Techno-Babble
Not for the faint of heart
So, you wanna know how it all works, huh? The heart of my musical background is the
sequencer
. A sequencer is
a multi track digital recording device. Instead of recording sound, though, it records MIDI information. MIDI
(Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is an industry standard which came out in the mid 1980's. It was
developed by a consortium of musical equipment manufacturers to satisfy the growing need for an increasingly
wide variety of electronic instruments to be able to communicate with one another. In the same way that a USB
port allows your PC to talk to various peripherals, MIDI allows musical equipment to communicate.
There are many types of music information MIDI can express. MIDI is not about sound but about the
performance that results in sound. Here's what I mean. When, for example, a key is struck on a MIDI
keyboard, digital information is passed through the keyboard's MIDI output. Information like: what note was
played, how hard it was struck, and how long it was held. This information can then be sent to another MIDI
device, like a synthesizer. The synthesizer can make a sound based on the note information it was given by the
MIDI message. My sequencer lets me store that MIDI note information on a floppy disk so that I can replay it
at a later time.
Now, what's really great is that MIDI provides for 16 channels of digital information. That means 16 different
parts can be playing simultaneously. For example, I can program channel 1 of my synthesizer module to sound
like a grand piano; channel 2 like a finger picked bass; channel 3 like an alto sax; etc. And by recording notes
for the various channels into my sequencer, I can make it sound like a whole bunch of people are performing these
various parts when it's played back! Now, in actuality, I don't use all 16 channels for notes, only channels 1
through 11. There are many, many other commands that are defined by the MIDI protocol. One of the most
commonly used is the "program change" command. It's function is to instruct a device to change it's sound. It
saves the performer from having to play with knobs and buttons during a performance. Program change messages
can be recorded along with the note information onto the sequencer. This way sounds can be altered at precise
times during the performance without the musician having to physically adjust anything. I reserve channels 12
through 16 to control some non-synthesizer MIDI devices in my setup. Items such as my guitar effects, vocal
effects, vocal harmonizer, digital patchbay, and stage lights.
In 2015 I transferred my "hardware-based" MIDI sequence songs to a Mac system using Digital Performer 8.
This allows me to not only sequence songs but to add recordings of vocals and other instruments, furhter
contributing to a realistic performance. Well, that's enough MIDI discussion. Let's talk about the sound system.
I often get ribbed about the amount of stuff I bring to a gig. The truth is I'm only one guy and I want to sound
like a
whole band
. I want the listener to feel like there's a bass player and a drummer in the room with them.
I'm not necessarily talking about
loud
but
realistic
sound
.
I'm talking about full range, quality sound. You just
can't achieve this with a cheap sound system. I've heard way too many talented bands that sound like they're
singing through a shoe box...muddy, inarticulate vocals and announcements. I pride myself on crystal clear vocals
and a kick drum you can feel. I've achieved this by using only top quality components and by relying on my
knowledge of audio and how to fine tune a sound system. Also, my degree in electronics has enabled me to design
proprietary components, build, and maintain various aspects of the rig.
The synopsis of the sound system is it's a:
1075 Watt/Channel, 3-way, tri-amped system running mono with a 2-way, single amp floor monitor
Here's how it all goes together...
All musical inputs (vocal mics, guitars, synthesizer, vocal harmonizer) plug into the mixing board. It's here that
the relative levels of all these inputs are "mixed" so that they sound balanced. (The great thing about
all
the
instruments going into the board is that the volume is easy to control. Live drums can be a real volume problem.
The fact that my drums are synthesized means my overall sound can be as loud or soft as necessary for the
venue!) Vocal effects, such as echo or reverb, are blended in at the mixer, too. The mixed signals are sent to
three places: 1) the monitor equipment 2) the left
house
(house is what the audience hears) 3) the right
house
.
As I am running
mono
, not stereo, there is no difference in the left and right outputs. Stereo is a concept that's
most practical for pre-recorded music and can actually cause audio imaging problems in live performances. The
monitor equipment consists of a graphic equalizer (to control feedback) and a power amplifer to drive the JBL
floor monitor. The house equipment is comprised of a graphic equalizer, dbx Drive Rack PA+ (EQ, Compressor,
Feedback Suppression, 3-way Crossover, and Limiter...all in one rack space!), and three power amps to drive the
house speakers. The house speakers feature JBL SRX715 cabinets for the mid and high frequencies and
Electro-Voice T18 sub woofer cabinets for the lows.
The Implements Of Noise
mixing board
sequencer/DAW player
synthesizer, patchbay, & guitar effects
vocal harmonizer
monitor equalizer & power amp
Drive Rack PA+...house equalizer, compressor, feedback suppressor, electronic crossover, limiter, real time analyzer
house amps
175 Watts/chnl. high freq.
350 Watts/chnl. midrange
550 Watts/chnl. low freq.
stage monitor
So I can hear myself clearly.
Very important when working with a synthesized background!
house speakers
low freq. (aka sub woofer)
MIDI Controlled Stage Lights (Mark IV)
I hope you enjoyed my technical ramblings. I suppose if you got to
this part of the page I didn't bore you too much. If you have any
technical questions please feel free to contact me at
Thanks for your interest in
Mike Taylor Music
!
...Mike
house speakers
midrange
house speakers
high freq.
A song's
MIDI light code
MIDI/DMX controller
Ready to splice
Transferring Songs To Mac-Based DP8 Sequencer
Recording backing guitar for
One Way Out
Replacing sequenced bass with the real thing on
Roundabout
Mandolin for
Lyin' Eyes
Correcting some parts on
Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
Recording various drum parts
Waiting to add backup vocal to
Walk Of Life
"Real" harmonica,
Heart Of Gold
P
utting it all together
Checking the new Slim Par64's for functionality
Connectors patiently waiting
to become cables
Finished power & DMX cables
The splicing
DMX connector
Bench testing the lights & cables
Wiring complete
All finished!
