Reasonfreaks

[gongchime]

Wow I seem to be the only one active on this board. Don't worry there are several others talking about Cubasis but to cover all my bases here goes.

I've really come a long way since I started. I've got three midis programmed and ready to backup my work even though the attacks aren't where I want 'em. I'm at the end of production and could go to a real studio if I wanted and have them tweak my stuff.

So, when I save something that's entirely midi what should I do to back it up or to transport it to a studio? Do I go to the export function? I tried exporting but it seems to only want to export a midi file one track at a time. That seems like a good idea if it's converted to a sound file first. Do I convert it to an audio file and then burn to cd? If so, how?

Clueless.

[butchmanring]

I would just make a copy of the entire Cubase Project File for that track. That way it will save all your edit/fades/vst's/vsti's etc etc. That's what i do

[gongchime]

You didn't say HOW to make a copy of the entire Cubas Project File for that track. Please be very specific such as "In Cubasis click on the File drop down menu and select export etc... or whatever...

Let me be specific too.

I'm not using bass, guitar, piano, synth or drum kit.

One group of instruments functioning in the capacity of accompaniment are 3 metallophones that sound like one instrument played by three people. Those sound VERY similar to vibraphone and are in the octaves of c1,c2 and c3 respectively.

It seems like you're saying I should consider them to be one instrument in that case and save them all as a wav file. But I think I first have to convert them don't I? Since theyr'e currently just samples being played back by midi.

I don't know how to convert and even if I did I don't know how to save as a wav file. Could you be very specific such as "In Cubasis (or Wavelab) to convert go to the File drop down menu and choose export, then... or whatever...

I'm also using 3 other metallophones made of iron played with wooden or deer horn antler hammers also functioning as accompaniment. They sound similar to each other too and are in the octaves of c2,c3 and c4. The highest one has a really biting punch though.

Then there are pot gongs with a timbre which kind of falls in between the others I've metnioned. They're in octaves c2 and c3. The lower octave has a slightly different timbre than the upper octave and the low ones are a lot quieter.

Then there is the wooden xyllophone in 1 1/2 octaves starting at c1 that functions like a jazz keyboard playing 3 note quartal harmony most of the time.

Next are the gongs. They're too quiet even when I record them right into the red and I've experimented with different ways of sampling them. The bass drum is the same: too quiet. Mind you, this isn't a drum kit bass drum.

It's more like a Japanese Taiko bass drum, if you know what that is. Its vibration is quite slow and flappy due to the size. But I'm not playing it with a wooden stick. I'm using a soft mallet. It sounds kind of techno actually.

I'm also using a hand drum but it doesn't sound like Djembe, Conga or Tabla but I may be using a tabla at some point.

Then there's auxilliary percussion most often some kind of finger cymbal but I use different sizes on different songs. And I use larger cymbals to announce section changes played with, yes, a real, proper drum stick but these aren't like any Zildjians you've ever heard. They're Korean Bara cymbals used for Buddhist ritual dance. I've got 2 small and 2 large. I also use Thai wooden frogs as a kind of wood block.

I haven't recorded the lead instruments so far because they don't sound good being played by midi. I want to record them "live" even though some of them are the same one's I've already mentioned just functioning differently. Another one is similar to a Japanese Koto.

One sounds like a Childs metal xyllophone. One is a Laotian bamboo harmonica and I may even use some steel drums on a tune or two eventually.

To sum up;

a) Record the "vibe" sounding ones as one stem. (How to do that I don't know yet.)

b) Record the hamered metal as another stem

c) except for the high one which gets a separate stem so as to control it.

d) There's a stem for low pot gongs and

e) a stem for high pot gongs.

f) one for xyllophone chords

g) one for gongs

h) one for bass drum

i) hand drum

j) finger cymbals

k) larger cymbals

l) wood block or whatever e.g. castanet, click stick/clave

m), n) and o) would be for the melodic instruments not recorded as a midi playback.

Am I in the ball park? That's 15 tracks.

[butchmanring]

Hmmm. OK.

•Now your original question was "how do i back up". What i suggested was to go to the project file and back THAT up. The Project file is just the folder that your project is stored in. You know when you start a new project and it asks for a destination folder etc etc. It will just be on the computer somewhere so have a search for it, and copy it onto CD. Consider it "backed up".

•What your second post suggests is that you want to bounce down all your midi files to audio. Well, you nearly answered your question there. File dropdown menu->Export->Audio Mixdown. Make sure you set your left and right locators in the sequencer window first as it will only export between those two markers. Now, this will export the whole song as an audio file, but if you want to export each seperate channel (channel being what i think you meant by the word "stem"), then "solo" that channel/track from the mixer and do the same export thing. To merge certain midi playback channels into one audio file, solo ALL the ones you want merged, and do the same export thing yet again.

•Help with recording is in the manual. Sorry for the seemingly "RTFM" response to that one, but it really is the most basic function of the program and an answer can easily be found in there. My suggestion (as always) for recording instruments (especially percussive ones) is really good mics, and even MORE importantly, good mic technique and placement.

Does this help mate?



nb: Please remember that Cubasis is a Limited version of the full Cubase SX program so some things are just not possible. As an SX user i'm not aware of the Cubasis limitations, sorry. Also, do you really want to spend all that money on a studio when they are only going to rebuild your track in Cubase (or similar) anyway?

Butch

[gongchime]

Yep that helps a kabillion.

I'm not using the engineer just to rebuild in another production suite I'm using his expertise on setting levels and panning and advice like you just gave me about percussion and micing. I don't have access to good mics but he does. If I have to rerecord the Taiko bass drum and other ethnic hand drum he'll know what mic to use and where to put it. I'm clueless on both counts.

I'm still trying to figure out how to blend the effects in for an "example" recording. The effects that were in the headphones didn't end up on the cd.

I was a guitarist and bassist before I got on this extreme melodic percussion kick. Even if I was a vibraphonist, the technique is completely different. Westerners just don't grow up playing a bar with only one mallet in the right hand and stopping the last one with the left hand.

The audio versions have me playing more than 14 different instruments. Needless to say most people can only master one or two. Exceptional people maybe three. Yeah, you can get by on more but not master.

Although my performances sound like some of the ethnomusicological field recordings I've listened to, that won't cut it in most of the world music market. So, the choice to use midi is a natural.

Melodic percussion does't suffer much at all in a midi performance. Especially the soft mallet metallophones sound great. Anyway, My strength lies in composing, arranging and just generating a ton of ideas.

I'll include an audio example at some point. Just as soon as I figure out how to add reverb.

Gongchime