Recording Software...

[jim]

Since I'm rebuilding my PC, I'm thinking I might want to switch to a better studio software as well...

Any suggestions? I'd like something thats:

A. EASY TO USE!
B. I can get documentation on it.... or it has a good help program built in....
C. The price is right ))
D. Would be nice to have something with reverb effects.
E. Built in wave editing....


Anyone anyone???

 

[rabies]

I still use:

N-Track (can't beat this for ease of use)
SoundForge
CoolEdit (to a minor extent..for some effects).

Freind of mine swears by ProTools

...and I am still trying to obtain Cakewalk. =(

 

[jim]

I have an installed copy of Cakewalk, but I don't see the dude whom I got it from anymore..

I just ordered a new CD-RW, and 512K of RAM. I will be upgrading (and waxing everything) soon.

BTW - I got the 256K RAM strips for $24 each!!!! Sweet.... SDRAM, PC133

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Cakewalk guitar tracks is the easiest program to use in my opinion. It has built in wave editing. High quality reverb, chorus, delay, and parametric eq. It is set up like a regular home portable studio where most of the controls for each track are setup to look like they would on a mixing console.
It's really easy to use...........but........
The stinkin program doesn't work right most of the time for me. I've had a bunch of problems with it and I've started trying to use other software.

My new soundcard came with a program called Cubasis Vst. It is a nightmare to use because several common features that I feel are necessary aren't easy to access or might not be available at all. I'm just starting with the program so I'll have to give it time to find out.
I am able to record with it and the audio is on time and without pops and clicks, which were the most common problems I experienced with Cakewalk Guitar tracks. It doesn't have a built in wave editor, but it came with another program for wave editing that can be accessed from within Cubasis Vst. The problem with the external wave editor is that it crashes my system if I try to use it from within Cubasis Vst. It comes with a built in reverb effect and eq. It shows that I can use all of my direct X effects with it too but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. The worst thing I've found with this program is that I can't record on a single track multiple times to fatten up a track. It will let me record over a previous take, but it will only play back the clip on top.

I only used n-track for a brief time. I downloaded it and started with it, but I was really spoiled by Guitar tracks so I never really got comfortable with N-track. I'm thinking about giving N-track a try again but I have a problem with evaluation software that disables features unless you pay for the program. I couldn't evaluate the program fully without being able to use all of the features. I would gladly pay for the it if I was able to give it a full evaluation and found I liked it.

Pro Tools???????Not on a regular pc.....egads.....(that's for mac fans there)

 

[rabies]

I paid for N-track myself....but I know several of the guys have 'cracks' for it... maybe one of them can help you out. I'm not an advocate for pirating..but hey..I hear where you are coming from.

I think it was protools...this guy thinks its the best...I dunno.

As far as my question to MM on the Eagles thread...DUH! I am a dumbass...I totally forgot that you would need a card capable of recording multiple tracks at once. You are right....we are pretty much restricted to stereo channels/inputs. I was just thinking it would be uber-sweet for the mixer to have the ability to fine tune individual drum tracks (kick, snare, ride, etc) in a mixdown. I momentarily forgot that we are working in a restricted technical fashion. Doh!

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Yeah, I'm not real fond of pirated software either. I understand why it's done, but I usually will just buy something if I like it.
Pro Tools is professional software that is used primarily on mac's in high end audio workstations. That's why I mentioned it, I'd love to be able to learn to use it someday.
There is a version for the pc but you know how the Mac versus pc thing goes. Mac's, from what I've read, have a good hold on the high end audio production market, and to start using Pro Tools on a pc is....it's .....unthinkable!!!


Darn, I thought maybe you knew of some tricks to get more inputs into our soundcards.

If you pass certain freqs of MM's drum tracks through filters and then pass that through a noise gate which will only be triggered by the prominent freqs you can almost get his kick drum and snare isolated to seperate tracks. I tried it on Women in uniform but it didn't work really well, and I ended up using the original track as it was. It does work though if you just want to bring up the kick drum because it's easier to isolate than the rest of the kit.

 

[Eddies cellmate]

I think it may be a bit more than you're looking for Jim, but from what I've read these guys have pretty much been the best for multiplatform studio software lately.

http://www.nemesysmusic.com/

 

[rabies]

wow...interesting thought.. what software you use to run the filter?

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Originally posted by rabies
wow...interesting thought.. what software you use to run the filter?

I made my own low pass and high pass filters using the parametric eq's that my Cakewalk program has.


You can set them up so that they drastically cut high freqs, and then bounce that track to an empty track with the effects keeping the original track in tact. Then the new track will primarily have the kick drum on it. Then you could run the track through a noise gate with a threshold set so that only the kick drum would trigger it, and you would pretty much have a track with an isolated kick.

 

[jim]

Thanks for the info dudes...

I am currently using Digital Orchestrator Pro, which I find to be the easiest studio software I've ever run. It does just about every basic feature I'd like except reverb... but it crashs a lot when I have a lot of tracks in work that haven't been saved yet.

I'll see how it performs with a new OS and system..

BTW - Pro Tools is THE hardware/software package found in most 'real' studios offering digital recording/mixing/mastering... etc. The company has put out a unit called the Digi001, which is a hardware/software package. It is an input device for your PC, and gives you more (I think) inputs then a stereo soundcard. (Great for recording and isolating drum tracks!!!!) And it is packaged with the Pro Tools software. The 'word' on the street is that is works great on the Macs (the target platform), but the PC conversion is a bitch to get installed and working properly.

Mr. Hyde - I would think that the trouble your having with Cakewalk Guitar Studio (with the popping and off-time stuff) is a matter of setup and optimization. The program probably requires a lot more horsepower to run effectively, and lack-of-cpu-cycles usually results in screwed up tracks.... but I'm guessing here.

I certainly don't mind (and I'd prefer) buying a multi-track software package. I am not, however, going to spend hundreds of dollars on it. If I can get something that does everything I need it to do RELIABLY, I'd pay a reasonable price for it. If its too expensive, my choice is to get the 'free' version or to go without. You can imagine which one I'd choose....

 

[Stormbringer]

i have:

BOF cubase 32 5.0 release 1
Oxygen cubase 32 5.0 release 1
Radium cubase 32 3.75
Zone cubase 32 5.0 release 4

Wavelab 3.0
Wavelab 3.03c

all cracked

 

[jim]

And are they any good? Easy to use, documented, etc etc? Reverb?

I checked out the new version of Digital Orchestrator and its only $70 or so to download it. But it STILL doesn't have reverb....

Currently I add reverb by importing the vocal tracks into Ntracks and use its reverb. It seems to be pretty good, but its a real pain in the ass to export/import, especially when I want to add different levels of verb to different parts of the track...