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…)
Digidesign Core Audio Leopard Problems (Logic too) February 17, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digidesign, Leopard, Pro Tools , 154commentsIf you are one of the many people who need Digidesign and Leopard to “play nice”, this is a quick note that may help you. If you cannot get Pro Tools to open or are having problems with Logic Studio 8 crashing on startup, read on!
If Logic or Pro Tools is crashing, it could very well be a problem with a ReWire plug-in (Reason, Melodyne, etc.) (more…)
Build a Home Studio for Under $1500 February 17, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Logic Studio 8, Project Studio, Studio Setup , add a commentRound 2 of suggestions for equipping a home studio! This time, I am going to work with a little bigger budget. We will assume, as in the earlier post that you already have a computer (PC or Mac) to record with. But, if you are looking for a great computer for this type of studio, check out the Apple iMac . Whichever model you get, be sure to snag a RAM upgrade. I would also suggest an external firewire hard drive to use to record. While you can use the system drive, you will get much better performance by dedicating an external drive for audio. On to the studio! This setup, like the last one, will have everything you need to record music, create songs and beats with MIDI, and mix your projects.
Logic for Pro Tools Users: Part 2 February 15, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Leopard, Logic Studio 8, Pro Tools , 3commentsInstallment #2 for for all the Pro Tools users who are currently using Logic. If you are like me, then you made the jump because Digidesign still has not gotten Pro Tools compatible with Apple’s Leopard Operating System (although it does have some success working in 10.5.1, but less in 10.5.2) Plenty of Pro Tools users will tell you that they use Pro Tools because of its audio editing capabilities. Yes, I would agree that it is excellent for that, BUT, this new version of Logic has some great tricks up its sleeve. Although the editing is much different than that of Pro Tools, I have found it to be very quick and effective so far (once you get used to the new hotkeys). (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.
Logic for Pro Tools Users: Part 1 February 13, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Leopard, Logic Studio 8, Pro Tools , 6commentsThe wait continues!
Yes, Pro Tools users are still waiting for Apple and Digidesign to get their ducks in a row. Supposedly Digidesign is going to update LE to be compatible with the 10.5.2 Leopard update soon. In the meantime, Pro Tools, although running on 10.5.1, is kind of buggy… NOTE: Do not upgrade to 10.5.2 if you are running Pro Tools in 10.5.1. I am definitely hearing that people are having problems.
So many Pro Tools LE users (including myself) went ahead and made the plunge into Logic Studio 8. Now, I love Pro Tools, and hope to always continue to use it, but Logic is an amazing deal. Tons of plug-ins and VIs, lots of extra applications (including WaveBurner, which is an absolutely excellent CD authoring program), and ready-to-go surround mixing and effects. However, some of the Pro Tools community is finding Logic very “illogical” in its user interface. Pro Tools is really known for its simplicity and intuitiveness, and when I switched over to Logic, I was initially disappointed to find that I felt lost.
But fear not! Logic is a great program; we Pro Tools users just need to NOT think of it from within the PT mindset. Its a whole ‘nother beast, with its own tricks and features…
Studio Pro Files: Babblefish Studios February 13, 2008
Posted by Ben Rivet in : Digital home recording studios, Project Studio, Studio Profiles , 2commentsBen here. Your man about town, giving you all the latest on artists and studios that are making it happen in the biz. The Studio Files team is going to begin traveling the globe to find and showcase musicans, engineers, and producers that are creating great music. Today we are heading out to Franklin, Ohio, (in between Dayton and Cincinnati) the home of Babblefish Studios. Check back to read more about our interview and watch the webisode.
If you have ideas for recording studios or artists we should check out, please drop a comment and let us know about them. We especially want to hear about talented artists who are accomplishing high quality production independently. Let us know who we should be talking to, we love hearing from you.
BJSR
The Studio FIles
A home studio setup you can take on the road February 12, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Computers, Project Studio, Studio Setup , 7commentsI just got an email from Aaron S. asking about putting together a home studio that he could also take to do live stereo recordings. This is a very common setup, and for a reasonable price, you can get excellent sound quality. Aaron said he had about $2000 to work with, including the purchase of a computer.
Composing: Virtual Instruments 101 February 12, 2008
Posted by Damon Sink in : Composing, Notation, Virtual Instruments , 3commentsIf you want to write music with a computer, no matter what software you decide to use, you will probably want to start employing virtual instruments to let you hear the most realistic playback of your sketches in real time. Virtual instruments are essentially computer programs designed to respond to MIDI messages and then play the sound(s) of a particular instrument back for you. Most often, this is accomplished through a detailed process of sampling (recording) the notes of the instrument and then programming an interface that will mediate the MIDI performance information (turn this note on, hold it for this long, make it louder, etc.) and “trigger” the appropriate samples.
For many years this sort of functionality was the province of external hardware synthesizers or the synthesizers built in to a MIDI keyboard. You would record or notate (more…)
So your Virtual Instruments don’t work in Pro Tools… February 12, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Leopard, Pro Tools, Virtual Instruments , 2commentsApple just released 10.5.2. Hours later, Digidesign announced an update for Pro Tools HD that will make it compatible with 10.5.1. ???? Why would they do that?
For all of the LE users out there (including myself), Pro Tools incompatibility with Leopard has been a big headache. This is obviously not all on Digidesign, as Leopard CoreAudio is buggy and 3rd party plug-in/VI companies are also having a hard time getting compatibility.
However, most of us have the “audio part” of Pro Tools working just fine. I get the occasional weird buffer error or CPU spike, but for the most part, recording audio into Pro Tools with Leopard 10.5.1 has been no problem. But using virtual instruments?? Big Problems. Even Digidesign’s own VI Box Set is shaky. With a little patience and creativity, you can still be very productive in your studio.
(more…)
Apple Releases Leopard 10.5.2 February 11, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Apple, Digidesign, Leopard , 7commentsEDIT: Pro Tools is now fully qualified with Leopard. Click here for more information.
A much-awaited release from Apple finally came out today. The 10.5.2 Leopard update fixes TONS of bugs and errors that existed in 10.5.1
There are fixes in many applications (including iCal, Time Machine, Mail, etc) as well as bug fixes and visual improvements to the OS overall. But… [drum roll please] it supposedly also provides fixes for problems in Core Audio. !Ding Ding Ding! So, all the pro audio people are getting excited. Perhaps soon, updated versions of Pro Tools (and other DAWs) will become available. Supposedly many DAW manufacturers, including Digidesign, were waiting until 10.5.2 to release their updates. Be sure to Time Machine before installing big updates like this!
Click to see our page on Digidesign and Leopard compatibility
Click to see our page on Logic Studio compatibility with the Leopard update (10.5.1 vs. 10.5.2)
NOTICE: Pro Tools HD is now compatible with 10.5.1, so hopefully Pro Tools LE will be as well. But, I would suggest that Pro Tools LE users NOT upgrade to 10.5.2 yet. This is not only in case Digidesign only approves LE for 10.5.1 (which they probably will not), but mainly because users are reporting additional problems with 10.5.2. If you have everything working on 10.5.1, do not upgrade. If you did upgrade, hopefully you have a Time Machine backup, or you could just reinstall.
Read a full report at Macworld.
Read Apple’s detailed release notes.
C
The Studio Files
Setting up the mix February 11, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Mixing, Project Studio , 1 comment so farNow, there are many many different techniques people like to employ when working a mix in their DAW of choice. I am going to show you my favorite. This method routes all of your audio to a bus, which then gets processing via an aux track, and then is directed to an audio track for printing. This is a great way of mixing in a DAW because of two main things:
1) You can apply effects to the “master bus”, and then actually see the resulting waveform
2) You can compare mixes/progress from day to day with a click of a button (as well as keep track of vocal up/down or other alternate mixes with ease) (more…)
Drum Editing: part 1 February 9, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Editing, Project Studio , 9commentsTo see our recent video on drum editing in Logic, click here.
To see our recent video on drum editing in Pro Tools, click here.
I received a question from Alex H. via email. Lets try to get it answered:
I recorded a song last weekend, and I laid down the drums for each part, because we wanted an improv feel to a few parts, so we could choose takes. Now, I’m familiar with blending different takes with crossfading, but that doesn’t work here. For example, I need the end of the verse to completely finish playing, while at the same time, the chorus begins. Crossfading doesn’t work because it’s cutting off what would be the natural sound of the drums, were I to have played both parts on one take. I know I can always make two tracks, and have one end as another begins, but that will double my track load. In DP, if you layer the tracks, it only plays the one on top. Any ideas? Ideally, I’d just place the end and start of the tracks over each other, and DP would play both.
Let’s talk through some possibilities.
EDIT: Expect a video to be posted on this soon. Its really really hard to explain without some quality visuals.