> Step by step

4. Arranging and mixing

1

Now it’s time to start laying down some tracks. Start with our sequencer patch on Track 1, temporarily muting all of the other tracks. The idea is to let the sequencer play, while recording the transposition from incoming MIDI notes. We’ve repeated a 17-bar, four-note passage, and quantised the results.

2

Do something similar with the second sequencer-based track (remembering to un-mute it). Play on for however long you like, and edit it down later. Note that we’ve bucked the tradition of sticking to minor keys and gone for something a little more upbeat, but you can adjust your sequences as you like.

3

Here, we’ve rearranged our tracks a little, with our intro tracks up top. We’ve reduced the gains of both sequencer tracks so that we hear only our intro pads. We want our intro pads to fade out at around bar 17. You can do this in real time or by manually editing the automation curves.

4

We’ll use the same technique to fade in our first sequencer track at around bar 17. Our second sequencer track will gradually fade in later, at around bar 49 or so. We’ll fade out the first sequencer track before the end, allowing the second sequencer patch to play a bit longer before fading.

5

Now it’s time to track some slow string passages using the FreeAlpha strings we instantiated earlier. We’re just using some simple dyads based on the root notes of the sequencer transpositions. We’ve processed the track with STARK CM and its LoFi ARP preset, which includes a lovely vintage phaser sound.

6

We’ve faded our phased Free Alpha strings in and added some ambient FM bells from a new instance of SynthMaster CM on track 7. Obviously, we’ve only scratched the surface, and we’ll leave it to you to add more – a lead, sound effects and other elements of interest along your cosmic journey.