Making Music
  Computer Music Software and Hardware

Step 3

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Add a pad using strings or some suitably synthy, sustaining sound. Use MIDI for this. Again, record once, copy many times. You should be getting the hang of this by now.

Two more things to add which we can do with MIDI. There's a cute vibes arpeggio at the end of each verse and a sexy brass stab in the middle of the chorus.

Time to add the vocals so give the singer a bottle of lubricant - 3-in-1 is not recommended. Tell everyone else to shut up or send them to the pub, and prepare for a long session.

You'll get better spontaneity if you can record the vocals in one go from start to end. This rarely happens so settle for recording in sections, the verse and the chorus. It will help to record the final chorus sections in one go but again, hey that's what computers are for - stitching together the poor performances of so-so singers.

Step 4

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The next stage is to mix and balance the parts. Like most sequencers, Cubase has built-in digital audio effects so add some reverb to the vocals so they don't sound as if they were recorded in a broom cupboard - even if they were. If the vocals are thin, add some chorus - but don't tell the vocalist. You'll also want to add a smattering of compression to the guitar to even out the volume.

While doing all this, you need to mix and balance the sounds and Cubase has a mixer for the purpose. It's actually an audio mixer so it only mixes the audio tracks but the MIDI parts are easy to balance from the main screen. You then record the MIDI parts into spare audio tracks, one at a time please, and save everything to a stereo audio file ready for burning to CD.

And may the Lord have mercy on the charts!

Click below for 12 Top Mixing Tips...

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