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Topic ClosedHow Do You Compose?
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progaardvark View Drop Down
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Points: 51065 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2008 at 13:13
I've been using the Making Waves sequencer since late 1999. It's a low-to-mid priced one, so it lacks the features of Sonar and others, and thus it doesn't get a lot of press. I stuck with it because I like it and I don't feel like paying the price of a higher end sequencer with features I may never use, although I did eventually cough up money for the Miriam Vocaloid and VAZ Modular. I still think about getting a Garritan product, but with the economy the way it is, I'm going to refrain. I've made five albums using Making Waves and who knows how much filler for a future box set.

Unfortunately, it doesn't meet your requirement of a notation feature (I'm assuming you mean a viewable score, like sheet music).
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Points: 13 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2008 at 14:09
mike enregalia, I read every post, and they all pertain to how we compose. Every post was on topic. Composing is different for everyone...so I would expect a bunch of different answers about it. I'm sure mozart would have quite the unusual answer.


Edited by 2008rulez - July 24 2008 at 14:11
https://soundcloud.com/johns-music-2
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Points: 4252 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2008 at 03:59
i am crap at thinking up tunes or ideas, i often think of some good ones when i'm doing something else, or somewhere else, but have forgotten them when i get home -
 
must get that mini recorder notebook to carry around! Ermm
 
 
Prog Archives Tour Van
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Points: 7559 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2008 at 17:07
That was part of the reasoning behind my NWoBHM "challenge" - the challenge was more to produce something rather than anything specific, and I ended up writing 25  pieces, the first 18 of which were mostly rubbish.
 
However, the more you try to capture your ideas, the more you have at the right time (ie, when you're trying to capture them!), and I used 5 out of the last 6 for my demos. Interestingly enough, the one that seems to have got the best feedback is the last one I wrote.
 
This isn't a plug for my music, rather it's a plug for practice.
 
As a music professor I had once said; "If you are a composer, compose".
 
Trite, but very, very true.
 
 
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
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Points: 8844 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2008 at 03:40
Originally posted by mystic fred mystic fred wrote:

i am crap at thinking up tunes or ideas, i often think of some good ones when i'm doing something else, or somewhere else, but have forgotten them when i get home -
 
must get that mini recorder notebook to carry around! Ermm
 
 


One quick way of remembering melodies is to use your cell phone (or a friend's cell phone) to leave a message with the music you want to remember on your answering machine. 

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Points: 1119 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2008 at 06:51
Or get an mp3 player with a mic, most of them have one.
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Points: 6336 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2008 at 00:32
Originally posted by MikeEnRegalia MikeEnRegalia wrote:

To get back to the original topic (composing):

http://www.sonomawireworks.com/products.php#riffworks

RiffWorks ... a great tool for guitarists. Check it out if you don't know it already, especially if you already use Line6 interfaces like GuitarPort or TonePort. It's really easy to lay down some riffs with this tool, even if you never used any DAW (digital audio workstation) software before ... and best of all: it's free!

Hey man, I´m like the biggest computer idiot. What do I need to plug my guitar to my computer in order to use this kind of programs?Embarrassed
"You want me to play what, Robert?"
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Points: 6336 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2008 at 00:35
Originally posted by Certif1ed Certif1ed wrote:

That was part of the reasoning behind my NWoBHM "challenge" - the challenge was more to produce something rather than anything specific, and I ended up writing 25  pieces, the first 18 of which were mostly rubbish.
 
However, the more you try to capture your ideas, the more you have at the right time (ie, when you're trying to capture them!), and I used 5 out of the last 6 for my demos. Interestingly enough, the one that seems to have got the best feedback is the last one I wrote.
 
This isn't a plug for my music, rather it's a plug for practice.
 
As a music professor I had once said; "If you are a composer, compose".
 
Trite, but very, very true.
 
 

You are a music professor?Shocked I did ot know that...

...how can you bash Opeth then? Akerfeld is the best composer metal has ever seen!!!
"You want me to play what, Robert?"
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Points: 25210 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2008 at 01:37
Originally posted by el böthy el böthy wrote:

Originally posted by MikeEnRegalia MikeEnRegalia wrote:

To get back to the original topic (composing):

http://www.sonomawireworks.com/products.php#riffworks

RiffWorks ... a great tool for guitarists. Check it out if you don't know it already, especially if you already use Line6 interfaces like GuitarPort or TonePort. It's really easy to lay down some riffs with this tool, even if you never used any DAW (digital audio workstation) software before ... and best of all: it's free!

Hey man, I´m like the biggest computer idiot. What do I need to plug my guitar to my computer in order to use this kind of programs?Embarrassed


You plug it into the ToneportWink
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Petrovsk Mizinski View Drop Down
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Points: 25210 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2008 at 01:38
Originally posted by el böthy el böthy wrote:

Originally posted by Certif1ed Certif1ed wrote:

That was part of the reasoning behind my NWoBHM "challenge" - the challenge was more to produce something rather than anything specific, and I ended up writing 25  pieces, the first 18 of which were mostly rubbish.
 
However, the more you try to capture your ideas, the more you have at the right time (ie, when you're trying to capture them!), and I used 5 out of the last 6 for my demos. Interestingly enough, the one that seems to have got the best feedback is the last one I wrote.
 
This isn't a plug for my music, rather it's a plug for practice.
 
As a music professor I had once said; "If you are a composer, compose".
 
Trite, but very, very true.
 
 

You are a music professor?Shocked I did ot know that...

...how can you bash Opeth then? Akerfeld is the best composer metal has ever seen!!!


"As a music professor I had once said"
He didn't say he was a music professorLOL
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Points: 10094 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2008 at 01:49
noodling
then combining the cooler parts of the noodling together
spose I'm not really a composer then am I


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Points: 100 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 23 2008 at 22:55
My toolbox -
 
For symphonic stuff:  Notion 2
For pure electronica:  Reason 4
For remixing:  Live 7
For general purpose recording:  Sonar 7 PE
"Music is the best." ~ FZ
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Points: 10 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 14 2008 at 11:34
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

I use Reason to compose the backing, then transfer it to Magix Audio Studio to mix with live recordings.


Right! Me as well. Reason for the drums-I try to make them sound real... and Magix Audio Studio
for mixing the recording...
PLATO RULES!
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Points: 126 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 17 2008 at 06:40
I compose using Reason / Cubase.

I catch quick ideas on my phone.
www.paulcusick.co.uk
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Points: 234 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2008 at 11:17

I use a compination of a wire-bound music notebook and Reason.
"Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST."
-FZ
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Points: 34 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 23 2008 at 05:14
I use Reason 4.0 for sketching out demo ideas when I am on my laptop. I think that when you are searching for a self-contained and easy to use program for music making, Reason is the best thing out there and I have a couple of songwriting students which are very happy that I introduced them to it. (I used to work with good old fasttracker before I started with Reason so imagine my surprise when reason turned out to me more logical and more versatile with less work involved Tongue)

I use Cubase Studio 4.0 when I am having the time to actually work out a song arrangement and record parts for it. I also use this software to create full arrangements with orchestral parts and such and I use this suite to mix and finish my songs. (I do the mastering in Wavelab however, but that is just to be sure that the music translates well to MP3 format these days)

And last but not least, for a little while now I use my cellphone which has a neat little recorder which enables me to whistle/sing my idea's into it so I don't have to loose my inspiration when I am for example somewhere in the middle of nowhere with no CPU around Smile


...Scoring emotions by the day...
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Points: 95 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 23 2008 at 08:51
Originally posted by mrcozdude mrcozdude wrote:

At the moment I'm trying to find a good computer program to compose on which is also capable of producing good quality songs.I had a look at fruity loops which was reccomended but shortly found out you cant notate instruments making virtually useless. I was hoping i could have some recommendations and an idea of what you guys use?


I'm a bit confuded by what you're looking for.  Are you looking for a program to record your ideas, or work them out? Or both? And do you work exclusively through notation? Becausea program like Fruity Loops may not have standard notation, but you can sequence with it using lines and graphs...or a midi keyboard to input the notes.
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Points: 4335 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 17 2009 at 13:24
can't compose, would love to but I haven't even the basic knowledge of notation.
would like to put music to the lyrics and sounds I have buzzing around my head but I'd need some sort of program that allows you to hear what a note sounds like.  I can gather nothing from simply looking a note on a sheet of music.


Edited by manofmystery - January 17 2009 at 13:26


Time always wins.
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 17 2009 at 13:36
Originally posted by manofmystery manofmystery wrote:

can't compose, would love to but I haven't even the basic knowledge of notation.
would like to put music to the lyrics and sounds I have buzzing around my head but I'd need some sort of program that allows you to hear what a note sounds like.  I can gather nothing from simply looking a note on a sheet of music.
Ah - now I understand. Yes there is such software -- for example AutoScore - I've never used it myself but I would imagine you would need some musical knowledge to use it properly.
 
I would recomend either finding a musician friend to transcribe your singing into music or just get hold of some simple music software (like Magix Music Maker, GarageBand or Fruity Loops) and experiment. Most of these use pianola (piano roll) type of note display (called a Tracker) that does not require understanding of a traditional music score.
What?
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Points: 5195 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 17 2009 at 13:40
Originally posted by manofmystery manofmystery wrote:

can't compose, would love to but I haven't even the basic knowledge of notation.
would like to put music to the lyrics and sounds I have buzzing around my head but I'd need some sort of program that allows you to hear what a note sounds like.  I can gather nothing from simply looking a note on a sheet of music.


You need at least some basic knowledge of music theory. Then I'd suggest you get a cheap MIDI keyboard and computer DAW (digital audio workstation) software. Many of them have the ability to export the recorded music (via MIDI) as notation.
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