diff --git a/content/recording/recording-midi/en/keyboard-map-to-piano-keys.svg b/content/recording/recording-midi/en/keyboard-map-to-piano-keys.svg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e811f54 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/recording/recording-midi/en/keyboard-map-to-piano-keys.svg @@ -0,0 +1,846 @@ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + diff --git a/content/recording/recording-midi/index.en.md b/content/recording/recording-midi/index.en.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2d273df --- /dev/null +++ b/content/recording/recording-midi/index.en.md @@ -0,0 +1,142 @@ ++++ +title = "Recording MIDI" +description = "How to record MIDI with Ardour" +chapter = false +weight = 2 ++++ + +There are several ways to get MIDI into a MIDI track in Ardour apart from +importing an existing MIDI file. Let's have a look at them one by one. + +## Real-time recording + +Perhaps the most obvious option to record MIDI into Ardour is connecting a +MIDI keyboard to your audio interface or your computer directly and recording +whatever you play. It's a pretty straightforward process: + +1. Select an existing MIDI track to record to or create a new one + +2. Arm that track for recording (click the button with a red circle in the track header or press **Shift+B**) + +3. Toggle the global recording mode (click the button with a red circle in the track header or press **Shift+B**) + +4. Roll the transport (**Space** bar) to begin recording. + +5. Stop the transport (**Space** bar) when you are done. + +Usually when you record a part from a MIDI keyboard, you should be able to +hear yourself playing. If you see that everything is connected correctly and +yet you still can't hear any sound, check what MIDI channel your MIDI keyboard +is sending note-on/note-off events to. It is entirely possible that it's a +channel other than 1, and your virtual instrument of choice got no patches +loaded for that channel. + + + +## Step Entry + +The _Step Entry_ recording mode is convenient when a part is too complex to +record in real time (think sweeping arpeggios of 1/128th notes at 140bpm). +Instead of trying to achieve that live when you are on the schedule, you can +use your keyboard to enter the notes one by one at your own pace. Ardour will +record a note you play, move the playhead to the end of that note, then sit +and wait for the next note you play. + +To enable this mode, right-click on **Record** button of a MIDI track, choose +_Step Entry_ in the newly opened menu. The _Step Entry_ dialog opens. + +{{< figure src="en/step-entry-dialog.png" alt="The Step Entry dialog" >}} + +Here are the options: + +1. Chord entry mode — you can play multiple notes at once, they will be recorded like a chord and willl be above each other on the pianoroll. + +2. Note length presets, from a whole note to 1/64th. + +3. Dotted note presets + +4. Rest presets + +5. Velocity presets, from pianississimo to fortississimo + +6. Numeric inputs for MIDI data: channel, length of a note, velocity, octave (for +entry from regular keyboard), MIDI bank and MIDI program (so that you could +use e.g. pizzicato sample in a sample library rather than arc). + +Now you have three options: + +1. Click piano keys with a mouse +2. Press keys on your regular keyboard +3. Use a MIDI keyboard connected to track's input + +For option 2, the middle row of letter keys is used for white keys, and the upper letter row is for black keys: + +{{< figure src="en/keyboard-map-to-piano-keys.svg" alt="Keyboard map to piano keys" >}} + +All the settings you see in the _Step Entry_ dialog apply to the options 1 and +2. For each note you input next, you can set: + +- Length, from a whole note to 1/64 (or any length when using the 1/Note spinbox), with optional chord input +- Channel +- Velocity (z through < on English (US) keyboard can be used as keyboard shortcuts) +- Octave (keys 1 through 9 can be used as shortcuts) + +You can also insert rests which basically means that Ardour shifts the editing +cursor to the right by the currently selected note length. + +When you use a MIDI keyboard for step entry, only a subset of settings in the +dialog apply. Ardour will use the defined note length, but it won't bother +with either velocity, channel, or octave settings and will use whatever you +send from the keyboard. + +Let's try to use it. + +1. Create a new track, select Surge XT as a virtual instrument. + +3. Open the _Factory Patches_ navigator and select _Bass 2_ in _Basses_. + +3. Make sure the playhead is at the beginning of the session so that it +matches the beginning of the first bar of all percussion tracks in the current +project. + +4. Open the _Step Entry_ dialog + +5. Select 1/8 note length and octave 3 + +5. On your regular keyboard press D,G,H,G,D,G,U,J + +6. Press 4 to switch to octave 4, press S,D,G,T,D,S, press 3 to switch to octave 3 + +7. Press U,J. Then press H4ASA3H4AEDGH5A4JHGED. + +Now you have a basic bass line you can repeat. + +{{< figure src="en/initial-bass-line.png" alt="Initial bass line" >}} + + + +Continuing +---------- + +In the next chapter, we'll talk about helping yourself to perform in sync with +the rest of the session material, whether you are using a MIDI keyboard to +record a lead synth part or a bass guitar. + +Next: [PERFORMING ON TIME](../performing-on-time)