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macphoria

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 29, 2002
594
0
I'm a total beginner in terms of making music on computer. Using SoundEdit 16 is as far as I go. But I'm interested in creating simple music/soundtrack for a movie project I'm working on. I have little bit of piano background so I maybe able to do some things with synthesizer of some kind possibly.

So what kind of softwares are there that might be able to help me on this project? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
 

FredAkbar

macrumors 6502a
Jan 18, 2003
660
0
San Francisco, CA
Re: What's a good software for making music?

Originally posted by macphoria
I'm a total beginner in terms of making music on computer. Using SoundEdit 16 is as far as I go. But I'm interested in creating simple music/soundtrack for a movie project I'm working on. I have little bit of piano background so I maybe able to do some things with synthesizer of some kind possibly.

So what kind of softwares are there that might be able to help me on this project? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Take a look at Sound Studio. I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but it came with my computer, and I have played with it a little bit (though I haven't really done any music-making or anything).

--Fred
 

pepeleuepe

macrumors 6502
Oct 27, 2002
252
0
Los Angeles, California
Re: What's a good software for making music?

Originally posted by macphoria
So what kind of softwares are there that might be able to help me on this project? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

You might want to check out Propellerhead's Reason Its a fully functional software synth with effects and lots more. This is a professional quality piece of software, so it might be a little more pricey than what you were looking for, but it sounds like it might work for you.

Otherwise, if you want a MIDI and audio program, check out Cubase SL (Reason is mostly for recording MIDI and computer made sounds, Cubase will record mic's and live sound as well as MIDI).

There are advantages to each piece of software, take a look at the sites and let me know if you have any other questions. Also, these are only a couple of the programs that do this type of work, another you might want to check out is Logic
 

PHARAOHk

macrumors regular
Feb 19, 2003
122
0
Reason2 by Propellerhead will have countless drumkits, two great synthesizers, and a good sampler. In my opinion it is the best all in one solution. It sounds really good and lots of people have gotten movie deals and stuff with reason only made music. You will need a midi keyboard. I have a Midiman Oxygen8 and it works great. If you want to use live sounds there are ways of doing it with reason2 but you may be better off getting Propellerhead's Rewire and Digidesign's Digital Performer free version. It can support up to 10 tracks of live audio to add to your reason stuff. This is a world renowned multitrack software (Digital performer) and can be as simple or complex as you like.
Reason2 is OSX ready but the rest I mentioned are not. If you don't mind booting into 9 this setup may be what you need. Propeller head has a good forum so you could ask questions there or download a trial version of reason. I have never regretted my reason2 purchase. With some enginuity you can make some fantastic music with it. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.

(((k)))
PHARAOHK@covad.net
 

macphoria

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 29, 2002
594
0
Thanks a lot for the information guys, I really appreciate it.
 

PHARAOHk

macrumors regular
Feb 19, 2003
122
0
by the way, reason 2.5 was announced yesterday. It has some new totally awesome effects and stuff. It's a beta but it's awesome.

(((k)))
 

barkmonster

macrumors 68020
Dec 3, 2001
2,134
15
Lancashire
Reason2 by Propellerhead will have countless drumkits, two great synthesizers, and a good sampler. In my opinion it is the best all in one solution. It sounds really good and...

It's super easy to use, pro quality is debatable, it's got a very lofi quality to all but the drum kits and it's hard to get anything resembling warmth out of anything filter related. This isn't a matter of opinion, it's a matter of fact when comparing it to any other software synth, vibra, pro-53, fm-7 etc... all sound a lot better than the reason synths. Sampletank, Kontakt and Unity sound a lot better than the samplers in reason. It's just not night and day unless you're used to working in 24bit.

...lots of people have gotten movie deals and stuff with reason only made music.

Yeah right, Brian Transeau by any chance ? classically trained to the point where you can score an orchestra is different from twiddling around with a little dance toy that good for sketching ideas down. I can't imagine ANY movie having an entire sound track done in reason, it doesn't support surround sound, quality is 'prosumer' at best and there's no way a £300 all-in-one toy like reason could match the realism of a live orchestra.

I can see the connection though.

In a BT article and video in Macaddict he recommends anyone starting out with music on the mac should use Reason. He also advocates both reason and the mac all the time in music tech interviews.

He also composed the sound tracks for the Fast & Furious, Under Suspicion, Zoolander and Go! amongst others.

The connection would be easy to make if you twisted everything out of context :p

You will need a midi keyboard. I have a Midiman Oxygen8 and it works great. If you want to use live sounds there are ways of doing it with reason2

I have the Evolution MK-249C, it's the same price as the Oxygen except it has a full 4 octaves instead of 2 (good if you just play basslines I suppose). As far as live sounds in reason, you really need to load up on RAM to add anything of any real length to a reason track. It's perfectly possible though.

but you may be better off getting Propellerhead's Rewire and Digidesign's Digital Performer free version. It can support up to 10 tracks of live audio to add to your reason stuff. This is a world renowned multitrack software (Digital performer) and can be as simple or complex as you like.

Rewire is an I/O protocol not an application.

Digidesign make Protools Free and it supports 8 (mono) audio tracks, there's also no easy way of integrating it with Reason because it doesn't support rewire. It is far easier to use than other DAW software because it's only got 2 windows and that makes visualising and arranging every part of a track down to effect audiomation and track mixing really intuative.

Reason2 is OSX ready but the rest I mentioned are not. If you don't mind booting into 9 this setup may be what you need. Propeller head has a good forum so you could ask questions there or download a trial version of reason. I have never regretted my reason2 purchase. With some enginuity you can make some fantastic music with it. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.

Reason is you're best bet to start out, it's not perfect but it's only a few hundred pounds/dollars and offers the basics of everything you'd need to put a track together.

Not trying to flame here, I just think giving someone an answer to a question that doesn't even get the facts straight and mentions software that doesn't exist "Digidesign Digital Performer Free ?" is a bit unfair.

:D
 

Jaykay

macrumors 6502a
Dec 1, 2002
550
0
Ireland
Re: Re: What's a good software for making music?

Originally posted by pepeleuepe
Also, these are only a couple of the programs that do this type of work, another you might want to check out is Logic

Hey its always good to get a program like this because apple own this now. Good choice on apple's part as well. (Well thats just me)
 

PHARAOHk

macrumors regular
Feb 19, 2003
122
0
Hold on there fellas, this person wanted an all in one solution. Reason's got everything you need and with talent can sound as "good" as anything. So yeah, you got drums, synth's, sampler, editor, an all in one thingy. It sound's "better" than fruityloops in my opinion which is the only other all in one beginner type thingy I know of. So uh, yeah people have gotten movie deals from completely reason based music. DJDM has songs in the animatrix and someone else got something. Yeah he could get a MOTU 828 and reaktor and plugins and blah blah blah... Reason is simple, cool, and sounds good and is an all in one simple solution. When I finaaly get my freakin 17" I will provide links to my Reason music if ya like:) I in no way am associated with Reason other then I used it until my computer crapped the bed and now I wait.
---(barkmonster)--- Well crap you sure as hell dissected my post. I got protools wrong and I thought it was compatible with rewire. I was just trying to help. For me I just need something like free protools to add a few live tracks to reason. Free is always good right? It sucks you have to buy rewire but I like reason and when they release the OSX and rewire compatible version of protools I will be set. I guess I was just trying to be nice and helpfull. I'll do more research next time.
Later,
(((k)))
 

alkil47

macrumors member
Mar 9, 2003
37
0
Reason kicks ass , first music app I really ever used at it was easy to learn and was on it for hours ... :D
 

andrewlandry

macrumors member
Jul 3, 2002
95
0
NYC
something similar to CoolEdit (but better) would be Logic or Cubase. you can get the Logic Big Box w/sampler and a virtual Rhodes that is very good for about $240 at http://www.musiciansfriend.com

thanks barkmonster. that post just had too many things wrong with it to let go.

one more thing, you don't buy rewire. it is simply a feature of Reason and of Cubase and several other 3rd party apps that allows Reason to route its mixer channels into a real sequencer program.

i started out using Reason, but quickly became tired of the low-fi-ness of it. and as for it being better than fruity loops - at least fruity loops supports VST plug-ins and it's much easier to program drum tracks. in Reason, you are stuck with the few effects they give you, and really poor reverb.

it's really fine for writing songs and playing around with, but i wouldn't go too crazy and start saying that it's all you need to score movies like a pro or make a hit record or whatever.

sorry that this probably doesn't help the person who originally asked the question. Reason is probably fine for your purposes and it's much easier to learn and cheaper than a serious program like Logic or Cubase w/soft-synths and plugins.
 

Vlade

macrumors 6502a
Feb 2, 2003
966
4
Meadville, PA
Reason 2.5 definitly. Just be carefull, the MSRP is 399 but you can get it new for about 200 if you find the right place (I think it was in Musicians Friend that had it the cheapest)

If you want Rebirth I will sell it for 20 dollars, its 180 new. It works great, but I find that using royalty free music for my shareware games is better then making my own.
 

howard

macrumors 68020
Nov 18, 2002
2,017
4
my guide to music programs:

all in one, but ONLY the sounds that come with it for a decent price: Reason 2.0

i love this program, i use it all the time, though if you want to record audio its not for you

everything in one for ok (though more expensive that reasoon): digital performer (some prefer logic) it can do audio and midi, though unlike reason you need a seperate sound source...so if you are buying a synthezier your set.

everything in one, the best there is, but very VERY expensive: protools, again this is only if your gonna do audio, if its just midi then i reccomend reason all the way.
 

peter2002

macrumors 6502
Aug 1, 2002
253
1
Dallas, TX
Print this out:

Software you need to buy:

Ableton Live 2 http://www.ableton.com/ (Nothing is better, check out the demo and you will understand why. The others are too complicated and have really annoying copy protection.)

Reason 2 http://www.propellerheads.se http://www.propellerheads.se/home/frankfurt2003/frankpop.htm (The best for creating music, not just techno. Lots of free refills out there. Alway look for the big ones. Check Doru's page at bottom.)

Band-in-a-Box 11 http://www.pgmusic.com/band.htm (A must get. BB will create an original song for you that sounds great in 3 seconds in any style. I'm not bluffing. Enough said.)

Grovemaker 2.5 http://www.groovemaker.com/ (Optional, great for techno, trance, acid creation)

Auto-Tune 3 http://www.antarestech.com/products/auto-tune3.html (A must for great vocals)

Mic Modeler http://www.antarestech.com/products/amm.html (Can't afford a $2K mic? No problem, Mic Modeler will make your $50 Radio Shak mic sound just like a Neumann.)

AmpliTube http://www.amplitube.com (The best guitar emulation amp program)

T-RackS http://www.t-racks.com/ (Great for mastering)

Bias Peak 3 http://www.bias-inc.com/ (Great for mastering)

Sibelius 2 http://www.sibelius.com/cgi-bin/home/home.pl (The best notation software)

MIDI and Drum Grooves. (Don't like inputing drum parts. Buy these.)

Drumtrax 3 http://www.drumtrax.com/

Twiddly Bits http://www.keyfax.com/keyfax/prdct.html

Newtronic http://www.newtronic.com/

Resources:

Doru http://www.freewebz.com/dorumalaia/links.htm

Free Soundfonts http://www.thesoundsite.net/

HitSquad http://www.hitsquad.com

Sonicstate http://www.sonicstate.com/

Future Music http://www.futuremusic.co.uk/hl_news.asp

Electronic Musician http://www.sospubs.co.uk/

Sound on Sound http://www.sospubs.co.uk/

ReasonStation http://www.reasonstation.com

Retailers:

ZZounds http://www.zzounds.com/

Sweetwater http://www.sweetwater.com

_________________________________________________________________________________________

There is a lot of great stuff out there, but the above music software and midi grooves are all you really need. Trust me. Anything more will just waste your time.

Pete
:)
 
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