Sequencing 101 – Overview
‘The most natural way to learn is by example’
In this tutorial, we are taking on the role of remixer. We are going to take the keyboard riff of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of you’ and use it to create our own arrangement.
Watch the videos that show the various stages of creating a remix.
Look out for the different headings that appear in the videos that correspond to the different steps.
After every section of the course you will you will be given a short quiz to enforce the important points of the demonstration. It is then up to you to go on and try and create your own take on the remix. Follow the steps and use them to guide your own development of the remix.
This tutorial will cover,
Drum Programming, MIDI Programming,MIDI Editing, Quantisation, Pitch-bend & Continuous controllers, Arrangement & Composition skills, Audio Instruments such as the ESM, EXS24, Retro Synth & B3 Organ, The arpeggiator, Insert and Bus effects, Sampling techniques, Filtering, Automation
| Step 1 – Introduction. Choose the style and tempo |
| Step 2 – Choose the Ultrabeat. Insert the Ultrabeat plugin into a new channel strip |
| Step 3 – Using the browser. Keep an eye of the small triangle next to the channel strip – this signifies what the library browser will be searching |
| Step 4 – Inputting the MIDI. Try entering the notes in real time. Don’t worry too much about getting the pattern exactly right. |
| Step 5 – Quantising the MIDI. Quantise the pattern to 1/16th. |
| Step 6 – Copying the MIDI notes. Use the Option key to move and copy individual notes |
| Step 7 – Changing the velocity. Use the MIDI transform function to ‘Fix velocity’ |
| Step 8 – Changing the note length. Use the MIDI transform function to ‘Fix note length’ |
| Step 9 – Editing the MIDI Notes. Use your ears to create an interesting basic drum pattern. |
| Step 10 – Building the drum groove. Create some new tracks with new drum sounds. Try the EXS24 sampler and add some TR-808 percussion. Try adding some more sound with different grooves and timbres |
| Step 11 – Using Swing Quantise. Swing quantise is used to make the drum groove start to feel funkier and dance-like. Try the 1/16th Swing D or C. |
| Step 12 – Adding more drum elements. Add an extra low kick drum using the Ultrabeat. |
| Step 13 – Making a drum variation using the piano roll. Use Step-time to input a 16th Hi-hat pattern. |
| Step 14 – Changing the velocity of the MIDI notes. Use the MID draw window to change the velocity of the notes. This will help the hi-hats sound more natural. Remember to use the same quantise setting as before |
| Step 15 – Starting to build the drum beat with a variation. |
| Step 1 – The ESM Monophonic Bass Synth. The ESM is designed as a bass synth and is a good starting point for creating heavy electronic bass sounds. |
| Step 2 – Writing the bassline. Make use of Pitch bend or modulation in order to make use of MIDI continuous controllers. This is NOT Logic automation. |
| Step 3 – Editing the MIDI Data. Take a look at the list editor, where you can see all the different types of information relating to the MIDI data. Also use the MIDI Draw page. |
| Step 4 – Writing a bassline variation. Make a variation that lifts the track. It could be faster paced or more intense in some way |
| Step 1 – The ESM Monophonic Bass Synth. The ESM is designed as a bass synth and is a good starting point for creating heavy electronic bass sounds. |
| Step 2 – Writing the bassline. Make use of Pitch bend or modulation in order to make use of MIDI continuous controllers. This is NOT Logic automation. |
| Step 3 – Editing the MIDI Data. Take a look at the list editor, where you can see all the different types of information relating to the MIDI data. Also use the MIDI Draw page. |
| Step 4 – Writing a bassline variation. Make a variation that lifts the track. It could be faster paced or more intense in some way |
| Step 1 – Use the Retro Synth. The Retro synth has a good selection of analogue synth sounds that work well with the arpeggiator. |
| Step 2 – The Arpeggiator. Use the arpeggiator to create a lead line. Make use of the swing function in the options menu. |
| Step 3 – Capture recording. This feature allows you to capture a recording without having pressed record. This only works with MIDI and not audio |
| Step 4 – Editing the Arp MIDI notes. Small changes to the start and end points can make a big difference to how the Arp will react. |
| Step 5 – Add some Echo effect. Delay and echo effect tend to work really well with arpeggiated melodic lines. |
| Step 1 – Truncating the audio. Get samples ready for importing into the EXs24 Sampler. |
| Step 2 – Importing the audio into the EXS24 sampler. Use the create sampler instrument function. |
| Step 3 – Spanning the samples onto different pitches. This allows you to play the sample at different speeds. |
| Step 4 – Looping samples inside the EXS24. Open the view menu to activate the loop functions. Use the sample editor to set the loop points. |
| Step 5 – Inputting the MIDI Notes. Use a MIDI keyboard or use step time on the matrix editor. |
| Step 6 – Editing the MIDI Notes. Make use of the MIDI Transform functions if necessary. Velocity shaping for crescendos is a good trick. |
| Step 7 – Editing the ADSR Envelope. Change the attack & release times of the ADSR envelope to smooth out the sample playback. |
| Step 8 – Adding a filter to the sample. Switch on the filter and add a LPF sweep to the sound |
| Step 9 – Record the filter sweep with automation. Use Logic automation to shape the filter sweep over time. |
| Step 10 – Reversing a sample. Reverse the sample from within the EXS24 edit page. |
| Step 11 – Adding a delay echo. It’s always nice to add some delay to a filter sweep! |
| Step 12 – Truncate the vocal sample. Use the sample editor within the EXS24 to edit the start and end points of the sample. |
| Step 13 – Editing the sample inside the EXS24. Copy & Paste allows you to move notes around the MIDI keyboard from within the edit page of the EXS24 |
| Step 13 – Inputting the vocal sample. Either play in the notes or use step-time input with the matrix editor and pencil tool.
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