What can I build in the canvas?
- You can build so-called Performance instruments. You can build so-called Pad songs
- Performance instruments are real musical instruments--all twelve tones in an octave are available for you to play. A Performance instrument may feature a two-octave tone range, or more
- Pad songs are not musical instruments. They represent a new method to make music. It is a song-building system. It is a song-writing system. This is about building songs onscreen--and playing them live thereafter
- You see, instead of using a musical instrument to compose and play a piece of music, you can compose the song you want, e.g. a concrete song, by way of writing it down note by note onscreen. And how do you do that? You do so by way of painting pads on canvas! Based on this approach, a collection of pads onscreen becomes your musical piece, your song. That way you compose and play any song you want--or part thereof
- Pad songs consist of groups of pads you create onscreen from scratch. A pad group plays a concrete musical figure, like a set of chords or a melody line. A pad group plays a specific musical sequence. The sequence represents any music. In other words, a collection of pads on canvas, one or several pages long, represent real songs onscreen; songs -or song parts- that you build and play in the canvas yourself
- Do I get predefined Performance instruments?
- Yes, you get six ready-to-play instruments as Performance instrument examples. You modify those in order to suit your preferences and monitor size; or, you create new Performance instruments from scratch--based on your own ideas and concepts
Can you elaborate on Pad songs a bit further, e.g. this new method to compose and play a song? What is really the idea behind Pad songs? The idea of painting a song on canvas sounds mysterious and confusing to me. How do I create a Pad song?
- Well, you will be pleasantly surprised by the musical power and flexibility Pad songs provide you with
- The Pad song subject is certainly an extensive subject. There are no short descriptions or answers to questions like these. In fact, to begin with, the first question in this regard would be: What do you want to accomplish--musically? There are different things that you can do; many ways available; endless possibilities
- In general, designing a Pad song correctly depends on a number of factors, factors like type of instrumental voice, type of play-action technique, and type of musical figure to build--chord, arpeggio, melody, lead solo, phrase, pattern, or sequence
- Don’t worry about Pad songs. The tutorials provide you with plenty of information about this topic. After all, this is Amazing Pads main application!
- Can I combine a Performance instrument and a Pad song in the canvas, e.g. in one place, in one screen?
- You certainly can. You may create an instrument -somewhat limited in tone range nevertheless- and groups of pads -a concrete musical sequence- in one and the same canvas page. Once you work out the tutorials, you will perfectly understand how to do this
- Performance instruments enable you to improvise music when playing. That is the main advantage. The reason is clear: All musical notes are available to you to play. However, in general, as you know, musical instruments are not easy to learn; not easy to play neither. In addition, all musical instruments have real limitations--different kinds of limitations
- On their own, Pad songs are not designed for musical improvisation at all. That is not the issue here. When playing a Pad song, you may improvise a bit--but this is not the purpose why you create a Pad song in the first place
- Pad songs main purpose is to enable you to create-and-play a song -any tune- in free and powerful ways. In fact, in this case, the limitation is not the instrument. The limitation is what two hands and ten fingers can do. Imagine that!
- One major distinction between the two is this. Whereas a musical instrument allows you to produce one instrumental voice -or two at the most- when playing, Pad songs enable you to produce multiple voices when playing. In addition, you may add other things like vocal samples and percussive beats. And more!
- Thus, Pad songs enable you to create and play impossible-to-create-and-play music. In fact, if you can imagine it, you can build it and play it in the canvas! Certainly, Pad songs represent a new and open world of music--and music-making possibilities
- Pad songs also enable you to get rid of technical / mechanical difficulties when playing. In fact, you are in command. You decide how hands and fingers play. If done right, hands and fingers will always perform with utmost comfort and ease
Summary
- Amazing Pads is a virtual pad matrix controller that works well as a musical instrument. However, its main use and power lies underneath the “Pad song” concept. Pad songs enable you to put together songs that are... ready to play! In fact, this new write-the-music and play-the-music approach is nothing short of revolutionary. You must discover it in order to appreciate it. Go for it!
- By way of painting pads in the canvas in any way you see fit, and by way of populating these pads with any sound you need -all 16 Midi channels and 128 sound slots per channel are available to you- you can build and play anything--any music you wish to create
- When using this method, you will be able to craft and produce the music you want--it will sound exactly as intended. In addition, your musical arrangement will be easy to play--easy on hands and fingers
- Pad song represents real innovation. AP4 is much more than a virtual instrument