Notion Explained
PreSonus Notion expert George Hess shows you how to get up and running in this 36-video comprehensive course, as well as go deep into more advanced features, and how to write your very own score sheets in no-time!
Videos
• Introduction (02:30) - George gives an introduction to Notion and overview of the series.
• The Interface (02:23) - Take a tour of the Notion interface.
• Preferences (04:53) - George sets the preferences for best performance.
• Score Setup (02:56) - George explores creating a new score from scratch. Adding staves, editing staff names, and choosing staff types.
• Key Signatures, Meters & Tempo (01:40) - George demonstrates entering key signatures, meters and change tempo marks, as well as creating pickup measures.
• Note Entry (03:43) - Basic Note Entry using the mouse with and without shortcuts, including triplets.
• Copy, Paste, & Duplicating Measures (01:20) - George discusses selecting, copying and pasting measures. The Duplicate command combines both functions into single operation.
• Steptime Entry & Repitching (02:20) - George uses the virtual keyboard and Steptime Entry to enter notes and to change the pitches of a phrase without changing the rhythm.
• Entering Tablature (02:12) - George explores using the virtual fretboard to enter notes into the TAB staff in chord mode.
• Drum Notation (02:51) - Learn how to use the virtual drumpad to enter a basic drum part in two voices.
• Transpose & Edit Tab (02:25) - See how to duplicate the guitar and bass parts and use the Transpose tool to create a chord progression. George also covers Edit Tab fingering.
• Repeats & Barlines (03:12) - George demonstrates entering the various types of repeats and endings and creating double barlines.
• Playback: The Mixer & Swing Control (03:20) - An overview of the mixer. George also discusses setting outputs, adjusting volume and inserting effects.
• Turnarounds (03:30) - Take a look at using various tools we’ve looked at in a pencil-like manner to create the turnaround and then copy and paste where needed.
• Score Text: Chord Symbols & Lyrics (04:13) - George demonstrates typing chord symbols and lyrics directly into the score using the Chord Tool and the Lyric Tool.
• Guitar Techniques (07:36) - George explores adding grace notes, slurs, bends, slides and other guitar techniques to a transcribed solo to create a realistic performance. George also shows how to copy between files.
• Playback: Time-Based Performance Functions (02:49) - George demonstrates changing the feel from Swing to Straight, adding a ritard and fermatas.
• Fine Tuning the Score (02:38) - George discusses filling in rests throughout and hiding and editing attachments, as well as adding titles and credits.
• Layout (04:11) - George adjust the layout, changes the view and zoom level, changes to handwritten style, adjust the notation size, margins and spacing, and aligns chord symbols.
• Playback: Mixing & Effects (05:06) - George explores using the Mixer and built-in effects to enhance the playback. Panning, EQ, Compression and other effects are added too.
• Importing Standard MIDI Files (02:17) - George imports a MIDI file, converts to notation and strip velocity and tempo data.
• Creating the Form (03:55) - George demonstrates deleting measures and adding repeats and endings to create the form.
• Editing Notes (07:57) - George discusses enharmonics, swapping voices, changing note values and pitches, renotating trills.
• Changing Instruments (02:07) - Changing instruments from string quartet to saxophones, and Transposes the score and keys. George also discusses a Concert vs transposed score, and checks the range.
• Critical Editing (05:25) - George demonstrates adding dynamics, articulations and phrasing.
• Advanced Layout & Parts (06:48) - George explores entering rehearsal letters and edits score text. George also adjust the notation size and margins, adds page and system breaks, adjust staff and system spacing, and opens and edits dynamic parts.
• Four Part Writing & Analysis (06:15) - George demonstrates entering a chorale in four voices on a grand staff and creates a mid measure repeat. George also discusses changing fonts and entering analysis.
• Jazz Rhythm Section: Drums (02:00) - George uses slashes and cue notes to create a professional jazz drum part. George also adds text designations, setts a part to Tacet, and Hides a part for use in playback.
• Jazz Rhythm Section: Piano, Guitar & Bass (04:30) - Slash notation with or without stems with chord symbols for playback. Improving voice leading by notating chords under slashes. Using the Chord Library. Creating custom chord diagrams for guitar. Using the Recent Chord Library and transpose to quickly create guitar parts with better voice leading.
• Importing Music XML (04:30) - George shows how to import a musicXML and clears velocities and tempo data.
• Performance Editing (05:31) - George explores marking up a score for performance, edits articulations, dynamics and crescendo/descrescendos, and adjust the length of notes with the Sequencer Overlay. Randomizing attacks and tweaking dynamics are also covered.
• Advanced Mixing: Auxiliary Busses (05:32) - George discusses mixing the orchestra by using submixes and aux busses.
• NTempo: Live Performance & Recording Tempos (06:36) - George explores adding an NTempo staff and entering notes for tapping tempo. George then sets up a MIDI keyboard for NTempo, George also discusses performing using Live Performance Mode as well as recording and editing tempos.
• Scoring to Video (08:35) - George imports a video and syncs it to Notion, determines basic tempo, marks hit points. George then adjust meter and tempo and uses Fit to Music command to sync to the hit points.
• VST Instruments (03:13) - George explores creating a score using supported VST library, creates a multi-instrument track for unsupported VST instruments, and assigns VST instruments to basic staves.
• Custom Rules (03:04) - George demonstrates creating custom rules for unsupported techniques with external VST instruments.