Computer for many of us has become an integral part of life. We can no longer imagine our weekday without games and walks on the global Internet. But this is not all the capabilities of a computer. PC, thanks to the growth of technology, incorporates the properties of many other multimedia devices, in particular, sound synthesizers.
Now imagine that in this relatively small iron box can fit ... a whole orchestra. However, do not pull your system unit out of the socket, and enthusiastically twirl it in search of strings and furs. But what, then, will require that the symphony you just invented come out of the speakers, you ask?
What is DAW and what is it eaten with?
In general, when creating music on a computer, special programs are used, called DAW. DAW is a computer digital studio that has come to replace cumbersome installations. Differently, these programs are called sequencers. The principle of their work is based on the interaction with the computer audio interface and the subsequent generation of a digital signal.
What are plugins and how do they work?
In addition to the sequencers, the musicians use plug-ins (from the English. "Plug-in" - "additional module") - software extensions. And how does the computer reproduces sound, for example, a horn, you ask? According to the type of sound generation of live instruments, the software is divided into two types - these are emulators and sample synthesizers.
Emulators are a type of program that, using complex formulas, replicates the sound of an instrument. Sample synthesizers are synthesizers that, at the heart of their work, use a piece of sound - a sample (from the English "Sample") - recorded from a real live performance.
What to choose: emulator or sample synthesizer?
Immediately it is worth noting that in sample-plugins, the sound is much better than in emulators. Since the instrument, and especially the wind instrument, is a quantity that is difficult to calculate from the side of physics. The main minus of samples is their size. For the benefit of good sound, you sometimes have to sacrifice gigabytes of hard disk memory, because it uses “incompressible” audio formats.
Why does my music sound bad?
So, imagine that you installed a sequencer, bought and installed plugins, and started to create. Quickly accustomed to the editor interface, you wrote a musical part for your first piece and started listening to it. But, oh horror, instead of the full depth and harmony of a symphony, you hear only a collection of faded sounds. What is the matter, you ask? In this case, you should familiarize yourself with such a category of programs as effects.
Effects are programs that allow sound to sound more natural. For example, an effect such as reverb recreates the sound in a larger space, and the echo emulates the “bouncing” of the sound from the surfaces. There are whole procedures for processing sound effects.
How to learn to create, and not get up?
In order to become a true master of orchestral sound, you will need to go a long and difficult way of learning. And if you are patient, diligent and begin to understand at the level of “two plus two is equal to four” such concepts as mixing, panning, mastering, compression - you will be able to fray with a real symphony orchestra.
Let's sum up. In order to use all the features of a PC musically, you will need:
- Computer itself
- DAW host
- Plugin
- Effects
- Patience
- And of course, a musical ear
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