Transcript Sequel2

Sequel2
Music Creation Software:
A Beginner’s Guide
Sequel2
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Sequel2 is a software program for music creation and
performance. It is, simultaneously, very simple to use
yet very powerful and capable of producing extremely
high quality musical results.
Sequel2 is produced by Steinberg, a company with a
long history of producing music creation software,
including Cubase. Cubase is widely used in at secondary
school level and shares many of Sequel2’s concepts and
interface features. Sequel2 is, therefore, an ideal point
of entry to the world of digital music creation at
primary school and early secondary school level.
How Does Sequel2 Create Music?
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There are three ways to create music with Sequel2
Sequel2 comes with a massive library of (copyright-free) musical
loops which can be easily auditioned then mixed and matched to
produce your own musical creations.
Sequel2 features a huge range of software instruments, allowing
you to play and record your own music from scratch. You can do
this using an external MIDI keyboard or, if you don’t have one,
you can use the keyboard of your computer to play in music.
You can make your own audio recordings using Sequel2, either
by attaching a microphone or directly from an electric
instrument (for example an electric guitar).
You can combine the above methods in any way you like to
create music.
Getting Started With Loops
Perhaps the easiest way to get started with music creation on Sequel2 is to us the loop
library which is found in the MediaBay.
When you open Sequel2 you will be greeted by a window like this (if you find
yourself with a demo project on the screen, simply go to the 2nd menu option
from the left at the top of the screen and select ‘New Project’
By clicking on the box-like icon, as pointed out in the picture, you will open the
MediaBay
When you have opened the MediaBay you will see several vertical lists on the lower
half of the screen. The list on the left hand side (‘Category’) shows the available
instrument categories. The list on the far right shows the actual loops available in
that category, which can be auditioned by single-clicking on them.
As the list of loops may be quite substantial, there are four ‘filter’ columns in
between which give you the opportunity to narrow down the loops displayed on the
right by specifying styles or characters.
Once you have selected the loop you wish to use, you can move it onto the
workspace by double clicking it. This will position it at the beginning of your
project. Alternatively, you can click and drag the loop onto the workspace, in which
case you are able to position it wherever you want
To play your loop, click the large triangle on the transport bar. Click it again to
stop. The left-most icon returns to the start.
Manipulating loops once they are on the worktop is very straightforward.
To move the loop, click on it once so that it is highlighted, then move the cursor onto the
black bar at the top of the loop so that the cursor becomes a pointing finger. By clicking
and dragging, the loop can now be moved to a different position.
To quickly duplicate the loop, so that it repeats for as long as required, move the cursor
to the broken triangular icon at the centre of the right hand edge of the loop (again, the
cursor becomes a pointing finger). Click and drag to the right for as long as required
and the loop will be duplicated.
To adjust the length of the loop itself, move the cursor to the solid triangular icon on
the lower right hand edge of the loop (the cursor will become a double-ended arrow).
Click and drag to adjust the loop length.
To add more loops to your music, simply repeat the above process. The number of loops
you can use is limited only by the power of your computer (if you want to keep an eye on
how hard your computer is working, check the icon at the top right hand of the window
(pictured below). The diagonal lines start to light up orange as your computer’s workload
increases).
One of the very powerful features of Sequel2 is the fact that, once you start to use more
than one loop, subsequent loops will adopt the tempo, and even the key, of the first loop,
so that it is easy to create a coherent-sounding piece of music.
Should you wish to change the tempo or key, however you can do so easily.
To select a new tempo, double click the number in the ‘tempo’ box so that it is
highlighted. Simply type in the tempo you require. To select a new key, click once on the
‘Key’ box so that a drop-down menu appears, then select the required key.
An Introduction To Mixing
Once you have added a number of tracks to your piece of music you will probably find
that you want to be able to adjust the volume levels of the individual instruments to
balance them properly – a process referred to as mixing.
To open the Mixer Page, click on the top icon on the lower left hand side of the window.
For every track you have created in your piece of music, the Mixer Page will display a
vertical slider which controls the volume level of that track. On the far right hand side of
the page there is a slider, labelled ‘Master’, which controls the overall volume level of the
music.
To mix your music, simply click and drag on the sliders to balance the levels how you
want them (this is best done while the music is actually playing)
Other useful controls can be found next to the volume sliders. By clicking the ‘x’ button
you mute that particular track so that it can’t be heard. By clicking the next button down
(inverted ‘v’) you solo that particular track, so that only it can be heard. The icon
immediately below each slider controls panning – the balance of the sound between left
and right speakers. This is adjusted by placing the cursor in the centre, between the two
triangles, and clicking and dragging to the left or right.
Getting Started With Software
Instruments
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As well as working with loops on Sequel2 it is
also possible to play, record and edit your own
music using the huge array of software
instruments which come as part of the program.
While you may prefer to work with an external
MIDI keyboard, Sequel2 makes it possible to
play in your own music using the keys of your
computer keyboard.
Click on the small keyboard icon at the top of the window. This will display the keys of
your keyboard which have been designed to play your software instrument (clicking on the
dot beside this icon will change the display to a piano keyboard, although the keys assigned
on the computer keyboard remain unchanged).
Now click on the ‘Add New Track’ icon at the far left at the top of the workspace.
A menu box will now open. Make sure you have selected ‘Instrument’ at the top of it. You
can now select your software instrument by clicking on an instrument category on the left
and then selecting a specific sound from the column on the right. Before clicking ‘OK’,
you can audition the sound using the assigned keyboard keys. Note that you can raise or
lower the pitch of the sound by an octave using the right and left keys on your computer
keyboard. Once you are happy with the instrument you have selected, click ‘OK’.
Sequel2 will now create a new track for your instrument (both on the workspace and
on the Mixer Page). Make sure that the circle icon is highlighted red, as this indicates
that the track is record-enabled.
Before you begin to record, decide whether or not you require a metronome click
track (if you are playing along with loops you may not need to). If so, click on the icon
to the left of the transport controls so that the line below is highlighted green.
Whether or not you select the metronome you will be given a two bar count-in before
recording starts.
Click the ‘Record’ button on the transport bar to begin recording. To stop the
recording click on the ‘play’ button or, alternatively, hit the space bar on your computer.
If you are unhappy with your performance simply delete it using the backspace or
delete buttons (note that doing this will delete anything highlighted – i.e. with a black
bar along the top). If you delete anything by accident don’t panic, simply hit ‘Ctrl’ and
‘z’ simultaneously to undo.
In the event that you are happy with the start of the performance but wish to change
the end, roll back the section of music you have recorded to the point where you want
to try gain using the arrow at the bottom right hand corner of the recorded part.
You can set the position to start either playing back or recording by clicking in the grey bar at
the top of the workspace. If you do this and then record, the two bars prior to that point will
play and then recording will start at the point you set.
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You may notice that when you try to position the cursor for recording or playback that it
snaps to the nearest grid line in the background of the workspace. This function is disabled
by clicking on this button so that the green light is switched off.
If you want to change the resolution of the grid so that the ‘snap’ facility snaps to the nearest
bar or perhaps the nearest beat, zooming in and out using the ‘+’ or ‘-’ signs at the bottom of
the window will let you do this.
It is possible to move recorded material between tracks by simply dragging it. If you create a
new instrument on a new track, you can move your recording onto that track and it will play on
your new instrument.
If you want your recording to play on both instruments, use the options in the ‘edit’ menu
to copy and paste. Make sure you select the new track as a ‘paste’ destination by clicking
once on the track name (e.g. ‘piano’), and remember to put the cursor back to the start, or
to which ever point you want the pasted music to begin.
Adding Pictures
You can add pictures to your individual tracks in Sequel2, making it easier to see
at a glance which track is which, as well as helping pupils to relate the sounds
they are hearing to real instruments.
After highlighting the name of the track you want to add a picture to, select the second
icon down on the left to open the Track Inspector page. Then click on the ‘Pictures’ tab to
open the picture library.
Select the picture you want to add then use the tools on the right of the page to adjust the
view (you may have to use the horizontal scroller underneath to view this, depending on the
size of your screen). Click and drag on the vertical magnifier tool to adjust the size. You can
use the other tools in this part of the page to change the colour tint, rotate the picture and to
delete it if you want to select another.
Notice that the picture now appears on the track display on the work page and on the mixer
page. You can hide or display pictures by clicking this icon.
Audio and MIDI
You may have noticed that there are two very different-looking types of loop, although
there is not an obvious difference between the sound of the two.
A loop which looks like this is an audio loop, meaning that it is an actual recorded
sound file
A loop which looks like this is a MIDI loop, meaning that it is composed of a series
of instructions which are then played through a software instrument within Sequel2
You can see at a glance in the list of loops in the Media Bay which are audio and which
are MIDI. Audio loops have a triangular icon beside their name, whilst MIDI loops are
labelled by an icon consisting of three short, horizontal lines.
It may not seem important whether loops are audio or MIDI, but it becomes significant
if you want to edit the sound.
Because MIDI sound is created by playing digital instructions through a software
instrument, it is possible to change those instructions so that the pitch, timing or volume
of individual notes changes.
Select a MIDI loop on your workspace then click on the fourth icon
down at the edge of the page to open the Editor Page.
You should now see a display which looks something like this. The horizontal lines on the grid
represent the notes (notice how they line up with a representation of a keyboard at the right
hand side of the page). Try clicking on a note – you should hear it play. Now try clicking and
dragging a note up or down and hear how it changes
It is also possible to draw in your own notes by hand. Hold down the ‘alt’ key while the cursor
is on the Editor Page grid and notice how the cursor changes to a pencil icon. You can now
click and draw in notes.
At the bottom of the page you will see vertical lines which correlate with the notes. These
represent the volume levels (or ‘velocity’ in MIDI language), and can be adjusted by clicking
and dragging them up and down while holding down the ‘alt’ key. Notice how the colour of the
note changes in relation to its volume level.
Editing Software Instruments and
Quantising
When you play music in using a software instrument the music is recorded in MIDI form.
This means that it can be edited in the same way as MIDI loops – in other words it is
possible to fix your mistakes!
One of the most useful editing functions which you can carry out on music you have
played in on a software instrument is quantising – a quick and easy method of correcting
the timing of the music you have played.
For quantising to work you have to record your music along with the metronome click so
that Sequel2 knows where the beats in the bar are. Once you have recorded your music,
highlight it and open the Editor Page.
The idea of quantising is that it will ‘snap’ the notes to the lines of the grid so that your
timing is precise. Depending on the music you have played you may want to align each note
to the nearest beat, half beat or quarter beat, so before quantising you have to specify this.
Click on the numerical value pointed out in the picture above. This will open a drop down
menu which follows the American system for defining note values – ¼ note = 1 beat or
crotchet, 1/8th note is ½ beat or quaver and 1/16th note is a quarter beat or semiquaver etc.
Choose a value and then click the icon to the immediate right of the number. Notice how the
notes snap to the grid lines. Listen to your music and decide if the quantising has improved
the timing. If you aren’t happy, you can undo the quantisation (either by hitting ‘ctrl’ and ‘z’
or by selecting ‘undo quantise’ in the Edit Menu at the top of the page) and try again using a
different value.
Notice that one of the options in the drop-down menu is ‘free’. If you select this option it is
possible to click and drag an individual note horizontally in either direction so that the timing
of the note is changed. If you don’t have ‘free’ selected, the note will be snapped to a grid if
you try to move it.
You can also change the length of a note by positioning the cursor over the end (or the start)
of the note so that it changes to a double-ended arrow. You can now click and drag to
lengthen or shorten the note. Again the way the note is adjusted is determined by the value
selected in the quantise menu, so if you want to change the length without restriction you
should select ‘free’.
Adjusting the view of your note display can be useful when editing. The ‘+’ and ‘-’ icons will
change the magnification of the view for greater precision. The upper vertical scroller will
display the whole range of notes whilst the lower will adjust the thickness of note display –
helpfully naming the notes as they are broadened.
Transposing
Sequel2 includes a great feature which allows you to transpose sections of your music into
different keys.
Click on the ‘Transpose Track’ icon above the track listings. This will create a new track
on the workspace. You can now select the point at which your transposition begins by
holding down the ‘alt’ key (so the cursor becomes a pencil) and clicking within the
Transpose Track (remember that the ‘+’ and ‘-’ icons at the foot of the page can make
your selection more precise).
You can now click and drag vertically up and down on the numerical value displayed to
increase or decrease the number (alternatively you can click on it once and type in a value).
This will either transpose the music up or down by the number of semitones displayed.
To return to the original key (or change to another), repeat the process at the next point you
want the key-change to occur.
More Mixing
Sequel2 allows you to make settings which change the volume levels as your music plays,
allowing you to automate your mixes and insert fade-ins and fade outs.
Click on the icon at the top of the page to enable viewing and editing of automation.
This will create a new track called ‘master’ which controls overall volume. It will also
display a horizontal grey line on your other tracks. This grey line is a representation of the
volume level.
To make automated changes to the volume level of either the master track or the individual
tracks. Position the pointer on the grey line at the point at which you want the volume level
to change.
Click on the line at a point to the right of the first point and drag up or down. The first
point will secure the volume level and the second point will determine the new level. If
you want a sudden change, make the second point close to the first, or for a gradual
change make it further away. The Master Track is useful for making fade-outs at the end
of your music.
Arranging
Sequel2 makes it easy to arrange structured pieces of music using a small amount of
material.
Click on the ‘Arrange Track’ icon at the top of the page. This will create the
Arranger Track at the top of the window. Now click in that lane, holding down the
‘alt’ key, and drag to select a section of your music. This selection will be labelled ‘A’.
Do the same thing to select a different section of music, which will be labelled ‘B’ It
could be, for example, that ‘A’ is the verse of your song and ‘B’ is the chorus.
Click on the icon at the lower edge of the window which opens the Arranger Page. There is an
icon to the right of this composed of a series of squares – make sure it is composed of the
squares in a horizontal line by clicking on it (this is called ‘Chain Mode’)
On the Arranger Page you will see a number of square pads which are named to correlate
with your selections on the Arranger Track.
By clicking on these pads in a particular sequence you can create an order in which Sequel2
will play the sections of music.
If you change your mind about the order in which you want the sections to play, simply
use the backspace to delete the letters and click the pads in a different order.
Now try playing your music and see how Sequel2 jumps from section to section
seamlessly in accordance with your arrangement.
Chords and Arpeggios
If you are using a software instrument, there are two effects available on each track which can
be great fun to try out.
Click on the Track Inspector Page icon at the right of the window, then click on the tab
labelled Event Effects. This will access the Chorder and the Arpeggiator.
Clicking on the yellow icon next to one of the effects will activate it (the icon will no longer
be yellow when it is active). Now click on the words ‘no preset’ and you should see a dropdown menu display which enables you to select a preset for that particular effect. Try
selecting one and then play a note on your keyboard. The Chorder will make one note into a
chord, while the Arpeggiator will play a sequence of notes when you press down a key.
There are further settings you can make to the Arpeggiator by clicking on the right-hand
column settings underneath. Experiment!
Exporting Your Music
Once you have finished your piece of music you will probably want to save it, and you may
also want to export it so that you can play it outwith the Sequel2 software
All of these options are available in the ‘Project’ menu. Saving is simple, and you are given
the option of naming your music as you save it.
You will want to know where Sequel2 is keeping your saved projects. Click on the Program
Settings Page icon. You can then see the Project Location (where your files are saved to),
and, if you wish, change them by clicking on them and selecting a new location
If you want to export your music in a format that you can burn to a CD, then choose the
option to ‘Export Project As Audio File’. You will then see the above dialogue box which, if
you click on the right hand column, allows you to make choices about how and where you
save your file.
• Export Location : click to select where you want your file to be saved
• Export File Name : it’s a good idea to name your file, things can get confusing after a while
if you don’t!
• File Format : clicking here will open a drop-down menu with several options. Saving as a
Wave file would enable you to then burn that file to CD. One of the other options is saving
the file as an MP3, but Sequel2 will only allow a few MP3 exports before it makes you pay
for that privilege (a way round that will be explained on the next page though).
• Export Bits : set this to 16 – that means that the file will be compatible with ordinary,
domestic CD players.
A way to save your file as an MP3 is to select ‘Export Project To iTunes’. This will add
your tune to your iTunes library under the saved project name and it will be available
from that library in MP3 format. Obviously you will have to have iTunes installed on your
computer, but it is available as a free download from the Apple website.