(Part 1 Here) Recently three things have changed the whole game for me when it comes to producing music. The first is that I finally got a Midi cable. As I have said before, the program I use is FL Studio. Usually, on the piano roll, I put in the notes by hand to create the melody and chords I want from whatever instruments go with the vibe of the song. Doing this by hand creates two problems. One, it takes a long time to draw every single note. And two, it doesn't sound natural. It's hard (at least for me) to mimic the sound of an actual instrument being played live this way. Not all the notes would be the same volume and pressed at the exact same time.
Using the MIDI cable, I'm able to play out the melody and chords. Everything I do is recognized on my computer, directly into the piano roll on FL Studio. I was super excited to hear the results the first time I used it. It's so much easier this way and sounds so much better. Anytime a melody comes into my head, I can play it out faster than finding the right sounds with my laptop's track pad.
The second is my collaboration with other producers. I have been working with two other producers on a couple beats. Since we haven't been able to meet in person, it has been mostly through email. But, two weeks ago, I was able to meet with one over Zoom. Being able to share ideas, and be creative with someone in real-time was really a blessing. I hope we can share something soon. At least one of the projects looks like it could be wrapping soon.
Lastly, the class I am taking is about sound design. This changed the came for me because when I use sounds and instruments in FL Studio, I don't have to just take them for what they are. I can change them to better fit what I need. I've only been in the class for a couple of weeks, but I have already learned so much. Not only can I change the sounds that are already there, but I can also create my own from scratch. I have still yet to do that, but it is coming.
While I am not a master yet, my journey to becoming one is making progress. I am happy that I'm able to share this journey with all who take the time to read these. Stay tuned for more updates.