The live performer's nemesis: “The music's too loud!” or “I can't hear it!”

In the best of all possible worlds, the performer or conductor or arranger would be able to set the volume peaks and troughs for each instrument in the orchestra. Not with a baton, mind you, but with a little gadget affectionately referred to as a “mouse.” And, of course, this is precisely how it works in sequencing. So if someone errs in either direction, track by track, the blame rests with the one holding the mouse--not with the poor critter itself.

The appearance of mixers in sequencing software, with their convenient control knobs, offers some relief from screeches and whispers. There's a fader (or volume slider) for each track. Are the drums too noisy? Lower the volume for all, or a portion of, that track. Is the celesta too quiet? Boost the level.

Another tool for setting things straight will be found among the Continuous controllers. See if you can call up the Controller #7 window, the display for volume. Incidentally, when volume-level is an issue in a MIDI recording, the mixer engenders an image of the balance among several tracks. In the controller view (#7), the focus is one one track and the instrumentation therein.

Let's try an exercise. Hypothetically, suppose we are looking at a guitar accompaniment on, say, Track 4. As the song begins, this musician [Let's call him “Les.”] is strumming his accompaniment chords at a volume level of 65. Ol' experienced Les is playing at a traditional mid-range level: 65 out of a possible 127. Which is fine. Unobtrusive, but discernible. Later on, however, ol' Phil will rise from his chair in the brass section to take a solo on the muted trumpet. This is the point at which a competent orchestra leader will gesture toward Les to “cool it a little.” In other words, soften the guitar output to avoid competing with Phil. So, what do you do? You take hold of the pencil icon and draw a change downward. When Phil's solo ends, you reverse your sketch. This example suggests how this one controller (#7, volume) can be manipulated to achieve better musicality--and avoid conflict in the process.

On some occasions, you are going to want to create a crescendo effect--a gradual increase in volume, velocity, or both. A swell in the musical passage. Here you are in the spotlight, recording the imperishable New York, New York, building a dramatic climax as the tempo slows in successive choruses... How do you go about achieving this?

Well, the answer is that you will have to poke around a bit and see what editing tools are available in your sequencing program--a principle that applies to all enhancement efforts. If you want to draw such a pattern, check out the controller views, ascertaining whether you have a velocity controller display, a volume controller display, or both. If, on the other hand, you want the application to compute the gradual change, mathematically, look for a Controller Fill menu, determine whether you have volume, velocity or both, then set the beginning and end values (as you did with tempo.)

Copyright © 1995 Eugene A. Confrey, PhD. All rights reserved.