Post by M0nTy_PyTh0n on Mar 13, 2007 20:46:54 GMT -5
Hello all musicians,
well, this thread will only affect the music composers amoungst you, or those who want to become one ...
First, I will only concentrate to the technical aspects here. Maybe later, or by request, I will add hints for compositions also.
You also should know that creating you own music is NOT without extra costs for you. You can find some freeware for soundfonts or loops, but even for beginners you have to spend some money for arranging - or composing - your music.
There are some technical words about music creation you should know before:
MIDI:
MIDI stands for Music Instrument Digital Interface, it is the "digital command" which represents the musical notes, i.e. the music score. Each music note/key has a tone or pitch, length, volume, articulation, and so on. With a music editor which support MIDI you can compose your music as if you would it down onto a music note paper (manuscript). With a sequencer (software or hardware) you can let play your MIDI compositions using a MIDI player. Most soundcards have this, evther via software or hardware, or even hardware music instruments which support MIDI input.
GSIF:
GSIF means GigaStudio (Sound) InterFace. It is very similar to MIDI, but was especially made for playing high-quality samples with high speed (latecy/reaction times of less than 2ms). It is mainly used for semi-professional or professional music creation. A special hardware is needed for using this feature (GSIF/GSIF2-compatible). GSIF is also MIDI compatible.
Sequencer:
A sequencer is an absolutely MUST-HAVE for creating music with more instruments. A sequencer uses MIDI files. Most sequencers can also create MIDI files - often 16 different layers or even more, and it gives an output to a hardware device which can play MIDI files. Almost every PC soundchip and every separate PC soundcard can play MIDI files.
Synthesizer:
A synthesizer is a stand-alone hardware instrument. Almost every synthesizer is compatible to MIDI, which means you can connect it to a sampler (PC or other hardware). A synthesizer generated sounds electronically. It does not uses pre-made wave files or similar. A few software synthesizers are also available (Yamaha XG, Cubase VST Instruments, etc.).
Loop Machine:
Loop machines are software or hardware devices which uses pre-made wave files, fixed to a special tempi/speed. They mostly play short phrases of compositions and sounds, which can be added and mixed-up togetherfor creating a new track. This device is very often used for creating HIP-HOP music.
Sampler:
A sampler is the most important sound device for creating semi-professional or even professional music in the electronic (PC) way. A sampler uses soundfonts (see below). It is comparable to a synthesizer but with the main difference that it uses real sound files, mostly from real symphonic or analog electronical instruments.
Soundfonts:
Soundfonts basically are wave files. They are NO loops, which means that they play only one tone/note of an instrument - like pressing just one key on a piano. Soundfonts are mainly used in combination with a sequencer (playing the custom MIDI files) and a sampler (generating the sound output). The major rule here plays the sampler: It can load the soundfonts and uses it like a synthesizer. A lot of recent soundcards can also load soundfonts (like Soundblaster, Terratec, etc.).
I will split this into 3(4) technical cathegories:
1. Beginners
2. Advanced
3. Semi-Professionals
4. Professionals ... do not need these hints, though it can be helpful for their kids, friends, etc. ..
Ok, lets start...
What do you need for creating your own soundtracks:
1. Beginners:
As a beginner in music creations you have mainly two choices: Depending on your musical skills you can use a loop machine (like Magic Music Maker) or a sequencer combined with a soundcard which supports soundfonts (like Soundblaster, Terratec, etc. soundcard with Cubase sampler bundle - costs about 60-120USD). Great free sf2 soundfonts you can get here.
2. Advanced:
Advanced music composers or creators should at least have a separate soundcard for recording digital in 24bit/96kHz. The cheapest cards - though quite useful - come from Soundblaster or Terratec, etc... . If you want to record your music from external devices with more than only one stereo input, like a guitar amplifier and drum machine or other additional devices, then you should pick a soundcard with more than 2 stereo inputs (as example a GSIF2 compatible soundcard with 8 input channels - costs about 100-200USD).
3. Semi-Professionals:
Well, this is a very cost-effective matter, and if you have not more than at least 4 years of musical education (outside school) and no experiences in complex music compositions (symphonic orchestra or a complete band instrument set), then this is definitely nothing for you. You have? Ok then ...
There are currently not many good programs around for this issue, but the one you can get are extraordinarily good. My favorites are currently the Gigastudio3 Orchestra sampler from Tascam and the Cubase sequencer from Steinberg (now Pinnacle). Both software are currently the world-best for additional plug-ins and HQ-soundfonts. For Gigastudio3 you can get the currently worldwide best soundfonts for classical instruments, as example the Vienna Symphonic Library - partly included in the Gigastudios3 Orchestra package.
As a soundcard you can use a GSIF2 compatible soundcard, or even a Soundblaster Audigy 2 card with KX-Driver.
Total cost about 800-8.000USD, depending on your sound library.
Just read what professional soundtrack composers say about Gigastudio3:
I will add more informations when I find the time.
I hope, some of you found this topic useful.
Do not hesitate to reply.
Regards,
M0nTy_PyTh0n.
well, this thread will only affect the music composers amoungst you, or those who want to become one ...
First, I will only concentrate to the technical aspects here. Maybe later, or by request, I will add hints for compositions also.
You also should know that creating you own music is NOT without extra costs for you. You can find some freeware for soundfonts or loops, but even for beginners you have to spend some money for arranging - or composing - your music.
There are some technical words about music creation you should know before:
MIDI:
MIDI stands for Music Instrument Digital Interface, it is the "digital command" which represents the musical notes, i.e. the music score. Each music note/key has a tone or pitch, length, volume, articulation, and so on. With a music editor which support MIDI you can compose your music as if you would it down onto a music note paper (manuscript). With a sequencer (software or hardware) you can let play your MIDI compositions using a MIDI player. Most soundcards have this, evther via software or hardware, or even hardware music instruments which support MIDI input.
GSIF:
GSIF means GigaStudio (Sound) InterFace. It is very similar to MIDI, but was especially made for playing high-quality samples with high speed (latecy/reaction times of less than 2ms). It is mainly used for semi-professional or professional music creation. A special hardware is needed for using this feature (GSIF/GSIF2-compatible). GSIF is also MIDI compatible.
Sequencer:
A sequencer is an absolutely MUST-HAVE for creating music with more instruments. A sequencer uses MIDI files. Most sequencers can also create MIDI files - often 16 different layers or even more, and it gives an output to a hardware device which can play MIDI files. Almost every PC soundchip and every separate PC soundcard can play MIDI files.
Synthesizer:
A synthesizer is a stand-alone hardware instrument. Almost every synthesizer is compatible to MIDI, which means you can connect it to a sampler (PC or other hardware). A synthesizer generated sounds electronically. It does not uses pre-made wave files or similar. A few software synthesizers are also available (Yamaha XG, Cubase VST Instruments, etc.).
Loop Machine:
Loop machines are software or hardware devices which uses pre-made wave files, fixed to a special tempi/speed. They mostly play short phrases of compositions and sounds, which can be added and mixed-up togetherfor creating a new track. This device is very often used for creating HIP-HOP music.
Sampler:
A sampler is the most important sound device for creating semi-professional or even professional music in the electronic (PC) way. A sampler uses soundfonts (see below). It is comparable to a synthesizer but with the main difference that it uses real sound files, mostly from real symphonic or analog electronical instruments.
Soundfonts:
Soundfonts basically are wave files. They are NO loops, which means that they play only one tone/note of an instrument - like pressing just one key on a piano. Soundfonts are mainly used in combination with a sequencer (playing the custom MIDI files) and a sampler (generating the sound output). The major rule here plays the sampler: It can load the soundfonts and uses it like a synthesizer. A lot of recent soundcards can also load soundfonts (like Soundblaster, Terratec, etc.).
I will split this into 3(4) technical cathegories:
1. Beginners
2. Advanced
3. Semi-Professionals
4. Professionals ... do not need these hints, though it can be helpful for their kids, friends, etc. ..
Ok, lets start...
What do you need for creating your own soundtracks:
1. Beginners:
As a beginner in music creations you have mainly two choices: Depending on your musical skills you can use a loop machine (like Magic Music Maker) or a sequencer combined with a soundcard which supports soundfonts (like Soundblaster, Terratec, etc. soundcard with Cubase sampler bundle - costs about 60-120USD). Great free sf2 soundfonts you can get here.
2. Advanced:
Advanced music composers or creators should at least have a separate soundcard for recording digital in 24bit/96kHz. The cheapest cards - though quite useful - come from Soundblaster or Terratec, etc... . If you want to record your music from external devices with more than only one stereo input, like a guitar amplifier and drum machine or other additional devices, then you should pick a soundcard with more than 2 stereo inputs (as example a GSIF2 compatible soundcard with 8 input channels - costs about 100-200USD).
3. Semi-Professionals:
Well, this is a very cost-effective matter, and if you have not more than at least 4 years of musical education (outside school) and no experiences in complex music compositions (symphonic orchestra or a complete band instrument set), then this is definitely nothing for you. You have? Ok then ...
There are currently not many good programs around for this issue, but the one you can get are extraordinarily good. My favorites are currently the Gigastudio3 Orchestra sampler from Tascam and the Cubase sequencer from Steinberg (now Pinnacle). Both software are currently the world-best for additional plug-ins and HQ-soundfonts. For Gigastudio3 you can get the currently worldwide best soundfonts for classical instruments, as example the Vienna Symphonic Library - partly included in the Gigastudios3 Orchestra package.
As a soundcard you can use a GSIF2 compatible soundcard, or even a Soundblaster Audigy 2 card with KX-Driver.
Total cost about 800-8.000USD, depending on your sound library.
Just read what professional soundtrack composers say about Gigastudio3:
Trevor Rabin (Enemy of the State, Torque):
"You can literally do just about everything with one GigaStudio... it's become the central nervous system of my studio."
"You can literally do just about everything with one GigaStudio... it's become the central nervous system of my studio."
Christopher Young (Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Runaway Jury):
"GigaStudio has changed everything... there is no limit now to what can be sampled."
"GigaStudio has changed everything... there is no limit now to what can be sampled."
Jeff Rona (White Squall, Exit Wounds):
"There's no more dedicated sampling - that to me is a very old idea now."
"There's no more dedicated sampling - that to me is a very old idea now."
Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, The Last Samurai):
"I abuse GigaStudio on a daily basis - it's my main sampler."
"I abuse GigaStudio on a daily basis - it's my main sampler."
I will add more informations when I find the time.
I hope, some of you found this topic useful.
Do not hesitate to reply.
Regards,
M0nTy_PyTh0n.
