Exploring Music Lab 2: Recording and Sequencing Drum and Shaker Tones

1. Exploring Music Lab 2 by Prof. Lydia Ayers

2. Objectives • Practice meters using your drums and shakers from last week • Record samples on the computer • Make a sequence from your samples using CoolEdit

3. Practice Meters • Practice rhythms using your drums and shakers from last week • Low tone is in the middle of the drum • High tone is on the edge of the drum

4. Record Samplesof your Drum and Shaker Toneson the Computer • Borrow a microphone from CS System • (They have headphone/ microphone combinations)

5. Record Samplesof your Drum and Shaker Toneson the Computer • Plug the microphone and headphones into the correct slot on the BACK of the soundcard — the red one in the top hole, the black one in the bottom.

6. Record Samples • Click "Multimedia" and set the Preferred Quality to "CD Quality" and the Recording Volume to "High." Leave the other settings alone. (If you are working in Lab 4, this is already done for you.) • Start -> Setting -> Control Panel • Apply

7. Record Samples • Click Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Multimedia -> SoundRecorder • Click on the speaker icon • Click Options -> Properties -> Recording, then click "Okay"

8. Record Samples • Select "Microphone" and adjust amplitude, probably to maximum

9. Record Samples • Record your sounds using the SoundEditor, as you have just set it up. • Record a drum sound • If you make a bad recording, click "New" to wipe out the current recording and start over • If you make a good recording, save it! • Return the microphone to CS System (your classmates want to borrow it too)

10. Prepare the Sounds • Clean up the sounds using CoolEdit (Start -> Programs -> Csound - CoolEdit). • Convert your .wav file to 22050 sampling rate and mono to save your disk quota. • Make sure you have only one sound in the file. • Get rid of any unnecessary noise at the beginning and the end of your sound.

11. Prepare the Sounds • Use a sound editor such as CoolEdit • select Start->Programs->Csound->CoolEdit • Use File->Open to open the soundfile.

12. Prepare the Sounds • Change the soundfiles to mono and change the sampling rate to 22050 (if it isn't already) • Click File -> Save As to change the format to .wav (if it isn't already)

13. Prepare the Sounds • Highlight an area of a soundfile: • Press "Play" to listen to it. • When you have found the sound you want...

14. Prepare the Sounds • … cut off any noises or silence at the beginning and ending of the sample • zoom in and cut at a zero point to avoid clicks

15. Prepare the Sounds • this guitar tone has some noisy clicks in the decay

16. Prepare the Sounds • use an amplitude envelope to fade out the end of the sample (transform —> amplitude —> envelope)

17. Prepare the Sounds • Some files may have been damaged and are unusable:

18. Create a Sequence • Copy and paste your recorded samples into a new file to make a sequence • Use the center of the drum for beat 1 • Beat 2 may be the center or edge of the drum • For the other beats and subdivisions, divide up the drum edge and shaker sounds to make a nice pattern

19. Create a Sequence • Use the center of the drum for beat 1 • Beat 2 may be the center or edge of the drum • For the other beats and subdivisions, divide up the drum edge and shaker sounds to make a nice pattern

20. Create a Sequence • Numbers show which beats to make louder and softer to show the meter • 1 is the loudest • 4 is the softest

21. Create a Sequence • When you paste in each sound, adjust the amplitude to fit the position in the meter • Effects -> Amplitude -> Amplify • Effects -> Amplitude -> Envelope

22. Repeat the Sequence • Copy the sequence and paste it in again at the end • Vary some of the elements a little bit • You probably should not change the type of sound on beats 1 and 3, but you can make them a little louder and softer • You can change the other sounds and make them a little louder and softer too, but keep the overall loudness pattern or you won’t be able to hear the meter • You can put in soft extra sounds between the sounds you already have • Repeat 2 more times with a little variation each time

23. Changing the Speed • Listen to your 8-bar sequence • If it seems too slow, you can speed it up using Effects -> Time/Pitch -> Stretch • The following example changes the tempo (speed) from 60 to 72

24. Composition for Next Lab • Write an 8-bar rhythm composition in a meter of your choice • Hint: it’s often good to end on the first beat of the last measure • Set nonsense words below your rhythm • Examples: skoo be doo tuk chuk dum tak ka ba da • Try to make it sound interesting, but don’t use too many kinds of sounds because it will take too long to record them all next week

25. Composition for Next Lab • Write another part to accompany your composition using your drum and shaker sounds • Optional: You can add additional parts if you want to • To print music paper from the Web: https://www.cs.ust.hk/~layers/Password_Only/exploringmusic/image/blank_music_paper.gif