MUS 14A/714A • Department of Music • Fall 2019

Introduction to Music Technology

LIU Post • Long Island University

Making Your MIDI Sequences Breathe

One way to make your MIDI sequences more realistic is to try to make them "breathe." By shaping your lines into phrases and adding pauses (breaths) you can achieve a more musical performance - especially if you don't record in real-time.

Sounds

No breath, constant tempo - Hmm, 37 sec. on one breath?

 

No breath with fermatas - 45 sec. Circular breathing?

 

Breath/Phrasing added. More musical? Realistic? Should the "breath" be a bit longer?

 

Breath, fermatas, with reverb. A more realistic sound?

Graphics

Piano Roll View for first two excerpts - no breath/phrasing.

 

Piano Roll View for last two excerpts - breaths/phrasing added.

By the way, you've probably noticed that the trumpet sample used in these examples has a "warbly" vibrato. Does this vibrato make the sound more or less realistic to your ears?