Where to start with absolute basics?

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blockflute
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Where to start with absolute basics?

Post by blockflute »

I'm interested in learning more about the whole business of music production (on linux, as that is what I use), but I know so little I don't even know where to begin.

I play a couple of woodwind instruments. I use LilyPond (sometimes with Frescobaldi) to occasionally edit/transpose scores. Thanks to the helpfulness of some kind members of this forum, I have Ardour/Jack running on my Debian box, and have been able to do some recording of myself and created mixed tracks using guitar backing from my brother (who lives in a different country). This is all great, but there is obviously a lot more one can do; my problem is that I barely even know what the so much more is, let alone find out how to do it.

I have some scores, for example, that have piano parts. It would be great to have some way of playing them via computer, and I think this can probably be done, but I don't know where to start. Midi I presume, but I know very little about it besides, more or less, what it is.

I've had a quick look at books to see if there is anything along the lines of "digital music for dummies" or similar, but haven't seen anything obvious, plus a lot of books are quite old. I've also tried some online material, but a lot of it isn't much more than product reviews with seller links, and much of the rest is too specialized to be a good introduction. I've had a look at howto/tips/tricks board on this forum but mostly the material there is in the too-specialized-for-me zone.

If anyone can recommend a good place to start, either printed or online, I would be most grateful. I don't think anything could be too simple!
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d.healey
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Re: Where to start with absolute basics?

Post by d.healey »

Get yourself a copy of Musescore - https://musescore.org/en
David Healey
YouTube - Free HISE scripting and sample library dev tutorials
Libre Wave - Freedom respecting instruments and effects.
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LAM
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Re: Where to start with absolute basics?

Post by LAM »

blockflute wrote: Wed May 18, 2022 11:56 am If anyone can recommend a good place to start, either printed or online, I would be most grateful. I don't think anything could be too simple!
I would suggest to watch @unfa 's YT channel.

Since you are already using Ardour, a good staring point would be watching this playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... EO-7tBsBsI

in mix, nobody can hear your screen

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Linuxmusician01
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Re: Where to start with absolute basics?

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

blockflute wrote: Wed May 18, 2022 11:56 am[...]
I have some scores, for example, that have piano parts. It would be great to have some way of playing them via computer,[...] Midi I presume [...]
I think that what you need is a good (Linux) VST for a Grand Piano and a Midi keyboard. You can buy a Midi keyboard second hand or at any (on line) music store. Depends on how good you can play if you want to buy an expensive one with many octaves or a mini version for just the basic stuff. I can't play if my life depended on it so I'm afraid I don't know which is a good free or paid piano VST. Let alone a Linux native piano VST. I only mess with hardware synths and VST synths. ;)

There's Midi in general and there's Midi on Linux (or Windows, or Android, or Apple, etc.). I don't know of a book about it. Not do I know of a (good) website or Youtube video.

It can be very simple though. Midi was invented in the early eighties for electronic instruments (read: synths and drum computers) to be connected to each-other. Before that only electronic instruments from the same manufacturer could be connected to each-other. Instruments that have a 5-pin DIN Midi connector can exchange info like: note on, note off, tempo (in BPM), etc. There is midi-out for sending e.g. note on and midi-in for receiving info like note-on.

Those were the days. You didn't have to know how it worked, you just connected a 5-pin DIN cable from IN to OUT on the the two machines.

Then came computers (read: the almighty Atari ST). They are digital, just like Midi. Computers could send midi info to a synth or drum computer (again: via 5-pin DIN cables) and therefore a computer could play/operate your electronic instrument. You didn't have to learn how to play, you let your Atari ST do that for you.

Later on USB cables replaced the 5-pin DIN cables. And there had to be "cables" that can convert between 5-pin DIN and USB (example Aliexpress, only 5 USD incl. shipping).

In my opinion that's all you need to know about Midi. But how does one "do Midi" on a computer? I can only tell how I do it. Let's assume that I want to play a VST of a Minimoog (a classic synth) with my hardware midi keyboard.

I use qjackctl for Midi connections on Linux. You say that you've got Jack activated, I presume that you use qjackctl too. First I connect the Midi keyboard to my computer with the Aliexpress cable. See photo below:
Image

Then I look if it shows up in qjackctl as a device that can output a signal. I know it is cryptically called "CH345". See picture below. Yep. It can. The Aliexpress dongle can even be used for input.
Image

I start my DAW (Qtractor, you use Ardour). In the screenshot above you see that it shows up as a device that can receive Midi input (it can also send output). I use the mouse to connect the Midi keyboard Midi OUT to Qtractor's MIDI IN. After that, in Qtractor, I create a Midi track and choose my favourite VST (i.e. the Minimoog) as a plugin for this Midi track. Then I press "play + record" to make a recording. I play the Midi keyboard and then I hear the Minimoog. I can see in the DAW (i.e. Qtractor) my played notes appear in the "piano roll".

The Midi track that I just recorded has only note information (no info about the Minimoog or any VST). That is: I can use it to play any instrument. It doesn't have to be the Minimoog. As a matter of fact I didn't even have to use a Midikeyboard to make a Midi track. I could have used the 'piano roll' and the mouse to input notes.

There are a lot of ways to "do Midi" and to connect a Midi keyboard to a VST. But this is the way I do it. You use Ardour so i'll be different, but I think the principle will be the same.
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