Hi everyone,
I recorded the drums (Channel 10) from my Tyros 5 into Cubase Artist 8. I used the Dissolve function to separate all the different drum instruments.They are displayed in the Mix Console as separate channels strips. I would like to use the faders and center pan functions to change the drum mix. When I move either one of these controls, it affects the entire kit. I’m aware of the differences and implications of messing around with faders versus note velocities. Here are my questions:
1 - I’m assuming I can’t make changes to the drum kit as I describe here because they are all dissolved to Channel 10. I must therefore, convert all tracks to audio, where I can mess with pan and volumes to my heart’s content?
2 - How do you reverse the Dissolve function? In other words, how can I put all those tracks back into a single MIDI track? I assume I may not need to because I can do all changes after they are converted to audio tracks as described in question 1.
Lee,
I am assuming that you have dissolved the MIDI into separate MIDI tracks by kit piece. Then, you are sending all the MIDI to the instrument (HALion Sonic SE?) on channel ten to the SAME PROGRAM. The problem here is that the instrument actually doesn’t really even know or care that the MIDI is coming from separate tracks so if ANY of the MIDI tracks adjusts the MIDI PAN or FADER, it is affecting the entire channel.
If you really want to separate the kit pieces, you need to load the drum kit in multiple program slots in the instrument, set them each to a different MIDI channel and then route each of those MIDI tracks to an independent channel and program. Furthermore, you can then set each of those programs to independent audio channel outputs. Now each kit piece has its own MIDI track, its own program slot in the instrument and its own audio channel in the mixer.
There is also some limited amount you can achieve with Note Expression. Note Expression, if supported by the instrument (and the program) allows you to assign certain MIDI parameters to INDIVIDUAL MIDI notes rather than just on an entire MIDI channel.
Channel 10 is triggering the drum kit in my Tyros 5. I think I have found my work-around, and it is based on your kind explanation. There is enough MIDI flexibility in each dissolved track to edit what I need. The 12 drum tracks are converted to audio tracks, and then effects, balance, and volume are applied. This technique mimics what the recording engineer did during a session I played about 4 years ago. He placed nine condenser mics on the kit and recorded it as 9 separate audio tracks. He was then able to do what I’m doing in the post-recording (editing) phase.
The songs I’m recording consist of about 24 tracks (give or take). So far, I’m soloing each track and recording them to an audio track. First, I make any MIDI edits, delete the Volume controller change in the List Editor, increase the volume on the mixer fader so I have a decent input level, and then trigger the track recording. It’s a bit time consuming doing each track like that but it works. Perhaps there’s a faster way to record all 24 tracks at once. I have yet to learn how that’s done.
.