by Prof. Lydia Ayers

1

• by Prof. Lydia Ayers

2
Objectives

• Practice meters using your drums and shakers from
  last week
  
• Record samples on the computer
• Make a sequence from your samples using CoolEdit

3
Practice Meters

• Practice rhythms using your drums and shakers
  from last week
  
• Low tone is in the middle of the drum
• High tone is on the edge of the drum

4
Record Samplesof your Drum and Shaker Toneson
the Computer

• Borrow a microphone from CS System
• (They have headphone/ microphone combinations)

5
Record Samplesof your Drum and Shaker Toneson
the Computer

• Plug the microphone and headphones into the
  correct slot on the BACK of the soundcard the
  red one in the top hole, the black one in the
  bottom.

6
Record Samples

• Start - Setting - Control Panel

• Click "Multimedia" and set the Preferred Quality
  to "CD Quality" and the Recording Volume to
  "High." Leave the other settings alone. (If you
  are working in Lab 4, this is already done for
  you.)

• Apply

7
Record Samples

• Click Start - Programs - Accessories -
  Multimedia - SoundRecorder

• Click on the speaker icon
• Click Options - Properties - Recording, then
  click "Okay"

8
Record Samples

• Select "Microphone" and adjust amplitude,
  probably to maximum

9
Record Samples

• Record your sounds using the SoundEditor, as you
  have just set it up.
  
• Record a drum sound
• If you make a bad recording, click "New" to wipe
  out the current recording and start over
  
• If you make a good recording, save it!
• Return the microphone to CS System (your
  classmates want to borrow it too)

10
Prepare the Sounds

• Clean up the sounds using CoolEdit (Start -
  Programs - Csound - CoolEdit).
  
• Convert your .wav file to 22050 sampling rate and
  mono to save your disk quota.
  
• Make sure you have only one sound in the file.
• Get rid of any unnecessary noise at the beginning
  and the end of your sound.

11
Prepare the Sounds

• Use a sound editor such as CoolEdit
• select Start-Programs-Csound-CoolEdit
• Use File-Open to open the soundfile.

12
Prepare the Sounds

• Change the soundfiles to mono and change the
  sampling rate to 22050 (if it isn't already)
  
• Click File - Save As to change the format to
  .wav (if it isn't already)

13
Prepare the Sounds

• Highlight an area of a soundfile
• Press "Play" to listen to it.
• When you have found the sound you want...

14
Prepare the Sounds

• cut off any noises or silence at the beginning
  and ending of the sample
  
• zoom in and cut at a zero point to avoid clicks

15
Prepare the Sounds

• this guitar tone has some noisy clicks in the
  decay

16
Prepare the Sounds

• use an amplitude envelope to fade out the end of
  the sample (transform amplitude envelope)

17
Prepare the Sounds

• Some files may have been damaged and are unusable

18
Create a Sequence

• Copy and paste your recorded samples into a new
  file to make a sequence
  
• Use the center of the drum for beat 1
• Beat 2 may be the center or edge of the drum
• For the other beats and subdivisions, divide up
  the drum edge and shaker sounds to make a nice
  pattern

19
Create a Sequence

• Use the center of the drum for beat 1
• Beat 2 may be the center or edge of the drum
• For the other beats and subdivisions, divide up
  the drum edge and shaker sounds to make a nice
  pattern

20
Create a Sequence

• Numbers show which beats to make louder and
  softer to show the meter
  
• 1 is the loudest
• 4 is the softest

21
Create a Sequence

• When you paste in each sound, adjust the
  amplitude to fit the position in the meter
  
• Effects - Amplitude - Amplify
• Effects - Amplitude - Envelope

22
Repeat the Sequence

• Copy the sequence and paste it in again at the
  end
  
• Vary some of the elements a little bit
• You probably should not change the type of sound
  on beats 1 and 3, but you can make them a little
  louder and softer
  
• You can change the other sounds and make them a
  little louder and softer too, but keep the
  overall loudness pattern or you wont be able to
  hear the meter
• You can put in soft extra sounds between the
  sounds you already have
  
• Repeat 2 more times with a little variation each
  time

23
Changing the Speed

• Listen to your 8-bar sequence
• If it seems too slow, you can speed it up using
  Effects - Time/Pitch - Stretch
  
• The following example changes the tempo (speed)
  from 60 to 72

24
Composition for Next Lab

• Write an 8-bar rhythm composition in a meter of
  your choice
  
• Hint its often good to end on the first beat
  of the last measure
  
• Set nonsense words below your rhythm
• Examples skoo be doo tuk chuk dum tak ka ba da
  
  
• Try to make it sound interesting, but dont use
  too many kinds of sounds because it will take too
  long to record them all next week

25
Composition for Next Lab

• Write another part to accompany your composition
  using your drum and shaker sounds
  
• Optional You can add additional parts if you
  want to
  
• To print music paper from the Web
  https//www.cs.ust.hk/layers/Password_Only/explor
  ingmusic/image/blank_music_paper.gif