Hard Note Software - JUMP Music Composition Software / MIDI Sequencer

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Tips

Tips for Beginners
Productivity Tips
General Composition Tips
Motif Editing Tips
Humanisation Tips
Mixing Tips
Live Performance Tips

Also see the Guide to Using JUMP, FAQ and Tutorials.

Tips for Beginners

Work through the Starting a New Song tutorial in the Guide to Using JUMP.
Examine the demo songs to see how they are constructed.
Leave JUMP playing continuously (with the Repeat button ticked) while you experiment.
Click on the Undo button if you make a mistake.
Don't be intimidated by the Chord information! You can use JUMP without having a clue what something like Bm7b5 actually means.
Don't expect too much of the Section Random buttons, for best results use the lower-level Random buttons of the motif editors.
Work through the additional online tutorials.
Visit this website occasionally to check for news, free updates, tips and tutorials.

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Productivity Tips

Use the < > keys and the spacebar to quickly skip around a large song. Check out the other keyboard shortcuts too.
Try using the right mouse button to speed up common tasks. Many controls respond to a right click by stepping up in value. Hold down the CTRL (Control) key while doing a right click to step down in value.
Use the various Random buttons and menu functions to quickly generate material that is almost right, then refine it using the other controls.
Use the various Copy and Paste buttons to reuse material.
Use the Develop button to quickly extend a song, by appending a copy of a section to the end of the song.
Use the Insert Selected Section option in the Playlist menu to quickly insert a section into the playlist, or hold down the CTRL (Control) key and left click at the required position in the playlist.
Use the Save As Default option to create your own customised start-up state.
You don't have to use tracks in a fixed way. For instance, you can use a spare bass track as a lead track simply by adjusting the track's Octave and maybe the motif's Shift and Fit buttons.

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General Composition Tips

Try out different tempos and keys.
Faster tempos require fewer chord changes.
Less is more - use a few really good motifs rather than lots of average ones.
Don't worry about repeating motifs. JUMP can inject life into a repeated motif by automatically applying chord changes, humanisation and probability functions.
Try to get the "groove" right early on, decide on a tempo range, add any swing and set the basic number of steps required in the main motifs before getting bogged down in too much detail.
Silence is music - use plenty of rests to give your music space to breathe and to add variety without increasing complexity.
Try waiting until you have the main body of the song complete before working on the intro.
Vary the orchestration and arrangement, add builds, breakdowns, solos and spot effects.
Try to include some exciting contrast in your compositions. Unless you want to limit the musical effect intentionally, make sure that at least one section stands out as being different to the others.
Add meaning by using a title.
Keep things tidy by occasionally using the Rationalise Song option.
Try using a section's Key Override feature to change key during a song.
Try introducing some non-diatonic chords by using short sections and key overrides to change key for just one or two bars.

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Motif Editing Tips

If you want a simple motif then use a small number of steps.
If you want a complex motif then use a large number of steps.
For normal 4 beats to the bar material, use 1, 2, 4 or 8 steps for the lead, chordal and bass motifs.
For normal 4 beats to the bar material use 8 or 16 steps for the rhythm motifs.
For 3 beats to the bar material, use 1, 3, 6 or 12 steps for the lead, chordal and bass motifs.
For 3 beats to the bar material use 6 or 12 steps for the rhythm motifs.
When creating songs that use 3 beats to the bar begin by using the Set Number of Steps for 3/4 Time option to change the default number of steps for all the motifs.
Try using irregular number of steps in some motifs to create interesting rhythmic effects.
Chordal motifs always move with the chord, but you can alter how lead and bass motifs react to chord changes by using their Shift and Fit buttons.
Use the per-step probability settings to add variety to a repeated motif.

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Humanisation Tips

Select Robotic in a track's humanise Menu if you want to bypass humanisation.
Note that strength and volume are not quite the same thing, as changes in strength may also affect the timbre.
To create an automatic crossfade between two tracks, set one of the humanise Strength EM controls fully counter-clockwise and the other fully clockwise. As the energy level increases, one track will fade-out and the other will fade-in.
Try experimenting with unusual accent types.
Try adjusting the start times of one or two tracks. For instance, add drive by pushing some tracks slightly ahead of the beat.
To get a "laid back" melody performance adjust the lead track's humanise Start control so that it plays late, then adjust the start Random control to loosen up the timing.
Try applying staccato or legato effects by adjusting the Duration control.
To add a little human-like variation and expression while leaving start times and velocities intact, try using the humanise functions to change only the note durations.
Use the humanisation and mixing facilities together.

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Mixing Tips

Check each track for defects by using the Solo buttons to listen to them in isolation.
Experiment with different Octave and Patch settings - many patches only sound good in certain pitch ranges, but then again you might be the kind of person who likes to use Octave settings of -2 or 8 (we recommend that you reduce your monitoring volume before you try this).
Try to avoid too many tracks sharing the same pitch range.
To avoid distortion you may need to turn the volume controls down as extra tracks are added.
For a fresh mix make all the volume controls roughly equal and then adjust them to achieve a balance.
Start with the main melody and bass tracks panned roughly in the centre, less important and quieter tracks can be panned much further out.
Use reverb to add an impression of depth to some tracks, but don't overdue it. If you can distinctly hear the reverb then it's probably set too high.
Test your mix in a range of monitoring situations (eg low/high-volume, small/large speakers, headphones, mono, etc).
Be careful when mixing bass - it's easy to get it wrong when your monitors have limited bass range.
Keep fresh by taking breaks and listening to other music for reference and perspective.
Use the mixing and humanisation facilities together.

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Live Performance Tips

If performing with other players, add a simple introduction to help you all count-in and start on time.
Use the Mute and Solo buttons to introduce or drop out tracks or rhythm voices at key points in time.
Use the F3 or F4 keyboard shortcuts to cancel all mute buttons or all solo butons in one go.
Use the Volume controls to fade tracks in and out.
Try changing the Octave or Patch of certain tracks at key points in time.
Try live switching between sections using the Selected Section Playlist option and the keys A through L.
Practice your real-time skills doing things like muting and unmuting a track in time with the music. If your MIDI setup suffers from a lot of latency then you have to learn to compensate by clicking slightly early.
Try adding a bit of feeling by "riding" a track's humanise Strength, Start or Duration controls.
Take the odd risk by occasionally performing "silent background editing" - mute (or fade-out) a track, change the track in some way, then un-mute it (or fade-in).
Try using the Undo and Redo buttons creatively, to quickly rewind and replay a series of changes.
Have an ending worked out in advance (see the tutorial Adding an Ending for ideas). Slowing down, fading out and/or progressively muting tracks will usually work if you find yourself stuck.
The key thing about live performance is your empathy with the audience and the music - try to "feel" rather than think about what you are doing.
Have a backup plan for when things go wrong. At least have a CD of your music ready to play while you sort things out.

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Also see the Guide to Using JUMP, FAQ and Tutorials.