Posted
Hi guys, I recently had an incident where I lost all my project data and am in the process of getting back to a working enviriment.
I did have a library of phrases before, but now I am starting from scratch, I would like to know tha best and most efficiant way of getting my phrase library started again.
I have 100's of midi files available to use from many different genres.
So if anyone can give me tips and suggestions as to how to organise and get the most out of creating my new personal library, I would be very greatful.
Thankd for you help and replies.
Thu, 2015-08-13 - 23:25 Permalink
a lot depends on how much effort you want to put into the libraries.
You can just import the midi files you have directly into libraries but from my experience this doesnt produce the best most usable libraries.
A lot of midi libraries you can buy are organised around 'construction kits', ive found it best to merge all the files from one kit together with each 'part' on a different channel. That way synfire has a better chance of making musical sense of the import than if you import say just a bass line, then import the pad line, etc.
Even better is to import the merged file into synfire rather than the library then select the bits/snipits/figures that sound and look useful and only drag those bits to the library rather than let synfire split the file up into figures. Doing this manually results in a much smaller library of small useful parts that respond well to new chord progressions than a library of 4, 8 or 16 bar sequences. However this does take the most time.
Using the last method you can organise things by having a library per genre but each library has a bass, pad, drums, lead, etc folder rather than a folder per 'kit', this then speeds up finding the right figure when working on a new tune.
All of the above is just my personal opinion and workflow, others probably have different ideas that might suit you better, also I often skip the last part if Im eager to just use some nice midi Ive found...
Fri, 2015-08-14 - 13:17 Permalink
Thanks blacksun, that is the info I was after.
The way I was doing it before was just opening up random midi files and grabing various 4 bar snippits and placing them in my library window into folders for each instrument. EG. bass, guitar, accoustic nylon. After I while things got very confusing, and as you say when I tried out different chord progression using this method the results were far from nice.
Do you have any places links where you suggest that I can purchase some good useful midi libraries/construction kits please?
Thank you.
PS.
I do want to spend some time with getting my libraries up and running. I have a 3 week holiday from work,
so might as well spend it doing someting constuctive that will benifit me workflow with Synfire Pro.
Fri, 2015-08-14 - 17:11 Permalink
Hi blacksun, I am starting to get my library going now.
I don't have any construction kits yet, so I am just importing my midi file staight into the SF arrange page and selecting various snippets from each instrument and copying them in the corresponding instrument folder (starting with my chanson collection). Is this correct so far?
Grabbing chunks usually 2 bars no more than 4.
Fri, 2015-08-14 - 19:16 Permalink
That way sounds like it is working.
There is another way, where you copy a whole sequence from synfire into the library. then doubt click on it (think its the master take or something), go through that and mark out part you like and do a cmd/control E which will put just that figure into the library..
Think this is the way shown in this old video, synfire is different now, but you should get the idea
(https://users.cognitone.com/content/import-reuse-phrases-new-composition)
Importing complete songs and using those as a basis to harvest small snippits is a great way of working. The multi track file contains lots of information that helps synfire work out the progressions etc. If you use a midi construction kit, each file contains just one track so synfire has little to work on.
I stil lhave to go through all my libraries and move the data around as Ive got lots where the folder is just the midi taken from one song. My work flow i use now suits folders of say bass, pads, etc... a bit like the example libraries included with synfire. Once you trust synfire and start reusing short snippets, they bear little relation to the tune they came from so organising based on tunes is a waste of time. IMO
Fri, 2015-08-14 - 20:33 Permalink
Since we have an embedded library, you can import a complete song and then harvest all snippets you like by selecting a span and then CTRL-E (Command E). This adds snippets to the embedded lib.
After the song is done, you can drag & drop the embedded lib folders to a standalone library window and sort them there.