Virtual instrument sequencing is one of the fastest-growing trends among indie music makers. This is due to computing power becoming better and more affordable, and the quality of virtual instruments having become quite impressive.
Typically played through a MIDI controller, sequencing records your notes as MIDI data rather than audio. The data is typically presented in a piano roll window, which graphs the y-axis as pitch and the x-axis as time. That data is then used to playback your performance on a loaded virtual instrument, sometimes called a patch. While most DAWs offer some sequencing function, producers who use it often tend to prefer Cubase, Logic or Digital Performer.
For them it’s an easy way to add textures and cut down cost and production time. And for that reason, we wanted to do a brief intro into the basic benefits of sequencing.
Quantization
One of the greatest features of sequencing is the ability to quantize the notes played. What quantizing does is sync the notes up to a rhythmic grid. You can choose the division of the beat from a whole to (most times) a 32nd note. Often you can also choose to add “swing” to the quantization to add a bit of nuance and imperfection, making the playback sound more natural.
Quantization is great for laying down drum tracks, allowing you to fix any off rhythm beats in your performance and produce a track that sounds tight and in time.
Pitch Correction
Pitch correction does exactly what it says, corrects any wrong notes that were played. Most DAWs make fixing a wrong note insanely easy. The benefits of this feature are straighforward, as you don’t have to scrap an entire performance just because you missed one note. Talk about a time saver!
Arpeggiation
A newer feature in many DAWs is arpeggiation, which allows you to build complex patterns of notes from chords. You can often choose to have the notes ascend, descend, go up and then down, randomize or follow a predetermined pattern. Loading up different patches and playing with the arpeggiator is a great way to experiment with new ideas when you’ve hit a roadblock.
These are just some of the basic features that MIDI sequencing offers. From doing a quick scratch demo to composing a full band, the benefits of sequencing make producing music fast, easier and pretty fun. It’s also a great way to save some money when you can't afford to hire a professional musician.
Make Pro Songs
There are 8 unique value-points inside the Sage Audio membership, so let’s go over each one so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.
1. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
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- You’ll get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
2. 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio 1:1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us to answer all your questions and receive unlimited advanced mixing feedback directly from us.
- Unlimited direct access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve your mixes and masters.
- Unlimited advanced mixing feedback with detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Fast communication to answer all your questions and get tailored guidance that’s specific to your needs.
3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited mixing feedback so you can improve your mixes quickly.
- This is highly valuable - giving you access to a thriving community of mixing engineers who can provide feedback about what you can improve before sending your mix to be professionally mastered.
4. Sage Audio University™ (SAU) — (Mixing and Mastering Education Platform)
- SAU is a modern audio engineering education platform that includes in-depth mixing and mastering course curriculums that match the new music industry.
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5. Mixing and Mastering Competitions
- Compete in Mixing Competitions and Mastering Competitions to win prizes and connect with friends and colleagues.
- This is a great collaborative way to improve your skills alongside both aspiring engineers and seasoned industry professionals.
6. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
7. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content, Including:
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
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- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 58 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
8. 700+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into playlists so you can take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your mixing and mastering skills at your own pace.
