What is the best production software???
- Thread starter macthedoulos
- Start date
-
Beat This!The next Beat This! Competition is from November 27-28th!
Formant024 said:
I would disagree that hardware is better, it's not necessarily a fact that "hardware is intuitive" it depends on the individual in that respect. Have you heard of Sawstudio? Great DAW application, took the developer Bob Lentini about 3 years just to write the code for the audio engine. The latency in the program is like 1ms, it's possibly the best coded DAW available, it uses assembly language so it bypasses a lot of the Windows garbage allowing it to run faster and cleaner. It also sounds great! What about Sonalksis, the developers of these plugins used to work on the Neve mixing boards they make great sounding plugins. What about the UAD-1 plugins (pultec) very close to that analog sound that many people enjoy. What about liquid channel, they were able to emulate various preamp sounds into a single box, now it won't be long before that gets transferred to software algorithms and made available to the public. Sure there is a lot of cheap software available just like there is cheap hardware, the real difference is not whether it's software or hardware in my opinion but the level of effort, skill, years of development and quality parts (if it's hardware) or algorithms (if it's software) that make that particular product great. With the software tools available these days it's rediculous that someone can't make great sounding tracks with a modest setup whether software or hardware, look at what the old time engineers and producers used to use (4 tracks) and they mixed in mono not stereo and listen to the quality of their music.
Formant024
Digital Smokerings
ill o.g.
Architect said:
You disagree.... tell me what your experience is sofar with hardware and which hardware ? Gimme something concreet because I know you talking 1ms latency but that's not the issue when monitoring on hardware, you read live with lightspeed latency ( well, as fast as copper conducts a current to a led from source and trust me, it's quick ).
UAD1... okay, it's nice but that's not why the product is so popular, fact is that it's cheaper than a pultec, the 1176 etc etc etc, not better. From DIY i can build the MEQ5 and I will bet it sound better than the plugin'. There's a difference between adding/subtracting voltages as to emulating that process/algorhytmn realtime, that will make the difference.
The purpose of software isn't always to emulate hardware, it can't totally do that YET, and we should remember Analog is one thing, Digital is another. We can argue until the cows come home about which one is better analog or digital, but I believe that once you understand how to work with each one it's up to your skills to deliver the results needed. Don't get me wrong I own hardware too, I have a Motif ES6 (which I love) and a Yamaha EX5 synth, as well as a Roland MKII drum machine, Masterlink ML9600, a BlueTube compressor, a mackie 1202, RME multiface, a few other things, and they all get used at some point but for Hip-Hop music especially there is no reason why you can't get excellent results with the software available to us today. The reason there is latency in plugins in the first place is because of how it was programmed (I recently learned this) it has nothing to do with the host audio program, but what the Sonar's and Cubase, etc makers did was incorporate a fix in their programs for something that wasn't there fault in the beginning.
Also keep this in mind, the software audio market is still young, it hasn't been around as long as analog and hardware audio devices so of course it still is premature in some areas. Shit analog has been used for over a hundred years or more (I could be wrong but my point is it's been a long time) so it has had time to develop into what it is today. For home project semi pro studio uses software is a very viable option and not because it's cheaper than hardware but who wants a huge 24 channel or 48, whatever channel analog mixer in their studio, IF (read this carefully) they can get the same control, speed, better accuracy, sound quality) IN THE BOX. I'm not downing hardware but I'm just saying don't sleep on audio software it can compete, just ask all the pro tools, FL Studio, Sonar, Cubase, Logic, Sequoia, Sawstudio, etc, users out there making money using these tools everyday (of course in conjunction with the right hardware).
I'm not arguing with you formant but just wanted to share another point of view that I think is very valid for people to understand.
Also keep this in mind, the software audio market is still young, it hasn't been around as long as analog and hardware audio devices so of course it still is premature in some areas. Shit analog has been used for over a hundred years or more (I could be wrong but my point is it's been a long time) so it has had time to develop into what it is today. For home project semi pro studio uses software is a very viable option and not because it's cheaper than hardware but who wants a huge 24 channel or 48, whatever channel analog mixer in their studio, IF (read this carefully) they can get the same control, speed, better accuracy, sound quality) IN THE BOX. I'm not downing hardware but I'm just saying don't sleep on audio software it can compete, just ask all the pro tools, FL Studio, Sonar, Cubase, Logic, Sequoia, Sawstudio, etc, users out there making money using these tools everyday (of course in conjunction with the right hardware).
I'm not arguing with you formant but just wanted to share another point of view that I think is very valid for people to understand.
Formant024
Digital Smokerings
ill o.g.
Architect said:
Getting result is not the issue, you can get result by any means, it's up to the man's insight and perspective on software and hardware, so that's all relative and you can say you're content on what you have will make revenue but that's not the point. I mean, I know and work by all means I know so that I dont have to rely on a single program and prevent myself from doing the same routines. The issue is quality difference and probably personal preference but the hardware you mention of are not the hardware I comparing to and even so, a lot of the gear you work with are also based on pcm engines and not on a modelling engine. They're digital and cheaper than the equivalent as to gain the same result you'd expect from such machines which make digital practical.
About latency yeah, but take notice and dont confuse monitoring latency from processing latency. The multiface has zero latency on monitoring for example, which I bet you know.
Word, I agree ( but I'm arguing with you hehe ) and even more important is that most people dont have the option to compare this issue because for the biggest deal of producers work with small little setups, I mean, this is an expensive hobby. And the rule is, the more expensive the gear, the better. So I, logically, dont assume that most people will tell or really know to talk differences. That's the pain for most, even for me because there's so much I dont have grrr. But I do want to point out some issue you've mentioned.
Like analogue devices haven't changed in concept, new achievement also haven't been made and that goes for all. What does change are materials, conductors develop, the concepts really remain as is, in fact, it's been boring since '81, just plain old formantic synthesis, even to this day, well, ok, there's some new physical modelling, neuro synths ( hartman ) and granulising synthesis ( but that's sampling really ). After that not much has happened besides arise of the digital realm after the great analog supercomputerdriven synths were established ( Wendy Carlos's Synergy, EMU Audity ) and sampling/emulating devices were too expensive and unlucky due to marketing demand ( Fairlight, PPG ). All analogue untill FM ( yamaha ), LA ( Roland ) and Vector ( Tom Oberheim who joined SC and after that Yamaha ) started working with IC programmed synths clearly emulating the different realm but it was hot back than. (PPG actually made the first plugin like emulator build called the Realizer, after that nothing I've seen came close untill the plugins came like we know today. ) After that the most worthy of mentioning was the Kurzweil 2000/2500 and all of the rest are based on PCM + modelling, which is just like sampling with control over envelopes and filters but the source is a sample.
Now, why would you want a big ass console in your bedroom studio ? No you dont indeed, because monitoring would also be lousy in term's of roomsize and gaining a nice hotspot. And you dont want any console, you need a good console because crappy ones will have leaking channels, eq that would only make worse noise than you'd put into it, so you really want to know what you're getting yourself into. Another disadvantage ( well for most in our budget that is ) is the lack of total recall, saving the mixer settings to the tracks you working on, meaning you have to finish one track before you can start anything else ( but which doesn't need to be the case, depending on outboard gear and the amount of such ). But like the comments I mentioned above, it only takes experience ( insight ) to control such human errors and a good perspective on what you're doing and by which means you want get the prefered result. Like a smoking you can buy from shop and the tailor made tux on which I'm not wondering which is better. Now, you can compare your digital vs. hardware yourself when looking at your setup, but considering you dont have a multitrack setup it demands some rearranging in your setup since I assume your synths go through the 1202 with the stereo out into the multiface. Your tracks are recorded on the Multiface which is also responsible for blending during mixdown to 2track master. Now, I dont recall the amount of analogue outputs on your Multiface, but take a minimal amount of tracks for mixdown, say drumtrack, tune and bass. Route them to the output of the multiface, inserting on the channel inputs of the 1202 and balance out level's and eq for a 2 track mixdown and record that back into the input of the multiface at the highest resolution. Now do the same but just the internal mixdown on the multiface itself notice the difference ( and I hope you have some nice nearfield or else you wont notice nada, not much anyway ). Now I have to say, using the HDSP9652 that RME makes fine farmcards, like really nice and that the 1202 is also okay in it's class so the only thing that can cause trouble is wether you used balanced cable or not. But in a setup like this, the console makes the quality, hence why PT HD user in the biggy studios always have a Neve or SSL something to route to and blend their mixdowns with, pt itself is just for recording which is probably excellent but does not contribute to quality. Now, Im not saying you need a 30K mixer because only then it's efficient in effect, in fact I have heard mixdowns on a Behringer ( ok, a new one after a year you should throw it away ) that sound twice as nice than any software platform could calculate ( render ). We've been using a soundtracs topaz which come fairly cheap these days, is small, has 72 inputs ( 32/32/8/2 ) in total and the quality of the mixdown can not be matched by the HDSP rendering through logic. So we have 24 channels from logic ( rme ) going out to 24 inputs on the topaz and 24 tape outs going back again ( for studio recordings ). Just to give an example.
So, I'd say go try and compare for yourself and then tell me the difference between adding 0's and 1's oppossed to adding voltages. All of the platforms you've mentioned indeed come or should come with the proper hardware, but considering that all those that create revenue using these platforms have a good quality console for blending, make the purpose of such a daw for recording/playback only and midi after that. So that's a matter of difference in perspective.
What's left to say is that we might be talking about different levels, pro vs. bedroom but I aint talking that pro since a lot will benefit in your bedroom techie's setup and cost considerably less than SSL gear for example. The issue then becomes what you're trying to achieve by which means. You talk about the all in the box solution in which I personaly dont believe in, so that leaves me wanting to work with the real deal, but Im also a passionate hobbiest which makes all this knowledge mine to judge about it and to use it. I might not have all that I want because then I'd need some serious 100K but I can build a MEQ5 myself because I wouldn't be satisfied with a UAD-1, same for the 1176, 1178, build it myself, SSL compressor, neve1066, 1073, 1081, 2145, 33609, LA2,3,4, API312,325 and even a Fairchild670. so to me it's about how much effort you're willing to put into it. And yeah, the dont come overnight and it wont come by the boxed solution. It's just practicle ( read easy ) and cheap ( read easy ).
( yeah, ima nerd )
Ok so I just decided to brave the deep waters and read all of this response you had, one thing you mentioned and I think this is also part of the issue is the notion that "the more expensive the gear you have the better", that certainly isn't a rule in the music world. I can name a dozen professional engineers and producers who own a masterlink (although it's not all they rely on) and find it very useful for mixdowns. Also don't be surprised at how many musicians keyboardists, use the EX5 or the Motif ES6. I'm not trying to proof anything about the gear I currently have because I love it, it does what it's supposed to and also I understand it's more about my skills behind the wheels than anything else.
In my humble opinion, the secret to having the best music production has to do with experience, skill, talent and hardwork. Don't forget my dear friend that the topic of this discussion is: "What is the best production software" so basically my point of view was to share my experience with software and kill all the noise about software vs hardware. Once you understand how both works your ahead of the game.
You mentioned that the UAD 1 is "okay" but can't totally emulate hardware characteristics, (I do believe you on that) but in several tests (which I can look up and provide some kind of info for you to read) the auditioned the unit to a few professional well known producers and engineers and they had a hard time telling the difference between the track using the UAD 1 and the track using the actual hardware it was emulating.
Also remember Universal Audio is the big dogs they are the same company that built some of the most famous legendary pieces of audio gear so who better than to emulate those legendary pieces of gear in software form.
I'm not advocating using everything just "in the box" so don't get me wrong but what I wanted to point out is that based on this thread "YES YOU DAMN WELL CAN" do it all in the box if that's your choice and still get good results. Good results is of course relative to the persons skills and experience and ears but good is good no matter how you put it and each person has their own growth to do.
I recently listened to an audio interview with a famous engineer (I forget his name right now) but he basically said that it has nothing to do with all the gear. It's not the SSL board, It's not Pro Tools, etc but it's the years of recording such and such, and knowing how to record them and what to do with what you have! So we can get on the never ending gear shopping spree and go to the Guitar Centers of america and have these salesman keep telling us we need to upgrade we need to get this piece of equipment and that, and you'll never be satisfied because there is always something new to buy.
Take some time and learn what you have first and master it, stop complaining about not having this preamp or that compressor or mixing board, shit the average bedroom musician/producer these days has way more than the beatles had to work with in their time and their music still sounds good. The beatles used two 4 tracks to record with, and people got like 48 tracks to record in Cubase or Nuendo or Pro Tools. Don't let these people tell you you need to have this and that in order to accomplish and make great music, that's one thing I always disregard is the notion that you have to have this or that in order to make pro quality music. As we have now started seeing every top Hip-Hop producers these days are starting to rely on the benefits of digital audio software whereas before it was all hardware. Bottomline I agree with some of your observation formant but without getting too technical and babbling on, my main point is the best production software is what YOU make it, take time to really learn it inside out, that's the only way, nonone can say what the best is because in music there are no rules it's universal and there are a lot of ways to skin a cat.
In my humble opinion, the secret to having the best music production has to do with experience, skill, talent and hardwork. Don't forget my dear friend that the topic of this discussion is: "What is the best production software" so basically my point of view was to share my experience with software and kill all the noise about software vs hardware. Once you understand how both works your ahead of the game.
You mentioned that the UAD 1 is "okay" but can't totally emulate hardware characteristics, (I do believe you on that) but in several tests (which I can look up and provide some kind of info for you to read) the auditioned the unit to a few professional well known producers and engineers and they had a hard time telling the difference between the track using the UAD 1 and the track using the actual hardware it was emulating.
Also remember Universal Audio is the big dogs they are the same company that built some of the most famous legendary pieces of audio gear so who better than to emulate those legendary pieces of gear in software form.
I'm not advocating using everything just "in the box" so don't get me wrong but what I wanted to point out is that based on this thread "YES YOU DAMN WELL CAN" do it all in the box if that's your choice and still get good results. Good results is of course relative to the persons skills and experience and ears but good is good no matter how you put it and each person has their own growth to do.
I recently listened to an audio interview with a famous engineer (I forget his name right now) but he basically said that it has nothing to do with all the gear. It's not the SSL board, It's not Pro Tools, etc but it's the years of recording such and such, and knowing how to record them and what to do with what you have! So we can get on the never ending gear shopping spree and go to the Guitar Centers of america and have these salesman keep telling us we need to upgrade we need to get this piece of equipment and that, and you'll never be satisfied because there is always something new to buy.
Take some time and learn what you have first and master it, stop complaining about not having this preamp or that compressor or mixing board, shit the average bedroom musician/producer these days has way more than the beatles had to work with in their time and their music still sounds good. The beatles used two 4 tracks to record with, and people got like 48 tracks to record in Cubase or Nuendo or Pro Tools. Don't let these people tell you you need to have this and that in order to accomplish and make great music, that's one thing I always disregard is the notion that you have to have this or that in order to make pro quality music. As we have now started seeing every top Hip-Hop producers these days are starting to rely on the benefits of digital audio software whereas before it was all hardware. Bottomline I agree with some of your observation formant but without getting too technical and babbling on, my main point is the best production software is what YOU make it, take time to really learn it inside out, that's the only way, nonone can say what the best is because in music there are no rules it's universal and there are a lot of ways to skin a cat.
Formant024
Digital Smokerings
ill o.g.
Architect said:
Partly I agree again, the more expensive gear you have, the better. But there's a difference in to what a bedroomtechie would need to what the expectations for a recordingstudio are. You'd benefit from a single neve amp while a studio would need at least 8 of them, if not more. I consider a masterlink as an expensive piece of gear so that's my point proven I guess. Keys arent relavent when talking expensive pieces of gear because the quality eventually depends on the sidegear, choice of keys is a personal preference. Skills are what make a good composition and turn flat noise into an audible delight, all true but relative.
Im only elaborating on the subject, so Im not attacking you. There are so many facets to this subject that there's always a reason to display these debates, it doesn't need to be beneficial to you or to me. What I do conclude is the fact that hardly anybody these days really know what items relate to software in a studio environment, hence my moitivation to write.
Yup, very true but again, this is an audiophile subject, either you care about detail or not. Most people in the hiphop these days dont or have a hard time getting there to tell the difference. My credo is that all the little details make a good production, that's why I want to know. Some people take another one's judgement and believe that, that just wont work for me because I want to know why or why not I should use this piece instead of an alternative piece.
My issue with such items are that not all embedded in the product is good but wont give you the option for an alternative. You're stuck with what's in there and the alternative for that which you dont like is another purchase, so why not buy all items seperately? The good results etc is again very relative remark.
So, that's why all the topstudios have vintage gear, they got fed up with the clerks selling em crap. But what are you trying you say here, I mean, I dont need a reason to engage in these issues of the topic, but these relative remarks are killing it with ...nothing.
Have you ever scoped out the studio in which the beatles recorded, it's pretty famous. Yes indeed they used 4tracks but if you knew with what gear they mastered the 4tracks with then you could imagine why it sounds so good. It's the same as when someone records at home on their 4track these days and brings it to mixing/mastering studio, so again, it's a whole different issue than the " I only used a 4 track " myth. What the hell did these hippies know about engineering audio ? Hiphop producers these days seeing the benefit of digital audio/software where as before it was all hardware ? I dont think they see the benefit, I think they mostly dont know any better, pc's have become a common domestic calculator which makes up for a lot producing issue's you'd normally have indeed. But to me that only means that pc's have made it possible for everyone to be a producer, that's the benefit and again, has very little to do with the innovations of software thusfar.
SyN
SUICYCO MANIA
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 5
formant... for once i think i am gonna totally take your side on something... this is very true about the hip-hop engineering and all other types of engineering... you can totally get away with allot less to do hip-hop... i mean, most of the music has already been recorded using other equipment to be used as samples either via:software samplers/synths, hardware samplers, soundmodule rom cards... therefor getting a good sound out of that bass sample you are using on a track is allot more simple to get sounding great than if you actually busted out a bass and hooked it up to record live... i have worked in many rooms doing hip-hop work where there was an abundance of overkill gear around the room to get the job done right... but i have also worked in those same rooms where there wasnt enough gear around or high enough quality gear to get the job done right with, say, a a rock band... if you are gonna start getting into recording orchestra or choirs or some nice jazz or even some mainstream live pop stuff... things are a whole nother world... so honestly, all of this fighting back and forth about all of this stuff is really pointless... you are gonna have the people that only mainly do hip-hop constantly battling with the engineers and producers that have worked with other genres... now, where can that debate go? not very far... you also have allot of people in here that are battling on how great the software is and emulated hardware and this and that, but i am pretty sure they havent actually used the real thing personally... there is allot of empty energy going into these debates... you really cant just read what someone else has to say about something and then just turn around and start preaching what you read to everyone else as what you strongly believe as your own opinion... basically... i am trying to say... everyone should use what they feel they need to get there job done... and what they need to get it done quickly, easily, and to the highest quality the either want/can produce...
Formant024
Digital Smokerings
ill o.g.
This time you agree ? lol! For some the truth hurts and they stop learning, I dont care for them, for some this material can be intriguing and get minds going. I also dont find this pointless because I do NOT consider the hiphop producer in general to be all that cocky, I assume that there's loads of people who do care about producing in the whole spectrum and those sticking only to their means mostly say the same thing or hardly have an opinion that contributes to whatever's happening. The last people either need to ask the right questions or say nothing because we've heard the "reason is better" type of shit before, so what are they really saying ... Eitherway, Im not talking topnotch pur sang in general, it's the principles that count, software/hardware are the means to get there but the protocol has been the same for decades, these issue's should deserve the webspace because those are the topic's where you learn the trades and which we could use on Ill.
nothing.
nothing.
SyN
SUICYCO MANIA
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 5
hey now... i wasnt saying that these topics shouldnt be talked about at all... just pretty much saying that people shouldn't fight there point when they dont know anything about the other side that they are fighting... and yeah... that reason is better shit kills me... yeah... it is a great program and i do use it every once in a while... i mainly use it just for software sound modules and sample players in conjunction to whatever else i am using... and reason sounds amazing when you bring it out of the computer to the analog realm and then back again... i got some sick realistic huge drums coming direct outputs of reason through some neve pres and onto a 2" tape and then dumped it back into pro-tools to continue working... but to say it is the only thing and that it is sooo much better than hardware this and that is just too much... there are ways to discuss things in the world working together... and how to get the most of what you got and what to get when you only have so much available to spend... but dont shoot other things down that you never tried or maybe cause they werent for you... i still can't understand how when somebody is using a $150 program like FL that they can say that it is the best thing out there and everyone should be working on that and nothing else... the world just doesnt work that way... i do wish that when i started producing that there was stuff out there that cheap to work with though... i mean... my first drum machine costed that much and it wasnt able to do everything... hehehe... but i did make some sick stuff with that machine... i personally will never be satisfied with what i have... anyways... gotta head out...
I agree with you syn, and my main point on this topic has always been it's the skills that matter first and foremost, the software or hardware are just tools, and yes it's good to have great tools but what good is it if you don't know how to use it effectively or at all. It's impossibly for me or anybody else to tell someone "what is the best production software" unless we do so based on certain requirements that the user has, budget for the gear that he or she wants whether software or hardware, etc, because in general it's too subjective.
Throughout this entire thread very few people have given EXAMPLES that will help the original poster, it seems that most people would rather debate and go back to that if you don't have this then your using cheap shit and you can't get the kind of professional quality results that many industry cats get. That notion holds no truth in my opinion.
People hire Bob Clearmountain for his reputation for putting down great mixes, they don't hire him FOR HIS GEAR, they hire him for HIS SKILLS in using the gear he has. If he had to use FL Studio or Reason, etc he probably would still put down great mixes (although he may not like using that setup). People hire Bob Ludwig because he's one of the elite mastering engineers today, in his case people do hire Bob because they know he keeps the state of the art in electronics and also his talent, the "golden ear" if you will.
Let me leave some tips that are on topic of this discussion, great conversation guys.
You can have the last word Formant I'm sure that it will be longwinded lol.
Very General Production Software Tips
Get a good Audio Interface with enough channels to satisfy the amount of I/O you'll need.
Purchase a good software recording package that has been around for sometime meaning
they have at least 5 years of experience in developing audio software applications and also a company that maintains good technical support.
Visit the user forums for the software package you choose and read the complaints, praises, ins and outs of the software to get an idea of what your dealing with.
Don't think because the software isn't brutally expensive that it doesn't have to be quality software, as a general rule most often you get what you pay for but in terms of audio software there are more than a few companys that develop good products giving you more bang for your buck. What more important with audio software is knowing what your limit is on what you can do.
Don't listen to people tell you you can't do this or that, analyze and come up with your own assessment, test the software out (there are usually demos available) and come up with your own requirements for what you'll need to accomplish your music goals.
Plan your studio/lab out for the future, purchase gear/software/hardware etc that will allow you many years of exploration and enjoyment in your musical growth.
Talk to the professionals and hobbyists, semi pro, amateur, shit anybody with a perspective that you can learn from and find out how they make things work in their studios, get a good understanding of what gear you have and what it can do so when it comes time for you to purchase additional gear you will have a better idea of what you want to get and WHY YOU NEED IT. Too many times on the forums people ask "Whats the best" but they don't even know what they really NEED and they just started making beats yesterday lol.
Learn your gear inside out, plugins, compressors, outboard gear, microphones, software, read the manuals, help files, tutorials, check out the clinics at guitar center, call the music store and ask those guys questions, post on the forums, read, study, learn understand, intern at a studio (I did) mentor with an experienced engineer or producer, just basically get your feet very wet. It will all pay of if you truly love to make music.
Be creative and innovative don't let the software spoil you, or don't let the esoteric hardware fool you into thinking that's the only way to go (maybe for you it is).
Finally just have fun with it, we are all hear to learn and have a good time, as well as achieve are goals in music, so learn and pickup anything and everything you can possibly get your hands on.
Throughout this entire thread very few people have given EXAMPLES that will help the original poster, it seems that most people would rather debate and go back to that if you don't have this then your using cheap shit and you can't get the kind of professional quality results that many industry cats get. That notion holds no truth in my opinion.
People hire Bob Clearmountain for his reputation for putting down great mixes, they don't hire him FOR HIS GEAR, they hire him for HIS SKILLS in using the gear he has. If he had to use FL Studio or Reason, etc he probably would still put down great mixes (although he may not like using that setup). People hire Bob Ludwig because he's one of the elite mastering engineers today, in his case people do hire Bob because they know he keeps the state of the art in electronics and also his talent, the "golden ear" if you will.
Let me leave some tips that are on topic of this discussion, great conversation guys.
You can have the last word Formant I'm sure that it will be longwinded lol.
Very General Production Software Tips
Get a good Audio Interface with enough channels to satisfy the amount of I/O you'll need.
Purchase a good software recording package that has been around for sometime meaning
they have at least 5 years of experience in developing audio software applications and also a company that maintains good technical support.
Visit the user forums for the software package you choose and read the complaints, praises, ins and outs of the software to get an idea of what your dealing with.
Don't think because the software isn't brutally expensive that it doesn't have to be quality software, as a general rule most often you get what you pay for but in terms of audio software there are more than a few companys that develop good products giving you more bang for your buck. What more important with audio software is knowing what your limit is on what you can do.
Don't listen to people tell you you can't do this or that, analyze and come up with your own assessment, test the software out (there are usually demos available) and come up with your own requirements for what you'll need to accomplish your music goals.
Plan your studio/lab out for the future, purchase gear/software/hardware etc that will allow you many years of exploration and enjoyment in your musical growth.
Talk to the professionals and hobbyists, semi pro, amateur, shit anybody with a perspective that you can learn from and find out how they make things work in their studios, get a good understanding of what gear you have and what it can do so when it comes time for you to purchase additional gear you will have a better idea of what you want to get and WHY YOU NEED IT. Too many times on the forums people ask "Whats the best" but they don't even know what they really NEED and they just started making beats yesterday lol.
Learn your gear inside out, plugins, compressors, outboard gear, microphones, software, read the manuals, help files, tutorials, check out the clinics at guitar center, call the music store and ask those guys questions, post on the forums, read, study, learn understand, intern at a studio (I did) mentor with an experienced engineer or producer, just basically get your feet very wet. It will all pay of if you truly love to make music.
Be creative and innovative don't let the software spoil you, or don't let the esoteric hardware fool you into thinking that's the only way to go (maybe for you it is).
Finally just have fun with it, we are all hear to learn and have a good time, as well as achieve are goals in music, so learn and pickup anything and everything you can possibly get your hands on.
Formant024
Digital Smokerings
ill o.g.
Architect said:
You're killing me hehe
and my modus for that matter
But...(hehe)
My concern is that this hobby/profession is expensive, no matter what protocol you handle. But it will cost you dearly on the long runn and thing I try to explain is that if you knew the difference between an alesis 3630 and a focusrite whatever, it will save you the expenses made on crap. Just as an example because the amount of facets relating to this topic are ... well a lot.
A
ACEBEATZ
Guest
There is no best, there is a level of talent and knowledge sat behind the PC.
But reason still the best all-in-one producin package. (Shit for mixing and mastering though).
The only good effect in reason is tha RV-7000.
But reason still the best all-in-one producin package. (Shit for mixing and mastering though).
The only good effect in reason is tha RV-7000.
OffSet
HIpHOP
ill o.g.
which is the best! well i see most are like me i and like the FL, but let just give my likes. FL is tight for easy beat structure, and arrangement, on the editing i like Samplitude 7 and for mixdown Cakewalk's Sonar, and for those of us who like cutting and paste Acid is nice.
all in all
My work need all 4 so i have no best!
all in all
My work need all 4 so i have no best!
Producer X
ILLIEN
ill o.g.
Hmmm? The best production software? All of this dialog and we all have a piece of software that kills anything on the market right now....It's call our brains. That's where the heat comes from. Don't let the technology get in the way of the music!!
1
X
1
X