How do people create a 'score' for multi-instrument jam sessions?

mangecoeur

I really enjoy jamming with a couple of synths in AUM - now I want to be able to (approximately) reproduce those session (maybe even do a live gig one day). Back in ye olden times you just write a score - I still (just about) remember how to read sheet music from piano lesson days. Doesn't work so well with a handful of synths with notes to play and knobs to tweak - wondering how people do it? Do you just memorize a sequence? Do you have a method for writing it down?

seonnthaproducer

Great question.

If you want your session exactly the same, you could use a combination of the following

1. A DAW like Cubasis to store your automated movements, MIDI entry, and more
2. Recording your audio into different channels and saving it in a timeline DAW. Then you can easily playback stuff.
3. Making your workflow a Groovebox/loop based workflow where you’re stacking and removing small ideas, as opposed to making a consistently dynamic piece, as with a lot of live recordings.

It’s easier to save an audio take of a session, than to have the MIDI and plugins. Something I’ve learned about the differences between MIDI and audio in a DAW is the amount of resources different plugins use. For a reliable setup, render the tracks to audio, and simply play back your recordings.

That said, one of the best advice I learnt this year from RKC and Bad Snacks were to keep some parts improvised, and others pre-planned. You want reliability with the preplanned sessions, but you’d want room for creativity whenever you improvise different pieces.

Hope this helps.

michael_m

You should still be able to write it as a score and include text directions. They may have to be more descriptive than typical Italian directions, but it should still work.

If you have any kind of MIDI involved there’s plenty of software than can automate the scoring for it.