# I don't like to use MIDI keyboard, is something wrong with my workflow?



## hag01 (Feb 15, 2017)

I understand there are a lot of musicians in the electronic genres that don't know notation, so they feel comfortable to input their ideas directly to a DAW through a MIDI keyboard. But I don't understand why would anyone who know notation and work regulary with a notation program like sibelius or finale want to input his\hers ideas through a MIDI keyboard directly to a DAW.

My workflow briefly:
1. Play my ideas on an instruments, can be a keyboard but most of the time grabbing some accoustic guitar is the most comfortable.
2. Write the Ideas to a notation program->creating a MIDI file->Import the MIDI file to a DAW.
3. All the rest on the DAW.

Also, I saw a lot of musicians saying they prefer to edit MIDI data in real time using a MIDI controller(usually a keyboard but could be something else like breath controller for example), I tried that method a little bit, but to edit the MIDI data manually through mouse and computer keyboard always felt the obvious way for me.

I also a software practical engineer and have some considerably amount of experience with programming(although never wanted to make a living from that) , and I'm used to edit and program stuff on computer. I think that might be the reason it feels so natural to me to edit MIDI data manually, what do you think about that?

So, does it seems my workflow is inferior?
Am I missing something by not using MIDI controllers\keyboards?


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## bc3po (Feb 15, 2017)

Hag01 said:


> I understand there are a lot of musicians in the electronic genres that don't know notation, so they feel comfortable to input their ideas directly to a DAW through a MIDI keyboard. But I don't understand why would anyone who know notation and work regulary with a notation program like sibelius or finale want to input his\hers ideas through a MIDI keyboard directly to a DAW.
> 
> My workflow briefly:
> 1. Play my ideas on an instruments, can be a keyboard but most of the time grabbing some accoustic guitar is the most comfortable.
> ...


Honestly, however you like writing and programming your music go for it. There's no right answer.... personally, I'm much faster at writing with a controller and faders. But if you're more creative or fast using notation, go for it!


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## jonathanprice (Feb 15, 2017)

bc3po said:


> however you like writing and programming your music go for it. There's no right answer....



+1 on that. I can say why I work with MIDI controllers like the WX-5, expression pedals, even the Handsonic (even though the sounds are dated): the process is similar to playing a live instrument. I'm making musical choices, like dynamics or how closely to stick to the beat, in real time...the same way I would if I were playing a live instrument. Personally, I find it difficult to approximate what those decisions would be if I had to draw them in, but I understand that people do do that. I will occasionally work that way if I'm stepping in a large bombastic orchestral piece, where subtle, individual musicianship can be lost in the mix anyway. But for more exposed, expressive MIDI instruments, there are moments of human adrenalin and reaction that will only happen for me if I'm playing in time, and I'm incapable of drawing that stuff in.

One of the disadvantages of my workflow, though, is that my MIDI data (especially from a WX-5) is pretty messy to look at, and nothing I could give an orchestrator. So if my end result is sending a sequence to an orchestrator for live musicians, I'll step/quantize the data.

But in the end, whatever works for you, works for you.


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## jtnyc (Feb 15, 2017)

The first reason that comes to my mind is when you play it in, your performing the music. Subtle timing and velocity differences in that performance are so important in achieving a sense of realism. If it's an orchestral library that has dynamic layers assigned to the mod wheel, you play a line with one hand and ride the wheel with the other. Legato instruments that trigger different transitions at different velocity layers. You can really "play" these instruments Playing it can result in very expressive performances. I can't see getting the same results drawing it all in, especially timing and velocity. CC stuff, yeah I do draw that in sometimes, or tweak what I played in originally.

But, to repeat, whatever works for you is best


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## hag01 (Feb 15, 2017)

Thanks for the replies.

I have to mention that I'm a pianist\keyboardist and a guitarist, so:
1. If I'll want to add guitars to my compositions at some point I certainly think I should simply record myself, I can do this direct to my DAW through my POD HD500X(an amp modeler).
2. If I'll want to add piano to my compositions I would also want to record myself, I can't record myself seriously on my acoustic piano(don't have the equipment for that), but I'm planning to get a Kawai VPC1 which is as closer as you can get to an accoustic piano with a digital instrument, and connect it to some fine virtual piano software.

But for deep sampled orchestral libraries for example, personally I never saw a point in record myself playing them live, this is just my subjective feeling about it.

Also, from my experience, to achieve great realism, many MIDI channels have to be controlled at the same time, and one can not controll all of them in real time with just two hands.


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## Saxer (Feb 15, 2017)

Whatever works best.
For me playing something in is the most fun part. I'd never click in a bass drum by mouse if I could hit it on a key or pad while recording. Same with strings using a breathcontroller. For me that's me making music while writing notation is preparing music for others. Composing and arranging works that way for me. My brain is mostly two bars ahead of what I'm playing and I move forward in these two bar steps. Doesn't work for me in a notation program. That's why I do all my notation in Logic. I'm a DAW guy.
People are different, so workflows are different. And luckily the results are different. That's art.


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## gregh (Feb 15, 2017)

Like everyone says- whatever works for you. I often make pieces that are written using software I write, then adjusted manually for feel. I think of the manual adjustment as being as human as anything else I could do. I think of the software as making choices I would make though heaps quicker. But still based around human goals. And sometimes I play an instrument, almost always guitar. Whatever suits.


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## Saxer (Feb 15, 2017)

I saw a tutorial video about Ableton and they were recording drum loops, bass lines, chords etc... and then the tutor said: "And now comes the fun part!" And he started to trigger the loops per pad switching them on and off and put some efx on top. And I thought: *that *is the fun part?


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