 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group The computer musician Victor Manatakis |
In days gone by the average person had to spend an enormous amount of time and money to write and record their own music. These days modern technology has done away with the need to hire an orchestra whenever one needs to write and record a classical piece. All one needs is a computer, a sound card with a set of speakers and the appropriate software to begin their journey into the world of music composition. The sound chip has replaced the need for an orchestra. Here I will describe what you need to undertake this journey and who knows, with a little practice, you could be composing the next Australian top 10 hit.
Before you can begin composing you need a sound card. I would not recommend anything less than a 16-bit card with stereo support. If your budget is such that you cannot obtain a 16-bit card, an 8-bit card will do, but be prepared to forgo musical quality. Let's face it, listening to music in mono is like sending a rocket to the moon using a slingshot (logic would say avoid when possible). Once installed and configured - most sound cards nowadays configure themselves - you have completed the first step to writing music on the PC.
At this point I must also mention that you would do well to add some quality speakers to your system. Cheap speakers tend to hiss and distort music giving it a "tinny" sound. A small investment of $40-$70 for a set of speakers will be rewarded with optimum sound output. Another option would be to connect the sound card with your hi-fi using the line-out or speaker socket.
The next step is to decide which format of music you want to write in. This will be dictated largely by the software that you use, which we will look at later. The most popular formats are MOD and MIDI. Both have their distinct advantages and disadvantages. It would be a good idea to get samples of these files, listen to them and gauge for yourself which would suit your needs. Another emerging format, though not quite as popular, is XM. This format has qualities which I believe make it better than MOD and, as a consequence, I see it overtaking the MOD format in the near future.
Let's first take a look at the MIDI format. MIDI stands for "Musical Instrument Digital Interface". This is primarily a Windows-based music format. Using the MIDI format involves the use of computer-generated sound only - I find this its main drawback. Nevertheless the quality produced tends to be better than that of MOD. Using MIDI one has the ability to produce music using 127 different preset instruments ranging from the piano to guitar and most brass and wind instruments. There is also one channel reserved for drum sounds (generally channel 10). Depending on how you have configured your sound card you have the ability to use from 10 to 16 channels. You can assign one instrument per channel. The main disadvantage with using MIDI-written songs is that you cannot introduce any live sounds to your songs. All music is computer generated and that is why you never hear any vocals with MIDIs.
Next you need some software to actually write your song. Midisoft Music Magic is one program I have sampled and liked so I can recommend it. The interface used is a music staff on which you can insert notes in standard music notation. Each staff is assigned a track to which you can assign an instrument. If the music staff and notation are not your cup of tea then you can try a shareware program called Music Sculptor (v1.7). This provides a piano interface with which the user can enter notes by depressing the keys with the mouse. With another program, Piano v2.1, you play the keyboard like a piano, and running this with Music Sculptor you can record what you are playing. Please note though if you intend to use these permanently, support the authors of these programs by registering your copy.
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The MOD format is a little bit more complicated and the beginner may be easily discouraged after a few attempts. The MOD format originated on the Amiga and in the early 90s programs that could compile and play this format appeared for the PC. This format requires the use of sampled sounds which I feel is its best advantage over MIDI since one is not limited to only 127 instruments. You can sample any sound, simply by hooking up a microphone or plugging your hi-fi. A sample is simply a recorded sound such as an instrument, a combination of instruments or a real voice. A MOD is laid out in blocks known as patterns, which can easily be manipulated, i.e. cut, copied, pasted etc. The MOD format uses four channels (two for right speaker and two for left speaker) and depending on the programs, there are almost no limits to the number of patterns in each channel. You can also use more than one instrument per channel.
Obtaining samples may be a problem if you do not want to use your own pre-recorded sounds. You may take samples from MODs that have been written by others. If you do this, be courteous and mention them in the song's credits.
The best program to write MODs is Fast Tracker v2.03. It stands out a mile higher than the others and gives the user a multitude of options to manipulate music. The important thing to do when using any software to write MODs is to set the correct sampling rate. It is best to use a sampling rate of 22,050 Hz (half the CD sampling rate) or 44,100 Hz (the CD sampling rate). You will find that most MODs are written around the 22,000 Hz mark ‘10 percent. Fast Tracker enables the user to record and manipulate samples, i.e. change speed, volume, decay, etc. Once you have all the samples you are going to use in your song you simply use the keyboard to enter the sounds in your patterns. Generally, the lower row of keys gives lower sounding samples and vice versa. Fast Tracker also allows songs to be saved in XM format. The difference between XM and MOD is that XM allows more channels to be added to songs than the four allowed by MOD. Another shareware program that is really good is Shareware Club, which allows manipulation of both MODs and MIDIs.
Reprinted from the September 1995 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
