AUDIO vs MIDI - What's the difference??

Summary

In this video, Douglas explores the distinctions between audio and MIDI in music production. He uses a sample song in Traction software to visually demonstrate the differences, highlighting audio's fixed waveforms and MIDI's editable note data. Douglas discusses the pros and cons of each, showing how to convert MIDI to audio and emphasizing the importance of personal preference in choosing between the two. The video aims to clarify the often confusing concepts, making music production more accessible.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The video aims to clarify the differences between audio and MIDI in music production.
• 🎧 Audio tracks represent the actual sound of an instrument, whether acoustic or electric, and are displayed as waveforms in recording software.
• 🎹 MIDI tracks capture the data behind the notes played and require a playback device to produce sound, such as a virtual instrument or a keyboard.
• 🔍 Editing individual notes in audio tracks is challenging without additional software, whereas MIDI tracks allow for easy editing of notes post-recording.
• 🔁 The term 'punch in punch out' refers to re-recording specific sections of a track to correct errors, which is easier to do in real-time rather than editing waveforms after recording.
• 📀 Audio tracks can be exported directly to formats like WAV or MP3 for playback on various devices, as they are already in a playable form.
• 🛠️ Converting a MIDI track to an audio track involves using a virtual instrument or recording the MIDI data through an external device to produce an audible audio file.
• 🎼 The choice between using audio or MIDI tracks depends on the recording instrument's capabilities and the desired flexibility in editing and production.
• 👤 Personal preference plays a role in deciding whether to use audio or MIDI tracks, with some producers favoring the simplicity of audio or the flexibility of MIDI.
• 🔄 The presenter has shifted towards using more MIDI tracks due to the ease of modifying notes and the integration with virtual instruments, which simplify the export process.

Q & A

What is the main difference between audio and MIDI according to Douglas?

The main difference is that audio represents the actual sound of an instrument, while MIDI captures the data behind the notes being played without any audible sound.

What does Douglas use to visually represent audio in his recording software?

Douglas uses waveforms to visually represent audio in his recording software, which show the complexity and volume of the recorded sound.

Why might editing audio tracks be more difficult than editing MIDI tracks?

Editing audio tracks can be more difficult because they capture the sound as a continuous waveform, making it hard to edit individual notes without additional software. MIDI tracks, on the other hand, allow for easy editing of individual notes after recording.

What is the term 'punch in punch out' mentioned by Douglas, and how does it relate to audio recording?

'Punch in punch out' refers to a technique where a recording engineer rerecords only specific portions of a track to correct mistakes, usually done during the recording session rather than trying to edit the waveforms afterward.

How does Douglas demonstrate the flexibility of MIDI tracks in his video?

Douglas demonstrates the flexibility of MIDI tracks by showing how individual notes can be edited, deleted, or moved after recording, which is not as easily done with audio tracks.

What is a virtual instrument, and how does it relate to MIDI tracks?

A virtual instrument is a software synthesizer that can play sounds triggered by MIDI data. It acts as a playback device for MIDI tracks, translating the MIDI data into audible sound.

How can one convert a MIDI track to an audio track for exporting to WAV or MP3 formats?

To convert a MIDI track to an audio track, one can use a virtual instrument plugin or an external playback device like a keyboard, and record the output as an audio track in the recording software.

What is the advantage of using audio tracks over MIDI tracks according to Douglas?

The advantage of using audio tracks is their simplicity and the fact that they can be exported directly to WAV or MP3 formats without needing to convert from MIDI data.

Why might someone prefer to use MIDI tracks over audio tracks during music production?

Some might prefer MIDI tracks for their ability to edit individual notes post-recording and the flexibility they offer in music production, especially when using virtual instruments.

How does Douglas summarize the choice between using audio or MIDI in music production?

Douglas summarizes that the choice between audio and MIDI depends on the specific needs of the recording and personal preference, with each having its own advantages and use cases.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Understanding Audio vs MIDI in Music Production

Douglas introduces the topic of distinguishing between audio and MIDI in music production. He aims to clarify the differences and demonstrate their appropriate uses. Using a sample song in Traction software, he explains that audio tracks display waveforms representing the actual sound of instruments, whether acoustic or electric. Audio tracks are difficult to edit for specific notes without additional software. MIDI tracks, on the other hand, capture note data and require a playback device to produce sound, offering more flexibility in editing notes post-recording. Douglas also discusses the process of converting MIDI tracks to audio for playback on various devices.

05:03

🎹 Editing MIDI and Converting to Audio

In this section, Douglas focuses on the editing capabilities of MIDI tracks, showing how individual notes can be modified after recording. He addresses the common question of converting MIDI tracks to audio files, explaining the use of virtual instruments and the process of recording the MIDI data through an external device to create an audio track. He concludes by discussing the personal preference between using audio or MIDI tracks, influenced by the recording instrument's capabilities and the desired flexibility during production. Douglas emphasizes the importance of understanding both formats and their roles in music production.

Keywords

💡Audio

Audio refers to the actual sound waves that are captured and can be heard by the human ear. In the context of the video, audio tracks are used when recording instruments or vocals that produce sound directly, such as an acoustic guitar or a singer's voice. The video explains that audio tracks represent the sound of the actual instrument being played, and they can be exported directly to formats like WAV or MP3 for playback on various devices. An example from the script is the use of a stereo track where the waveforms correspond to the sounds recorded.

💡MIDI

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a protocol for communication between electronic musical instruments and computers. Unlike audio, MIDI does not represent sound waves but rather the data behind the notes being played. In the video, MIDI tracks are used when recording with instruments capable of producing MIDI data, such as a digital keyboard. The script illustrates how MIDI tracks allow for the editing of individual notes post-recording, providing flexibility in music production.

💡Waveforms

Waveforms are visual representations of sound waves, showing the shape and intensity of the audio over time. The video uses waveforms to demonstrate the complexity and volume of the audio recorded in an audio track. The script mentions that waveforms in a stereo track consist of two separate visual lines, each corresponding to one channel of audio.

💡Punch in/Punch out

Punch in and punch out are techniques used in audio recording to correct mistakes by re-recording only a specific section of a track. The video script describes how an engineer might use this method to fix problem areas in a recording, such as playing back the problematic section and re-recording it while the rest of the track is playing.

💡Virtual Instrument

A virtual instrument is a software-based musical instrument that generates sound using digital signal processing. In the video, a virtual instrument like 'Addictive Keys' is used as a playback device for MIDI tracks, translating the MIDI data into audible sound. The script explains that virtual instruments can be used to convert MIDI tracks into audio tracks for export.

💡Solo

In the context of music production software, 'solo' is a function that allows the user to hear only one track while muting all others. The video script uses the term 'solo' to describe how the presenter isolates a MIDI track to demonstrate its playback without the audio track interfering.

💡Editing MIDI Notes

Editing MIDI notes involves modifying the data that represents the musical notes in a MIDI track. The video emphasizes the advantage of MIDI over audio in this aspect, as it allows for changes to the notes, such as deleting, moving, or adding notes, after the recording is complete. The script provides an example of correcting a mistake in a chord by editing the MIDI track.

💡Exporting

Exporting in music production refers to the process of converting a project's tracks into a final audio file format, such as WAV or MP3. The video script discusses the process of exporting MIDI tracks to audio, either through virtual instruments or by re-recording the MIDI data through an external device.

💡Playback Device

A playback device is any instrument or software that can produce sound from MIDI data. The video script mentions that MIDI tracks require a playback device to produce sound, which can be a virtual instrument plugin or an external MIDI-compatible keyboard.

💡Flexibility

Flexibility in music production refers to the ease with which one can make changes to a recording. The video script highlights the flexibility of MIDI tracks, allowing for the editing of notes and other parameters after recording, which is not as straightforward with audio tracks.

Highlights

Understanding the difference between audio and MIDI can be challenging for beginners in music production.

Audio represents the actual sound of an instrument, whether acoustic or electric, through waveforms.

MIDI tracks capture the data behind the notes being played, not the sound itself.

Editing specific notes in an audio track is difficult without additional software.

MIDI tracks offer the flexibility to edit notes after recording, which is not possible with audio tracks.

A stereo audio track displays two waveforms, representing the left and right channels.

Re-recording sections of audio, known as punch in and punch out, is a common method to correct mistakes.

Audio tracks can be exported directly to WAV or MP3 files for playback on various devices.

MIDI tracks require a playback device, such as a virtual synth or keyboard, to produce sound.

Virtual instruments can be used as a playback device for MIDI tracks, simplifying the export process.

Converting MIDI tracks to audio tracks can be achieved by recording the output from a keyboard or virtual instrument.

The choice between using audio or MIDI tracks depends on the recording instrument and desired editing flexibility.

Vocals and non-MIDI instruments are typically recorded as audio tracks due to the lack of MIDI capabilities.

MIDI tracks are beneficial for instruments capable of producing MIDI data, offering post-recording note editing.

The presenter has shifted towards using more MIDI tracks for the flexibility they provide in music production.

Audio is the actual sound heard, while MIDI is the data behind the notes that make up the sound.

Transcripts

hey guys thanks for joining me my name

is Douglas and I remember back years ago

when I was first getting into music and

trying to understand the difference

between audio and MIDI really took me

some time to understand my goal with

this video is to show you the simple

differences between audio and MIDI as

well as different cases demonstrating

when each is best used during music

production but watching this video I

hope that you understand better what the

differences are when to use each of them

and then the pros and cons of each so

that I have pulled up here a sample song

that I put together for this video that

should help demonstrate visually the

differences between audio and MIDI as

you can see I'm using traction is my

recording software and in this song I

have two tracks the first track you see

here is an audio track you can see here

what are called waveforms that give you

a visual representation of the sounds

that are in this audio file instead of

individual notes being captured

separately audio recordings represent

the sound the actual instrument is

making whether it's acoustic or electric

and if I double click this track it'll

expand out the waveform so you can see

in greater detail the complexity and

volume of the audio that was recorded

this is a stereo track so you see two

waveforms here and when I hit play you

can watch as the sounds corresponds with

the waveforms that are so discreet

although there is software out there

that enables you to modify the notes

that are being played in the waveform

there's really no easy way to edit the

specific notes you hear without extra

software for example in this section

here I play a few wrong notes because

the notes are captured into this single

waveform I can't easily edit those bad

notes out my best and easiest option is

really to re-record this section of

audio or this audio file to fix those

problems notes if you've ever been in a

recording session you may have heard the

term punch in punch out this is where

the engineer will only rerecord portions

of the track to correct the problem

areas of our problem area is rating this

here he may punch in and out right here

and rerecord those problem areas usually

this occurs on the fly as the recording

is being done it's trying to correct the

waveforms after the fact it's much more

difficult than doing it while you have

whether it's the vocalist or the

instrumentalists in their recording it's

easier to do it right then one advantage

with audio tracks is if they're already

in the perfect form to export to WAV or

mp3 files for playback on virtually any

device because both are in fact the same

thing audio what you're seeing here is

actually a WAV audio file and I'm just

seeing a visual representation of that

let's collapse this track here the

second track you see here is a MIDI

track as you can see the visual

representation is quite different from

the audio track although it's hard to

see while the track is collapsed when I

expand the track by double-clicking it

you can see that all the individual

notes are captured and shown here when

recording a MIDI track the only thing

you're actually recording is the data

behind the notes that are being played

and the controls that are being

triggered such as a damper pedal or a

pitch wheel MIDI is often used when

playing a keyboard or controller type

interface that has the ability to

transfer its notes digitally either by a

MIDI cable or us

the cable to your recording station when

recording a MIDI track because only the

data is captured the mini track requires

a playback device in order to hear any

actual sound this can be a virtual synth

like I have here this is addictive keys

piano plug-in and I'm using that as my

playback device for this mini track I

could also send it back to the keyboard

that I recorded it with so if I have a

keyboard plugged into my computer and I

used that maybe I didn't even use it to

record this but when I play this back if

I send it back to the right MIDI channel

on the keyboard whatever sound I have

called up on the keyboard will play

these notes that are being played on the

computer in any case with this track

here I have it traveling through this

virtual instrument which acts as the

playback device translating the data you

see here all of these individual notes

into actual sounds that we can hear

so let's solo this track because I don't

want to hear the audio track right now

so I click solo and we'll play this

track one benefit to recording in a MIDI

is the ability to edit the notes after

the recording process has been completed

for example in the section here where I

had the mistake chord that I was playing

you can see right down here is my

mistake note so the difference here is I

can actually go in compared to the audio

if I can go in in I can take this and I

can actually delete I could also move

them around I could add in notes as you

can see here I could draw in a note and

place that wherever I want in here

change the length of it depending on

your recording software you'll have

different controls to modify the MIDI

but this will give you the gist of it as

you can hear now when I play this back

the problem notes that we heard before

are gone

this took minimal effort on my part as

an engineer and provides me with a

little bit more flexibility than with an

audio track one question that I come

across a lot is after the MIDI notes

have been recorded how do I convert this

track to an audio track to export to WAV

or mp3 if I don't have a playback device

here if I delete this virtual instrument

plug-in and I try to export this to an

audio file it's going to say that it

doesn't have any audio because all we

have here is the data the easiest option

of course is to use virtual instruments

you're using a virtual instrument

plug-in the plugin acts as the audio

playback device and when you export the

track it should automatically route the

MIDI through the plug-in to produce an

export that's an auditable audio file if

you're not using a virtual instrument

but instead have a playback device such

as a keyboard or something like that

that's external to your computer the

process is a little bit more

time-consuming the best option I've seen

and used is once you have your final

midi track you make sure that the

keyboard is plugged into the computer as

an audio device as well either through

the keyboard if the keyboard has an

audio device built in or through some

other type of audio interface that can

report the sounds on the keyboard you

create an additional audio track in your

recording software and while keeping the

MIDI track active you play back the midi

track to the keyboard and record the

audio track of the keyboard playing so

simultaneously while you're recording

the audio track and playing back the

MIDI track the MIDI is sending the data

to the keyboard playing the sound that

you have called up on the keyboard back

through the audio track and recording

the audio of the keyboard in the end you

end up with two tracks the MIDI track

with the data and the audio track with

the audible results of that data at this

point the MIDI track could be

inactivated as it holds no bearing

against the audio track that you

recorded so then in that audio track

becomes what you would export so that

process is a little bit more complicated

but definitely works to turn this MIDI

into an audio file so which is better

audio or MIDI I mean in my opinion it

depends on what you're recording and

what you want to do with these tracks

throughout the recording production

process if you're recording instruments

that aren't capable of producing MIDI

notes such as vocals you really only

have one option and that's audio if

you're recording an instrument that is

capable of producing MIDI notes maybe a

keyboard or some other MIDI device let's

say it comes down to what you want to do

during the recording process if you want

the ability to edit the individual notes

after the recording is complete and

don't mind the extra process to convert

the MIDI tracks to audio at the end then

MIDI is your best option in either case

there really is a winner or a loser but

it really comes down to your personal

preference

I used to lean more towards recording

audio tracks due to their simplicity but

more recently I've been using more MIDI

tracks due to the flexibility that it

gives me in modifying the individual

notes being played I've also been using

virtual instruments more which only

function off of MIDI tracks and make the

export process no more painful than

export and audio tracks because it

automatically routes this MIDI data

through your virtual instrument if

you're still confused at the difference

between audio and MIDI look at it this

way audio is the actual sound your ears

can hear while MIDI has no audible sound

and instead is the data behind the notes

that are being triggered so it shows all

of the specific notes triggered that

make up the audio file that we hear up

here I hope this explanation has been

helpful to you

and if you have any questions please

comment below and I'll do my best to

answer them as quickly as possible if

you found this video helpful please like

the video and subscribe to my channel

for more videos in the future

thank you and happy recording

[Music]

you