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C E C Middle College
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MIDI Tutorial

Through this tutorial you will gain many of the skills needed to operate Performer successfully.

Local Off – Whenever you use the sequencer, begin by turning Local Control OFF on the XP-30 synthesizer. Turn Local Control OFF by pressing SYSTEM and then 4. Use the left and right (arrow) buttons to position the cursor under LOCAL. Press DEC to turn Local OFF. If it’s already OFF just leave it.

Set XP-30 to B-24 – Performance B-24 is a good starting point for sequencing with the XP-30. PRESS PERFORM under the MODE heading to set the XP-30 to Performance B-24. Then dial the control knob until the readout says PERFORM PR-B: 24.

Create and name a new sequence - To begin, open your file. Under the TEMPO SLIDER near the top left of the TRACKS window, pull down the SEQUENCE menu and choose NEW SEQUENCE. From the same menu, take RENAME SEQUENCE. Rename your sequence Billie Jean. Press RETURN. Do this step any time you want to start a new sequence.

Turn on COUNTOFF and MEMORY REWIND - Beneath the TRANSPORT CONTROLS, CLICK on the first button to turn on MEMORY REWIND. This will bring you back to the beginning any time you press STOP. CLICK the seventh button (2 BARS) to give yourself a two-measure countoff.

Set tempo – Above the TEMPO SLIDER is a numerical readout of the tempo in beats per minute (BPM). DOUBLE CLICK to select the readout and enter 110. Turn on the click track by clicking the METRONOME icon under the TEMPO SLIDER.

Select Drum Set – From the DEFAULT PATCH column in the TRACKS WINDOW opposite Track 10, SELECT 001 Preset A: Pop Drumset 1 from the Rhythm Kits list. SAVE your work. Check with Mr. Hall or Mr. Jolly before continuing.

Recording – There are two ways to record in Performer, real time and step time. We will try both during this beat. First, we will record the bass and snare drums. In the TRACKS window move the RED ARROW down to TRACK 10. The red arrow tells which track is to be recorded. You should hear drum sounds in your headphones when you play. Locate the two lowest white keys (furthest to the left). The lowest, (C), plays the bass drum. The next, (D), plays the snare drum. Try alternating back and forth starting on C. This is the bass and snare pattern on the Billie Jean Beat. To record the track, press the RECORD button (red arrow with a line underneath) in the TRANSPORT CONTROLS. The click will begin and after eight beats, Performer will begin recording. Starting with the ninth beat, play the bass and snare starting on C, back and forth, one note to each beat, four times. Press STOP in the TRANSPORT CONTROLS. This will take you to 1/1/000 in the counter. Press PLAY to review your track. If it is wildly out of time, record again until it is pretty close. This may take a few tries.

Quantization – Quantization brings the track into perfect rhythm by slightly changing the times notes are played. Put the start point of your track into the counter by PRESSING the DOT (decimal Point) key. Then PRESS the number of the starting measure to be quantized, in this case, 1. Click START in the TRACKS WINDOW (just below the Billie Jean sequence name). This loads the counter number into the START field. PRESS DOT 3 and CLICK END in the TRACKS WINDOW. This loads the end point of the part to be quantized. CLICK on TRACK–10 in the TRACKS WINDOW to select the track to be quantized. From the REGION menu, select QUANTIZE. In the Quantize window, SELECT the Quarter note level (note filled in with a stem but no flag). CLICK APPLY. When you play the track, it should be exactly in time with the beat. If not, ask for help now.

Looping – Set a Loop by setting the beginning and ending points just as in Quantization. SELECT TRACK-10 and press the LOOP icon (under the COUNTER, furthest to the right). Check to see that the starting and ending numbers match the ones you entered. CLICK INFINITE LOOP and CLICK OK. When you play back, the track should play over and over. SAVE your work.

Set other tracks to play drum sounds – In the TRACKS window in the OUTPUT column, go down to XP-30-11. CLICK and HOLD the mouse button and change the pop-up menu to XP-30-10. Do the same thing on XP-30-12. These tracks have now been rerouted to play the drum patch on Channel 10.

Record the Hi-hat – To record the hi-hat, use Step Record. Click STOP to position yourself at the beginning of the track. Move the recording arrow to TRACK-11. Under the BASICS menu choose STEP RECORD. Don’t play yet. Anything you play will now be recorded. SELECT the EIGHTH NOTE (filled in with one flag) and play the third black key from the left (F#) 16 times. This will enter two measures of closed hi-hat. CLOSE the STEP RECORD window by CLICKING on the INVERTED TRIANGLE in the upper left corner of the window. Step recording will stop. Since you told the computer what value the notes have in the Step Record window, this track doesn’t need to be quantized. Set the loop as for Track 10. Set the Start point at 1/1/000. Set the end point at 3/1/000. Select TRACK-11. PRESS the LOOP icon. Click INFINITE LOOP and OK.

Record Shakers – Now, record the shakers in real time. Move the RED ARROW to Track 12. Click STOP to position yourself at the beginning of the track. Turn on the COUNTOFF br pressing the @ BARS button. Find the next to highest Bb and the third to highest A. Alternate, starting with the Bb, in eighth notes (twice as fast as the beat). Practice a few times before recording by pressing PLAY and playing along with the tracks we’ve already recorded. Then, PRESS RECORD, wait through the countoff and begin playing the shakers. You will alternate eight times (two measures). SELECT TRACK-12. Set the start point to 1/1/000 and the end point to 3/1/000. Quantize to eighth notes. Set the start point to 1/1/000 and the end point to 3/1/000. PRESS the LOOP icon, SELECT INFINITE LOOP and CLICK OK.

Record Bassline – Move the RED ARROW to Track 1. Click STOP to position yourself at the beginning of the track. From the DEFAULT PATCH column in the TRACKS WINDOW, SELECT number 12 in the Preset B list, Homey Bass. Under the BASICS menu, choose STEP RECORD. Don’t play yet. Anything you play will now be recorded. SELECT the EIGHTH NOTE (note filled in with one flag). Play the Billie Jean bassline by positioning your left hand on the first five white keys at the left side of the keyboard. With your thumb as finger #1, play 1421 2454. CLOSE the STEP RECORD window by CLICKING on the INVERTED TRIANGLE in the upper left corner of the window. Step recording will stop. Since you told the computer what value the notes have in the Step Record window, this track doesn’t need to be quantized. Set the start point to 1/1/000 and the end point to 2/1/000. SELECT TRACK-1. PRESS the LOOP icon, SELECT INFINITE LOOP and CLICK OK. Notice you are only looping one measure instead of two, as before.

Record Strings - Move the RECORD ARROW to Track 2. Click STOP to position yourself at the beginning of the track. From the DEFAULT PATCH column in the TRACKS WINDOW, SELECT number 6 in the User list, Vienna Strings. Under the BASICS menu choose STEP RECORD. Don’t play yet. Anything you play will now be recorded. SELECT the EIGHTH NOTE (note filled in with one flag). Play these chords near the middle of the keyboard. First, play, at the same time, Bb, D and G, from the bottom up. CLICK STEP twice. Play, at the same time, C, E, A, from the bottom up. CLICK STEP four times. Play, at the same time, D, F, Bb, from the bottom up. CLICK STEP twice. Play, at the same time, C, E, A, from the bottom up. CLOSE the STEP RECORD window by CLICKING on the INVERTED TRIANGLE in the upper left corner of the window. Step recording will stop. Since you told the computer what value the notes have in the Step Record window, this track doesn’t need to be quantized. Set the start point to 1/1/000 and the end point to 3/1/000. Select Track 1. PRESS the LOOP icon, SELECT INFINITE LOOP and CLICK OK. SAVE your work. Let Mr. Hall or Mr. Jolly know you’re done.