DELIBERATE MISTAKES? SURELY NOT! you might protest....
But in truth, sometimes you will get your best sound by choosing to NOT let a note hit exactly upon the beat. The best example is Violins:
In my 13 August 2011 blog, I told how to get "realistic" violins -- even if you have a production program like GarageBand that does not have instruments which automatically swell and reduce volume to sound like the natural instrument. Here is an easy next-step for you:
Often a violin will slightly "slide" into a count, like a quick 1/16th grace note. I call this a "flexible" instrument.... not a "clean hit" for your note like sax or piano have, where grace notes are 1/8ths. (You don't need to know the math, by the way!).
To get this slide-in realistic effect:
1. Record your violin as usual. I recommend one violin line per GarageBand (etc) recording track so you can control volumes easier if there's a second "counterpoint" violin. NEXT BLOG will tell how to easily record two lines and then split them into two tracks.
2. Select all notes: Go into the MIDI view for your track. Put cursor on any note(s), then use Apple-all to
3. In the left column, select AUTO ALIGN TO and the drop-down box choice of 1/8th note. This is better described in my blogs for July 27 and 28 in 2011.... if you want more of a "perfect" timing.
4. Go to Control and the DE-select "Snap to Grid".
5. Still in MIDI view for your track, press the space bar to start playing your music. You can play all tracks, or mute some so that you can better hear the Violin (or other instrument) your are editing. As the music plays, just stop it when you hear a place where the "correct" violin seems to be heard too soon. Slide the MIDI note slightly to the left, deliberately off the beat. Then check....
Sometimes this works, sometimes the original might seem better. Either way -- Much joy to you in the fun of having full control over your music's sound!
©2012 DianaDee Osborne
