Showing posts with label digital audio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label digital audio. Show all posts

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Toontrack EZdrummer Multi Layer Drum Sampler Review

Toontrack EZdrummer Multi Layer Drum Sampler
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I'm a bit baffled by some of the reviews here. I got EZDrummer recently and I'm very happy with it so far. Let me clear up a few things:
1) It's a virtual instrument (says so right on the name). Apparently some people don't understand what that means. What that means is that you plug it into your favorite "main" sequencer program (FL Studio, Cubase, Mixcraft, whatever) and use it from there. Actually, EZ Drummer *does* come with a stand-alone program as well, but it's mainly a virtual instrument. Complaining that you need to buy a sequencer to use it is like complaining that you need to have a computer or an operating system, or a disk drive, or a power outlet. Duh! That's it's nature, and it's well understood.
2) The licensing is not *that* bad. Here's what it is: you install the program from the disk, you login to their website and fill in some info including the "license key" that comes with your disk, Toontrack generates an automated email containing an authcode that is specific to your computer and your serial number, you type that in on your computer, and you are done. The bottom line is that you can set two machines up to run with a single copy of EZDrummer. Then if you want to install it on a 3rd machine you have to de-activate one of the licenses that you had previously activated.
I'm not real thrilled about the licensing. It is certainly a bit confusing, and I wish it were either a little more flexible or let you license it via a dongle but I've seen much much worse, and I had things running 15-20min after inserting the disk into my machine. It's actually pretty similar to how Adobe does licensing for example.
Ok, so how is it at helping you create drum beats? Seems pretty darn good to me. The "default" drum beats are great. Just select what you want and drag it right onto your favorite sequencer. That is one way to use it. And even using it on that simple level it gives you a lot of power. You can make modifications like how hard the drum strikes are, and you can control the mixer right on EZdrummer itself to tailor the individual drums and symbols. The other way to use it is to create completely custom beats. I have not played with that much yet, but that is the feature that distinguishes it from places that just offer you drum loops that you pretty much have to take "as is" for example. And to me the fact that it offers so many different "upgrades" is a nice plus. It means that you can start small and expand, and also that the company is alive and well and motivated to keep making their product better.
I haven't used it enough yet to give a real in-depth review, but I felt like a few of the things that were said about it were pretty far off-base, and I wanted to chime in on that. I think the real telling thing about EZDrummer is what the real experienced hard-core musicians think of it. Go and do some searches and I think you'll see that this program has a real nice, well-earned reputation in the musician community.
By the way, I've been using it with FL Studio and Mixcraft and it seems to work very well with both those programs.

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Saturday, September 22, 2012

Fxpansion BFD Eco Software Instrument Review

Fxpansion BFD Eco Software Instrument
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It is a good virtual instrument easy to use and natural sound. So, I recomend it for beginers and people who wants to use a natural sound of drums.

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Thursday, September 13, 2012

Toontrack Vintage Rock Brushes and Sticks EZX Sample Library Review

Toontrack Vintage Rock Brushes and Sticks EZX Sample Library
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At first listen, this might sound dry, almost dead. But that's what real drums sound like before they have the life processed into them (or out of them). In reality, this kit falls into most mixes brilliantly right out of the box. Most "kick-butt" sounding drum sounds in these programs can't fit into a mix no matter what you do. They have too much personality of their own and just won't blend. This Vintage EZX is exactly the opposite. You can do whatever you want to them, and make them as specific as you want. On the other hand, you can leave them alone and use them as is and they sound brilliant. Other programs like BFD which give you dry, unprocessed sounds sound horrible in a mix, and give you no choice but to work on them to make them usable. This Vintage EZX is somehow the perfect blend of everything you could want. I'd like to have seen more variety of kit pieces in this, but in some ways the simplicity of it makes it very easy to use, and a total pleasure.

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Monday, July 16, 2012

Logic Express 9 Upgrade Review

Logic Express 9 Upgrade
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Why should you upgrade to 9? Because Snow Leopard introduces the ability for intel powered Mac's to move up from 32 bit to 64 bit for some choice software. Logic being just about the choiciest.
Do you really want to move to 64 bit? It isn't necessary. If you like to work with Logic's EXS sampler, you can reconfigure in 32 bit if you'd like to take advantage of assigned virtual space on your hard drive. But if you got 9 (and you download the free apple upgrade), and if you got more than 4 gigs of ram, you can get that extra ram assigned directly to your sampler. Or if by chance you have any sampler laden 64 bit 3rd party software (Omnisphere, a lot of NI's stuff), same thing.
On the other hand most 3rd party plugs have not made the leap to 64 yet. They still will run on the upgraded system, but without any advantage. We're still early here in what now seems a significant (and in a few years' time will appear quaint) upgrade. If your relatively new to this and not heavily invested in 3rd party plug-ins, this probably is a great time to set yourself up for the future. Otherwise, there's no rush.

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Record, edit, and mix your music on a Mac using the new Logic Express 9. Open your GarageBand files and get right to work, or start from scratch with a new composition. Logic Express 9 is a guitar player's dream, with Amp Designer and Pedalboard, two new plug-ins that re-create the sound of legendary amps and stompbox effect pedals. You can build your own amp model and try any combination of stompboxes. An improved set of music creation tools makes it even easier to capture and develop your musical inspirations. Use the new Flex Time tools to easily manipulate audio timing and tempo. And make music right out of the box with over 100 instrument and effect plug-ins from Logic Studio.

Upgrade Version
Upgrade from retail versions of Logic Express 6, 7, or 8; or Logic Audio 5 or 6.

Logic Express 9. Record, edit, and mix music on your Mac.

Top Features
Perfect for capturing and developing your musical inspirations
Seamless compatibility with GarageBand files
Flex Time features that make editing audio timing and tempo easier than ever
More than 70 studio-quality effect plug-ins, including vintage and modern compressors, delays, reverbs, and more
New Amp Designer plug-in to help you re-create the sound of 25 legendary amps and 25 speaker cabinets
New Pedalboard plug-in with an assortment of 30 virtual stompbox pedals inspired by the classics
36 software instrument plug-ins, including the Ultrabeat drum synth and beatbox, ES2 synth, and EXS24 sampler

Related Products
Complete your music studio with a Mac Pro workstation and two 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Displays. Take a MacBook Pro with you and make your music anywhere.

AppleCare
Offering solutions for businesses of any size, AppleCare provides ongoing product coverage, including the AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac systems and Apple flat-panel displays. To augment your experience with Apple professional software, AppleCare Professional Video Support and AppleCare Professional Audio Support offer direct access to Apple's professional support staff. For more information, visit www.apple.com/support/products.


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Sunday, June 17, 2012

Cakewalk Studio Instruments Review

Cakewalk Studio Instruments
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Cakewalk Studio Instruments are a great foundational set of instruments to add to a persons home digital recording studio. Drums,Bass,Keys,Strings. The salt N pepper that most music requires at a great price and easy function.
I am a confessed Gear-a-holic. I love to find things like the studio instruments kit that don't cost an arm n leg, but that will "Broaden" your color pallet of sound. It's a tool that is fun to use, visually easy to understand and the sound is pleasing. What more could you ask for?


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Can't play bass drums piano or violin? No problem! Just point and click and you are making music. It's that easy!Introducing Cakewalk Studio Instruments the world's first easy-to-use and affordable software instrument collection for Mac and PC. Cakewalk Studio Instruments includes a high quality Drum Kit Bass Guitar Electric Piano and String Section that can be played stand alone or inside your favorite music-making software such as Cakewalk Music Creator Apple GarageBand Magix Music Maker Deluxe SONY ACID Music Studio and more (see list below for complete list of compatible products).Cakewalk Studio Instruments include pre-recorded patterns played by ace session musicians so you can build sections for your songs practice or just have fun jamming along.And Studio Instruments sound great because they're from Cakewalk makers of the most popular music creation software in the world used daily by Grammy® winning musicians and producers. Start making music today with Cakewalk Studio Instruments!Format: WIN XPVISTA/MAC 10.4 OR LATERUB Genre:PRODUCTIVITY UPC:787537171044 Manufacturer No:10-CWSI1.00-10C

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Sunday, April 29, 2012

Behringer UCA202 Audio Interface Review

Behringer UCA202 Audio Interface
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This device is great for those who just want to get sound in and out of the computer conveniently without plugging in too many audio cables. It is nice to sit down at a desk, plug in the USB hub, and get sound in and out right away. I used mine to connect out to my ADS monitors and in from my run-of-the-mill Behringer 802 mixer.
Key word "used." After a few hours of listening to the device, both recording and playback, I realized that it actually sounded worse than the headphone output on my laptop. Now, realize that I am a stickler for audio quality - your needs may vary - but for those with good ears this may be useful information. The sound is dead and lifeless, without much clarity or image. It seems as though a veil lies between me and the music that I can't get rid of.
This, my good-eared friends, is the problem with a cheap DAC. That's the Digital-to-Analog converter, and it's what takes the bits from your computer and decides how to make sound waves out of them. Devices such as this one are cheap for a reason - the DAC chips and op-amps and components in the signal path are cheaply bought and cheaply constructed, and you'll get that signature veiled Behringer (oops, am I generalizing?) 'cheap' sound.
If you have good ears and know you will be able to hear a difference - do yourself a favor and invest in a good DAC and ADC instead of this. You will thank yourself many times later on for it. There are many options in the $100-$200 range that those with good ears will (unfortunately for our wallets) require.
So this review is mainly targeted as a warning to folks with discerning ears. However, if you're just looking for simple input and output and aren't running it to a good set of monitors or doing serious recording, then this will do just fine. If you know you won't be able to hear the difference, there's obviously no point in spending any more than this. Enjoy!
(As a side note - if you're wondering why I care so much, let me put it simply: I think I end up listening to and enjoying more music when it sounds remarkably real. It's way more enjoyable. That's all. If you can avoid it, I suggest staying blissfully unaware of this fact; it's way cheaper.)

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The UCA202 provides two analog mono inputs and outputs (for monitoring), USB connectivity and an additional S/PDIF optical output for direct analog-to-digital conversion. The stereo headphone output features a dedicated level control and lets you listen to both the input and output. For a fraction of the cost of many USB audio interfaces, you can have state-of-the-art digital conversion, world-class recording and editing software, and hassle-free connectivity between your PC or Mac Computer and any piece of audio equipment.

Options Galore When used as a professional interface between a mixing console and your computer, myriad options become available. Some of these might include connecting the UCA202 RCA outputs: to the TAPE INPUT jacks of your mixer; to powered monitors or to the input channels on the mixer. Connecting to the mixer input channels allows you to use the Aux Send feature of your mixer to build an extremely versatile monitor mix for recording sessions. These are just a few of the possibilities; let us know how you use your UCA202.
No Drivers Required The UCA202 works with your PC or Mac computer without the need for any setup or driver installation.
Powered via USB Because the UCA202 is powered by the USB bus, no external power supply is needed. That's one more outlet for all your musical toys.
High-End Audio Quality The UCA202 features high-resolution 48 kHz converters for high-end audio quality, and the additional S/PDIF optical output allows for direct digital conversion.
Tons of Free Software Behringer provides a heap of free software available via download, to let you get the most out of your UAC202 right out of the box.
KRISTAL Audio Engine KRISTAL Audio Engine is a powerful multi-track recorder, audio sequencer and mixer--ideal for anyone getting started with recording, mixing and mastering digital audio.
Audacity Audacity is an easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux operating systems.
energyXT2 This amazing DAW (digital audio workstation) makes it easy to manipulate your audio and MIDI files, and turn song ideas into stunning CD or web-ready recordings. energyXT2 includes built-in synthesizers, a drum machine, and internal multi-FX processor.

What's in the Box Behringer UCA202 U-Control Audio Interface, User's Manual

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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Pyle-Pro - U-CONTROL USB-Audio Interface Review

Pyle-Pro - U-CONTROL USB-Audio Interface
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This products does the job of converting any analog turntable cassettes or any other analog device to digital to your computer I just got some cassettes to my computer and onto MP3 USB drive once I get an iPod I will get all up in I tunes thanks to this product I can throw out all my old cassettes

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Sunday, March 18, 2012

Apple Logic Express 8 Upgrade Review

Apple Logic Express 8 Upgrade
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This update erases all Logic 7 voices and provides a new set of improved tones, although some needed instruments have been dropped (an '80's Yamaha DX7 electric piano, e.g.). If you cloned your hard drive before the upgrade, and with a lot of work, you can import most of them back as 'Performance' channel strips, including the old 'Ubiquitous DX'. No guitar sounds can be imported from Logic 7 so all guitar tracks must be reconfigured. Despite the incredible amount of work it takes to properly transfer Logic 7 files using internal sounds into Logic 8, I still give this upgrade the highest rating. However, I won't upgrade Logic Express anymore unless Apple makes the transition process much easier.
Apple dropped the price of Logic Express by $100 with this version 8 and wants $100 for this upgrade from Logic Express 7 owners! If Amazon didn't offer it for a much lower price, I never would have bought it.

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Logic Express 8 gives musicians everything they need to write, record, edit, and mix. It delivers the same innovative production tools as Logic Pro 8, including full notation, 24-bit/192kHz resolution, and Quick Swipe comping. A beautifully redesigned interface consolidates all windows into a single, efficient workspace made for musicians. Make music right out of the box with 36 instrument plug-ins from Logic Studio, including Ultrabeat drum machine, EXS24 Sampler, and ES2 synth. Shape music productions with 70 effect plug-ins from Logic Studio, including Guitar Amp Pro, Ringshifter, and full-featured Pitch Correction.

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Friday, March 16, 2012

Native Instruments KOMPLETE 7 Software Review

Native Instruments KOMPLETE 7 Software
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For what it is worth, If you need a good variety of MIDI instruments, This is an awesome package!
I submit this review from a Guitar Players perspective, Who plays/composes over MIDI backing tracks.
Be aware that the entire package took almost 8 hours to install!!!!!
12 dvd's Ouch!
To sum up, The highlights of this package are (in this users opinion):
1. Abbey Road 60's drums. These drums sound absolutely great IMO. It plays through Kontakt player and I trigger it with a Zendrum LT, and it is amazing. I use the vst version mostly so I can record the MIDI data inside Acid Pro. I am not a drummer, But to my ears the toms and cymbals in that package sound incredible, and the room mics and such are nicely tweakable. Professional, Kick Ass Quality to my ears!
Battery 3 is amazing also, And I use it for other stuff like Congas and Bongos.
Many of the included ethnic drums and percussion are very usable, And I will be using lots of that as well.
For me, As far as Rock/Blues/Jazz drums, I will stick with Abbey road for now because it is so clean!
I would consider the new 70's and 80's drums packages that NI offers, knowing how these sound for sure!
2. Guitar Rig 4.1. This puppy has been overhauled and it also sounds great and has many uses. re-amping your sound at post with this can produce very dramatic results. I use the DX plugin version in my DAW.
Combining other WAVES plugins/multiple instances and the like can enhance it all even further.
I also practice with the standalone version. I am actually playing it now as I type :-)
Again, vastly improved program from previous versions.
It rocks, And does allow you to get tones that would take a hell of a lot of good gear! I am a tube amp guy, And it is just hard to get a great recorded sound without the help of stellar studio mics/preamps/rooms etc...
This package can produce results that will fool many, guaranteed.
FWIW: Previous versions had an ANNOYING un-filterable noise from the noise gate! They fixed it! Thank you!
Another bonus is the new pitch shifting effects actually work on some chords, I am amazed!
3. Kontakt 4. This is really the heart of this package and it is endless because it is just such an awesome sampler, and many companies support this format.
The instruments in the "band" category are truly great sounding/usable instruments.
I love the Upright Bass, the fiddle, the sitar, and some of the horns just to name a few.
The new Pianos (Berlin, New York, Vienna, etc) sound very nice, And I will be using them quite a bit.
The String instruments (Violin, Cello, etc) are very nice and subtle. Lots of variation/articulation available.
I would also recommend the remainder of the included instruments that come with this mammoth package!
Too many to name and there is probably something here for everyone.
4. FM8, Absynth, Massive, etc: A large portion of Komplete is MIDI synth stuff, Probably targeted for trance and elecronica people, which is not my cup of tea... BUT, Many of the sounds are usable for many situations.
This stuff is highly tweakable which makes it useable in situations you may not normally get into.
I trigger most of my MIDI stuff with a Roland GR-30 (except for the drums), and you could spend eternity cycling through all the damn patches in these programs! insanity!
Combining different patches and instances of the many vst's available, provide a STAGGERING amount of musical creative potential, I assure you.
It may be worth mentioning, I am just using a Presonus Firepod, And my machine is just an Intel e6750 2.88ghz w/4 gig of ram, running Windows Xp Pro SP2.
The overall latency is very minimal for me and totally usable. Around ~4ms or so.
In summary, I would highly recommend this package and it was entirely well worth the $500 price tag for sure!
I have been eying this package since a few versions ago when it sold for over $1k! Now you get lots more stuff and I am happy. It is almost like getting a new computer, there is so much stuff in there, it will keep me busy for some time to come. I hope this helps someone looking for a great value. Some of your reviews helped me decide to take the plunge. Thank You!



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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

iDrum 1.7 Review

iDrum 1.7
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This is a good piece of drum software but not great. I like the way you can assemble drum kits from external wavs. Pattern editing is pretty easy and intuitive. But what I don't like is that they don't separate drumkits from patterns/songs. Which means your patterns are basically bound to the drumkit. If you want a separate set of patterns, then you have to save as to a new drumkit and create your patterns there. But what if you want to just change an instrument in your drumkit? Yep, you have to go to each saved drumkit and do them individually. If they were to separate the patterns from the drumkits, I'd rate it higher. But there aren't that many alternatives for simple drum machine software so I guess they have no motivation to improve.

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Make Your Own Beats: Want to make your own hip hop and dance beats? iDrum adds the missing ingredient to your music creation: a powerful and easy to use drum machine. It's just as simple to use as the hardware drum machines of yesterday with all the flexibility and cost savings of a software-based virtual instrument. Powerful Beatmaking Tools: Drum comes with hundreds of pre-programmed patterns, rhythms and drum sounds for you to mix and match. The new Song Editor mode makes it a snap to assemble your composition even if you never sequenced before. Create drum patterns in iDrum right alongside your existing tracks, perfectly in time, or use iDrum to provide the backbeat when you're laying down new tracks. Create Custom Drum Kits: iDrum will load sound files as drum samples, making iDrum's sound palette limited only by your sonic imagination. You can even download more kits quickly and easily with iDrum Sound Portal. iDrum also features an array of sound-shaping tools like filters, pitch control and envelopes, letting you create custom drum sounds at the click of your mouse. iDrum works Standalone or with most professional host applications! Use iDrum seamlessly with GarageBand, Logic, Ableton Live, Pro Tools, SONAR, Cubase, Digital Performer and other host programs. Supported plug-in formats include: RTAS, VST, Audio Units and MAS. Whether a beginner or a professional, iDrum is your new beatbox.

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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Finale SongWriter 2010 Review

Finale SongWriter 2010
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They call it Finale Songwriter, and that's who it seems to be aimed at; I bought it to do charts for a friend who is a singer/songwriter, and I found it to be quite up to the task.
I got tired of updating the full Finale program, which I purchased back around 1995; the last update I bought was Finale 2001; updating every year was expensive, some $100 for each year's new update; and it was annoying, too, since each new version seemed like it had to be learned all over again; so I finally stopped getting updates and stayed with my 2001d version. Since I don't do much music charting, it was pointless to keep shelling out money for new updates.
Now, here we are in 2010; I'm using a newer Mac with OS X, and the few times I have to do notation, I have to run Classic Mode in order to use my ancient 2001d version of Finale, and already, the updates are requiring a later version of the OS than I have... so I checked out the various versions of Finale, and found this one; Songwriter 2010 is (I think) the last of the Finale programs that will still work with 10.4... and it's also the least expensive, so I thought I would check it out. There is a fully-functional 30-day trial version available to download, so I tried it out by charting a few of my friend's songs with it.
Even with Songwriter, there is a bit of a learning curve, since music notation is a bit of an involved, detailed process. But I found that all of the important functions are easily accessible, and once you get the hang of what menu they're under, it seems to flow pretty well. All the important functions are present; what seems to be missing is all the customizing capability of the full Finale, such as all the little variations of the Repeat signs. It has Simple Note Entry, which is just grabbing a note with the mouse and placing it on the staff; this can be streamlined quite a bit if you have a MIDI keyboard: you use the numeric keypad to select a note value, and play a note on the MIDI keyboard to place it on the staff. I was thrilled to discover that Songwriter also has the Hyperscribe feature, which starts up a metronome, and lets you play a part into the program in real time. All the important text functions and spacing and layout controls are available too, so you can get a chart looking just right. It is limited to 8 staves, but for ordinary song charting, I can't imagine needing more than 3 or 4.
In my opinion, Songwriter is more than adequate to most basic charting needs, and Finale has an upgrade policy if you should ever need more capability. Best of all, you can try the program for 30 days to determine if it will suit your needs.

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While Finale SongWriter makes it easy to create great sheet music at an affordable price, that's just the beginning. Finale SongWriter allows you to enter notes from a mouse, computer keyboard, or midi keyboard. You can add chord symbols, fretboard diagrams, and multiple verses of lyrics. Finale SongWriter can automatically add two and three voice harmony to your melodies and instantly add a drum part. The music you create sounds great through your computer's speakers thanks to Human Playback and 128 professional sounds. You can import and export MIDI files, create MP3 files, and save your work as a standard Finale file which can also be shared with users of Finale Notepad (a free download). If getting music on the printed page is part of your songwriting project, Finale SongWriter is the perfect collaborator.

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Monday, September 26, 2011

Easy Drums (Jewel case) Review

Easy Drums (Jewel case)
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This CD-ROM is a great choice for beginner drummers. I definately recommend it.

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Easy Drums is an interactive guide that will show you everything you need to get started playing the drums. Learn how to select the right drum set,as well as basic techniques like how to hold the sticks and how to playdifferent beats and rolls. The lessons are specially designed withbeginners in mind. Print out music to practice, learn about drum history andfamous drummers, and watch video instruction by an expert. Interestingtrivia and a fun drum-related quiz rounds out this package.

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Toontrack Jazz EZX Expansion Pack for EZdrummer Sample Library Review

Toontrack Jazz EZX Expansion Pack for EZdrummer Sample Library
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Yes, there are things that sampled drums can't do that a real drummer, especially a jazz drummer, can with his eyes closed. But the gap is closing thanks to this sample set. It's frightening how real these drums sound. Then again with Futureman involved in this project, I expected nothing less than something stunning. Toontrack delivered in a big way. These drums sound phenomenal and there are an ungodly amount of samples and drumming techniques involved. The quality is crystal clear as well.
This product was on sale for $39, which was more than 50% off. Even at full price, it's worth every penny.
Phenomenal.

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Saturday, July 2, 2011

Apple Logic Studio Review

Apple Logic Studio
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So you want a whole music studio for under $500? What are you, some kind of crazy Mac user?
Apple's generous price drop for this version of what many consider to be the ultimate music tool (and I'm one of those) has removed any excuse one may have for putting off this purchase any longer. Meaning they cut the price in half and added twice the features of the original: Not only do you get a leaner, meaner and much easier to use version of Logic Pro, but they've thrown in updated versions of Soundtrack Pro and Compressor (previously only available with Final Cut), a live performance module called MainStage, all five Garageband Jam Pack titles, WaveBurner 1.5 for CD mastering, new effects such as Delay Designer .... all you need supply is lots of time and about 45 gigs of hard drive space.
As a happy user of Logic since version 6, I found the upgrade (available for just under $200) easy to grow into, especially being used to Apple's other pro apps, and really appreciated the addition of Soundtrack Pro 2, whose predecessor I'd used more for track mastering. The newer interface for Logic is more self contained now, with sliding panels replacing all those open windows you used to have to deal with ... although that is still an option if you're a person who thrives on complexity. Now you can look at both the Arrange Window and Matrix Edit (now called "Piano Roll", how quaint) in the same window, just roll it in and out as needed. Same with Audio Mixer, Score View, Hyper Edit, etc. In keeping with this more streamlined method, some of the tools are more hidden away which, along with other changes, I'm quickly getting used to. Another rollaway panel gives you access to instrument settings (and other audio resources) by way of a Soundtrack-like browser -- don't like that piano sound and don't feel like scrolling through all of them? Just pick one off the list, and it's there!
Another nice feature you'll see right away is some handy standard templates: Now, instead of trying to figure out how many blank tracks, and what kind, you may need for a certain project, just click one of the template buttons and you're on your way. You can easily customize them if you're a seasoned user. The one that has this user the most excited is the orchestral template ..... a whole symphony orchestra, ordered the same as it would be in a classical score, with instruments already loaded and regions just waiting for note entry. Now that's power. You can transcribe classical works using Logic's score editor, which by the way will also print out scores should you ever hire live musicians for your compositions.
One thing that will make Logic veterans happy is, now you don't need the USB XS-Key to be plugged in to run the software. Upgraders only need it to install, then just unplug it and drop it in the box. New users won't even have to deal with it. They don't know what they've missed, and they're better off.
In summary, Logic is the solution for the Mac-based musician, as far as composing, arranging, recording, looping, producing, scoring, sound designing, whatever-ing in an audio capacity. No messy cables and reels of tape all over the place like in the old days, just launch and bring musical dreams to life. I can't emphasize enough what a good deal this is (without sounding like a salesman), and once you get over a slight learning curve you realize the possibilities are virtually boundless for what you'll come up with. Just be aware: this ain't no Garageband. Logic is for the serious musician or music producer for whom music matters above most other things. This is what obsessed people do with their time. If this sounds like you, well, you owe it to yourself to make the most logical investment.

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Logic Studio, Apple's comprehensive suite of professional music and audio tools, provides musicians with everything they need to create in the studio, on the stage, and for the screen. Logic Studio includes Logic Pro 8, Apple's legendary professional music production application featuring a new, intuitive interface; MainStage, an innovative new application for music performance; and Soundtrack Pro 2 for audio post-production and sound design. It also includes Studio Instruments and Studio Effects, with 40 acclaimed instruments and 80 professional effect plug-ins; an expanded Studio Sound Library; and new production utilities--all in a single box at an incredible price.

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