MUSC 108. Introduction to Music Technology - Fall 2013

[Syllabus] [Overview]

15Lab2 - ValseTriste

Valse Triste is a composition by Jean Sibelius and will be used as the example MIDI file in most of the remaining labs.

Setup

Download Lab15FIles.zip. Unzip the files and copy the Lab15Files folder to your Desktop.

Open Logic

Open a new Empty project with a single software instrument.

Choose Open from the File menu in Logic and Open the ValseTriste_Starter.mid file.

Delete Instruments 11-16

They're no longer needed. Select in Inspector panel and type delete.

Check Time Signature and Key Signature

Expand the Global Tracks pane and expand the Signature pane.

The Time Signature should be set to 3/4, the Key Signature should be G, and the Tempo to 120.

Minimize Global Tracks.

Save As

Save as 15VTLab1. Save to the Desktop.

This is a precaution so you don't have to start over.

IMPORTANT: Do not work on projects that are stored on your USB drive or in your network home folder. They are not fast enough to process data reliably. ALWAYS work on Logic projects that are copied to the local computer, either on the Desktop or in your home folder.

Repeat After Me

I will save often. I will save often. I will make backups. I will make backups.

Often is once every 1-2 minutes.

Check the Track End Marker

If the track end marker (box) is out of place, move it.

You can drag the box ...

... or double click and reset it here.

Reassign Instruments

Logic tries to guess what instruments are in the MIDI file by looking for patch changes and instrument names for each track. In this case it did not do a very good job.

The instruments in the score are:

Because this is an orchestral piece we'll use the EXS24 Sampler for all tracks. In your final project, you can assign any software instrument to any track as you did in 14Lab1.

Open the Mixer Panel

Click the Mixer tab near the lower left of the main window.

Then click and hold the PS2 Gerd button at the top of Mixer channel strip 1 and choose the EXS24 Sampler instrument.

Reassign all 10 tracks to the EXS24 instrument.

Assign Track 1 to Flute Solo

Double click the I/O button in the Inspector panel.

When the EXS24 window appears select the 09 Orchestral > 01 Woodwinds > Flute Solo preset.

Close the EXS24 window.

Assign Track 2 to Clarinet Solo

Double click the I/O button in the Inspector panel.

When the EXS24 window appears select the Clarinet Solo preset from 09 Orchestral > 01 Woodwinds.

Keep the EXS24 window open.

Assign Remaining EXS24 Instruments

Use the Show Channel Strip popup menu to select track each of the remaining channel strips.

Make these assignments.

The track names in the Inspector Panel should look like this.

Change the MIDI Track Title

Close the Mixer Window.

Select all green MIDI tracks.

Choose Name Regions by Tracks/Channel Strips from the Region menu.

The instrument names should appear in the track titles.

Change the Track Icons

Cick the samll icon in the Inspector panel and select the Icon that represents the flute.

TODO - fix small icon should be blue

After assigning track Icons.

SMF Cleaning

Select the Flute Track

Open the Event tab in the Lists view.

Click the Additional Info button and then click the Notes button. Unlike most buttons, when Event List buttons are turned on they filter out (turn off) the display of those MIDI events.

Delete the the five control messages.

Do the same for the remaining nine tracks.

Save

Save often, at least once every 1-2 minutes.

Color Tracks

Open the Mixer, select track 1, and choose Colors from the View menu.

Select a track, then click a color.

Do not have to close the color panel.

Type left arrow and choose a color for track 2. Continue for all tracks.

Close the color panel.

Close the Mixer.

Select all 10 MIDI tracks and choose Color Regions by Channel Strips/Instruments from the Region menu.

After.

Save

Save and save often.

Play

Play a portion of the song. Granted, it's not very interesting yet.

Score Preparation

Open ValseTriste.pdf. Arrange your windows so you can see Logic, ValseTriste, and this Web page.

Although not required it is recommended that you create and print out a score for your final project piece. You can open a MIDI file in Sibelius to see the notation. Sibelius can print to a printer or Export to a PDF file. You can always ask me for help if you have questions or problems creating a score.

Measure numbers

The ValseTriste score has measure numbers at the top left of every system.

Rehearsal Letters

The score uses rehearsal letters A - O to mark significant sections in the score. We'll create markers in Logic to make it easy to navigate to any of those sections. Click the Lists icon and choose the Marker tab. In the following steps you'll create create Logic Markers to match up with measure numbers in your score.

Create Markers

Click the create button 16 times to create a 16 markers.

Double click the Marker 2 position line.

Type 9 and press enter.

Markers are sorted by measure number and measure 9 now appears. at the bottom of the list.

Click Marker 2 again and enter the starting measure for each of the remaining markers.

When completed your list will look like this.

Enter Marker Names

Double click Marker Name text and enter the text in the lower third of the window.

Your completed Marker list should look like this.

Instrumentation

Valse Triste uses the following ten instruments.

Music Symbols and Text

There are a number of musical symbols and text elements that indicate how the piece is to be performed. These symbols fall into four broad categories:

• Musical Terms
• Dynamics
• Tempo Markings
• Articulations
• String Bowing

Musical Terms

The following musical terms are used in the score:

The following musical terms are often used as adjectives to modify dynamics and tempo.

Dynamics

The following dynamic markings are used in the score. Dynamics refer to how loud and soft the sound is.

ppp	very very soft
pp	very soft
p	soft
mp	medium soft
mf	medium loud
f	loud
ff	very loud
cresc	getting louder
deciso	decisive, energetic
decresc	getting softer
dim	getting softer
dolce	sweetly
espress.	expressively
risoluto	with resolve, bold
	crescendo, getting louder
	decrescendo, getting softer

Tempo Markings

Articulations

Bowing

The following bowing techniques are used in the score:

Measure	Type	Symbol	Definition
1	con sordini		with mute
9	Slur		smooth, second note softer and slightly shorter
41	Spitze.		point of the bow
56	Loure		multiple notes on one bow with separate pressure on each note, each note has a slight separation
70	legato		smooth
83	pizzicato		plucked, not bowed
87	arco		bowed
89	separate		separate bow strokes each note, still smooth
130	marcato martele		hammer like bowing, bow stopped abruptly at end of stroke

Score Map

You should create an Excel spreadsheet of indicating the tempo, dynamics, instruments, and articulations used in the score. Here's an Excel spreadsheet for Valse Triste. The chart only shows the strings. The winds and brass expression marking are easy to see in the score.

Valse Triste.xls

We'll add these articulations and dynamics in future labs.

Save

TODO - save for next lab?

[Syllabus] [Overview]