Home studio songwriting and MIDI considerations

[leegolding]

Hi there :-)

I've posted this one here as I feel its more MIDI relevant.

I will be using the following equipment to record my own songs:

• Cubase SX3
• EMU 0404 USB soundcard (http://www.emu.com/products/product....&product=15185)
• Shure SM58A Beta microphone
• Windows XP PC with 1GB memory and Athlon XP2000 processor.
• M-Audio Keystation 61es (http://www.maudio.co.uk/products/en_...61es-main.html)
• Sustain pedal

I used to have a music creator keyboard, cubase 5 and several soundfonts. I recorded each instrument on its own MIDI track in Cubase by playing it on the keyboard. I assigned a soundfont to each midi channel in question. But I was limited in how to apply reverb to different channels, etc.

I would greatly appreciate if someone could answer these questions:

1) Is this setup suitable for home recording as a singer and song writer. To quickly produce rough songs. And eventually produce good quality mastered recordings when I come up with something good?

2) Do I need a midi keyboard or a midi controller keyboard? I do want one with semi-weighted keys.

3) What instrument types can I use when recording midi? I am familiar with soundfonts, but I am aware that I could use VST plug-ins such as Native Instruments products, Steinberg Grand Piano, EM-U ProteusX2, etc. Would all these be possible to use in Cubase?

4) How can I apply different levels of reverb to each MIDI channel?

5) Any other considerations I need to make?

Thanks for any help and let me know if this is in the wrong section or needs splitting into separate questions.

Lee.

[brandondrury]

1) Is this setup suitable for home recording as a singer and song writer. To quickly produce rough songs. And eventually produce good quality mastered recordings when I come up with something good?

Everything in your list looks pretty good. The computer is the only questionable part. I still use an XP 2000 in both of my work computers (and they do great). If you are pushing the computer hard with VSTi's and such, it will run out of CPU power fairly quickly. However, as long as you keep your products fairly simple or freeze your tracks frequently, you should be fine.

The rest of the rig looks great.

2) Do I need a midi keyboard or a midi controller keyboard? I do want one with semi-weighted keys.

I use an old keyboard. It does fine for me. I don't have a lot of control over parameters in the VSTi, like some midi controllers have, however. I think the biggest benefit with a dedicated midi controller is simply that it doesn't have any sounds in it. They can put the $$$ towards the controller and towards stuff (like synth sounds) that you won't be using anyway.

3) What instrument types can I use when recording midi? I am familiar with soundfonts, but I am aware that I could use VST plug-ins such as Native Instruments products, Steinberg Grand Piano, EM-U ProteusX2, etc. Would all these be possible to use in Cubase?

Yes, I'm pretty sure that all of that is possible. I have the Native Instruments Komplete package which includes organs, multiple synths, Battery (drum sampler), and Kontakt (mega sampler of just about any instrument you can think of).

I wouldn't be suprised if you could buy a sample cd of cows mooing for Cubase. Any instrument you can think of has probably already available for sampling.

4) How can I apply different levels of reverb to each MIDI channel?

Well, you don't apply reverb to a midi channel. You apply it to the return of the midi instrument. So, in the old days (with hardware synths), you would send midi out of your sequencer and into your synth. The synth would send an audio signal out to the mixing console. From there, you added effects just like you would with a vocal.

You need to find the midi instrument returns in Cubase. They are a tan color. These returns can be processed just like any other track. Hit the E button and add inserts and aux sends as you please.

5) Any other considerations I need to make?

You have a good rig and have asked some very good questions. I think you'll be fine. Don't hesitate to ask more questions.

Thanks for any help and let me know if this is in the wrong section or needs splitting into separate questions.

Nope, this is the perfect section for such questions. All of your questions were on the same topic, so I have no problem at all with you asking multiple questions. If you want to know about microphones or something totally unrelated, I would start a new thread.

Brandon

[leegolding]

Thanks for the brilliant info :-D

Lee.