Say there is a song you really like but you can't find a style that fits it well enough and can't find a midi. How, exactly, would you go about creating backing tracks for this? Assume you want it to sound as much like the original as possible. I mean, what kind of hardware or software would be required?

I know a guy who does this from scratch but I don't know exactly how he does it. I think he told me one time he has some kind of sequencer. Like me, he plays guitar and keys. He does a good job.

Obviously, you have to lay down tracks for drums and bass, and maybe even play the bass lines note by note. Then, whatever else the song requires. With the appriate rhythms and patterns for the particular song.

This isn't something pressing, just curious how this is done. I'd like to look into it. You could tackle one song a week and in a year, you'd have 50.

This isn't a problem for ballads. There are plenty of styles that you can make work. But there are some up-tempo songs I really like a lot and it would be nice to have them sound close to the original.

Then again, maybe it's not worth it.

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Bill
Yamaha PSR2000

http://www.americandad.com/Default.aspx?tabid=296
http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/Soundware-Guid...000000000881786
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov03/articles/backingtracks.htm

Bill,

You can do the entire job on your keyboard, and it's really easy. Just press and hold down the record button, then select the midi channel you wish to record. Then select the specific instrument or drum set you wish to use. There's really not much to it at all, but if you need detailed instructions you'll find them at www.psrtutorial.com then click on the Lessons tab.

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

I do it from scratch to make extra cash

I use cakewalk Sonar and my T2 for the midi samples.

please let me know if you have any questions.
happy to help

Nick

Bill there are a couple ways to tackle this..
Producing a great SMF is an art that very few can do..

It takes a good ear and very good keyboard chops to pull it off.

Most people I know can not do it , to the extent of the top guys that produce commercial files..

Personally I know of three people that are good at this..and I know hundreds that try..

Bill, the easiest way is to find a style close to what you need..Listen primarily to the bass and drums, these are the heart to a sequence..If you have the capabilities to combine other parts of one style to another..this can save you much time..
I am not sure you can do this with a PSR2000, maybe someone can confirm.

I also recall the sequencer on the PSR2100 was not up to parr for this job..

Look into PG Music's Powertracks[under $50].

When you get the basic bass and drums, you can try and add the signature parts to a tune...intro, turnaround etc...Be sparse with the notes you add..remember they all use polyphony, and you only have 64...

Good luck, if I can help you farther , email me..

Fran,

Yes, this can be done on the 2000 and 2100, it's very easy to do, and even a dummy like me can do it with ease! The instructions in the user manual, however, are very poorly written, therefore, that's the reason I suggested that Bill go to the PSR Tutorial where well written instructions reside. None of this stuff is neurosurgery, but it does take some time and there is a learning curve. That's why I switched from Kickapoo Joy Juice to Margarettas!

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Gary I am switching from Strawberry Icecream sodas to Black and White milkshakes...

If I have to create a file from scratch I do it this like this....

1. Get Audio file, load into Cakewalk.

2. Listen to file. Attempt mentally to isolate the drums, bass, vocal, strings, brass, etc etc tracks as separate entities and sing/hum along to each distinct part. I am lucky here; I have always been able to play by ear; what has improved as a result of formal musical training has been by ability to quickly recognise the "jazzier" chord structures.

3. Create basic drum track and use to create a tempo map by hand. I have never found the automatic tempo map creation option in Cackewalk to be any use.

3. Having created tempo map, get drum track spot on.

4. Add in Bass, Vocals, Strings, Piano, Brass, Guitar, etc etc tracks

If the guitar work is very strummed, I tend to copy a strummed passage from another style / midi file and adjust. As a keyboard player I am not good at "Live" strum guitar tracks, they always sound like "This is a keyboard player trying to sound like a guitar"....

After this, refine until satisfied.

Sometimes I find I have to stop trying to be "note perfect" and instead go for "feel perfect", in other word I know the notes may not be totally correct but the overall mood created by the file is accurate.

Say that I could buy a backing track for a song. I guess they sell those for popular songs, don't they? I know they do for gospel songs because my neighbor does that. I guess it's similar to karaoke tracks. Do they sell backing tracks to popular songs on the radio, minus the main vocal? If you're trying to sound like the original, that IS the original. I wonder why not do that? I guess you'd become a karaoke guy without karaoke.

Point being, I don't know, maybe it's not so cool to sound EXACTLY like the original?

I create my own midi files by recording them on the psr2000. I do this a lot. And then I play guitar and sing over the top of that. But some killer songs that I love, I just cannot create what I want with the styles I have.

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Bill
Yamaha PSR2000

Do you find that what you create often sounds very much like the original?

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Bill
Yamaha PSR2000