What are Twiddly.bits? Twiddly.Bits are
MIDI Samples. Clear as mud?
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Okay, a “MIDI Sample” is simply a short piece of recorded MIDI data that was ‘performed' by a real musician.
These drum loops, guitar riffs, basslines etc are recorded direct into a computer as MIDI data. Special MIDI instruments are used such as a MIDI keyboard, MIDI drums, a MIDI guitar, or a MIDI wind instrument. There's even a MIDI violin!
But what's so special about them?
MIDI samples are special because they combine some of the best elements of current music technologies.
Like an ‘audio sample' they capture real performances, with all the little inflections, variations, and subtleties that make music lifelike and human. Musicians call it "feel".
But like any piece of MIDI data, they are also incredibly flexible: you can change the pitch, the playback speed, the sound, even edit or erase single notes with a couple of mouse-clicks, no matter how ‘powerful' your DAW or sequencer.
Finally, because they are presented as individual collections of .MID files, you can load them into a Mac, or a PC (into a DAW like Cubase, or recording environment such as Reason), or indeed into a keyboard workstation like the Korg Triton or a Yamaha Motif.
This is the concept of a MIDI Sample. And it is the foundation of the whole Twiddly.Bits series.
There are hundreds and hundreds of individual loops, licks, and riffs in each Twiddly.Bits collection, all saved as a series of .MID files. When they were first produced they were sold on floppy disk and packaged in Jewel Cases. Nowadays these collections can also be sold on CD, SmartMedia card, or simply be downloaded direct from the e-store on KEYFAX.com
Each volume contains literally hundreds of grooves, riffs, and motifs that you can "cut and paste" into your DAW. Some volumes contain parts played by one type of instrument, with parts in a wide variety of musical styles. Others focus on a particular style of music - jazz, country, funk etc - with all the instruments that are generally used in that style of music (fiddle, pedal steel, guitar for country, electric piano, Clavinet, brass etc., if it's funk).
Whether you are a professional composer working on a film score, or a hobbyist who plays at home, MIDI samples will bring life to your sequencing. It's like you've assembled a group of world-class players and somehow inserted them into your computer or workstation to help you drive your sound library.
Using Twiddly.Bits you have access to top players and interesting, inspirational music without having to leave the world of MIDI sequencing, and without having to rely on audio sample libraries or plug-ins you have to learn to make your music sound real.
Frequently asked questions
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- I can play. So do I really need Twiddly.Bits?
You can play? Great. Most of us here at KEYFAX NewMedia are or were professional players. Twiddly.Bits is not a replacement for playing ability.
But just because you play keys, or drums, or whatever instrument you play, doesn't mean you can play ALL instruments. Every instrument has its own playing technique, its own idiosyncrasies, and its own set of typical motifs. And few people outside of top arrangers know what these are, much less how to recreate them in MIDI.
So you're a great keyboard player? But how's your drum programming?
Many top arrangers use Twiddly.Bits because they let you interact with different playing styles quickly and easily. Being able to call up, say, a beautifully played snare or cymbal roll IN AN INSTANT is incredibly useful. Not to say inspirational.
Frankly, if you're a good player you'll appreciate the musicianship and subtlety of Twiddly.Bits all the more.
- Does everyone end up sounding the same?
Absolutely not. For a start, each volume contains between 300 and 700 individual parts. Depending upon the sound you apply to each part, you will end up with incredibly different results.
More importantly, because this is pure MIDI data, and not a fixed audio sample, you can transpose, invert, expand, and edit parts quickly and effectively.
And if you want to get really down ‘n' dirty you can even change, say, a guitar strum of a C major chord into C minor simply by changing the Es into a E flats. Is that laborious? Not really, and certainly a lot less so than recording the part again in audio, or hiring in that guitarist for another session!
Finally the context in which parts are played – which ones are played together, combined with parts you have already played or want to play on top - will create completely fresh and unique results every time.
Most Twiddly.Bits parts are saved to "C." If it's a minor chord strum it'll be C Minor. If it's a blues riff on piano. It'll be a C minor riff. This way, whatever you want a chord or run to be you can simply transpose accordingly (turn a C into an F by transposing +5).
- Is there any additional license to pay?
No. We pay musicians either fees or royalties so that you can use these parts wherever you need without having to 'clear copyright'. Credits are at your discretion.
• Access to quality musicianship . Instant access to quality musicianship regardless of your platform or software application. Access to parts that are impossible to play and/or too time-consuming to program.
• Professional composing. Are you sometimes faced with a deadline on a piece of music that has to be composed in a style that you're not familiar with? Call on the services of musicians familiar with that style, anytime, day or night!
• Customizing commercial MIDI Files . Insert a cool guitar lick, or drum roll into an otherwise often 'bland' commercial MIDI file. Even comparative novices can interact with, and create new music.
• Inspiration for song writing . Audition, change sounds, mix, bounce ideas off different players and parts. Create complete songs solely using these files, or simply get the creative juices flowing.
• Education. By going into the edit pages of your sequencer you can 'see' how Steve Hackett plays a certain guitar lick, or Jon Savannah plays some of those excellent Clavinet patterns.
• Practice makes perfect. Set up loops in any style you want, at any speed or key that's comfortable (or challenging!). Record solos or other parts on top. Audition and view solos and licks played by top professionals on your instrument.
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