Tutorial for creating styles in composer

Hi folks
Due to my topic about styles, a lot of people have mailed me and ask for some help. Belowed, maybe those people find something for use.

Load the MIDIsong into the sequencer (it also works with Technics songs). Listen carefully to the song. Try to find out the best parts for later copying and write down the numbers of the measures. Normally, a song contains an intro of 4 to 8 measures, some melody line of 8 or 16 measures, a chorus of 8 or 16 measures and finally an ending of 4 or 8 measures. In the song you also have some fill ins. In your future style, you need to copy the whole intro and ending, however the melody or chorus only needs 4 or 8 measures. Fill ins, on the other hand, always contains of 1 measure.

Normality is all sounds in the key of C, so the most comfortable way is to copy to that key. If the song in the sequencer has another key, you have to transpose. Try to find 4 connected measures in the song, and copy them together.

Another thing is to think of how a song is build up, It´s maybe soft and light in the beginning and then more and more heavy and soundy. Which means that the Var.1 should be more soft than the Var.4 for example.

You have a choice of 2 Drumtracks and a Basstrack plus 5 Accomp tracks. You necessarily don´t need all this Accomp tracks in the Var.1 or Var.2. And be sure to not use any kind of instruments playing lead, just think of the rythm.

Well, let´s see some action...
Carefully write down the track numbers and their instruments you like to put in your style.
Let´s presume we have tracks as followed in the song.
Track 2 Bass
Track 5 Guitar
Track 7 Piano
Track 9 Strings
Track 10 Drums
Track 12 Brass
Track 13 Saxophone

Now press PROGRAM MENUS/COMPOSER/SEQ TO COMPOSER COPY. The display automaticly shows the selected songnumber of 1-10, normal 1.
Select the first measure you want to copy, and then select the last (usually 4 or 8 measures). Use TRANSPOSE if you wish. Remember to have the right way in up or down so the instrument not sounds strange.

Select MEMORY (A default)
Select PATTERN Var.1

Suppose we have a good rythm on the song in measures 4-7, so let´s copy measures 4-7.

Adjust DRUM1 to track 10
Adjust BASS to track 2
Adjust ACCOMP1 to track 5 (Guitar)
Adjust ACCOMP2 to track 7 (Piano)
Adjust ACCOMP3 to track 9 (Strings)
ACCOMP4 and ACCOMP5 should be OFF

Press OK
You now have your Var.1 rythm in the memory
Keep the settings and
Adjust to Var.2, Then
Adjust ACCOMP4 to track 12 (Brass)
Adjust ACCOMP5 to track 13 (Saxophone)
Press OK
Your Var.2 rythm are now complete.

Go on with the Var.3 and Var.4. For the INTRO, you can select between the INTRO1maj or INTRO2maj memory (there are also intro1 and 2 in minor, if the song is in minor key).

For the FILL IN you have:
Var.1 FILL IN 1 and FILL IN 2
Var.2 " " "
Var.3 " " "
Var.4 " " "
Remember just 1 measure

Save your work on the floppy disc, but only to the COMPOSER memory, as seen on page 2 in the Saving mode.

If you have problems with transposeing, you can easy copy 1 measure and then press EDIT.
The rythm will start. Stop it and press EXIT, then go to MEASURE EDIT/MEASURE COPY. You now have first measure 1 and last measure 1, which you will copy to example DRUM1 start 2. And then DRUM1 to start 3, and then DRUM1 to start 4. Just go on with the Bass and the others. You soon have a style of 4 measures.

Please notify that the PART SETTING has 2 pages and is very usefull, but more of this in future topics.

Hope this will be some help for you who like to create your own styles. You need a lot of patience, but soon you´ll find it easy.

Feel free to mail me if you have any questions, and I hope you all have excuse for my, sometimes strange grammar.

GOOD LUCK

Lindoz

Thank you Lindoz. Your English ain't that bad. Your instructions work great in the KN5000 also, except for only having three Accomp parts instead of five. In the KN5000 the Sequencer to Composer Copy function is found in the Composer Menu.

Hi Lindoz,

Thank you for the information. I am going to try it as soon as I find some extra time. This function has always mystified me, so with your instructions, I hope to create something usable! Wish me luck!! LOL

Carol

May I step in and find a seat in your classroom Lindoz?
I think I can see a empty desk in the backrow....

Great lesson!
GJ

Hi Lindoz
Many thanks for the lesson it helped me a lot.
Jan

Great tutorial Lindoz.
Thanks for sharing this with us on the forum. We are really happy that you finally got here to join us and help develope our learning curve. It is this kind of sharing that really makes a difference in the knowledge and joy of owning and playing this high powered instrument.
Best to you
Bebop

Many thanks for your tutorial Lindoz, which is much appreciated. Must go now and work on it.

Peter

Thanks Lindoz,
if Gunnar grabbed the last seat, and he is not too big, can I squeeze in beside him? Walter.

Hi Lindoz
Thanks for your reply to my email, this is just what I need, hope to spend some time now going through it, will keep you posted.
Mike

Lindoz, I've never used midi songs for spare parts, because I thought the sound was shallow and tinny. However, if the sound will come out with the quality of the kn6k, then maybe it's time for me to reconsider. After all, there must be a few million midi files to chose from by now. I have always relied on keyboard styles to provide the pieces, but when you have to rebuild the variety note by note, adding instruments here and there, the time involved grows and grows. I'm glad I don't have to do this for a living - I'd starve!

Bud,
The instructions Lindoz has given are letter perfect. I’ve found just developing a new Intro and Ending from a MIDI file to a favorite pattern helps. For someone with your talent just using the bass and drum parts could be the basis of some wonderful new styles.
Frank

Oh, I'm so excited to see this tutorial. I can't wait to try it. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again.

I'm too big, but since I'm also is a far too
lazy pupil to try follow the class, it would
be nice to have you sitting besides me to
do the homework and show me how this work out
GJ

Great job.......thanks,

Fran in Florida

Thanks for this tutorial, Lindoz. It opens up a whole new area of possible styles. Bud commented on midi files being shallow and tinny - I have been listening to midi files for a while now, and I find that there are many midi files on the net which are extremely 'shallow', but sometimes I come across a really good arrangement. Over the weekend I looked at such a good file, and although I didn't spend the time to convert it to a style, I can see the potential using the information in your tutorial. Hopefully I'll get some time this week.

Mike

Hi again folks
And thanks for all respons of my tutorial. I suppose Bud talking of the sound on midi files. And he is right. Sometimes there´s a lack in this sounds. It could be the sampling or the width of stereo etc. But I assume that you go into PART SETTING and change this instruments to Technics NX sounds i.e. just take an instrument/sound that you want, exept a midi instrument/sound. I will soon be back with some helps with the PART SETTING mode.
Lindoz


[This message has been edited by Lindoz (edited 04-22-2002).]