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Music Recording

Under Construction

My Notes

bulletMusic File Conversions
bulletSonar Recording Tips

Recording Computer Software

bulletwww.digidesign.com - Pro Tools.  Download a free version (8 Track audv& 48 Midi).
bulletwww.cubase.com -  Cubase & Nuendo
bullethttp://www.steinberg.net - Company Web Site for Cubase & Nuendo
bulletCubasis VST: 8 Audio / 16 Midi tracks.
bulletClubs
bullet http://www.clubcubasenashville.com  -
bulletForums
bullethttp://www.nuendo.com - Nuendo
bullethttp://www.cubase.net - Cubase
bulletwww.emagicstudios.com - EMagic Pro Studio Center.
bulletwww.cakewalk.com
bulletSonar4 - www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR
bulletwww.event1.com - EZBus by Event Electronics - EZbus Computer Audio Recording Interface / Software Control Surface / Stand-Alone Digital mixer

Recording Computer Hardware

bulletTascam
bulletTascam US-224 - http://www.tascam.com/products/product_information.php?product_id=12
bulletConnects to the USB port and has 2 Audio inputs.
bulletI've tested working with:
Sonar v4/v5
Cubasis VST
bulletTascam US-428 - Digital Audio Workstation Controller/USB Interface
http://www.tascam.com/products/us428/index.php

Loops (Drums & Instruments)

bulletDrum Loop Considerations
bulletHas the file format that you use with your DAW.
bulletThe loops match the BPM (Beats Per Minute) that you need.
bulletMost sampled loops can be varied +/- 20bpm and this retain its original sound.
bulletIf you have just the sampled sound (a hi-hat hit etc...) then you can make your own loops (in your DAW) at any speed (bpm).
bulletUse a search engine and search for: "Drum Loops"
bulletFile Formats
bulletAIF - Apple Loop format for Garageband and Logic on Mac OSX.
bulletWAV - (Acidized). The industry standard for years. Almost All DAW applications can handle WAV.
bulletREX2 - For use in Reason, Cubase, Sonar/Project 5 and many more DAW applications.
bulletVendors
bulletwww.cakewalk.com - loops for Sonar etc...
bulletwww.xmix.com - X-Mix - 800-711-9649 - some demos are available.
bulletwww.powerfx.com - PowerFX Systems (in Europe +46-8-660-9910).
bulletwww.drumsondemand.com - (referenced by SongU.com)
bulletI Need to Check these out
bulletwww.4musicminds.com -
bullet www.loops.net
bulletwww.loopmasters.com - Prices are in European amounts.  loop (CDs & downloads) with demo downloads.  Great site.  Click "Sample CDs".
bulletwww.clickgroove.com -
bullethttp://sampleswap.org - 4.6 Gig of free samples.
bulletwww.platinumloops.com - has some free sampled loops you can try.  10,000 samples for $60 download.
bulletwww.siliconbeats.com - all cds have AIF, WAV, REX2.
The Works - has all cds (4000 drum loops).
bulletwww.modernbeats.com

Mastering Software

I'm trying to gather information on mastering software.

bulletSound Forge  & waves plugins
bulletSonar Plugins - an attempt to master.
bulletClassic Master Limiter - plugin in Sonar
bulletSonitus effects suite - Sonitus Multiband limiter - Multiband Dynamics plugin on the Master fader
bulletmaster fx chain within sonar however and yes voxengo is a great recommendation
bulletSonar + Voxengo is what I use.  My mastering chain is Crunchessor -> CurveEQ -> Elephant -> Inspector. Sometimes I insert Pristine Space Light at the start of the chain to add some ambience. Sometimes I replace Crunchessor with PSP's Vintage Warmer.
bulletAs a beginner setup, I would suggest mastering within Sonar using a chain of bundled/free plugins. For example:
Compressor/Saturator -> EQ -> Limiter
Where...
"Compressor/Saturator" may be something like Cakewalk's FX-1 Dynamics Processor, Digitalfishphones Endorphin or Dominion, Kjaerhus Classic Compressor, etc.
"EQ" may be Cakewalk's Parametric EQ, DSP-FX Parametric EQ, Nyquist EQ, etc.
"Limiter" may be Kjaerhus Classic Limiter, 4Front W1... just don't use Cakewalk's FX-1 Limiter.
The Compressor/Saturator and EQ usually have mild settings (because your mix should sound good *before* mastering). The Limiter will do most the squashing so be careful with it. You can add something like Elemental Audio Inspector to see what's going on but use your ears first.
Once you learn how to use the mastering tools (and made a few masters yourself), you can download and try demos of the commercial stuff: Voxengo, PSP, Kjaerhus, Waves, Elemental Audio, WaveArts, Ozone, TRacks. You'll make a better decision then than what you would right now
bulletYou can equally use your Waves plugins to master in Sonar ... the most commonly used method is to mix your project down to a single stereo file, then create a new project, import the mix and master it ..
bulletSonar is actually very good at master - you can do it all non-destructively which is uber-important.
bullet www.izotope.com Izotope Ozone
bullet http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/ozone/guides.html
bulletGeorge Yohng's W1 Limiter VST:
http://www.yohng.com/w1limit.html - free
bulletT-Racks and am looking at Wavelab, Samplitude, Soundforge, and iZotope.
bulletwavelab
bulletadobe audition
bulletSoniformer is also outstanding -
bulletelephant2.
bullet www.whitewatermusic.com - one minute free mastering.
 

Software that Creates Background Sound Tracks

bulletwww.bandinabox.com/ - Band-in-a-Boxby PG Music, software that will create a sound track with a full band.  Just enter the chords in the bars (for timing), melody line if you choose, and your finished.
bulletwww.soundtrek.com - Jammer Pro by Soundtrek. List price: $199.  Sound trek, Duluth, GA; 800-778-6859.  Software that will create a sound track with a full band.
bulletBusker 3.0 - Quote from the site "Copy a song from a songbook by dragging notes, chords and other symbols to staff lines until you have the same picture as in the songbook. Choose a style and a melody instrument and play. Computer aided music arranging was never so simple! "

CD Software (Labels, etc...)

bulletwww.fellowes.com - Fellowes (CS: 800-945-4545)

Recording Companies

bulletwww.SongwriterDemoService.com - discounts for SongU.com students.