MIDI stands for “Musical Instrument Digital Interface.” Many of you use MIDI to create instrumentations for your songs, and it’s a fantastic way to have synthesized versions of instruments literally at your fingertips. In short, MIDI is a way of controlling electronic instruments (usually synthesizers), and allowing those instruments to produce many different kinds of musical timbres. Used well, MIDI can make it sound as if you hired a full symphonic orchestra for your recording. Used poorly, MIDI can make your song sound cheap and amateur!
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Whether you use MIDI simply to add a backing guitar, bass and drums, or use it to create a full orchestra, there are some basic problems that can arise. Here are some common problems and some solutions to help you solve them:
PROBLEM 1: In the MIDI orchestration, the instrument is being asked to play in a way that can’t be achieved by a real instrument.
PROBLEM 2: If the sound samples being used have not been properly panned, the orchestra can sound haphazard and disorganized.
PROBLEM 3: You can just tell that the instrument is MIDI, and it sounds “electronic” more than real.
- solo one of the tracks, and set a basic volume for that track (MIDI controller 7).
- Then develop a general shape for the line by varying the velocity for each note, so that it sounds as natural as possible.
- Then go to your Expression Controller (usually controller 11) and create a natural swell and diminishing for certain notes. (Good use of controller 11 is a major secret for good MIDI orchestration.) This will make your music “breathe,” and it will sound more as if a real person is playing. Keep in mind that a lot of the latest orchestral samples make use of the mod wheel to create some of the realism we are talking about here.
PROBLEM 4: The orchestration sounds uninteresting.
That should get you started. There is so much that could be said about MIDI orchestration, and it’s impossible to deal with it all here. But if you want some good preliminary advice, here it is: Get familiar with a REAL orchestra before you start working with a MIDI one!
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-Gary Ewer is the author of ”The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” set of songwriting texts. Download all 6 of them at a 50% saving.
Ria
/ September 4, 2009Hi there! I chanced upon this post while googling “MIDI Orchestration”. Pretty neat..
I recently posted some mp3′s on my site, where you can compare the MIDI version which I did, alongside the live orchestral version of the same arrangement. Am still trying to get the hang of MIDI orchestration, but I hope you visit my article – http://riaosorio.com/blog_files/MIDIvsLIVEAnOrchestrationExercise.php
ben
/ February 4, 2010he i went to your web site i saw your mp3 i think your fine i tried to copy this song too at less the first part
i think you need to more centre your string you puted the violin1 and viola too in extreeam also you need som EQ i m still struglling with this too i use logic samples
garyewer
/ September 4, 2009Hi Ria – I tried going to your site, but the MP3s wouldn’t load for me. I’ll try again tomorrow. I’m interested in the MIDI orchestrations you’ve done.
All the best,
Gary
Miguel
/ September 17, 2009Hi
I’m very interested in MIDI orchestration, mainly because I teach in a music conservatory and therefore I make use of a lot of orchestral music in order to teach the students in other areas. I always appreciate MIDI orchestration tips (or good books about it), so here’s my contribution.
1 – As Ria pointed out, quantization is forbidden! (unless you’re working with an exported MIDI track, which is already quantized). In fact, I don’t even quantize pop-rock music.
2 – As Gary mentioned, we have to deeply understand how an orchestra works, and this way we have to understand two things:
a) Nobody on an orchestra plays at the same time! So one of the tricks is to slightly “un-sinchronize” the instruments. For example, if you have 3 trombones, you may slightly delay one of them and slightly advance the other, whlie the 3rd stays in 0 position. Most DAW’s have the option to do this quickly. But remember: no matter how much you delay/advance an instrument, at the end the result has to be “zero”. For example, you delay the violins -1, flutes -2, trumpets -3 and advance the trombones +2, the oboe +2 and the cello +2 – the result is 0. And keep some tracks without any temporal displacement. This way our brain will center the whole thing.
b) Nobody plays in tune. The problem with MIDI is that it is too perfect, so we have to introduce some “imperfections” in order to humanize it.
Try to slightly bring some instruments out of tune (slightly. no more than about 10 cents) with the same logic of the a) example. bring all you want out of tune but the result at the end has to be zero!
You can also double the same instrument and un-tune it (for example – violins1 a +3 cent; violins1 b -3 cent). This is particularly important in strings, because the sound of the string orchestra is really many people playing slightly out of tune
These two trick have helped me improve a lot the sound of MIDI orchestrations. But of course it won’t, by itself, resolve the problem. We should almost go to every note to have a good orchestration.
Follow Gary’s advice on breathe and volume shape, add more attack to the notes that should be attacked (this is important on brass and woodwind) – DON’T CONFUSE VELOCITY WITH VOLUME.
Try doubling to different samples of strings, for example, a violin ensemble + a muted violin ensemble. This kind of doubling will help fill in some timbral gaps that samples sometimes have.
Also, get a good library. Actually, you can by a library from Sonart Audio for something like 80 dollars for a 300GB library – it’s kind of umbeatable (I have no connection with the company).
At the end spend some time on the reverb thing (by the way, turn off the reverbs on all instrument channels. Have only one reverb at in master track).
I appreciate any comments and other tips (or reccomended books)
pardaldetelhado
/ September 19, 2011Hi. Where do you teach? I love classic music although i’ve been a rock player for 3 years. Orchestration is such a beautiful and epic new world for me to discover. I would love to go to a conservatory. Only if i hadn’t so much bills to pay…
Nonetheless i have a question.
When you talk about velocity you mean shorter notes or faster tempo?
Great post btw.
garyewer
/ September 17, 2009Thanks for your comments, Miguel. Just to mention another thing about tuning: My take on tuning with “real” instruments is that there are two issues to consider: The first is, as you say, that no two players will play perfectly in tune, and this isn’t so much a failing of playing abilities as much as it is an interpretation of the tonality. For example, some instrumentalists will simply push a leading tone higher than others, and it becomes an interpretive issue.
But the second issue which needs to be considered is that no two players *articulate* (begin their note) in precisely the same way, or with the same actual sound. Ask a violinist to play 8 short notes, and each of those notes will sound different.
And tied with this issue is the whole area of overtones. Two flutists can play with precisely the same tuning, but the overtones produced by their flute, and their own personal way of playing, will be different. And once you add differing vibratos into the mix, you’ve got many things that are difficult (but not impossible!) issues for MIDI to address.
So more than simply saying that no two players play perfectly in tune, to me the more important observation is that no two players will have a perfectly matched set of overtones, articulation or vibrato.
Thanks again for your great observations!
Miguel
/ September 17, 2009Yes, that’s what I intend to say, but my technical english is not very good, so I end up using words that have other meanings in english. When I say “out of tune” I don’t mean they “play bad”, it’s simply to point that some instruments (wind, brass and bowed strings) have a natural variation in pitch, which results in their sonic quality. Perhaps I used strong words, but my point was that no passage is played twice the same so that has to be inserted on the MIDI orchestration.
Also I forgot to mention another tipo, mainly for harmonic instruments like guitars, pianos, harpsichords, harps, organs, etc. When using block chords it sounds more natural if we -slightly- displace the notes, because nobody hits all the keys at exacly the same time. However, if it’s a strummed guitar with a pick, this displacement should follow the movement of the pick, up or down.
I’d really appreciate all your experience and tips, or other resources on the subject
Doug
/ December 3, 2009can you recommend an effects processor or keyboard for a home studio that has great orchestral sounds at a reasonable price ?
keats handwriting
/ May 4, 2010Well, that really depends on a lot of things. But you aren’t looking for an ‘effects processor’ b/c that will just process the affects (eg add reverb or distortion).
What is ‘best value’ really depends on your price range and what you are looking for. If you really want a realistic orchestra, you will have to pay for it. My advice is that if you already have a midi keyboard to purchase an entry level orchestra VSTi, like Garritan personal orchestra. http://www.amazon.com/Garritan-Personal-Orchestra/dp/B0002VC9JC (Even that, though, is about $170). A comparable sounding keyboard would cost a TON more and give you less control over the sound.
Renee Perez
/ January 7, 2010Hi
I need to play a guitar concerto, and would like somebody to produce a midi orchestration of it (music minus one) type of approach, with the purpose of practicing with it.
Do you guys know anybody that is willing to do this for money?
If you do, can you please tell him (her) to contact me
renejperez@yahoo.com
thanks
Renee
keats handwriting
/ May 4, 2010Great post. I also love your positivity in responding to the comments.
Another solution to fake sounding strings is: ‘dont fake the funk.’ When I hear ‘strings’ in a rock or pop ballad that sound like they are from a Casio keyboard I cringe. My philosophy is that if you can’t sound pretty much like the real thing, then don’t try. So avoiding poor midi orchestration can be as simple as avoiding using midi orchestration in the first place. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up… you can be up front about it by creatively using the tools you have to develop a new way of playing. Synth strings or synth brass from the 80s are one example– they clearly didnt sound like strings and they weren’t played like strings–they were a new way of playing a new kind of instrument.
Obviously this won’t work for many styles of music; but for the styles of music that call for an authentic sounding orchestra, then the only solution is a really authentic sounding orchestra (or something really darn close.)
jason
/ June 15, 2011Hi guys,
I’m going out on a limb here. I am a composer/songwriter. I write my sheet music in Finale PrintMusic. I then use the sheet music to create midi files. Is there a way to produce more realistic sounds from these files than what I am getting from my CASIO Keyboard. I can’t afford to spend a fortune, but I do want an upgrade. If you have an information and can help me, you can reach me via jasonaspraggins@gmail.com.
My youtube channel is here: http://www.youtube.com/user/SpragginsMusic?feature=mhee
Please help!
Inan S
/ June 23, 2011Has anyone here visited cyberchambermusic.com?