DAW Principles
This section is a great way to introduce yourself to the world of making music in computers. We cover everything from how the computer turns bits and bytes into sound, different track types (audio and MIDI) and look at some of the routing techniques used by everybody making music in computers.
Take a look at the sections of this part:
Sequencer Types
To start with we look at how computer music sequencing has developed over the years to understand how we’ve got where we are.
Sample rate / buffer sizes
As nerdy and boring as this sounds, there will be a point in your development when you want or need to understand how sample rates and buffer sizes affect your production process.
Channel Strips
All DAWs have channel strips where you insert your drum machines or effects. There are some principles here like pre/post fx routing which can be very useful.
Plugin Types
Plugins can both MAKE sound and CHANGE or ADD TO the sound. Here we take a look at the different types of plugins, how they make or change the sound and the different ways we can send signals to the plugins, and why we might need to.
Routing Fundmentals
Understanding routing in DAWs is a funny, abstract thing and it isn’t always easy to visualise what is needed, or even why. Here we look at some of the standard routings and touch on the more complex designs which will become part of your normal approach.
Automation
Automation is the most powerful tool within the DAWs abilities. Let’s dive into when you might need to use it, why, and why you didn’t realise the power of it until now.
Gain Staging
Some might say that in the world of digital music production you won’t need to understand this. However, if you use analog emulation effects, I guarantee this knowledge will prevent you from misusing your valuable plugins.