression" part of it.
Thank you.
Maine Coon
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
1659
Posted : Apr 22, 2010 23:56
I've seen a setting on some keyboards called "velocity sensitivity". It basically scales the complete vlocity range down to whatever you set it to. Yours may be set to something other than 127 by the manufacturer.
Maine Coon
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
1659
Posted : Apr 23, 2010 01:23
"Chord progression" in general just means exactly that – a sequence of chords. So, technically, you can throw any chords one after another and it will be a progression. But what people usually mean by "chord progression" is some "natural" flow of chords from one to another.
Now, what's "natural" is a pretty grey area and is somewhat subjective, although there are guidelines. You will notice some patterns in use quite often, like
C F G C
C Am Dm G C
C Am F G C
Am Dm G C F (B) E Am
In most cases, many moves between chords will happen in jumps of a 4th up (or a 5th down, which is the same thing) – because this is the most natural way for chords to flow into each other. But it does not have to be this way. Sometimes it’s backwards. For example, in blues you’ll see something like
C C F C G F C
The movement C->G->F->C is a complete reverse of the first sequence I listed and it “should not” work – but it does!
Or listen to this track:
The progression here is (if my ears are right)
Am Am F Am G F Am Am
Looks weird but works beautifully.
So, yes – what you have in that picture is a “legitimate” chord progression, even if a thousand of music professors scream otherwise.
Having said that, here is my personal opinion about it (which is just that – only an opinion). What you have there is
Am C Dm C Am C Dm C
I feel that first two steps sound OK (although they are not “standard”), but the move from Dm to C is a bit strained. So, I tried to tweak it. I am assuming that you still want your second bar to start with Am and end with C:
Am C Dm – Am C – C
The space between Dm and Am “asks” for E (E7, actually) and the space between the two C’s in the end can be either F or G, depending on what notes you have in the lead melody. So, here it is:
Am C Dm E Am C F C
I’d also move some notes an octave up or down to make the notes in neighboring chords closer to each other. So, instead of
[ACE] [CEG] [DFA] [EG#B] [ACE] [CEG] [FAC] [CEG]
I’d have
[ACE] [GCE] [FAD] [EG#BD] [EAC] [EGC] [FAC] [EGC]
Or something like that – just to make the flow easier.
Does it make sense?
Vermeee
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
108
Posts :
1069
Posted : Apr 23, 2010 03:19
me also doesnt like to use the midi keyboard.. i find a lot more fun and less complicated to do in the mouse... THO i dont have abilities to play the piano.. maybe if i knew how to play the piano the midi keyboard would be more useful...
by the time i try to record something cool playin the keyboard i was able to do at least 3 nice riffs in the mouse so it took me to the decision of left the keyboard aside ....
Vermeee
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
108
Posts :
1069
Posted : Apr 23, 2010 03:24
and no maine coon, notes theory has nothing to do with playin the keyboard ... u can just paint the scales in the piano roll and the result will be the same ...or get a guitar and play it aswell...
i guess we are talkin here bout the SKILLS on pressin the buttons in the keyboard....
Maine Coon
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
1659
Posted : Apr 23, 2010 07:25
Quote:
On 2010-04-23 03:24, Vermeee wrote:
and no maine coon, notes theory has nothing to do with playin the keyboard ...
Exactly what I was saying. You can have a PhD in physics and still not know how to play tennis.
Quote:
u can just paint the scales in the piano roll and the result will be the same
No, it won't be. Otherwise we would not need those "humanizer" features in DAWs, would we? Although, you may be right in case of trance: most notes seem to be right on a beat anyway.
And what you said in the first message amounts to this:
why learn to speak a language if I can type an email just fine?
sideFXed
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
22
Posts :
430
Posted : Apr 23, 2010 10:36
slow down, take it easy
it helps to reduce the tempo of your track for recording stuff in.
check out the record quantize function. set it to 1/8 for slow chord progressions, for leads and shorter notes 1/16 could give you better results.
left to the midi track you got a velocity ratio control, it will expand or compress midi velocity values.
try the logical editor in cubase, you can do wicked things in velocity land...
in ableton, I got a very nice solution to play difficult chord progressions. set up some midi clips, insert on each a different chord, no clip quantization, clip play properties on gate. now midi learn these clips to keys on your midi controller. now you have a chord on each key and a chord progression might appear pretty quick
soundcloud.com/epsylohm
supergroover
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
39
Posts :
1505
Posted : Apr 23, 2010 11:01
Don't worry about the keyboard.. If you can do your stuff without than just do it without a keyboard. You might find it useful later or never.
Remember you are doing it for the fun. If it isn't fun just don't do it.
And for those who don't like the routing set up etc ==> get a virus TI soundcloud.com/supergroover
On 2010-04-22 23:56, Maine Coon wrote:
I've seen a setting on some keyboards called "velocity sensitivity". It basically scales the complete vlocity range down to whatever you set it to. Yours may be set to something other than 127 by the manufacturer.
im workin on a x-station here and can only say this thing is just rocking, cant get why you dont like the remote sl so i dunno about your one, but i can set velocity levels on my keys and in ableton for sure. same engine, you should be able doin that too or maybe i miss something, anyways had the same issue and got quite fine after adjusting.....
i did everything by mouse for long time and feelt the same. when i got my keys it took another year i guess it was where i started really using it, just as i dont wanted to let it dust to complete stealth modus
now at the end it was the best thing i could have make to keep that shit, got a very decent and good working controller with the possibility to switch over to synthmode on the fly, love that stuff for live situations.... and hey how do you guys tweak two settings at one time??? keys are really comfortable and give a natural feeling to your sound, no matter if you play a sequence on a synth or just use it to hit a key and remote controll your vst. that way im able to controll the filter cutoff i.e. which is maybe working against the pitch or whatever. just that easy,woud take hours for a track if using mouse, no natural feeling, one wont hear a fusion between music and musician (and wont see on stage,wont feel at home), one of the most important points i love electronic music for especially psy...
mquirk1
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
63
Posts :
384
Posted : Apr 23, 2010 11:28
i have a midi keyboard, but like you i prefer to program synths with a mouse. even the biggest midi keyboard dn't have that many kobs to bind, so it's just easier when you have the whole interface in front of you of a vst to make changes to envelopes/lfos all that stuff, then trying to scroll through different binds on the midi controller.
however where the midi controller actually shines is writing melodies. it used to be that i would loop a part of a track and hear a melody in my head, then have to sing it then transcribe it to midi. with a midi controller i can just play along, or play a chord progression etc, much easier
a212121
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
15
Posts :
87
Posted : Apr 23, 2010 15:17
Thanks for the replies!
Maine Coon : I'm using the natural minor scale, from what I have read, I don't what E cord that is. From what I read there's only Em. Did I miss something? What does the 7 in E7 mean?
Another question, I'm free to use the same notes from the next or previous octave right? That's what you mean in your other comment. Thanks again!
sideFXed : I'll check the logical editor!
Does anyone else have a Novation Remote SL MKII?
Vermeee
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
108
Posts :
1069
Posted : Apr 23, 2010 15:34
Quote:
No, it won't be. Otherwise we would not need those "humanizer" features in DAWs, would we? Although, you may be right in case of trance: most notes seem to be right on a beat anyway.
i dont know what kind of music u are into, but in psytrance YES IT LL thats why u have VELOCITY , MODS, SWINGS, AFTER TOUCH , in the DAW, they are total apart from the keyboard and u ll always be able to use them either u have a keyboard or not... im quite sure there are people out there doin killer psytrance riffs with the mouse and frustrated people usin the keyboard...
im not sayin that u dont need to use the keyboard.. but if u dont want to,, its quite possible to reach THE SAME result, or even better results...
....
or maybe i miss something, anyways had the same issue and got quite fine after adjusting.....
