Why do people use step recording?

[mikf]

I can see why step recording might be useful sometimes for corrections, but I just don't understand why people use step recording for full songs.  If you are struggling to play well enough, there are several options. Go slower, use drop in corrections, do it in 'bits', like accompaniment first etc.
The keyboard is a musical instrument surely you buy one to play it. How is there any attraction in sitting typing in loads of commands to make music? Can someone enlighten me? Wouldn't it be better to use the time learning to play - is that not why they bought it?
Mike

[Toril S]

I agree, and have never used it!

[BogdanH]

Mike, you read my mind!
I just saw a post in this regard and I though, am I missing something special about step recording or what? Now that you mentioned... seriously, I can't imagine composing a song that way 

Bogdan

[ton37]

A keyboard is a 100% digital instrument with many options and functions.  In fact, it is a DAW, with ready-made keys and knobs.  So you practically don't need a computer.  In appearance, a keyboard only has the keys that are comparable to a piano.  If you look further, there is no similarity whatsoever.  But they have ensured that it can also produce a piano sound and digital amplification, etc., etc. For people that is a reason to buy one.  Just like in a DAW, one can use or not use the hundreds of digital functions.  So also a step editor.  Not because it has to be done, but because it is possible for a specific application.  Of course, each user decides this for themselves.

[mikf]

Ton
I'm not buying any of that.....it's a musical instrument, digital or not. My TV is digital, a lot of stuff in my car is digital, ....but I still buy one to watch and one to drive. If you're not buying an arranger to play, you are definitely 'out of step'....excuse the pun.
Mike

[pjd]

Hi --

I use step record for chords, mainly to automate a lead sheet. This is handy if I'm not familiar with a song (usually some modern hymn or whatever) and want to experiment with it. Also, it's a way to hear crazy hard jazz progressions which may be hard to finger with left hand alone.

I usually don't step record notes. I sometimes need to enter music into a notation editor, and yeah, this is painfully tedious using step record.

It's just another tool -- pj

[KurtAgain]

Mike, you are absolutely right. But sometimes I find Step Record quite practical. If a piece of music has a rhythmically very difficult section and simply counting along isn't enough, I program in these one or two bars with Step Record and then have the keyboard play the section for me. And after hearing it, I can play it myself.

[Helbi]

I use step record to create background files to which I can play the piano with both hands. To do this, I choose a style and enter the corresponding chords within a few minutes. Then in the step record menu I can adjust the volumes of all backing tracks, the tempo, the chords, intros, main variation, breaks, endings, panel voices and much more. This is easier than having to play new the incorrect elements again and again.
Helbi

[Amwilburn]

I often use step recording to lay down hi hats (if 8 or 16 beats, for 32nds obviously I have to do it manually or at least insert them)

Also, it's good to step record when composing (or recreating precisely) a song when using chord blocks; you can change the accompaniment at *any* time without re-recording the entire song *and* it's very easy to insert another verse, bridge, etc... which is very tricky if you record it live.

So step recording is incredibly useful (but for me, mainly for creating karaoke files); but as you can see from none of my videos, I only feature live playing because that's where the fun is! (at least, for me).

But when I'm making a new style from scratch, I often start with a step recorded hi hat/shaker as the backbone for timing



Mark

[mikf]

I can see it being used sometimes for corrections or special purposes, like Marks hi hat, but what I was questioning was using step recording for a full song or even to lay down an accompaniment, rather than playing it. Just doesn't seem a good way.
Mike

[DrakeM]

I needed to get the bass line correct for the song "Suspicion" by Terry Stafford. I could play it on my bass guitar and I want to record the pattern in my song style's bass slot of the style.

I found it much easier to simply record a C note in the correct timing of the bass lick phrase and then use the editor to change each note to the correct note I needed. It worked like a charm. It was the first time I had tried it and it turned out perfect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arZMJuP289w

I will be using this method in the future for any guitar roll picking patterns I can't find in the future in Yamaha's preset styles.

Drake

[ton37]

Ton
I'm not buying any of that.....it's a musical instrument, digital or not. My TV is digital, a lot of stuff in my car is digital, ....but I still buy one to watch and one to drive. If you're not buying an arranger to play, you are definitely 'out of step'....excuse the pun.
Mike

Maybe I expressed myself somewhat unclear. I meant that when you play a acoustic instrument like a piano, one only can do the exercising like you wrote down: like a step for step learning proces.  The digital keyboard however allows you to programm it via stepeditor. And I agree that it does not help you to develop your playing skills when you do such a job by stepediting alone. It sometimes is handy in some stuations as various forumners already mentioned.

[BogdanH]

Hi Drake,

...
I found it much easier to simply record a C note in the correct timing of the bass lick phrase and then use the editor to change each note to the correct note I needed.
...

As I mentioned before, I'm probably missing something...
When I create bass pattern in style, I simply play/record that pattern in Style Creator. For bass I usually need to use Sync Start, because first bass note is always exactly at the beginning of the bar and the rest of timing can be solved with Quantize. And finally, fine tuning is done in StepEditor.

That is, I really don't see where the problem is and why/when would Step Recording make style creation easier or faster. Step Recording is for sure useful feature, but I don't find it useful in style creation.

Bogdan

[DerekA]

I can see why step recording might be useful sometimes for corrections, but I just don't understand why people use step recording for full songs.  If you are struggling to play well enough, there are several options. Go slower, use drop in corrections, do it in 'bits', like accompaniment first etc.
The keyboard is a musical instrument surely you buy one to play it. How is there any attraction in sitting typing in loads of commands to make music? Can someone enlighten me? Wouldn't it be better to use the time learning to play - is that not why they bought it?
Mike

Who says that anybody is doing that, a full song? Like most people, I use it for either very tricky passages or - more likely - correcting mistakes.

[Amwilburn]

Hi Drake,
As I mentioned before, I'm probably missing something...
When I create bass pattern in style, I simply play/record that pattern in Style Creator. For bass I usually need to use Sync Start, because first bass note is always exactly at the beginning of the bar and the rest of timing can be solved with Quantize. And finally, fine tuning is done in StepEditor.

That is, I really don't see where the problem is and why/when would Step Recording make style creation easier or faster. Step Recording is for sure useful feature, but I don't find it useful in style creation.

Bogdan

Well, I can't say I've tried programming a bass the way Drake did there, but I have *absolutely* used step record for basslines. Why? Because unlike other instruments (ok, Guitar does this a little as well), Bass you tend to sustain until you hit the next note. And I don't mean step on a sustain pedal; because of the way you *play* bass, you tend to hold a note until you pluck another (unless you're slapping); so 100% legato notes. Step recording is good for this, because you can set the note length to 99% (you can actually manually change it to 100% as well)

Mind you, you can also use left hold, which holds the note 100% until the next note is plucked, but then you'd have to use that in song record rather than style. And yes I've done that, too.


Mark