Hello everyone...
Ive been playing piano and many other instruments for most of my life now...I am also a singer, who performs from time to time...
Anyways...i have a low budget when it comes to having a professional studio...but i have learned many things...
Ive done a lot of research and have realized that it takes 4 things to have a successful track...PRODUCTION- RECORDING- MIXING- MASTERING...
I can honestly say that im totaly set when it comes to RECORDING- MIXING- MASTERING...
and am very confident in those areas...
i have a good enough mic and monitors...
but my only problems are within PRODUCTION...( not the actual COMPOSITION of it obviously hehe, since i have a lot of experience )
BUT THE SOFTWARE/HARDWARE that has to do with it...
I used to have a Triton in a studio that i was in, but since im not in it anymore- i switched to SOFTWARE PRODUCTION ( remember, i think my mixing and mastering skills will help out a lot when it comes to boosting the cheap sounds )
i personaly believe in LIVE instruments- recorded at the mic- but i cant afford to have all that arranged...anyways...
*****HERE IS WHERE MY QUESTIONS COME IN*****
I am looking to produce everything, from jazzy to funky to hiphop to classic or orchestra etc...why? because i have a lot of experience in most of these categories...
Like i said, i recently switched to SOFTWARE...
This is what i know how to use well :
***Reason 2.5 and I have a midi controller (keyboard that i connected midi cables to the sound card)
In Reason 2.5, I use the standard sounds provided (ex/ NN19, NN-XT, Subtractor, Malstrom) and i use them in REFILLS called FACTORY SOUND BANK and ORCHESTRA...this is known to everyone who knows Reason...
***After i got pretty bored with Reason, i decided to look for some more sounds etc...I found Soundfonts- and now use some of its sounds...
The only thing I have off Soundfonts is 27mg Symphony Hall Bank and some (not so good) Bass...those sounds i used up...
NOW! this what Ive realized- Ive realized that Im pretty good on software when it comes to producing with the MIDI CONTROLLER and MOUSE- and then having a good MIX...its all good...
I want to get more serious into producing with SOFTWARE...
I started reading and found this out...WHAT ELSE IS AVAILABLE FOR ME....MORE POSSIBILITIES AND BETTER SOUNDS WITH BETTER TWEAKERS...
= Kontact ( with Logic or Cubase )
= Battery ( with Logic or Cubase )
= Cubase and Steinberg VST Instruments
= AKAI overall
= Native Instruments
= CDs with Samples etc...
= CD Extract
My only problem is I dont know where to start...I tried out stuff but didnt work out for some reason...It feel so bad since its supposed to be the easy part...
I know what it is to have good sounds and a wide range of instruments and bass etc...I used to have a Triton for god sakes...those were the days..
My dream right now is to find out more about the list above and get better Banks of many instruments incl. good bass etc.
Basicly, Im up to knowing Reason (using Soundfonts, Factory and Orchestra)
everything else would be beautiful!
I listen to this music on radio- and it makes me sick to tell you the truth, so much more can be done if i had the right stuff installed and knew how to open them...
please help...
IS THERE ANY CHANCE I COULD HAVE YOUR MSN? or ICQ?
so we can discuss this...it will take you no more than HALF AN HOUR to explain
i just need some general questions answered...
Remember, I am not a beginner in this, so you wont need to stress with useless explinations...
Please Help, Thank You!
Would anyone with experience please help a musician out.....
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- KVRist
- 288 posts since 13 Oct, 2003 from Houston,Tx
Check your email.
"..because anybody can
or should be able to rock off turntables
Grab the mic, plug it in and begin
..." -KRS-One
www.myspace.com/synthlegend
or should be able to rock off turntables
Grab the mic, plug it in and begin
..." -KRS-One
www.myspace.com/synthlegend
-
- KVRAF
- 2495 posts since 18 May, 2004 from ATL-USA
First of all, go to the instruments/effects/host button on the left in the navigation bar. There are TONS of free and trial VST instruments and effects to download.
I am not familiar with Reason, so I can't help you there. Sampletank free has a nice fender bass sampled instrument that is great and free. Actually with sampletank and a few libraries of samples, you have a great production suite right there. Gigastudio is also worth looking into if you have the money.
Be aware that you will be spending countless hours just learning to use the new tools and it will be some time before you actually see a major improvement in production.
I am not familiar with Reason, so I can't help you there. Sampletank free has a nice fender bass sampled instrument that is great and free. Actually with sampletank and a few libraries of samples, you have a great production suite right there. Gigastudio is also worth looking into if you have the money.
Be aware that you will be spending countless hours just learning to use the new tools and it will be some time before you actually see a major improvement in production.
Anti-aliasing is for "synthmonk%ys".
-
- KVRian
- 763 posts since 30 Nov, 2000 from Vienna, Austria
Hi, welcome on board.
Seems like a good rompler would be a good start for you if you're primarily looking for sounds -
a lot of people like Sampletank 2 for example
http://www.kvr-vst.com/get/28.html
for which Sonic Reality is soon going to release the also highly acclaimed Sonik Synth 2 'all-you-can-eat' soundbank.
USB also has a few nice rompler packs available like UltraFocus (http://www.kvr-vst.com/get/409.html), which, errrm, focuses primarily on synths, as I understand.
If you're more into real instruments you could of course also consider a sampler like Kontakt, that you mentioned, Halion by Steinberg or Mach 5 by Motu, or for starters sfz+ (or sfz, the free version)which is a very nice Soundfont player and get some libraries (or maybe you already have a few AKAI libraries?).
If you only have reason you will also need a host, of course, that supports VSTi - it's hard to recommend one here as there's quite a couple of them around, all with their particular strengths and weaknesses. You might want to try out a few of the available demo versions.
If you're into synths or even some experimental stuff as well there are all kinds of stuff available (even for free) and you'd have to specify your interests to get good advice.
I hope this is helpful for a start...
Cheers, Jo
Seems like a good rompler would be a good start for you if you're primarily looking for sounds -
a lot of people like Sampletank 2 for example
http://www.kvr-vst.com/get/28.html
for which Sonic Reality is soon going to release the also highly acclaimed Sonik Synth 2 'all-you-can-eat' soundbank.
USB also has a few nice rompler packs available like UltraFocus (http://www.kvr-vst.com/get/409.html), which, errrm, focuses primarily on synths, as I understand.
If you're more into real instruments you could of course also consider a sampler like Kontakt, that you mentioned, Halion by Steinberg or Mach 5 by Motu, or for starters sfz+ (or sfz, the free version)which is a very nice Soundfont player and get some libraries (or maybe you already have a few AKAI libraries?).
If you only have reason you will also need a host, of course, that supports VSTi - it's hard to recommend one here as there's quite a couple of them around, all with their particular strengths and weaknesses. You might want to try out a few of the available demo versions.
If you're into synths or even some experimental stuff as well there are all kinds of stuff available (even for free) and you'd have to specify your interests to get good advice.
I hope this is helpful for a start...
Cheers, Jo
You have no right to remain silent!
www.soundcloud/phunkberater
www.soundcloud/phunkberater
-
- KVRer
- 12 posts since 31 Aug, 2004
Hi there,
A host is definitely a must (as others have said before) and it really depends on what platform you are on, Windows or Mac. If you are on a Mac, you have Logic and Digital Performer to think about (you also have Cubase but I have heard its not really stable though SX3 may change things). On Windows, you have Cubase and Sonar to think about.
I use Logic on a PC (v5.51) and I love it even though its a dead platform since Apple bought over. The one thing I like about Logic is the included soft-instruments such as the EP (EVP88), Clavinet (EVD6) and the Organ (EVB3), as well as a whole bunch of others soft-synths. It also comes with its own sampler EXS-24 and so that sets you off to a good start. If you buy Cubase (you will need to check this as my info could be outdated), then you will need to fork out additional money on top of that to buy the Halion sampler.
In terms of sounds, do a search on soundsonline.com as they sell all sorts of stuff.. Then narrow it down to the sounds that you would love to have and see what sampler they are available in... Gigastudio was the dominant sampler a while back and there are tons of libraries for it, but now that Kontakt and VSTi format (i.e. libraries based around the Kontakt sampler engine) are quite popular, things may be different. That said, Giga3 is out now with a whole bunch of goodies...
I run 2 PCs - 1 is a dedicated Logic/sequencing PC and the other is a dedicated Gigastudio PC... The few libraries that I have and strongly recommend for Gigastudio are Garritan Orchestral Strings, Scarbee J-Slap and J-Fingered basses (these are really good!), Yellow Tools Pure Guitar and Matt Ragan Steel Strength... Tehre are a few that I use off and on but these 4 are pretty much waht I use in every composition...
Then for VSTi, I find the Logic's soft instruments indispensible (especially EVD6, EVP88 and EVB3), as well as Spectrasonics Stylus and Atmosphere... For drums, BFD FXPansion is pretty good...
slowdude
A host is definitely a must (as others have said before) and it really depends on what platform you are on, Windows or Mac. If you are on a Mac, you have Logic and Digital Performer to think about (you also have Cubase but I have heard its not really stable though SX3 may change things). On Windows, you have Cubase and Sonar to think about.
I use Logic on a PC (v5.51) and I love it even though its a dead platform since Apple bought over. The one thing I like about Logic is the included soft-instruments such as the EP (EVP88), Clavinet (EVD6) and the Organ (EVB3), as well as a whole bunch of others soft-synths. It also comes with its own sampler EXS-24 and so that sets you off to a good start. If you buy Cubase (you will need to check this as my info could be outdated), then you will need to fork out additional money on top of that to buy the Halion sampler.
In terms of sounds, do a search on soundsonline.com as they sell all sorts of stuff.. Then narrow it down to the sounds that you would love to have and see what sampler they are available in... Gigastudio was the dominant sampler a while back and there are tons of libraries for it, but now that Kontakt and VSTi format (i.e. libraries based around the Kontakt sampler engine) are quite popular, things may be different. That said, Giga3 is out now with a whole bunch of goodies...
I run 2 PCs - 1 is a dedicated Logic/sequencing PC and the other is a dedicated Gigastudio PC... The few libraries that I have and strongly recommend for Gigastudio are Garritan Orchestral Strings, Scarbee J-Slap and J-Fingered basses (these are really good!), Yellow Tools Pure Guitar and Matt Ragan Steel Strength... Tehre are a few that I use off and on but these 4 are pretty much waht I use in every composition...
Then for VSTi, I find the Logic's soft instruments indispensible (especially EVD6, EVP88 and EVB3), as well as Spectrasonics Stylus and Atmosphere... For drums, BFD FXPansion is pretty good...
slowdude
-
- Banned
- 12367 posts since 30 Apr, 2002 from i might peeramid
could i?
could i do something else for a change?? :P
try the freebies, save yer money. there are a lot of talented devs working to make sure resources are free. and some other guys making sure resources are cheap, but someone else can talk about that :)
use them and the cool thing is that you have the knowledge and experience then to hook up anyone with a pc and desire.
unfortunately, i use free vst, but am still clinging onto a ~4 year old copy of logic as a host.. been keeping eyes open and there are at least a dozen free multitrack vst hosts..
pending i ever make music again instead of building stuff in synthedit to do it for me :p
http://www.synthedit.com :)
could i do something else for a change?? :P
try the freebies, save yer money. there are a lot of talented devs working to make sure resources are free. and some other guys making sure resources are cheap, but someone else can talk about that :)
use them and the cool thing is that you have the knowledge and experience then to hook up anyone with a pc and desire.
unfortunately, i use free vst, but am still clinging onto a ~4 year old copy of logic as a host.. been keeping eyes open and there are at least a dozen free multitrack vst hosts..
pending i ever make music again instead of building stuff in synthedit to do it for me :p
http://www.synthedit.com :)
you come and go, you come and go. amitabha neither a follower nor a leader be tagore "where roads are made i lose my way" where there is certainty, consideration is absent.
-
- KVRAF
- 8749 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
Definitely try out a good number of the free VSTi's before you rush into buying anything - also try the demos for the commercial ones. Once you get a good idea of what sounds you can get from the free ones, you'll almost certainly want to buy the odd one or two.
Synths: Some of the free ones to download would be:
Crystal (Greenoak) - a complicated but very versatile synth for evolving pads and synth burbles. It will also load soundfonts of your own that you can then apply the very full-featured synthesis engine to.
Impulse (Bojo): An analogue type synth for power synth leads and basses (and strong pads).
FreeAlpha (Linplug): a general purpose VS synth along the lines of the old Roland Junos.
Synth1: Another general purpose VA synth that many equate with the Nord type sound.
Claw (ReFX): an analogue-y bass and lead synth reminiscent of older Roland gear such as 101s, 303s.
Ninja : A colder digital type synth - very similar to the type of synthesised sounds you get from S+S synths like your old Triton etc. (but doesn't use samples as the basis)
Check out the many Synthedit VSTi's available - some decent FM synths available (as in Yamaha 80s synthesis).
And then eventually you'll probably want one or two of the classier VSTi synths for sale, such as impOSCar, Oddity, Z3ta, Rhino, Albino, FM7, Vaz modular etc. But use the freebies first!
Samplers: Sounds like you'll need one of these, for sure.
As mentioned, SFZ (rgc) is free, and will load any type of sample you can throw at it, including soundfonts - there is a better featured commercial version if you like it. Also there's Sampletank Free which gives a taster for their commercial offerings - very much something you'll find easy, as they've based it on the old h/w ROMplers.
Computer Music magazine gives away a free sampler on the cover CD - and it ain't all that bad too. Unless you're into power sampling, it'll do the job.
Commercial ones to demo would be Halion, VSampler, Gigasampler or others.
FX - you will need 3rd party FX. Some hosts have some good FX included, but there are generally better ones out there. I get by mostly with free ones, as there are so many quality ones now available for free.
SIR is a first stop - it'll give you the best quality reverbs without resorting to hardware - but you need to download some good impulses (.wavs) of reverb tails which are available at the Noisevault.
Delays - RetroDelay by e-phonic is my favourite of the freebies - it's a good old grungy analog type delay. Or Classic Delay by Kjaerhus. (then consider Ohmboyz from OhmForce for a classy commercial one, or PSP Lexicon delay.
There are too many other useable free FX to mention - as said - go to the FX list on this site, which has links to all of them.
You may need to buy some dynamics and Eq - mostly the ones bundled with the host apps aren't quite up to scratch if you're fussy about your mixing. Digitalfishphones do probably the best free comps, and Sonalksis/Kjaerhus for the commercial ones.
Eq - ElementalAudio sell Eqium/Firium, which is a good character Eq, also PSP and again Kjaerhus.
Mastering comps/limiters - PSP, Ozone, T-Racks. But also some useful free ones such as Digitalfishphones, Sinus, T-Sledge and others.
A Host: An absolute must, and something you need to buy. Most of the big boys in that field sell slightly cut-down versions of their flagship hosts. You won't necessarily need the most expensive/biggest. Cubase, Sonar, Orion...and consider Tracktion (which is not as easy graphically, but very well featured, and a fraction of the price of the real big ones). Pretty well all of the major hosts have very similar functions and options, and all have the same sound quality (whatever nonsense you might hear) - the deciding factor is how you work within a PC screen, how each one's workflow and graphic interface suit you or not. You'll get into all kinds of flame wars if you ask most musos "which is the best host". All bullshit aside-they are all on an equal footing. It's your own workflow preferences that are the difference.
The hosts pretty well all have demos nowadays - try them out for a good while before you buy. You need to sit for a few weeks in front of your screen to decide which one is easiest for you to use, and which ones make things difficult for you. But the main difference between the big hosts and the lesser ones is flexibility...all of the bigger ones will let you pretty well work in the way you prefer and have all kinds of options and features that you may not initially use; but they have the capability for expanding as your skill with PC mixing/recording grows. Spend less on a smaller host and some day you will outgrow it. Any of the main hosts will allow you to create and record a complete song from scratch, right through mixing, into mastering, and allow alternate mixes/editing as detailed as you want to get. And as you're a real instrument player, you might need scoring - which only the big ones do properly - you can input your phrases and edit them by notation if you work that way.
It's a large learning curve - the hosts being the largest one. Reason etc are pretty good, but just don't have that flexibilty to allow you to record in any way you want (be that real recording, midi sequences, audio loops or a mix of all 3), then mix in any way you want, and master in any way you want. A good host is basically a huge mixer, an enormous reel-to-reel recorder, a rack full of FX/dynamics, and a room full of synths and samplers...all in one box. If you aren't comfortable with your host, then you won't be comfortable with your recordings, whereas you can always swap and change your synths and FX easily and usually cheaply.
I and the others here have only scratched the surface. But the main theme is...don't rush in and spend big - try the host demos properly (not just first impressions - a good test is how often you need to read the manual to get going beyond the basic setting up. If you can get to mixer channels and add in FX and edit the phrases and rearrange the parts without scratching your head with the manual for 6hours, then most likely that host is the one for you). Then try as many free synths and FX as you can stomach, pick out which ones you like the sound and use of, then hunt for the better commercial ones in that category. My advice would be that you really only need one very good synth in each style that you use, one sampler, one good FX of each type and you're rolling. It's too easy to get sucked into buying hundreds of synths just because they're so cheap nowadays. And you need to keep the learning curve manageable.
PM (private mail) me if you need (button underneath the poster's name). We're generally a helpful bunch here...prone to arguing about silly things that don't really matter, but you sound like a genuine needful case, and we're suckers for trying to sound knowledgable hehehe
)
Synths: Some of the free ones to download would be:
Crystal (Greenoak) - a complicated but very versatile synth for evolving pads and synth burbles. It will also load soundfonts of your own that you can then apply the very full-featured synthesis engine to.
Impulse (Bojo): An analogue type synth for power synth leads and basses (and strong pads).
FreeAlpha (Linplug): a general purpose VS synth along the lines of the old Roland Junos.
Synth1: Another general purpose VA synth that many equate with the Nord type sound.
Claw (ReFX): an analogue-y bass and lead synth reminiscent of older Roland gear such as 101s, 303s.
Ninja : A colder digital type synth - very similar to the type of synthesised sounds you get from S+S synths like your old Triton etc. (but doesn't use samples as the basis)
Check out the many Synthedit VSTi's available - some decent FM synths available (as in Yamaha 80s synthesis).
And then eventually you'll probably want one or two of the classier VSTi synths for sale, such as impOSCar, Oddity, Z3ta, Rhino, Albino, FM7, Vaz modular etc. But use the freebies first!
Samplers: Sounds like you'll need one of these, for sure.
As mentioned, SFZ (rgc) is free, and will load any type of sample you can throw at it, including soundfonts - there is a better featured commercial version if you like it. Also there's Sampletank Free which gives a taster for their commercial offerings - very much something you'll find easy, as they've based it on the old h/w ROMplers.
Computer Music magazine gives away a free sampler on the cover CD - and it ain't all that bad too. Unless you're into power sampling, it'll do the job.
Commercial ones to demo would be Halion, VSampler, Gigasampler or others.
FX - you will need 3rd party FX. Some hosts have some good FX included, but there are generally better ones out there. I get by mostly with free ones, as there are so many quality ones now available for free.
SIR is a first stop - it'll give you the best quality reverbs without resorting to hardware - but you need to download some good impulses (.wavs) of reverb tails which are available at the Noisevault.
Delays - RetroDelay by e-phonic is my favourite of the freebies - it's a good old grungy analog type delay. Or Classic Delay by Kjaerhus. (then consider Ohmboyz from OhmForce for a classy commercial one, or PSP Lexicon delay.
There are too many other useable free FX to mention - as said - go to the FX list on this site, which has links to all of them.
You may need to buy some dynamics and Eq - mostly the ones bundled with the host apps aren't quite up to scratch if you're fussy about your mixing. Digitalfishphones do probably the best free comps, and Sonalksis/Kjaerhus for the commercial ones.
Eq - ElementalAudio sell Eqium/Firium, which is a good character Eq, also PSP and again Kjaerhus.
Mastering comps/limiters - PSP, Ozone, T-Racks. But also some useful free ones such as Digitalfishphones, Sinus, T-Sledge and others.
A Host: An absolute must, and something you need to buy. Most of the big boys in that field sell slightly cut-down versions of their flagship hosts. You won't necessarily need the most expensive/biggest. Cubase, Sonar, Orion...and consider Tracktion (which is not as easy graphically, but very well featured, and a fraction of the price of the real big ones). Pretty well all of the major hosts have very similar functions and options, and all have the same sound quality (whatever nonsense you might hear) - the deciding factor is how you work within a PC screen, how each one's workflow and graphic interface suit you or not. You'll get into all kinds of flame wars if you ask most musos "which is the best host". All bullshit aside-they are all on an equal footing. It's your own workflow preferences that are the difference.
The hosts pretty well all have demos nowadays - try them out for a good while before you buy. You need to sit for a few weeks in front of your screen to decide which one is easiest for you to use, and which ones make things difficult for you. But the main difference between the big hosts and the lesser ones is flexibility...all of the bigger ones will let you pretty well work in the way you prefer and have all kinds of options and features that you may not initially use; but they have the capability for expanding as your skill with PC mixing/recording grows. Spend less on a smaller host and some day you will outgrow it. Any of the main hosts will allow you to create and record a complete song from scratch, right through mixing, into mastering, and allow alternate mixes/editing as detailed as you want to get. And as you're a real instrument player, you might need scoring - which only the big ones do properly - you can input your phrases and edit them by notation if you work that way.
It's a large learning curve - the hosts being the largest one. Reason etc are pretty good, but just don't have that flexibilty to allow you to record in any way you want (be that real recording, midi sequences, audio loops or a mix of all 3), then mix in any way you want, and master in any way you want. A good host is basically a huge mixer, an enormous reel-to-reel recorder, a rack full of FX/dynamics, and a room full of synths and samplers...all in one box. If you aren't comfortable with your host, then you won't be comfortable with your recordings, whereas you can always swap and change your synths and FX easily and usually cheaply.
I and the others here have only scratched the surface. But the main theme is...don't rush in and spend big - try the host demos properly (not just first impressions - a good test is how often you need to read the manual to get going beyond the basic setting up. If you can get to mixer channels and add in FX and edit the phrases and rearrange the parts without scratching your head with the manual for 6hours, then most likely that host is the one for you). Then try as many free synths and FX as you can stomach, pick out which ones you like the sound and use of, then hunt for the better commercial ones in that category. My advice would be that you really only need one very good synth in each style that you use, one sampler, one good FX of each type and you're rolling. It's too easy to get sucked into buying hundreds of synths just because they're so cheap nowadays. And you need to keep the learning curve manageable.
PM (private mail) me if you need (button underneath the poster's name). We're generally a helpful bunch here...prone to arguing about silly things that don't really matter, but you sound like a genuine needful case, and we're suckers for trying to sound knowledgable hehehe
)-
- KVRAF
- 8749 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
And I'm waiting for delivery of my new PC, so I've got nothing constructive to do at the moment...I may as well talk about making music if I can't actually do it until next week. 
-
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 19 posts since 9 Sep, 2004
You guys are amazing...
I am on to everything you guys mentioned, but i am definately going to contact you guys...
I dont like bothering people (its time for me to research)
I will take a couple of days and sit through what you guys told me to do...
and then PM some of you if I am really stuck
Thank You so much, talk to you guys soon
I am on to everything you guys mentioned, but i am definately going to contact you guys...
I dont like bothering people (its time for me to research)
I will take a couple of days and sit through what you guys told me to do...
and then PM some of you if I am really stuck
Thank You so much, talk to you guys soon
-
- KVRian
- 661 posts since 15 Jun, 2004 from blue america
ok...so you have the composition, mixing, & mastering parts of production down...now you want some help on computer production outside of Reason...easy:Mr. Music wrote:Hello everyone...
Ive been playing piano and many other instruments for most of my life now...I am also a singer, who performs from time to time...
Anyways...i have a low budget when it comes to having a professional studio...but i have learned many things...
Ive done a lot of research and have realized that it takes 4 things to have a successful track...PRODUCTION- RECORDING- MIXING- MASTERING...
I can honestly say that im totaly set when it comes to RECORDING- MIXING- MASTERING...
and am very confident in those areas...
i have a good enough mic and monitors...
but my only problems are within PRODUCTION...( not the actual COMPOSITION of it obviously hehe, since i have a lot of experience )
BUT THE SOFTWARE/HARDWARE that has to do with it...
I used to have a Triton in a studio that i was in, but since im not in it anymore- i switched to SOFTWARE PRODUCTION ( remember, i think my mixing and mastering skills will help out a lot when it comes to boosting the cheap sounds )
i personaly believe in LIVE instruments- recorded at the mic- but i cant afford to have all that arranged...anyways...
*****HERE IS WHERE MY QUESTIONS COME IN*****
I am looking to produce everything, from jazzy to funky to hiphop to classic or orchestra etc...why? because i have a lot of experience in most of these categories...
Like i said, i recently switched to SOFTWARE...
This is what i know how to use well :
***Reason 2.5 and I have a midi controller (keyboard that i connected midi cables to the sound card)
In Reason 2.5, I use the standard sounds provided (ex/ NN19, NN-XT, Subtractor, Malstrom) and i use them in REFILLS called FACTORY SOUND BANK and ORCHESTRA...this is known to everyone who knows Reason...
***After i got pretty bored with Reason, i decided to look for some more sounds etc...I found Soundfonts- and now use some of its sounds...
The only thing I have off Soundfonts is 27mg Symphony Hall Bank and some (not so good) Bass...those sounds i used up...
NOW! this what Ive realized- Ive realized that Im pretty good on software when it comes to producing with the MIDI CONTROLLER and MOUSE- and then having a good MIX...its all good...
I want to get more serious into producing with SOFTWARE...
I started reading and found this out...WHAT ELSE IS AVAILABLE FOR ME....MORE POSSIBILITIES AND BETTER SOUNDS WITH BETTER TWEAKERS...
= Kontact ( with Logic or Cubase )
= Battery ( with Logic or Cubase )
= Cubase and Steinberg VST Instruments
= AKAI overall
= Native Instruments
= CDs with Samples etc...
= CD Extract
My only problem is I dont know where to start...I tried out stuff but didnt work out for some reason...It feel so bad since its supposed to be the easy part...
I know what it is to have good sounds and a wide range of instruments and bass etc...I used to have a Triton for god sakes...those were the days..
My dream right now is to find out more about the list above and get better Banks of many instruments incl. good bass etc.
Basicly, Im up to knowing Reason (using Soundfonts, Factory and Orchestra)
everything else would be beautiful!
I listen to this music on radio- and it makes me sick to tell you the truth, so much more can be done if i had the right stuff installed and knew how to open them...
please help...
IS THERE ANY CHANCE I COULD HAVE YOUR MSN? or ICQ?
so we can discuss this...it will take you no more than HALF AN HOUR to explain
i just need some general questions answered...
Remember, I am not a beginner in this, so you wont need to stress with useless explinations...
Please Help, Thank You!
H/W:
(1) Some Athlon 64 box (so you're ready when XP64 and 64b apps come out)
(2) Hammerfall Multiface (interface--unless you have lots of money...then there are many pro boxes to choose from)
S/W:
(1) the next version of Cubase SX 3(4) (audio+midi sequencer w/minimal scoring)
(2) Arturia CS-80V (nice pads)
(3) Moog Modular V v2 (bass)
(4) Atmospheres (textures)
(5) Vanguard (tekno sheen)
(6) Reaktor 4 (sound design)
(7) SampleTank 2 (bread & butter sounds)
(8) Chainer (to run all your soft synths in combination)
(9) one of the big orchestral sample sets
(10) Drumkit From Hell (drums)
now all your bases are covered...take a year or so to learn how to use these, and that's that!
overthrow KRAPITALISM ! you have nothing to lose but your claims.
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- KVRAF
- 9220 posts since 23 Jul, 2002 from Pequot Lakes, MN
The host is the most important part as stated above-it's the center of the production environment.Considering you're already using Reason,a host with ReWire is the ticket-then you can use Reason like a giant plugin synth module.
The guy above had a couple good ideas-spring for the best PC you can afford.Soundcards-unless you're recording a lot of external gear,your soundcard's primary function is for monitoring.Are you happy with the one you have and do you have reasonably low latency?If so,you can skip that for now.
Synths-everybody has a different idea of what's good.
The freebies mentioned are a good place to start.If you have the money and desire to learn,you could cover all the bases with three synths;
Reaktor
Virsyn Tera
Absynth
Reaktor and Absynth also semi-function as sample players.The NN-XT in Reason is actually a fairly good sampler if you feed it the right material.
The previous poster also mentioned Chainer.Not only is it great as a chainer,you can also multisample your chains with a couple mouse clicks.EnergyXT is also a great app that does chaining and a whole lot more.
Try some demos and see what fits YOU...
ew
The guy above had a couple good ideas-spring for the best PC you can afford.Soundcards-unless you're recording a lot of external gear,your soundcard's primary function is for monitoring.Are you happy with the one you have and do you have reasonably low latency?If so,you can skip that for now.
Synths-everybody has a different idea of what's good.
The freebies mentioned are a good place to start.If you have the money and desire to learn,you could cover all the bases with three synths;
Reaktor
Virsyn Tera
Absynth
Reaktor and Absynth also semi-function as sample players.The NN-XT in Reason is actually a fairly good sampler if you feed it the right material.
The previous poster also mentioned Chainer.Not only is it great as a chainer,you can also multisample your chains with a couple mouse clicks.EnergyXT is also a great app that does chaining and a whole lot more.
Try some demos and see what fits YOU...
ew
A spectral heretic...
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- KVRAF
- 8749 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
I'm not so sure about the 64bit PC subject ... I ordered a new PC very recently, so I had to wrestle with myself on that very subject. Difficult choice in the extreme.
64bit is just around the corner, and it will be the way to go eventually, but I'm not sure how soon. The Windows 64bit version is still in beta testing, so it may be a year, maybe even 2 before it's stable. Same goes for hosts - Cubase SX3 is supposed to be ready for 64bit, but somehow I doubt it will actually be a stable 64bit host until at least a year, maybe 2. I haven't heard of any other hosts that are ready for 64bit yet...
And take into account the cost - you'll pay top dollar for anything 64bit at present. Whereas for an awful lot less, you can get a top-spec 32bit system. Then for a few hundred dollars even less you can get a 2.5-3GHz CPU rather than the latest 3.5GHz. And with a 2.5 GHz CPU you can do an awful lot, at very high quality if you have enough onboard RAM.
I eventually went for a 2.5GHz CPU. it cost half what a 3.5 would cost - then I can upgrade it next year probably at the same cost. I only got 1GB RAM. It cost me less than half it would have cost to get 2GB RAM (simply because the motherboard to access 2GB costs more). There isn't really much I can't do on that system, even though it isn't the best specified one. Mine cost $1550 (NZ$). One with a 3.5GHZ CPU and 2GB RAM would have cost over $2500. A 64 bit one would have cost me more again - over $3000. Whereas I get the use of a powerful PC now, which will do literally anything as long as I'm sensible and render some stuff down to audio. In two years I'll be able to upgrade to a stable 64bit system for much the same price at greater power, whereas if I buy a top spec 64bit system now, I'll be one of the beta testers that finds and lives with all of the certain bugs that'll happen, and I still will have a fraction of the power that I'd get in 2 years time. So I'd probably want to upgrade again anyway.
Not economic sense, considering the power even a mid-range PC gives today.
Spend less on the PC system...the one you have may well be powerful enough as is. You'll have a hard road ahead learning and getting to grips with a big host and all the new synths etc. Concentrate on that, and discover which samplers/synths/FX you need to get good results first. Too many people in my opinion spend too much time and money in upgrading their PC setup, when they can get by very easily and get as good results by simply rendering more things to audio. If you insist on running absolutely everything live, then no PC on earth is ever going to keep up with the pace. The whole benefit to PC music when it first came out was the fact you get so many more tracks to record to. You weren't just limited to 8 (which was standard at the time). That has been forgotten. If you perfect some of the recording stages as you go, rather than doing the whole thing at once, then you don't need to run it all live. You can edit audio recordings almost as easily as midi sequences nowadays, so why not do just that, and ease up the pressure on the PC? (I'm an old giffer you see). By mixdown time, there is no reason for anyone to have any live midi sequences running...which means you have the whole PC left for FX/Eq/Dynamics/automation duties. But that's just personal preference and common sense. If you have a Porsche, and drive it around at top speed all of the time, you'll either wear out the engine quicker, or kill yourself
And the idea of running Reason over Rewire...Great idea - I didn't think of that. You probably still need a fully fledged host, but at least if you run Reason over Rewire, then you've still got something you're familiar with to get started. Also means you haven't wasted time and money on Reason. Check out which hosts can use Rewire - I'm not entirely sure all of them can. You could get your drums and some synth lines running in Reason, then have less to figure out within the true host. Starting from scratch with a brand new host can be an inspiration-killer.
Another afterthought...it sounds like you may be using a fair bit of orchestral stuff. That probably means a sampler of some sort, and one that can run alot of samples without strain...which in turn means one that disk streams (i.e. it reads the samples direct from the hard drive, rather than loading them into your PC RAM) You might want to seriously consider having a second hard drive to do that. One for all the other stuff, and one purely for samples - it relieves the strain on any PC by quite alot.
64bit is just around the corner, and it will be the way to go eventually, but I'm not sure how soon. The Windows 64bit version is still in beta testing, so it may be a year, maybe even 2 before it's stable. Same goes for hosts - Cubase SX3 is supposed to be ready for 64bit, but somehow I doubt it will actually be a stable 64bit host until at least a year, maybe 2. I haven't heard of any other hosts that are ready for 64bit yet...
And take into account the cost - you'll pay top dollar for anything 64bit at present. Whereas for an awful lot less, you can get a top-spec 32bit system. Then for a few hundred dollars even less you can get a 2.5-3GHz CPU rather than the latest 3.5GHz. And with a 2.5 GHz CPU you can do an awful lot, at very high quality if you have enough onboard RAM.
I eventually went for a 2.5GHz CPU. it cost half what a 3.5 would cost - then I can upgrade it next year probably at the same cost. I only got 1GB RAM. It cost me less than half it would have cost to get 2GB RAM (simply because the motherboard to access 2GB costs more). There isn't really much I can't do on that system, even though it isn't the best specified one. Mine cost $1550 (NZ$). One with a 3.5GHZ CPU and 2GB RAM would have cost over $2500. A 64 bit one would have cost me more again - over $3000. Whereas I get the use of a powerful PC now, which will do literally anything as long as I'm sensible and render some stuff down to audio. In two years I'll be able to upgrade to a stable 64bit system for much the same price at greater power, whereas if I buy a top spec 64bit system now, I'll be one of the beta testers that finds and lives with all of the certain bugs that'll happen, and I still will have a fraction of the power that I'd get in 2 years time. So I'd probably want to upgrade again anyway.
Not economic sense, considering the power even a mid-range PC gives today.
Spend less on the PC system...the one you have may well be powerful enough as is. You'll have a hard road ahead learning and getting to grips with a big host and all the new synths etc. Concentrate on that, and discover which samplers/synths/FX you need to get good results first. Too many people in my opinion spend too much time and money in upgrading their PC setup, when they can get by very easily and get as good results by simply rendering more things to audio. If you insist on running absolutely everything live, then no PC on earth is ever going to keep up with the pace. The whole benefit to PC music when it first came out was the fact you get so many more tracks to record to. You weren't just limited to 8 (which was standard at the time). That has been forgotten. If you perfect some of the recording stages as you go, rather than doing the whole thing at once, then you don't need to run it all live. You can edit audio recordings almost as easily as midi sequences nowadays, so why not do just that, and ease up the pressure on the PC? (I'm an old giffer you see). By mixdown time, there is no reason for anyone to have any live midi sequences running...which means you have the whole PC left for FX/Eq/Dynamics/automation duties. But that's just personal preference and common sense. If you have a Porsche, and drive it around at top speed all of the time, you'll either wear out the engine quicker, or kill yourself
And the idea of running Reason over Rewire...Great idea - I didn't think of that. You probably still need a fully fledged host, but at least if you run Reason over Rewire, then you've still got something you're familiar with to get started. Also means you haven't wasted time and money on Reason. Check out which hosts can use Rewire - I'm not entirely sure all of them can. You could get your drums and some synth lines running in Reason, then have less to figure out within the true host. Starting from scratch with a brand new host can be an inspiration-killer.
Another afterthought...it sounds like you may be using a fair bit of orchestral stuff. That probably means a sampler of some sort, and one that can run alot of samples without strain...which in turn means one that disk streams (i.e. it reads the samples direct from the hard drive, rather than loading them into your PC RAM) You might want to seriously consider having a second hard drive to do that. One for all the other stuff, and one purely for samples - it relieves the strain on any PC by quite alot.
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- KVRian
- 661 posts since 15 Jun, 2004 from blue america
you're right about the delay for app stabilization for any new technology (you never know when it'll really happen), however, i find that the m6811 laptop ($1460US-after mail in rebates) at 2.2GHz, 512MB RAM (up to 1.2GB), 1MB L2 cache, and 1600MHz FSB; runs my 32b software as well as my 2.6GHz P4 desktop at 1GB RAM and 533MHz FSB.kritikon wrote:I'm not so sure about the 64bit PC subject ... I ordered a new PC very recently, so I had to wrestle with myself on that very subject. Difficult choice in the extreme.
64bit is just around the corner, and it will be the way to go eventually, but I'm not sure how soon. The Windows 64bit version is still in beta testing, so it may be a year, maybe even 2 before it's stable. Same goes for hosts - Cubase SX3 is supposed to be ready for 64bit, but somehow I doubt it will actually be a stable 64bit host until at least a year, maybe 2. I haven't heard of any other hosts that are ready for 64bit yet...
And take into account the cost - you'll pay top dollar for anything 64bit at present. Whereas for an awful lot less, you can get a top-spec 32bit system. Then for a few hundred dollars even less you can get a 2.5-3GHz CPU rather than the latest 3.5GHz. And with a 2.5 GHz CPU you can do an awful lot, at very high quality if you have enough onboard RAM.
I eventually went for a 2.5GHz CPU. it cost half what a 3.5 would cost - then I can upgrade it next year probably at the same cost. I only got 1GB RAM. It cost me less than half it would have cost to get 2GB RAM (simply because the motherboard to access 2GB costs more). There isn't really much I can't do on that system, even though it isn't the best specified one. Mine cost $1550 (NZ$). One with a 3.5GHZ CPU and 2GB RAM would have cost over $2500. A 64 bit one would have cost me more again - over $3000. Whereas I get the use of a powerful PC now, which will do literally anything as long as I'm sensible and render some stuff down to audio. In two years I'll be able to upgrade to a stable 64bit system for much the same price at greater power, whereas if I buy a top spec 64bit system now, I'll be one of the beta testers that finds and lives with all of the certain bugs that'll happen, and I still will have a fraction of the power that I'd get in 2 years time. So I'd probably want to upgrade again anyway.
Not economic sense, considering the power even a mid-range PC gives today.
Spend less on the PC system...the one you have may well be powerful enough as is. You'll have a hard road ahead learning and getting to grips with a big host and all the new synths etc. Concentrate on that, and discover which samplers/synths/FX you need to get good results first. Too many people in my opinion spend too much time and money in upgrading their PC setup, when they can get by very easily and get as good results by simply rendering more things to audio. If you insist on running absolutely everything live, then no PC on earth is ever going to keep up with the pace. The whole benefit to PC music when it first came out was the fact you get so many more tracks to record to. You weren't just limited to 8 (which was standard at the time). That has been forgotten. If you perfect some of the recording stages as you go, rather than doing the whole thing at once, then you don't need to run it all live. You can edit audio recordings almost as easily as midi sequences nowadays, so why not do just that, and ease up the pressure on the PC? (I'm an old giffer you see). By mixdown time, there is no reason for anyone to have any live midi sequences running...which means you have the whole PC left for FX/Eq/Dynamics/automation duties. But that's just personal preference and common sense. If you have a Porsche, and drive it around at top speed all of the time, you'll either wear out the engine quicker, or kill yourself
And the idea of running Reason over Rewire...Great idea - I didn't think of that. You probably still need a fully fledged host, but at least if you run Reason over Rewire, then you've still got something you're familiar with to get started. Also means you haven't wasted time and money on Reason. Check out which hosts can use Rewire - I'm not entirely sure all of them can. You could get your drums and some synth lines running in Reason, then have less to figure out within the true host. Starting from scratch with a brand new host can be an inspiration-killer.
Another afterthought...it sounds like you may be using a fair bit of orchestral stuff. That probably means a sampler of some sort, and one that can run alot of samples without strain...which in turn means one that disk streams (i.e. it reads the samples direct from the hard drive, rather than loading them into your PC RAM) You might want to seriously consider having a second hard drive to do that. One for all the other stuff, and one purely for samples - it relieves the strain on any PC by quite alot.
overthrow KRAPITALISM ! you have nothing to lose but your claims.
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- KVRian
- 995 posts since 4 Mar, 2004
If you follow the advice here, with some effort you'll match and out do the Triton and learn invaluable skills along the way , I should know I'm not that far ahead of you myself and wow what a ride this "music with software" thing is .