How to approach BeatlesFest 2?

[64Guitars]

So Hydrogen then - is this free software 64??

Yes. You can download it here: http://www.hydrogen-music.org/

It's very good. Similar to the BR Rhythm Editor but much more powerful. There is a trade-off, however. You have to export your drum tracks as WAV files, then import them into the BR (if you're mixing on the BR). That means you have to use up another pair of audio tracks which you wouldn't be using if you used the BR's drum machine instead. You could export your Hydrogen drums as a standard midi file, then import that into a BR drum pattern, but then you wouldn't get the wide variety of drum sounds that Hydrogen offers.

I always mix in Audacity, so I just export my Hydrogen drums as a WAV file and load them directly into Audacity. When I record my other tracks on the BR, I just select any suitable pattern as a reference and make sure the tempo is the same as my Hydrogen drum track so they'll match up. Or sometimes I'll import the Hydrogen WAV file to the BR too. Either way works. Sometimes I combine both techniques. For example, I might start by recording a couple of guitar tracks to a BR pattern. Then I'll load those guitar tracks into Audacity and mix them with the Hydrogen drums. I'll then load that mix back into the BR and record the rest of my tracks to it.

[Geir]

Re: Hydrogen.

Don't know if I have the latest version (tho I think I do, I recently set up a laptop with ubuntu at home and installed hydrogen among other audio treats for linux), but one thing I can't figure out how to do is to IMPORT midi files. Is it possible?

[64Guitars]

I don't think you can import midi in the current version. Perhaps they'll add it in the future. However, in the current version you can connect a midi controller. Perhaps you can use it to input patterns. You might even be able to play a midi file on a midi device such as a BR-864/900 or keyboard and use that as input to Hydrogen to transfer the patterns. Or maybe you could connect Jarle's electronic drum kit module and input drum patterns into Hydrogen by actually playing them on the drum kit. I haven't tried anything like that so I can't give you any details, but it might work. Give it a try.

I just had a quick look at the midi section of the manual.

http://www.hydrogen-music.org/hcms/node/5#sect.midi_actions

Although, you can select NOTE as an event, it's not clear to me which Action you should map it to. Maybe the first one (blank) might just pass the midi note into the pattern. Or maybe you can't use a midi controller for pattern input afterall. Maybe it's only for things like transport control, level controls in the mixer, etc.

You might be able to learn more about midi in the Hydrogen forum:

http://www.hydrogen-music.org/hcms/forum

[launched]

IMO, there are no rules, but it is always agreeable to my ears if there is some form of resemblance to the song. That's what I try for - It's the opposite for me when I attempt to "exactify" a cover. I get frustrated and harbor an empty feeling inside after I've finished. It feels better when there is a little part of "me" in it.

[Oldrottenhead]

naw reduce the song to its 4 component notes and bob's yer uncle.

it's dead easy when you huvnae a clue what yer talking about.

a wee swallay helps tae.

bed?

izzat the time?

as i was saying


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