II. Editing your Midifiles

Moreover, there's plenty of great tools that you can use if you plan to improve your midifiles and get the best sound of it. Cubase and Cakewalk Sonar are one of the best commercial softwares widely used around by majority and also my favorites for midi-programming and audio recording.  Not to mention FL Studio and Ableton, especially if you're that type of guy who are fond of creating audio loops to blend well with your midi.  They're intuitive graphical interface will give you more freedom, room for creativity and improvement. Sooner or later it could help shape up your skill and becomes a professional midi-arranger once you've mastered every piece of it and dedicate so much of your time.

If you're a solo performer who does his or her own back up vocals, Cubase or Cakewalk Sonar should be on your lists together with your other favourite tools. Well okay, they are great programs but if you got tons of midis, you sure need an extra time to edit or modify them.  How?

The answer is, yes,there are power tools which are user-friendly and will do the job for you in just a couple of minutes.  As for my case, I apply both methods,  using professional and simple softwares, will definitely enhance your knowledge, improve your playing styles when you don't stick to only one application. "Simple programs do not mean they're not good."

I've no problems with midifiles I've created as I've programmed them for commercial use and for other purposes, hence creating the right beat and rhythm is always present during playback. Volume and note velocity of each track are well compensated, to give it a nice final mix.

But if your midifiles come from various sources, you need to adjust, or edit them in order to match your own standard of listening and playing. 

"If you play live with your backing tracks, make sure your midifiles stand out" play them with the same amount of volume as possible." This makes your audience enjoys listening to your songs and watch you rock the stage.  If your music isn't well-balanced enough, it can sometimes destroy the mood and tends to becomes lousy.  Moreover, you have to control the volume manually if your files are programmed with different velocities. It sounds irritating especially if the next song is either too loud or too soft and inconvenient during live performance. 

"You should hear your music and feel the music." As a general rule, always make sure you do not sound exactly like a karaoke version or an old am radio just to get something to listen to.  If you or your group is really good and outstanding, your music should project the right image for yourself and your band as an artist. "Solid music, great sounds produce a killer product" and makes it easier to market yourself and your group to any music companies out there.

In my experience, I do two versions of midi-arrangement and mixing, one for live playing and another version for studio use. Why? If you play live, your backing track should sound powerful and blend well with a live vocals.  Professional midifile that you can purchased in the internet can be easily lay or mixed down among other live tracks, this is typically done for studio or home recording.  And it's good if you're cutting your own album or doing a cover version. It would even save time for a sound engineer to finish the entire project during mixing because those midis are arranged professionally. 

"Don't expect that midifiles you download for free are perfectly done."  I do some stripping around, either edit the notes or tracks volume, adjust panning of each instrument  and minimize or reduce the effects, namely chorus or reverb applied to each midi track. Not too dry, just a small percentage to add some depth in your instrument.  Remember, too much effects tend to cover up the presence and integrity of the entire song.  It is true that effects are not only intended for vocals, it's also very useful to your midifile.

If you keep this method, your music will come out more lively. Imagine your yourself that you're performing with a live rhythm section, instruments playing in the background will have more life, giving a bit more character.  Always avoid your midifiles to sound exactly like a real minus-one. The better you edit them, the more you produce a great music.
 "Listen to commercial songs and review how they are mixed to give you better idea."

Of course, if midi tracks are well sequenced or programmed, you got a richer and cleaner sound compared to those unedited version. Take a look at these examples. (will add later on...)

Finally, you should "Pick up the right midi instrument assigned on each track." Well, the best is listen to the original source for you to review prior to editing. Let's say, if the selected drum kit or instrument doesn't sound right for that song, try other preset or sound bank until you are satisfied with the results.

Here's another example: (will add later on...)

Each band or solo artist has its own identity, so why not create one something for yourself or your group?  Our audience often remembers when you got something special to watch on and listen to.  Always remember "First impression is most important."