The Dog-on-blues rewire

I’ve been learning new things since my new Sonar 8.5 Producer edition Notion 3 elite pack arrived. One challenge I took on is to establish a simple workflow to use all my new software to write a simple jingle for a short film clip. This project required me to write a full orchestration, for which I used Notion 3, plus some vocal parts, for which I used Vocaloid 1 (Miriam & Leon) and Vocaloid 2 (Prima) and synchronize this all to the film.

Here is a simple scheme

The process

1. Movie set up

2. The sketch score

3. Orchestration

4. Record

5. Master

  Take special note when you see this sign.

1. Movie set up

1.1 To start the process, start up Sonar 8.5 32 bit.

 Rewire does not work in 64 bit yet, therefore you have work in your 32 bit Sonar version for this task.

1.2 Create a new project, call it whatever you want. I called mine rewire for this tutorial.

1.3 Import your video.

 When you import the movie into Sonar, import the sound as well as it would make it easier for you to find the end of the movie by simply clicking on the “Go to end” button.

1.4 Enter markers and hit points.

Before you start to make any music, first we have to find all the synchronization points. The very first point we need is to mark the end. Hit the “Go to end” button and click the “Insert marker” button. Simply call this “End”.

Watch through the movie and place markers wherever you want to change mood or tempo. All markers must be locked to SMPTE.

After you entered all the markers, we must set the tempo changes. First switch on the metronome and then enter the initial tempo. Go to the first marker by hitting the “Next marker” button. If the marker is not exactly at the start of a measure, hit Control (Ctl) + M to bring up the Measure beat dialog. Enter the closest measure number and change the beat to 1.000. Watch the movie again to the next marker and enter an approximate tempo by hitting the “Insert tempo” button. Go to the next marker and repeat the procedure described above. Repeat for each marker up to the end.

1.5 Save your project as a type normal. When you hit save, Sonar should save as this type by default.

1.6 Save the file as a midi format 1 file.

This tiny little midi file will contain the synchronization data which is essential to make the rest of your project work. Not all programs, especially not Vocaloid, will follow the host tempo properly without this little file.

1.7 Save your project again as type normal.

Do not forget this step. In the previous step you saved the project as a midi file. Sonar will remember this setting and next time you save, Sonar will save you project again as a midi file, causing you to loose any work that does not save properly in this file format.

2. The sketch score

The time has arrived for us to start to make some music. Before digging into the details we have to create a very basic sketch score. A sketch score seldom has more than 2 lines. Keep it simple! You will waste your own time if you get too detailed at this stage. I create my sketch scores with a single piano staff.

2.1 Rewire Notion 3

In Sonar, select from the menu Insert -> Rewire devices -> Notion. Make sure the “First Synth Audio Output” block is ticked. You do not need a midi source track or an instrument track for this tutorial. Click OK.

2.2 Start Notion 3

Go to your start menu and start Notion. Select “Import” and import the midi file. Notion will open with a blank screen. Click on the “score setup” button. Click on Notion 3 instruments -> Keyboards -> Piano. Exit the score setup. For your convenience change to Page view by selecting View -> Pages across.

2.3 Enable rewire in Notion.

Select File -> Preferences -> Audio -> Enable Rewire -> OK.

2.4 Compose your sketch score while watching the movie. Be creative, but keep it simple.

2.6 Enter the vocal parts.

Open the score setup and select Vocal -> Soprano. Add another vocal line for Bass. Exit the score setup and write the vocal parts. If you kept it simple enough in the previous part you can simply copy the sketch score from the piano line.

2.7 Save your file in Notion.

2.8 Export to midi

Notion can not export to midi while in rewire mode. You have to close down Notion, then close Sonar, then reopen Notion with your new project and then export to midi. Close Notion again. Open Sonar again with your project and then, open Notion again. Sorry for this little roundabout, but Notionmusic is working on it.

2.9 Rewire Vocaloid 1.

Go to Sonar (do not close Notion) and insert Vocaloid 1 as rewire instrument.

2.10 Open Vocaloid 1

Go to the Start menu in Windows and open Vocaloid 1. Set the lead in measures to 1 by selecting from the menu Setting -> Pre-measure.

If you forget this step and leave it at Vocaloid’s default of 2 measures, your project will be out of sync.

Set the beats in Vocaloid. The program will start by default with a 4/4 beat. If your project uses any other beat, change it now.

Enter a note in Vocaloid. It matters not what. This is simply because Vocaloid’s import function is not enabled if you do not have a note.

2.11 Import you midi file

Select File -> Import and select the midi file you exported from Notion. You should see line for your piano score, Soprano and Bass. Tick only the Soprano and Bass to import into Vocaloid.

Vocaloid will add 2 new tracks containing the Soprano and Bass. Now delete the first track where you entered the dummy note.

Go to the start of the score in Vocaloid and select Miriam as singer for soprano and Leon as singer for bass.

Set output for Vocaloid to send each track to a different channel by selecting Setting -> Audio -> Devices and tick the Rewire (All tracks) button.

2.12 Add a lead in bar in Sonar and Notion.

Now you have to add lead in bars in Sonar and in Notion. This is because Vocaloid entered a lead in (pre-measure) in the score.

2.13 Rewire Vocaloid 2.

Follow the procedures as per 2.9 and 2.10 above.

2.14 Add effects in Sonar

Vocaloid does not sound that great without effects.

Go to Sonar’s console view. You should see 3 tracks. Add another audio track after the 2nd. Set the input for the 2nd track to Vocaloid Track 1 stereo. Set the input for the 3rd (new) track to Vocaloid Track 2 stereo.

As a basic standard I add the follow effects to Each of the 3 Vocaloid tracks. If I have more vocal parts, eg 6, then I will end up with 6 tracks and each track will have the following effects.

Clone Ensemble. This is a great plug in to make a Vocaloid voice sound like a choir. I like to reduce the number of voices in Clone Ensemble from the default to about 6 voices. The bass track would sound better with even less voices.

Classic chorus effect. Vocaloid with Clone ensemble can sound a bit harsh on its own. The Classic Chorus (a free plug in from Kjaerhus Audio) do wonders to smooth out the vocals with the vocal spread preset.

VX64 Vocal strip. Sonar 8.5 includes this great plug in to make vocals and Vocaloid sound better. Play around with the presets, but the Female Quartet and the Male Deesser presets are good starting points.

For best results, do not simply use send busses.

Reverb. Add your favorite reverb plug in on a bus and add reverb sends to each Vocaloid track. A Hall preset works best to blend the choirs in with the orchestration score.

Do not send the Notion output to the reverb. Notion automatically adds reverb by default.

3. Orchestration

Now you should be able to play and listen to your score, sung by 2 great ladies and a gent.

Remember to click on the Rewire prepare buttons in Vocaloid 1 & 2 each time you make a change in Vocaloid before playing your score.

Listen to your music by using the transport buttons in Sonar.

Go to Notion. Open the score setup and add tracks for all the strings, winds and brass as you require. Now you can orchestrate the score to your best ability. Go crazy.

Go to Vocaloid and change the Ooh’s to real lyrics.

4. Record

Go to Sonar and record your guitars or yodeling. Enjoy yourself.

5. Master

5.1 Export wav. I will be using the word mastering a bit loosely here. I hope you saved your work regularly. Remember to save each application. When you are done with your masterpiece go to Sonar and export everything to a wav file. Select File -> Export -> Audio and choose a file.

Make sure that the fast bounce is NOT ticked when exporting. Fast bounce does not work properly in rewire mode.

5.2 Master the track. After you are done, close everything and open a new Sonar project. Import the file that you exported above into the empty project. Add Izotope Ozone (or your alternative favorite mastering plug in).

Even though it is possible for you to master directly from the main project file, resist the temptation. It is good professional habit to master separately.

5.3 Render the video

Open a new Sonar project again. Import you movie file and import your mastered track. Export as a movie. Alternatively use your favorite movie rendering program.

Watch my final movie!!

Or the mp3!!