Archive for the 'Music Software' Category
Luxeed Keyboard
Create Digital Motion » Luxeed Keyboard with Interactive Lighting: Perfect Gigging QWERTY?
Those using Live for doing live audio or similar programs for video (or gamers) are in a constant hunt for the perfect keyboard companion to their exploits. Also, video editors, audio editors and anyone who spends multiple hours of the day in an application with a zillion keyboard shortcuts.
The Optimus keyboard has been long in coming, but was the great hope. If this keyboard actually ships in a reasonable period of time, could it be a realistic option? It looks like it has a multi-color LED under each key, which allows you to set the color of each key separately. That isn’t the same thing as actually having a picture or word on each key, but it can at least remind you that jkl is for your transport and [] is for your begin and end clip by having them be different colors.
also, it looks cool.
1 commentSplice
Want to learn about remixing, but don’t want to make the investment in software or hardware? Splice is a nice combo between social network and an online flash-based remixing tool. A great way to get started and get advice and support as well.
No commentspure:dyne a multimedia production OS on a CD
I’ve been following pure:dyne for a while now. It seems like a great thing for live media performers (music or video) or for those who want to get into production but don’t have the cash to purchase a bunch of software.
In a nutshell, it is a version of linux customized around multimedia with a bunch of open source and freeware audio and video production software included in the installation. It can be booted from a CD or memory stick (so you don’t have to install it on your PC or Mac).
From Create Digital Music, I hear that they just hit a stable build, so it might be time to try it out.
No commentsSoundbooth Beta 2 Now Available
Harts Audition: Soundbooth Beta 2 Now Available
Cool Edit Pro remains my all-time favorite tool for audio editing. It was almost worth keeping a PC around to use it when I switched over to mac. I’m freaking ecstatic that the CEP guys (now Adobe Audition) have finally produced a mac version. Now I can finally blow off the CEP wanna-be soundtrack on my mactel. I’m still bummed that I won’t be able to use it on my G5 though…
No commentsSoundtrack Pro needs some work
What kind of audio program doesn’t recognize external audio hardware?
Soundtrack Pro is pretty much a rip-off of Adobe Audition, including its single-track edit/multi-track record interface. One benefit would be its integration with Final Cut Pro, if there was any integration with FCP. I’m doing a soundtrack for a video project right now and I’d like to just product some tracks in Soundtrack Pro’s multitrack UI and them bring them directly back into FCP, but of course that is impossible in a direct way (like opening a FCP project in Soundtrack Pro). In the end, I had to export the video out of FCP and import it into Soundtrack Pro. Then I found my next problem, Soundtrack Pro doesn’t recognize my Firewire Audio interface, it just recognizes the built-in audio interfaces. That is just ridiculous. Even FCP recognizes my Firewire interface. Finally, I just gave up and imported the video file into a Cubase project. I’ll have to generate full-length stem mixes I guess and import them manually back into FCP, which will give me about the same level of integration that I was gonna get from Soundtrack Pro anyway, I guess.
No commentsAmp Modeling hell
The IK Multimedia/Ampeg thing never saw the light of day, unfortunately.
I’m left with 3 choices: IK Multimedia’s Amplitube, Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig and Line6’s TonePort. My take on each of these below…
Amplitube 2.0
Pros: Works as a plug-in, Most powerful emulation (pre-amp, power-amp, speakers, microphones, stomp boxes), Cheap upgrade from any IK product until end of 2005
Cons: IK Multimedia is jerky about authorizations and user support. No bass amp models
Guitar Rig:
Pros: Bass amp and cabs modeled, NI product quality and support, works as a plug-in, hardware controller available, more effects than amplitube
Cons: very Expensive (even software-only as an upgrade for a NI customer), not as powerful as amplitube
TonePort:
Pros: Line 6 has been doing this longer than anyone else, inexpensive (most expensive version same price as Amplitube 2.0 upgrade including audio interface), Pre-amp modeling for vocals, includes audio interface, nice expansion possibilities through inexpensive model packs.
Cons: audio interface works as a dongle, can’t use software without it; software will not function as a plug-in (need to go to back to analog to process existing tracks); no mic modeling; can’t use pre-amp models with amp models
Now when I do comparisons here, I’m doing it on a price and feature basis. I assume that given these companies lineage that they’ll each produce something of comparable quality. I’m also not that concerned with the accuracy of the models. I don’t need to A/B each model with the real thing, because I’m not really that interested in exactly duplicating the sound, I want a sound shaping tool. If I really wanted the exact sound of a particular head, I’ll buy / borrow / rent it. This whole modeling movement in audio software is getting goofy, it doesn’t make that much sense to me. I never had a fetish for old gear, my interests are in new sounds, not old ones.