Music Creation Software
Well, Glenn and I knew the day was coming. You see, we, along with just about every other musician have been using 'samples', or 'loops' for years. And we've been using some programs that allow us to integrate the loops easily as well.
As most musicians and most sound engineers are aware, a large
percentage of
popular music is repetitive and because of this, loop-based composition
software is a very viable method for creating video soundtracks.
The last few years have seen the emergence of some new software aimed at editors and producers to do away with the likes of us! They allow you to create a piece of music that will follow the emotion and pace of your video.
So what is available and how do they work?
There are many manufacturers making software along this line. Many are also aligned with an editing system, such as Soundtrack Pro/Garageband and Final Cut Pro. This allows you to easily switch between the programs and import/export etc. Adobe have a new one called 'Soundbooth". Sony have one called "Cinescore". There are others that are aimed toward muso's but may still fill your needs (all be it with a steeper learning curve), such as "Ableton Live" and "Acid".
You can even create something simple in your editing software. Just search the web for free loops. It won't take you long to find a drum, bass and guitar loops that fit
Most
of these systems are like a low grade version of Pro-Tools with the
music creation part strapped on the side. In that I mean they have basic
facilities for editing and mixing audio. Much like in your editing
software. I know you're saying they're good, but they aren't as flexible
and often don't have the high quality processors that we can access.
You'd buy these programs for the music creation.
The first thing to do is import your video. Just like your editing software you work on a timeline. You then select the style of music you need. These programs use a large library of music in various mixes to achieve the final result. They call them 'variations'. For instance a certain piece may have a few different tempos, small arrangement, medium arrangement and full arrangements. They can offer different instrument doing the melody. They may also offer certain instruments doing 'hits' so you can accentuate an image.
When you've chosen you style, you then enter the 'hitpoints' along your timeline. These are the places you want the music to change. You can change the arrangement or tempo or even key. Be warned that the tempo changes are limited. There is only a small amount of change before artifacts are introduced and your music starts to sound horrible.
You can use these hitpoints to mix between arrangements or even different pieces. It's up to you. Depending on the library that comes with the software, you can have a lot of choices making the music very flexible. Mind you, the companies are releasing new libraries for their software as they become more popular.
Some of these applications also allow you to record an instrument along side the track. You can do this as audio or as MIDI. At least then you can give it your personal touch!
Once your track is designed, you mix it. Again, this varies depending on the software. Some offer more control than others. They all offer effects such as reverb and delays. These will allow you to put your own stamp on the music.
The music is license free. There are no fees to pay and I guess if you create the track, then you can call it your own and register it with APRA to collect a royalty. Why not?
The quality of the libraries varies as much as standard production music libraries. From what I've listened to and read, the consensus is that these tools are useful for certain productions, where music is not the major factor. How you read into that depends on your view of music's purpose within a production.
There's no doubt that some of the music made with this type of software is really good. And I've read that in the hands of a musician, the results are really very, very good. With the dollar being an over-riding factor in some productions these days, it may well be worth taking a look at this type of software. BUT! Remember that you can spend a lot of time making a music track. How much is your time worth? And if you have serious music to do, or you want your client or viewer to really connect with your production, leave it to the professionals. You'll hear the difference.