Celemony previews Direct Note Access March 13, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : General Announcements, plugins (plug-ins), Studio Setup , 4commentsWow. Everyone should watch the video link I have posted at the end of this article.
Celemony’s Melodyne plug-in has helped define pitch correction in recent years, but only for monophonic sources. The new Direct Note Access technology lets you manipulate audio from polyphonic sources. Yes, you heard right. Polyphonic audio. Guitar tracks, piano tracks, string quartets, you name it. Where Pro Tools made it possible to edit the timing of audio like MIDI (with the very powerful Elastic Audio), Celemony lets you dissect audio’s pitch like MIDI through Direct Note Access. (more…)
First Impressions: Acoustica Mixcraft 4 March 12, 2008
Posted by PJ in : Digital Audio Workstations, GarageBand, Studio Setup , 1 comment so farPJ here, I am going to give you my first impressions of Acoustica Mixcraft 4 (aka Garageband for Windows)
Acoustica has recently released version 4 of their Mixcraft music creation software. You can download an unlimited 7 day trial of the program here. Once the 46 MB download is finished and installed you will be greeted with the New Project dialog screen: (more…)
Video: Drum Editing in Digidesign Pro Tools LE March 12, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digidesign, Editing, Pro Tools , add a commentThis is a new video, and the problem seems to be solved.
Once you’ve watched our videos on grouping tracks and the introduction to keyboard focus, you are ready to learn drum editing in Pro Tools. I show two types of edits The first is a multi-track edit to fix the timing across all the drums. The second replaces a bad snare drum hit.
Video: Keyboard Focus I in Digidesign Pro Tools March 12, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digidesign, Pro Tools, Videos , add a commentThis is the first video in a series of videos on Pro Tool’s keyboard focus. This is the fastest way to edit in Pro Tools, and anyone using Pro Tools will benefit greatly from learning these skils. In this video, I cover zooming, creating fades, trimming regions, and nudging. (more…)
Video: Grouping Tracks in Pro Tools LE March 11, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Pro Tools, Studio Setup, Videos , 1 comment so farThis video will show you how to group tracks in Pro Tools LE. Grouping tracks together makes both editing and mixing either. Also, like in the Logic Pro video on grouping tracks, I will show you how to turn groups on and off.
Video: Drum Editing in Logic March 11, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Editing, Logic Studio 8, Videos , 5commentsNow that you learned how to group your tracks together in Logic Pro (by watching the video posted right below this one) you are ready to edit drums. I cover two types of drum editing. First, I show you how to edit multitrack drums (with a group) to fix timing issues/errors. Then, I show you how to disable the group to edit individual tracks to remove pops, clicks, false hits… etc.
Video: Track Groups in Logic March 11, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Editing, Logic Studio 8, Videos , add a commentThis video shows the process of grouping tracks in Logic Studio Pro. Specifically, I show you how to group your drum tracks together to prepare them for editing. The next video in this series will show you how to edit drums once you group them. Later today, I am going to post that video, so be sure to check back.
Studio Pro Files: Encore Studios March 10, 2008
Posted by Ben Rivet in : Digital home recording studios, Project Studio, Studio Profiles, Studio Setup , 2commentsHey All.
Your Man about Town here, bringing you more from the studio world. We are continuing our sweep of the mid-west with a stop in Dayton, OH. We had a chance to sit down with Bill Sellers, owner of Encore Studios. Bill has been cranking out projects for clients all over the country, ranging from rock, classical, and jazz, to voice overs, jingles, and promotional videos. Bill gave us a tour of his space and showed us his gear. We also got to chat about some of the projects he has done over the years and what he is currently working on. Awesome music, cool studio, and a lot of great stories. (more…)
Upgrade My Studio: Part 1 March 10, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Project Studio, Studio Setup, Troubleshooting , add a commentWhen you have the opportunity to upgrade your studio, there are a lot of options. You could get a new computer, an new audio interface or sound card, mics, preamps, monitors, converters, cables, and plug-ins–the list is endless. So how do you decide which parts of your set up will give you the greatest benefit if you commit to investing more money? Every decision like this is unique, and needs to be approached thoughtfully and pragmatically. To help out, I am going to post some common studio “issues”, and some possible solutions.
Logic for Pro Tools users Part 6: Creating and Using Virtual Instruments March 10, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Logic Studio 8, Pro Tools, Virtual Instruments , 3commentsVirtual instruments are awesome in Logic Studio 8.
Logic comes with a TON of instruments and sounds. Plus, it is very easy to get started making music with the media/loop browsers. Whether you are new to virtual instruments altogether and need a tutorial, or are switching to Logic from another DAW (like Pro Tools), this article should help you become fluent in setting up and making great sounds with Logic’s virtual instruments. (more…)
Working with phase (and polarity) March 9, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Project Studio, Studio Setup, Troubleshooting , 4commentsPhase and polarity. It is important to understand the differences between them, as they are often confused. They can “look” the same, but its important to remember that phase has an element of time associated with it. Phase is how far along a waveform is in its cycle; if a waveform is combined with an identical waveform that is 180 degrees out of phase, they will cancel each other. Polarity deals with two points of electronics that have a positive and negative charge. By switching those points, the waveform becomes “inverted”. Confusing? Look at the pictures below, a visual always helps. (more…)
GarageBand – Musical Typing Explained March 8, 2008
Posted by PJ in : Composing, Digital home recording studios, GarageBand , 24commentsIf you are making music in a mobile envornment (say on your laptop), or if you don’t have access to a MIDI keyboard, you can still program music very efficiently. (But, if you don’t own a MIDI keyboard, you might want to take Connor’s advice here and pick one up.)
In the meantime, you can still create some great tunes in GarageBand by using just the keys on your keyboard. (more…)
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:
Solving problems in your studio March 4, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Project Studio, Studio Setup, Troubleshooting , 4commentsThe internet is an extremely valuable tool for home or project studio owners. A lot of problems can arise in a studio: compatibility issues, hardware problems, computer problems, error codes, improper clocking, cable setups, software updates/authorization, plug-in installation, mysterious pops and clicks, virtual instrument problems, mix problems… etc etc etc. Learning how to fix any issues that your studio experiences is a valuable skill.
So what are your options for solving these problems? Obviously, you want to solve any problems as fast as possible. Problems in your studio hinder creativity, but can also cost you a lot of time and money (especially if these things happen when a client is working). I am going to cover some ways on how to get accurate and fast information for all your troubleshooting needs.