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ok so I plant o buy some stuff.
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The Journey Man Project
Inactive User
Started Topics :
128
Posts :
931
Posted : Jan 23, 2008 04:11
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as I am sick of using demo's and crappy pirate software that si either out of date or just doesn;t work well at all... my budget is low seeing as I alos am saving for a new computer... but this place offers what to me looks like a reasonable starter deal for somebody who is just doing for a new hobby, not pro at all:
http://www.djwarehouse.com.au/cat/index.cgi/shopfront/view_product_details?category_id=11976&product_id=305279
Price: $990 Australian
Description
1 X Steinberg Sequel production softare
1 X Novation Remote LE: dedicated Midi controller Key board with tranporp controls.
1 X Behriger U Control: Compact USB audio interface with headphone out.
2 X Event ALP 5: Professional 5" Powered Neafield monitors.
Package also includes the Xcite Software bundle with Ableton Live Lite, Novation Bass Station, FXpansion's BFD Ultralite and a demo version of GURU, plus 500 MB of audio samples exclusively compiled by LoopMasters.
worth it or waste of $$$?
  --- Love In Light, Dance In Darkness ---
My CD's - www.discogs.com/collection?user=liquidcream |
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Suloo
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
87
Posts :
2822
Posted : Jan 23, 2008 05:18
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Hey i think everybody got his own opinion of that question..but here is mine..
1 x Waste of money..go for cubase 4 essential for start up..upgrade to fullversion some time if you feel the need of it..catch any student you know..and get educational version(half of the actual price but same program)
or go streight for live 7(ca 330aud edu version)
2 x would not take this for beginning purposes..you can buy that as soon as you are familar with the sequencer and plugins/sound mangeling and stuff..
3 x wouldn`t buy any behringer stuff except of volume meters or line checking tools..
save for echo audiofire 2 or s.l.t.
4 x well monitors are quite essential but its also important to buy good ones..that will enhance your skills faster than on cheaper ones..for beginning i would recommend to go for good headphones like beyer-dynamic dt 990 pro http://www.beyerdynamic.de/cms/Headphones.68.0.html?&L=1&tx_sbproductdatabase_pi1[showUid][showUID]=45&tx_sbproductdatabase_pi1[showUid][backPID]=68&cHash=f8ff1123c1
way cheaper than good monitors..no problems with your eventualy room acoustic,nice and definated sound..ideal for beginners i would say..
so it is maybe a bid more expensive than your thing but even for beginners..if you buy something..get something solid you will work with a long time to develop your skills on good stuff..go step by step regardig to your money and skills..
you will have more fun with good technic than with very basic ones in my opinion..and thats all about..fun!
so i would say its waste..at least 1 and 3..the remote is nice i gues and i don`t know the monitors..but i think you got my point..
greez
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Alex - Aural Invasion
Aural Invasion
Started Topics :
37
Posts :
514
Posted : Jan 23, 2008 05:35
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in my point of view:
1. agree with Mtzz Mtzz
2. keys are essential, for me at least, so go for it!
3. agree with Mtzz Mtzz
4. Buy the best monitors you can afford. Headphones can't replace monitors, and good monitors will make it easier creating a good mix.
for audio interface, this one could be interesting maybe
http://www.tcelectronic.com/DesktopKonnekt6
myspace.com/auralinvasion
reverbnation.com/auralinvasion
www.aural-invasion.com |
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makus
Overdream
Started Topics :
82
Posts :
3087
Posted : Jan 23, 2008 12:19
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Quote:
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On 2008-01-23 05:35, Alex - Aural Invasion
4. Buy the best monitors you can afford. Headphones can't replace monitors, and good monitors will make it easier creating a good mix.
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yes but headphones is a very useful instrument that goes as addition to monitors. i always check my mixes in headphones and fix any panoramic bugs there can be. also in headphones its easier and faster to make panarama fx during composing.
to the topic:
The Journey Man Project, could you define a bit detailed what you gonna do with your setup? making music, some kind of media, mixes?
Dont really know why anyone may need steinberg sequel. I tried the demo and rapidly uninstalled this piece of *software*. I think its more to then to serious work. Why not try Reaper for example ($50.00 USD)? I know people at KVR recommend it as a cheap and good sequencer.
As Mtz advices, Cubase (academic ver) is a reasonable option. I would go for it if I were you.
Anyways i believe that choosing a sequencer is a very personal thing. Like choosing a girl or a car. So you need to try be4 buy everything to choose.
www.overdreamstudio.com |
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Alex - Aural Invasion
Aural Invasion
Started Topics :
37
Posts :
514
Posted : Jan 23, 2008 18:44
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Quote:
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On 2008-01-23 12:19, makus wrote:
Quote:
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On 2008-01-23 05:35, Alex - Aural Invasion
4. Buy the best monitors you can afford. Headphones can't replace monitors, and good monitors will make it easier creating a good mix.
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yes but headphones is a very useful instrument that goes as addition to monitors. i always check my mixes in headphones and fix any panoramic bugs there can be. also in headphones its easier and faster to make panarama fx during composing.
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yup, and that goes for reverb as well
myspace.com/auralinvasion
reverbnation.com/auralinvasion
www.aural-invasion.com |
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anigbrowl
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
26
Posted : Jan 25, 2008 04:23
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Steinberg Sequel = toy...not bad, but nothing good except pretty graphics.
Personally, I suggest...
Ableton Live as your main software. Very flexible and powerful, includes some good synthesizers and sampler. Get #7, the latest version. I never have any reliability problems with my copy ;-) But...
Also you can consider Reason. For me, too much visual mess and clutter...but again you can make very good sounds with it. And you can work with Live via ReWire. The negative is that it is only a 'note sequencer' - you can't edit audio in the reason sequencer directly, instead you must load something into the sampler. Also it can use a lot of CPU.
But if I lost everything else and I had to make psy with only one piece of software, probably I would use Reason because of its modular possibilities. And you will learn a lot about synthesizers for sure. You should definitely, cough, evaluate it. People will say 'xxx plugin sounds most beautiful' and some older modules in Reason are not-so-good, but if you take time to program it you can get amazing results.
Actually, for psy I would say you can learn much more with Reason than with Live, or anyway learn faster. Live is wonderful, especially if you are already a DJ or you want to buy CDs with sample loops and mix them together. But Reason will give you more psy-powers
I use Live because I have some hardware gear so I want to record and edit the audio, most of the sound/MIDI is made outside the computer. For you, Reason is better. Anyway, you can find both if you ask musician friends nicely.
For a Keyboard, M-Audio have very nice control keyboards with some knobs, faders, and pads for your drums. Get a keyboard with more than 2 octaves, like 49 key, otherwise you are switching the keyboard up and down all the time to get high or low notes. Novation's gear has great control software but it is more expensive. I suggest this one: http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Axiom49-main.html
For speakers, maybe you save money with some Event units because they are Australian, I think? I had some before and they sound pretty good. But now I use KRK speakers, I think they're the best - I suggest a Rokit or V5 model. Get powered speakers, so you don't have to buy a separate amplifier which will be more expensive. If you can't et a good price on them, M-Audio speakers are not so bad. But you should spend 30-40% on the speakers, so you hear the true sound.
Unless you have a BIG room and no neighbors, you are better with some high-quality small speakers than medium quality big speakers. It's more important to have the speakers set up right. They should be at eye level and make an equilateral triangle with your head (all sides the same). Turn them a *little* so they point at you, not too much.
If the speakers are about 1 meter from your head while you work, then 5-6 inches (12-15cm) is plenty big enough for the woofer. If you find two speakers the same price, pick the heavier one, it is usually the better one. And avoid sharp edges, like around the edge of the speaker cone. It puts some extra noise in the sound, instead there should be soft rounded curves, also on the bass port (the hole at the bottom). Usually if it looks beautiful outside, it is well engineered inside. But the #1 thing is the weight, because a heavy speaker gives you tighter bass. Don't trust the salesman in the shop, maybe he makes more from one brand than another. Also, it's famous that they turn up slightly the volume on the speakers they want to sell to you. So really, don't trust your ears too much either! They know the psychology of someone who is shopping and spending a lot of money and they will use it, it's their job to make maximum profit from you.
Audio interface...well probably not Behringer. It's OK but not great (although they make very good analog compressors and a good digital mixer, also some nice MIDI knob/fader controllers for cheap). Emu make nice soundcards at a good price.
You just need a simple one because you are not trying to plug lots of keyboards or analog gear, so you could get an Emu 0404 for example. It's only stereo in and out but that's really all you need and the quality is very good. Also you'll get some nice Emu sounds with it in the Proteus LE software.
Now, you can't plug your headphone in unless you buy the bigger one...but composing on headphones is very bad for your ears. After you write some tracks and you are very excited, then you should worry about things like the perfect stereo image etc. It is important but it is also an advanced issue...first you should concentrate on writing good tunes, good rhythms, and making interesting sounds. When you have a good track you can get help with the mastering, other people will be happy to do it for you. If you are working at night and your housemates complain, just turn down the volume. You don't write better music just because you listen loud, it's an illusion. But damaging your ears from long nights of loud headphone use is not an illusion.
You probably have some crappy soundcard on your computer motherboard and some crappy speakers already...keep them. Control Windows so your system sounds and email notify sounds go through the cheap speakers, otherwise you get get a big ugly Microsoft sample LOUD in your expensive speakers every time you make a computer mistake. Or sometimes you record it in your track by accident
Also, after you make a track, you can load it in Windows Media player or something and test it on your crappy speakers. If it sounds good on crappy speakers as well as expensive speakers, it is good enough to send to the label as a demo.
Also, if you get a new computer, put Windows XP instead of Vista. It is stable and you don't need to waste your CPU power on drawing the pretty windows of Vista. There is a new windows in 2009 anyway, this is the first time I decided to skip a version of Windows totally. |
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The Journey Man Project
Inactive User
Started Topics :
128
Posts :
931
Posted : Jan 28, 2008 23:55
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On 2008-01-25 04:23, anigbrowl wrote:
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hi my friend,
your response is by far the most useful. I was thinking to just get Ableton to start, as I"m not just recording and making psytrance. This will be my solo project but I am also working with a blues/jazz/funk guitarist in writing some guitar/synth based sounds as well. He already has cubase (an older viersion, but it works for now)... so I think I will use the Ableton Live, M-Audio midi and some reasonable speakers to start... I"m over headphones, even as a dj I only use them when mixing, and take them off once the next track has kicked in (I've suffered a bit of hearing damage, and in crowded clubs and bars I cannot hear people speaking to me even when they shout)... so again thankyou for the info and I'll hopefully have some samples to share with you by the end of this year
Regards,
Mikes
--- Love In Light, Dance In Darkness ---
My CD's - www.discogs.com/collection?user=liquidcream |
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