McDSP is now Leopard compatible March 8, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Leopard, plugins (plug-ins), Studio Setup , 2commentsFor everyone that has been waiting to use their McDSP plug-ins on Leopard, your wait is over.
McDSP plug-ins can now be updated via a download from their website. As long as you have registered your plug-ins online, there will be no charge for the upgrades.
Logic for Pro Tools users Part 5: Aux tracks and busses March 5, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digital Audio Workstations, Logic Studio 8, Pro Tools , 8commentsOne aspect of digital audio that Logic Pro handles differently than any other DAW is routing tracks through busses and aux tracks. In most other DAWs (including Pro Tools LE), busses exist separate from auxilliary (or Aux) tracks. Also, in other DAWs, a “bus” is typically mono (so “Bus 1″ is mono, and if you wanted stereo, you’d select “Bus 1-2″. In Logic Studio, these things are handled a little bit differently. Remember though, no matter what DAW you are in, a “bus” and an “aux” are two very different things. I like to think of a bus as an imaginary placeholder, where you can send audio. An Aux track is a special track made to access and affect the audio assigned to those buses. Aux tracks have many other uses besides bus routing. For example, if you want to record a track with a digital effect printed on it, you can use an Aux track as your input (with the plug-in effect active) and then route the audio from the Aux track to its audio track (through the use of a bus). Anyway, back to explaining these concepts in Logic:
Transferring between different DAWs without OMF/AAF March 2, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digital Audio Workstations, Project Studio, Studio Setup , 26commentsMany times, a project will travel from studio to studio during production. Each studio might be running a different DAW, with a different interface and computer. While exporting a project as an OMF or AAF and then importing to another DAW is sometimes possible, a few DAWs don’t allow this (::ahem:: Pro Tools LE….) So, its a good idea to know how to transfer the audio files without the use of OMF or other “universal” file formats. (more…)
Frugal Producer Vol. 2: Plug-ins for your DAW February 19, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digital home recording studios, plugins (plug-ins), Project Studio , 4commentsDamon just posted some great links, so I will post some more. These are my top 5 favorite free plug-ins. More to come in the future, but these are all really awesome. Download them and give them a try.
The Frugal Producer: get these tools for free! February 19, 2008
Posted by Damon Sink in : Digital home recording studios, plugins (plug-ins), Project Studio , add a commentEven veteran composers and producers like to find tools that work and that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Below is a quick excerpt from a thread at one of the best forums around. Take some time to check out a few of these gems and peruse the rest of the list. (more…)
Project Studio: Affordable Preamps February 15, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digital Audio Workstations, Preamp, Project Studio , 15commentsAh, another great debate. There are so many different preamps to choose from, and so many different sources on which we use them. What is there to look for in a preamp? Honestly, the first thing I look at is price… Doesn’t matter how good something is if you can’t afford it.
Nevertheless, sonic quality and character are very important things to consider. Some preamps are intended to be super “clean”, with the goal of not coloring the sound at all. Others are intentionally “colored”, developing a ‘warmth’ to the sound via EQ or distortion. (yes! ‘warmth’ is actually just a nice word for distortion). There are hundreds preamps to choose from, but I am going to highlight a few that would be great additions to any digital audio workstation setup and available at a project studio price.
DAW Comparison February 14, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digital Audio Workstations, Project Studio, Studio Setup , 22commentsWhich DAW is best for me?
With so many high quality choices in Digital Audio Workstations these days, sometimes its hard to pick. Gone are the days of any one company having “the best product” out there for everyone. Many companies are really releasing solid programs, with “pro” features and sound made available to consumers. I am comparing 4 different DAWs: Logic Studio, Pro Tools LE, Digital Performer, and Cubase 4. Honestly, I don’t think any of these would be a poor choice for any studio. But, while they are all great, they all do have their advantages and disadvantages. I am just going to list some general characteristics of each, and then a small paragraph about the DAW. It should give you some insight as to which DAW will best suit your needs.