AUDIO vs MIDI - What's the difference??
Summary
TLDRIn 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
🎵 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.
🎹 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Audio
💡MIDI
💡Waveforms
💡Punch in/Punch out
💡Virtual Instrument
💡Solo
💡Editing MIDI Notes
💡Exporting
💡Playback Device
💡Flexibility
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
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