Midi Sequence Remixes

This week I have been busy trying to get comfortable with Ableton. I do not like this program for my limited knowledge base! First, I attempted to remix a song by Radiohead and I found the cadence to be slightly off with every beat I tried to match to parts of the original sequence. I thought I might try "extracting a groove" using the software, but the file got corrupted, so I moved on.

After that, I moved onto using the Slayer midi sequence Pat downloaded in class. I liked parts of it, very "crucial" sounding. The sound made me think of an explicit rap song by Mobb Deep, "Shook Ones II", which I loved when I was 19 (I must admit I still love the original, which I am posting for comparison). I was able to find an acapella version of the rappers on Youtube and rip it to Audacity. The result is a cohesive product, but be forewarned that lyrically it is uncomfortable to listen to.

MobbDeep ShookOnes Slayer remix by alexahenderson



I then took the idea of remixing parts of a midi sequence with original verse. I like the drive of the Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams" song and so I used this for the base of the second midi remix I am posting. The instruments and melody sound very soulful and mournful, so I decided to experiment with using lyrics taken from a news article about something tragic. I have a little more posted on my SoundCloud account about it, but that's the gist. The lyrics remind me of the "cut up method" that William S. Burroughs and the beatnicks used to create strange and (hopefully) interesting combinations of lyrics quickly. I am also adding the disclaimer that I am fairly embarrassed to have my voice on the track without everything being perfectly planned and executed, but whatever...

InternationalBlues_remix by alexahenderson

4 Questions:

1. In Ableton, how do I use the Send/Receive // A Return/B Return?

2. What are the MIDI channels and how do they relate to Stereo Channels in the Ableton interface?

3. Does Surround sound always have to be through a proprietary entity such as Dolby/AC3 encryption, or is this just a high standard? I was unclear how the two correspond..

4. Is Ableton as good for producing beats as Reason?