question about remixing....

[Historian]

cuz I have never done one before and Im an amateur musician who cant read music/doesnt know chords or anything you most likely should know and I just taught myself what I know(I have been doing this 2 or 3 years now).Basically one day I just wanted to make music so now I do :Q) best thing in my life! I only use a Yamaha keyboard and Pro Tools for recording what I make on my Yamaha keyboard.

But arghhh off topic so back on topic, how do I do a remix? Do I need to read music in order to do this?I never really thought about remixing before til not to long ago and for some reason I thought video game music and boom I see remixing game music is pretty popular and Im surpised but video game music is awesome so why not right?!

I couldnt tell you any video game song I want to remix cuz I honestly dont know cuz I dont listen to game music on a normal listening like I do with other music but the fact still stands that I have no clue how to remix.So does it matter I dont know what song yet or is it to hard to explain how to remix without me knowing the song I want to work with?

I hope Im not to much of a dingdong:oops: here but hey arent questions how we learn?

[Yoozer]

how do i remix

Remixing is not different from making music.

The only difference is that in this case, you have existing material as opposed to a composition that's entirely your own.

You can use the material as a guideline, you can make something that's reminiscent of the music, you can completely copy the piece but use better instruments; the possibilities are endless.

best thing in my life!

That's great! You might want to take lessons though; after all, it's not like writers throw away all their books when they start their first novel, and a nice bonus is that when you're playing you're no longer guessing what comes next, trying to hit the right chord and having it not work.

I couldnt tell you any video game song I want to remix

Why would you have to?

There's an entire world of music out there. See if you can reinterpret something you like as opposed to something that specifically comes from a videogame.

The trick with a video game remix specifically is that for a certain era in videogames the music had constraints - non-realistic instruments, not a lot of room for a complex arrangement, and not enough polyphony; e.g. a full-sized orchestra can have 100 players. That's at a minimum 100 voices of polyphony.

The NES, compared to that, managed to squeek out a measly 5 voices. So, a challenge for a remixer could be to see if that space could be filled out with more; to replace instruments, to compose additional melody lines while still retaining enough of the original to have people recognize it.

The actual tune for Super Mario Bros 1 last about 40 seconds, then loops. It consists of 2 distinct themes. A regular song lasts 3 minutes; simply copying those 40 seconds 5 times to fill out a song gets boring, so a remixer has to think how to keep it exciting enough.

These questions - how to arrange, how to keep it listenable - are for all songs, not just for remixes, so it's not like you're having to deal with a different kind of problem. Remixing just gives you a leg up because you don't have to compose all of it from nothing; however, the material imposes its own limits since (at least here) it has to stay recognizable enough.

Do you write your own songs? Do you play other songs by yourself?

[Historian]

Do you write your own songs? Do you play other songs by yourself?

I will put it this way if I played someone elses song (Im talking bout notes/chords ect ect) I didnt mean to and never realized it lol I know that sounds dumb.Basically I turn my keyboard on and then make a piece with all of the preset sounds.I never know what Im going to make cuz it all just kinda happens.I dont think I know 100% what you mean by "do you play other songs by yourself?" I have never once played a song that was made/created by someone else if thats what you mean and I only play by myself in my bedroom.

I do plan to take lessons one day but teachers want money and money dont come easy these days :Q( Im sure ya'll know what I mean.Also I never throw anything I have ever made away and I mean I even still have the very first piece I created!

I kinda figured/hoping trying a remix could expand or get me mad enough (cuz I couldnt get it how I want it to sound) to just say darnit Im going to spend that little bit of cash for some lessons HAHA

Im just worried I also dont have the right tools for doing a remix.Im sorry Im not good at explaining myself when Im typing but Im going to try and sorry I dont know how to do the quote thing like you did throughout the post so.......

Yoozer said "Remixing is not different from making music.

The only difference is that in this case, you have existing material as opposed to a composition that's entirely your own.

You can use the material as a guideline, you can make something that's reminiscent of the music, you can completely copy the piece but use better instruments; the possibilities are endless."

So basically I take a song and take the notes and A) make it my own or B)recreate the song with my equipment......right? So do I sample with a sampler if I want to or learn the notes/chords/whatever? hmmm seems hard and this will prove a nice challenge.I guess Im saying I dont know the steps to creatign a remix and I do feel rather dumb here but hey I still consider myself rather new to music making so Im still learning and I rather learn something new more often then I thought.

[Yoozer]

I dont think I know 100% what you mean by "do you play other songs by yourself?" I have never once played a song that was made/created by someone else if thats what you mean and I only play by myself in my bedroom.

That was sort of what I meant - whether you play your own compositions or other people's work. A good percentage of the motivation to pick up the keyboard is to learn how to play other people's songs.

I do plan to take lessons one day

Go read http://www.chordmaps.com/ and see http://www.looknohands.com/chordhouse/piano/

See what you can do just by playing certain chords and playing notes in a scale. You might've been doing this just by yourself all the time; what music theory gives you is a map.

Im just worried I also dont have the right tools for doing a remix.

You've got a keyboard. You've got a computer. You've got ProTools. You're pretty much there.

I dont know how to do the quote thing like you did throughout the post so.......

See http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/misc.php?do=bbcode#quote

So basically I take a song and take the notes and A) make it my own or B)recreate the song with my equipment......right?

Yes, but that's like saying driving a car consists of A) turning the wheel and pushing the accelerator pedal . There's a lot of room in between.

So do I sample with a sampler

You (generally) use a sampler for the sounds your keyboard can't do (or doesn't do right).

I have a Yamaha W5 synthesizer. Back in 1997 when I got it, I wanted to make trance and techno; but the on-board drumkits were fixed. I could not get them to sound like this thing here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHan3Rd3X98

When I got a sampler, I was able to record the sounds of this thing, and use them; so I didn't have to buy that thing, and I could record any drum machine I wanted. Of course, I wouldn't have the option of turning the knobs and changing the sounds, but it's the second-best option.

A sampler does not care what you put into it, so if the piano sound on your Yamaha doesn't sound that good anymore; use a (software) sampler to replace it.

if I want to or learn the notes/chords/whatever?

An mp3 says more than a thousand words, so:

http://theheartcore.com/music/cassius_sound_of_violence_remixes.mp3

See what I'm doing there? I find out the pitch, and then I try which chords work with the melody.

If you want to learn what's being played, it's a matter of listening and trying to play it back. Lots of listening, because you have to find the notes of the melody and the chord progression and even if you could read sheet music, video game music hasn't been transcribed much.

I dont know the steps to creatign a remix

There are no steps . The submission guidelines here can be summarized in the following way:

- be original

- be proficient

The first implies you can't carbon-copy a song or modify only a little bit and call it a day; you have to show that you've put your own effort and thought and creative spin into it.

The second implies that you should know your tools (software, instrument, other hardware etc.) well. You can make the most original melody ever heard, but nobody's going to listen to it if it sounds like ass. Likewise, you can polish an existing MIDI file to utter perfection, but if it's exactly the same arrangement without any input from yourself, it's not going to be an exciting new take.

[Gario]

I do plan to take lessons one day but teachers want money and money dont come easy these days...

I understand how that is... but money shouldn't be a big problem if you want to learn. Yoozer's got the best method around when it comes to learning, and that is by listening to other pieces of music. Do this critically; listen to what the music does and ask yourself what the patterns are and why. This is, in fact, how I started to compose music (except I went the opposite way you did - remixed video game music and then wrote my own stuff).

Also, you can look up information online for some basic music theory which could help you get around the basic terminology that we may be throwing around (key, tonic, chord, scale, etc... look em' up!). These can help your composing dramatically, but it requires you to do some of the footwork!

Oh, and if your getting into remixing in general, video game music isn't the only thing you can remix (Oh! I've committed an OC sin!!). If your more comfortable with heavy metal, remix heavy metal songs. If R&B is your forte, then remix some popular R&B.

And one last note... I'd recommend playing other people's music on your keyboard (listen and then play it, read sheet music, whatever). It'll help you make connections that sometimes you cannot make by listening alone.

I wish you the best!

[Historian]

you know you fellows are so AWESOME for taking the time to give me this much info/help/advise!

Now about the money thing I have to put ALOT of things first! Im helping my dad out ALOT which is hurting my money problem but family cames first..........NOT that your point isnt valid and/or 100% correct.But all that crappyness is for another place hehe

For me the motivation to pick up a keyboard was for the love of creating and only lately have I felt its time to push out and try new ways of creating withmy keyboard.Hence me looking up stuff about remixes which lead me here :Q)

The thing I feel about learning is that I have taught myself this and that ect ect but actually learning about/new things I feel will help by taking what I already know and expanding it and using what I learn my way and whatnot.Basically I personally feel music has no limits and now that I have 2 or 3 years in just doing it I feel learning can only expand my musically philosophy.See I personally feel (I personallyfeel alot dont I lol) music of any style should be accessible to anyone who wants to pick up an instrument and play and that has lead to where Im at now.I also have two guitars/bongos/some shaker thingys and a few different kinds of flutes

which I work with just cant record what I do on them (I dont have a mic and if I did I wouldnt know where to plug it or even if I have what I need).I can only record these on my cell phone cuz of the mic problem lol.Get this though I found an MC-808 SamplingGrooveBox.The MC-808 was at a yardsell and is basically new I couldnt believe it! O yes I go to thrift stores/yardsells and buy any instrument I can find (if its a great price) But I havent done that sense the begining of 08 cuz I have been taking care of my dad.

Anyways Im totally checking out these http://www.chordmaps.com/ and http://www.looknohands.com/chordhouse/piano/ and Yoozer YOUR GREAT! I mean all this info you have put in your replys seem to be so helpful! Also is that you singing on that mp3? if so nice voice pal and thank you for posting it as I see what your doing here! Anyway I could get the original song so I can kinda you know campare or is that something you just made up for me? I know I may seem like a dingdong about this but I learn different cuz I have some learning disabilities which make this learning very hard for me and I basically learn by doing or having someone sit with me and lets me do it then shows me or explains (Hopefully you get the point).BUT I SHALL NEVER LET MY LEARNING DISABILITIES STOP ME FROM MY MUSIC MAKING JOY!!!!!!!! Also Yoozer the www.looknohands.com site is perfect for the way I learn cuz I get to hear it with a visual also PERFECTION!

Also Gario thank you aswell buddy :Q) your also very kind to take the time!Ok so any more questions or whatever can I ask ya'll? I just hate that Im bugging peopel cuz I dont want to be a pain in the butt you know.

[Yoozer]

Also is that you singing on that mp3?

Haha, no. I wish .

Anyway I could get the original song so I can kinda you know campare or is that something you just made up for me?

[Historian]

ahhh thats a pretty cool video to go with the music!Thanks for popping the link in here for me :Q)

[ke200]

I'm pretty amateur by the standards of the people here, but I've made some decent sounding tunes in Cubase and know at least the basics of composing. The first thing would be to get a sequencer and some good instruments (I'd suggest Sampletank). I did music at GCSE and got a decent grade in it, but to be honest, I've forgotten most of the theory. All I do is think if I want a piece to sound major, minor or anticipating (I think it's called a seventh chord but don't quote me on that) for an end of a phrase and then plot the chord. Just plot three or four notes in, if it sounds wrong, shift a couple of notes until is sounds like what you have in your head. Then, figure out the notes that work with that chord (they'll clash quite clearly if you have a good ear for sound) and make a tune around it.

Another method of getting chords right, if you have a midi keyboard, is to start on the first note and then build up from there, going one note at a time while holding the previous note down still.

Again, this is pretty basic, but if you've never composed before, it's a good way I've found to make something decent even with little experience. Then, once you've gotten used to composing, come back for more advice (as I'm doing) and then take your mixing to the next step. The first step is imagining how something sounds and plotting it bar by bar, if you're like me and can barely play. If you can, then just learn the chords and base your song around those instead. Good luck!

[Brian]

Go with whatever genre that suits you best. Orchestral and EDM (Trance) for me. Listen to other's work for inspiration. Let your brain, thoughts, ideas do the remixing so you get an idea of how you want your remix to sound. That's what remixing is all about.

Transcribe the song first. When remixing from a source, the melody (or as long as it resembles the original source) is very important followed by chord progression (you can always modify it to your liking). This part requires ear training, but there are helpful sites that offer this. For me, I've been arranging for 3 years so I can tell some chord relationships. Understanding chord progressions will allow you to use more than 1 source and be able to overlap them, or modify them. In trance music, the Pads, Arps, and Gats heavily relies on chords so chord progression comes in handy. Humans can perceive chord relationships subconsciously believe it or not so that's where I got my ear training.

The rest is technical such as how to use DAW, what sort of equipment you need, what soundfonts, samples, vst's are best, etc. It also involves money. I don't have much advice here since I'm new to the scene as well. Hence why this forum exists.