Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Loading Demo Projects Welcome back to MyTunes Making a song using only the Piano Roll and Triple Oscillator might be challenging It’s still possible though That isn’t the only thing LMMS can do though We can make: WOW Instruments Drum Tracks Audio Effects Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Loading Demo Projects If we’re ever having trouble thinking of or doing something There are demo projects we can look at These are all found in the Projects panel Each folder containing different projects to look at Projects Button Click on + to open folder Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Loading Demo Projects The project will open in the same state the author left it in Meaning any open windows are windows they used Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Open LMMS and look in the Projects panel In the Demos folder, double-click on any project Listen to the work someone else made! Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Adding Samples When making music, we can use previous work As long as we say where we got it from And it is transformative – it is changed enough to make it sound like we’re not just copying from the original author We can use these small pieces of music in our own work These small pieces are known as samples They can range from simple (drum track) to complex (a whole host of instruments playing at once) Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Adding Samples While LMMS has quite a few samples (ranging from simple to complex), we’ll be using the simple ones That are single notes from an instrument We can see the samples LMMS has in the Samples panel Samples Button Click on + to open folder Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Adding Samples Clicking (and holding) on any sample will play it Instrument samples only play a single note Other samples may play more We can add one of these samples to our song By dragging it onto the Song Editor This adds a new track for that sample Which can be edited like the Triple Oscillator By double-clicking on a bar Which opens the Piano Roll The sample has its own track in the Song Editor The sample uses the Piano Roll as well Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Create a new project in LMMS called Lesson02 Open the Samples panel and add two instruments to the Song Editor Your choice as to which instruments! Make them both play something for two bars Why not try using some major/minor chords? Feel free to remove all Automation and Beat+Bassline tracks We don’t need them for this lesson Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Instrument Plugins Most sequencing software have small programs known as plugins that do different things Some plugins make specific sounds, like sounds from an old video game console Some plugins take music we’ve made and change it LMMS has quite a few plugins that we can use Sequencing Programs: programs that let the user add series of notes in a graphical way, like LMMS Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Instrument Plugins These different plugins can be found in the Instrument Plugin panel They all work a bit differently to samples However, they can be added in the same way Dragging them onto the Song Editor Plugins Button Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Instrument Plugins Once we’ve added the plugin, we can tell it what to play using the Piano Roll We can change how the plugin behaves by clicking on it in the Song Editor Double-click on bar Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Instrument Plugins This window comes with two main areas Clicking on any key on the keyboard plays that note We use this to test the plugin’s sound The other area (the waveform) changes the overall sound of the instrument We’ll look at that later The waveform The keyboard Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Open the Instrument Plugins panel Add the BitInvader plugin to the Song Editor Give this plugin some notes to play using the Piano Roll Open the BitInvader’s window by clicking on it in the Song Editor Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Changing Waveforms The BitInvader plugin (and others in LMMS) are known as synthesisers They create fake sound – sound not made in ‘real life’ They make this sound by repeating a small wave Known as a waveform This waveform decides the sound an instrument uses Different waveforms give different sounds Ranging from soft and smooth, to sharp and harsh Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Changing Waveforms The BitInvader plugin window lets us change the waveform it uses Can click on these buttons to change the waveform Can also draw a waveform using the mouse Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Change the waveform of the BitInvader plugin Feel free to use any of the pre-sets, or draw your own! Once changed, play the melody you made earlier Has changing the waveform given it a drastically different sound? Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Pre-Configured Plugins Getting the exact sound we want can be tricky, especially with all the different waveforms we could make Luckily LMMS comes with a bunch of pre-set plugins we can add to our song They’re in the Presets panel Presets Button Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Pre-Configured Plugins Each folder in this panel is a different plugin With the items in them being different configurations of that plugin Clicking on these pre-sets (like the samples) will play a short preview Usually a single note We can drag these onto the Song Editor to use them Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Open the Presets panel and open the BitInvader folder Listen to the pre-sets on offer and add one you like To the Song Editor Create another two-bar melody using this pre-set plugin Try using some chords/arpeggios too! Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

FreeBoy Plugin & Looping Let’s look at another plugin – the FreeBoy Creates sounds like the Gameboy A handheld console from the 90s The different options in this plugin window change the type of sound this plugin makes Rather than use a waveform (like BitInvader) We won’t get into what these do But feel free to play around with them! Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

FreeBoy Plugin & Looping Another thing we can do is make our song loop This makes it start again at a certain point Once we reach the end (or a designated point in the song) The green arrows at the top of the Song Editor are the loop points When the song reaches the end point, it jumps back to the start point And carries on Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

FreeBoy Plugin & Looping We can adjust both of these arrows We can change the end point by right-clicking on this bar at the top We can change the start point by holding shift while right- clicking on this bar at the top With the change in loop points, the song will change with it We can put these points anywhere, as long as the end point is after the start point Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Add the FreeBoy instrument plugin to the Song Editor Why not use a pre-set? Make it play a melody on top of the current song Tweak the BitInvader melody so it sounds deeper – more like a bassline Change the loop points in your Song Editor so the music never stops! Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Recap Quiz Which button opens the Projects panel? 1 1 Not that one! Correct! Not that one! 2 3 2 3 Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Recap Quiz Which button opens the Samples panel? 1 1 Not that one! Correct! Not that one! 2 3 2 3 Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Not that one! Correct! Not that one! Recap Quiz A type of cat What is a synthesiser? An instrument that makes sound from waveforms Not that one! Correct! Not that one! A type of cat A track we can add to the Song Editor Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Not that one! Correct! Not that one! Recap Quiz What is a sample? A short piece of music taken from somewhere else Not that one! Correct! Not that one! A bit of food offered at super markets A specific note to play Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Not that one! Correct! Not that one! Recap Quiz Something used to work What is a waveform? Something used to work Not that one! Correct! Not that one! Something a synthesiser uses to make a noise Something that represents the pace of the music Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

A sound made by an instrument Recap Quiz What is a plugin? A sound made by an instrument Not that one! Correct! Not that one! A jigsaw piece Something that plugs in to the project Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms

Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms Recap Quiz Can you work out what BPM this drum uses? 120BPM Not that one! Correct! Not that one! 180BPM 220BPM Lesson 2: Samples, Instruments, and Waveforms