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  • A Book, manual, etc. ???

    Has anyone written a comprehensive book on how to create music using a sequencer and a package like Vienna Instruments?  It seems that some of the people who have posted some of the music here could probably write such a book.

    There are tons of "how this woks" books, but I have been disappointed by some.  I have learned a lot by trial - error, and I have a great orchestration background - but getting the final product to sound like the demos I hear on this site is still beyond me.

    If anyone knows of a really good, comprehensive book, please let me know.  Otherwise, if you know of a series of books covering the finer points of using the program, I am open to suggestions


  • There are books around. The snag is that as soon as they are released, they become outdated very quickly. I would suggest that you download and work through the MIDI tutorials on this site, and reverse engineer them. Then you will know what questions to ask.

    the other thing to do is to investigate mixing, use of EQ etc. because this knowledge is extremely useful and won't get outdated in the same way.

    DG


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    @dumbarranger56 said:

    Has anyone written a comprehensive book on how to create music using a sequencer and a package like Vienna Instruments?
     

    As far as using a sequencer, usually the manuals that come with them are pretty comprehensive.  As far as Sonar I know the manual is a good 3/4ths of an inch thick.  With Pro Tools there are tons of books, like the Pro Tools 101 Coarseware (and beyond).  I'm sure it's the same with Logic, Cubase, etc.

    I know that VSL actually has a link on this website that addresses more specifically what you're hoping for though.  "The Guide to MIDI Orchestration."  I'd like to get it too: 

    http://www.musicworks-atlanta.com/About_Book.htm 


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    [;)]

    @dumbarranger56 said:

    Has anyone written a comprehensive book on how to create music using a sequencer and a package like Vienna Instruments?
     

    As far as using a sequencer, usually the manuals that come with them are pretty comprehensive.  As far as Sonar I know the manual is a good 3/4ths of an inch thick.  With Pro Tools there are tons of books, like the Pro Tools 101 Coarseware (and beyond).  I'm sure it's the same with Logic, Cubase, etc.

    I know that VSL actually has a link on this website that addresses more specifically what you're hoping for though.  "The Guide to MIDI Orchestration."  I'd like to get it too: 

    http://www.musicworks-atlanta.com/About_Book.htm 

    I'm afraid that sequencer manuals can only tell you how to use the sequencer. They are of no help when it comes to MIDI orchestration. I have the book that you link to. It is a classic example of how quickly books date. Really not worth the money at all IMO. In fact, I gave my copy away to my assistant, and even he found it next to useless. Mind you, he does have my brains to pick whenever he likes.[;)]

    DG


  • thanks everyone.  I have read through the manuals and I am trying the Beat-Kaufmann tutorials.  Again, Ihave the orchestration knowledge, but getting my files to sound as realistic as some on the demo page is my hope.


  • You can also have a look at this:

    http://www.jeffrona.com/book.php 

    This book can also be ordered at Amazon I think

    Christof 


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    Hello all together

    Let me give some publicity to my tutorials.

    You will find dozens of books which are explaining samples, effects, sample players and all the stuff

    around producing music with samples.

    You will find another dozens of books with theories about orchestration, mastering, audiomixing and so on.

    But I personally didn't found a book, which produces a song/a piece of music from the first midi notes to a

    final result - produced with samples.

    Because I've soon got a lot of questions (how to mix, how to compress, how to play a violin, woodwinds...)

    I started to write small tutorials to every theme. Once it was a huge, unclear and confusing collection

    of tips and tricks "how to get music with samples".

    I decided to write down all my experinces in one new tutorial. Further I selected two different pieces

    for showing the way of a possible "music-with-sample-production". As a starting point I chose a midifile...

    10 Steps

    ...on the midi-side (preparing the midifile / playing a music style with samples /

    important things for simulate real sounding strings, woodwinds etc / working with the score etc.) lead to

    an audio track (*.wav) for every instrument in this part of the tutorial.

    another

    10 Steps

    ... on the audio-side (collecting tracks / the questions of left and right / front and rear positions /

    using effects / mastering steps etc) guide to the final this result: Händel Watermusic 10D

    So this tutorial leads you as close as possible to the practice to useful results. The meaning is

    that you should try to reproduce the steps. So you would be able to compare your results

    with mines. This tutorial does not require a certain software. It only shows: "With this step

    you sould get this result"... So it works even if you use LOGIC, Cubase, Sonar, HALion...

    If you don't want to reproduce the midi part for example you can import all the included wave files

    (which were produced with the midi part) of every single instrument in your mixer. Follow

    then the audio steps. If you don't have necessary effects:

    The tutorial has a lot of freeware effects included or there are links for dowloading them

    in the net (for MAC and WIN user).

    The tutorial is written in html. So you will be able to listen to music examples etc. ... This tutorial

    comes as a website so to say.

    And finally I added important things which are belonging to the corresponding steps (as

    side information). Example: One of the piece is an Andante > Side Information:

    All about tempo (terms, tables with tempo-ranges etc.).

    This tutorial (divided into two parts) is not the Holy Bible but it shows some ways how to get

    good results. It contains my experinces with samples from 2001/2 (Garritan/Siedlajek) and those

    of midi and synthesizer music since 1975.

    All the best

    Beat Kaufmann


    - Tips & Tricks while using Samples of VSL.. see at: https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/vitutorials/ - Tutorial "Mixing an Orchestra": https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/mixing-an-orchestra/
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    @dumbarranger56 said:

    Has anyone written a comprehensive book on how to create music using a sequencer and a package like Vienna Instruments?
     

    As far as using a sequencer, usually the manuals that come with them are pretty comprehensive.  As far as Sonar I know the manual is a good 3/4ths of an inch thick.  With Pro Tools there are tons of books, like the Pro Tools 101 Coarseware (and beyond).  I'm sure it's the same with Logic, Cubase, etc.

    I know that VSL actually has a link on this website that addresses more specifically what you're hoping for though.  "The Guide to MIDI Orchestration."  I'd like to get it too: 

    http://www.musicworks-atlanta.com/About_Book.htm 

    I'm afraid that sequencer manuals can only tell you how to use the sequencer. They are of no help when it comes to MIDI orchestration. I have the book that you link to. It is a classic example of how quickly books date. Really not worth the money at all IMO. In fact, I gave my copy away to my assistant, and even he found it next to useless. Mind you, he does have my brains to pick whenever he likes.

    DG

    [/quote] 

    He was asking about how to use a sequencer AND Vienna Instruments, so that's why I mentioned the manuals (a good place to start)... hehe. 😉

    Thanks for the heads up on that book...

    Beat, you're website is awesome, I will be exploring it in depth, that's for sure. thanks!

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    @allen_27821 said:

    ....  Beat, you're website is awesome, I will be exploring it in depth, that's for sure. thanks!

     

    You're welcome!

    [:)]

    Beat 


    - Tips & Tricks while using Samples of VSL.. see at: https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/vitutorials/ - Tutorial "Mixing an Orchestra": https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/mixing-an-orchestra/
  • PaulP Paul moved this topic from Orchestration & Composition on