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R

.:*Robot Boy*:.

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 21, 2005
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New Zealand
In an attempt to encourage some discussion, and get a feel for the MacRumor's digital audio community, I thought I'd ask the question:

"What's your platform and what do you use it for?"

My main DAW is Pro Tools TDM (192 I/O + Control|24), but I use Pro Tools LE (M-Box) when I'm not at polytech.

I tend to use Logic Express for doing MIDI work, simply because I have more soft-synths for Logic than I do for Pro Tools. Typically I'll write the arrangement in Logic using temporary sounds and then export as a Standard MIDI File and import that into Pro Tools where I'll replace those temporary sounds and overdub audio.

I also use Garageband for doing one-track Guitar/Vocal demos at 4am in the morning :p.

I'm a second-year audio engineering student, so I'm recording bands (my passion), creating sound effects for video, writing jingles/soundtracks/etc. I tend to work with a lot of local indie bands and my engineering/production style is heavily influenced by sixties pop productions (particularly The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, The Beatles, etc.). I also write and record my own songs.

So, whether you're sitting alone in your bedroom with Garageband and a built in mic, behind an SSL in a big LA studio churning out shiny radio-pop, or somewhere in between... tell us what your 'gig' is :cool:.

Tim.
 
OK: I came up through the analog bedroom studio world -- Tascam Portastudio 244, Minimoog, Rhodes, Roland TR606. Fond (cough) memories of layering and bouncing monophonic synth lines to build up organ and string parts. Got the first DX7 in our area 6 months after having paid my deposit and was in FM heaven. Fond (cough, cough) memories of 6 op FM programming. Did a bit of recording for local bands. Have miles and miles of casette tapes of unfinished song ideas.

Got married, kids, spent 15 years or so away from it. Have read every issue of Keyboard, Mix, Sound on Sound, Electronic Musician, Recording and Future Music for the last 20 years however.

Son is convinced he is the next big thing in Hip Hop, so I set him up with a ProTools Digi001/G4 Quicksilver/OS9 system and all of my old gear. He's released one CD and one video so far, and recorded a ton of other urban music performers. Still hasn't made any money though.

Have recently picked up a used Digi002Rack, Emu E6400, and some other gear. I now have ProTools 6 and Garageband on Mac and Cubase SX on PC with Logic 5 and Reason on both/either. So I have lots of tools to play with, hope to have some time to explore and get back into writing.recording.

Just counting the days to when I'll break down and buy software simulations of my dear departed Mini, DX, Rhodes, Clavinet, and the Prophet I never quite got. Still have a B-3 boxed up in the basement though.

Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com
 
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Hi I'm Cameron, and i will probably be the odd-ball here :p

I am a masters student in music composition. Since starting this degree i have really become intrested in electronic music. In my short academic experience i have used the Uni's Moog Modular, a home-built Moog, Arp 2600, Prophet 600, DrumTraks, and reel-to-reel tape decks.

As far as digital goes my current set up is my PB working with my MOTU mkI, (soon my mbox, thanks to RobotBoy :)), Peak, Logic and Max/MSP.

Mainly i work with Max, building electro-acoustic patches. Currently working on a patch that takes live input, finds the fundamental and overtones, uses the overtones and their relative amplitudes to produce FM synthesis which is recorded by pitch triggers, and then is played back by pitch triggers (which are somewhat controllable by other pitch triggers/amplitude analysis), in the end creating a quasi-beat to accompany the performer. This will be a portion of another patch that does live granular synthesis, pitch modifications, vocoding and controls 8-channel panning.

Whew...i am glad that description is over! :)

This summer i am working on that patch, a hyper-instrument, writing some acoustic compositions as well, and just finished doing a tape-piece for a dance movie. I am also intrested in getting doing some IDM music patches/live performances, but we will see how that goes over in the south, lol.

Overall, a jack of all trades, except recording. I feel fairly comfortable doing it, but thats one thing i dont mind leaving to someone else around our studio, hehe.

-cameron
 
My names Paul, I'm 22 from UK. I'm currently working as an IT Technician in a local college after completing a Music Tech Degree. I'm saving up money to (hopefully) go down south and complete a 2 yr Masters in either Sound Post Production for Film/TV.

I primarily use Reason for synth sounds, with Cubase for recording audio. I've used Pro Tools for a few years, but because I do a lot of MIDI work, I try to avoid it if I can! I usually just record for myself, but a couple of my songs have been used for companies showreels.

Alongside trying to find enough time to produce music, I have a keen interest in Graphics, and currently the project taking most of my time is a new website for myself - soon to be on www.squarefrog.co.uk.

I'm patiently awaiting a 15" 1.67 GHz Powerbook with 128 mb gfx, which according to TNT tracking was sent out today (shame theres no-one in to recieve it :eek:, hope they re-deliver tomorrow!) Ordered 1 GB of Crucial to bump up the RAM to 1.5 :) Looking forward to sitting out in the garden with the PB, keyboard and Reason making lovely sounds in the Sunshine! (Providing Summer actually arrives here in the UK!)
 
Feels like a chapter of AA doesn't it?

I'm currently senior lecturer in Music Technology at a London University, been lecturing full-time for 5 years, I'm responsible for designing the facilities the students use. We have around 25 studios ranging from 20 workstation labs up to full pro-level studios, we have 6 5.1 rooms based on a number of formats.

We are a 100% Apple department now, (OK, there are a few PC's lurking in cupboards...).

Our main platforms are Logic and Protools, all main studios have Protools HD, and all others run LE on a mixture of 002 and M-box (mainly in the labs), Logic will be at 7.1 Pro by the end of the summer, we've just ordered 85 copies...!

We also run Reaktor, Reason, Contakt, some Cubase and a whole ruck of plug-ins from Altiverb down.

Our main rooms also have 24 tracks of DA78 DTR's cos we still think linear recording techniques are very important.

I'm an old rock n roll engineer, been recording professionally since 1987, and worked as a freelancer in the London studios for most of that time, I specialise in band recording, particularly rock and indie.

Lately I've been working in audio post production and surround and am currently mixing some film music composed by a friend to 5.1 and completing an album of pan-arabian/spanish music. I also teach DVD authoring.

I run Protools LE on a 17" PowerBook at home, with Reason and Garageband as the MIDI complement, and I'm a bass player, I have a Warwick Thumb 5 string.

Oh, and I'm a MacRumors mod too. :D
 
Michael Miller or DJ Shrike (someday),

Well I am not much of a musician at all. I tried to play the guitar, but well, I like the idea of playing the guitar, but not so much actually playing it. I have a great appreciation for both electric and acoustic guitars and the music they make.

At school I enjoyed playing with Garageband and making some electronica beats on it. I would like to start doing that again if I can get a better Mac.

My current music oriented goals are the following:

1. To really master Garageband. By that I mean know it's ins and outs and know how to make it do what I want (within its own confines). Then move on to whatever is the next step.

2. To learn the art of mixing Electronica style music, and Scratchpads. I would like to learn how to "DJ." And maybe do this as something partime.

3. To relearn the guitar in my own time and not to play in a band. This was one of my stoppers, I wasn't good enough to play in a band with some of my friends and so I got discouraged. My own fault really, didn't practice enough.

In the end all my goals are for myself and my own pleasure. I don't plan on joining a band with anyone (although if the oppertunity comes around, I am not going to pass it up), and I don't plan on making music my life. Just a hobby :)

Mike
 
Hello. My name is doumbek and I'm a Drumaholic

By my screen name you might be able to figure out that I'm primarily into hand drums and percussion. (insert favorite drummer joke here)

Anways, I have recently begun my journey into the digital world, and can say that I am glad that technology is making it more and more possible for people to start their own musical revolution.

Since I come from a garage/indie background, and it was hard to find people to play with that don't get freaked out when you start playing finger rolls, I am currently in the process of learning how to play bass.

I use Protools LE on a Dual 1.8 Powermac, and have been using Garageband to suck the rest of my family into the music making habit.
 
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doumbek said:
(insert favorite drummer joke here)
Click to expand...
My god theres so many!!! Which do i choose?! Nah I wouldnt.. I respect drummers, singers are the ones you have to watch out for, no offence to any singers out there.
 
Duff-Man says...home "hobbyist" I suppose...I like to tinker around with sounds make weird music for myself. For hardware I use a Roland A-37 midi controller midi'd up with a Korg Wavestation A/D via a MotU Micro Express...and a Presonus Firebox...software - Digital Performer, Reason 3, Arturia Moog Modular, Minimoog and Arp 2600, NI Vocator - as you may have guess I like old analog synth stuff...also a few guitars (and bass) that I run through a Boss GT-8....expensive but fun hobby....oh yeah!
 
Hi everyone,

I'm running the US subsidiary of a UK guitar amp manufacturer/distributor (we're the co-developers of the Plexi line of amps with D.C. Developments, who build the Eric amp for a certain Mr. Clapton) and I work with several pro-audio companies on an ad hoc basis for specific hardware solutions (old Decca, Neve, Audix, Calrec,Helios etc.).

My digital rig at present is a hangover, sort of, from my previous incarnation in London, UK, and consists of 2x MX2424's, Apogee Rosetta 800 (with Big Ben on the way), Logic, O2R with a boatload of Audio Design AES in/out mods and a whole farm of rebuilt Brit analog mic pres and EQs.

On the actual music front, I'm switching from being a player to more of a producer.....which should be fun, but will probably end in tears! I've got two female artists at the pre-production stage and the next twelve months should be a rare tussle between hardware and artist development.

Great idea for a forum, Winter et al. Well done, chaps!
 
Thought I would join in on the fun...

I am currently finishing up my degree in sound engineering. I took a "few years" away from school spent doing live sound and theatrical productions. Now I am back finishing up the last 2 years of my degree and studying classical piano. I also play guitar, bass, drums and a bit of woodwinds. I still work as a freelance engineer and have a steady gig at the university I attend.

The studio at school is very nice; Otari 32 channel, 24-bus board, ProTools HD system, 24-track 2" machine, huge soffit mounted Genelecs, Blue Sky 5.1 system, plus all the amenities.

At work I use a Crest 48-ch X-Eight, crown amps, EAW mains and wedges, KT eq's, dbx and presonus comp/gates. Also have an 828mkII for 8/16 track live recording to hard disk in addition to DAT, CD-r, MD, cassette.

At home I have a modest project studio:
Kurzweil k2500 XS, Korg Triton
various guitars, amps, drumset
G3 ibook, Dual G4, and Dual G5, 1TB storage total
MOTU 828/presonus 8-ch pre
Mackie 1604
Mackie HR824 monitors
Shure, AKG and Neumann mics
Yamaha PA cabs/crown amps
and more plus...Digital Performer!!

I love DP, mostly because of the way it handles MIDI and the cheaper cost. Protools is great for a professional studio, I would choose no other. But, I love the motu stuff and free AU synths. I mostly work on my own projects, which tend to go very slowly. My projects range from rock type music to whacked out electronic things and classical compositions. I also do freelance production, mostly post work. One day will upgrade to a TDM system, but I doubt I will get an LE system before then.

If anyone hasn't heard of Destroy FX , then check it out. Some very strange plugins going on there. I also grab just about any free AU synth I can find. Can you guys recommend any?
 
great idea for a thread!

i'm a writer/producer living in los angeles but at present i'm taking a much needed sabbatical from the music business in order to chase my kids and tend to the garden.

i'm much like fellow poster canadaram in that i started old school with a rhodes, minimoog, hammond, univox( e-gads!) and a portastudio. i was lucky enough to play around dallas in the days when the music scene there was just amazing; it wasn't unusual to see stevie ray vaughn, the dixie chicks, new bohemians, rev horton heat and others playing in the local clubs-on the same weekend. well, except the dixie chicks were actually busking for change on a street corner in the west end.

for years i was a signed sony artist and staff writer but i'm now a happy free-agent....nothing will kill your creativity faster than meeting with accountants to discuss the finer points of music. i use digital performer in my studio but i'm fluent on protools (when a gun is held to my head). i don't really care a whole lot about equipment-i firmly believe people connect with music because of the song and the performance. in fact, during my sabbatical, i've been contemplating ways to scale back my dependence on the mind-numbing array of tools/plugs and options to make the process more streamlined and less technical...or is it more emotional and less cerebral...

i love producing...the process of taking an artist's concept of a record/song and actually completing it is an amazing journey. certainly we should have a producer's thread at some point.

oh well, thats enough from me...welcome all!
 
I've just been recording through a normal PA which plugs straight into the audio input on my dual 2Ghz G5. All I need is a good breakout box. Where the hell is this bloody Asteroid? Check out some of my songs by clicking on the link in my signature.
 
I'm in one gigging band (Punk Action Shotgun)that plays odd punk stuff, it mainly started because we were fed up of seeing bands who never semed to enjoy themselves on stage.
We rarely practice and improvise a lot, but we're entertaining.
We've lost the drummer recently so we're now using a Roland R-8 and an Alesis SR-16 as replacements.

The guitarist and I are trying to kick off a new band (Noise From The Carbonated Dept.) that's a lot more experimental than punk. We'd really like to use Powerbooks and Ableton Live for the percussion backing so we can improvise but it'd be far too risky due to the venues.
In the punk band we usually end up covered in beer.

I'm slowly putting a website together for the new band.
The link has the list of equipment so far, it's a little out of date (I'll be updating it soon).

We're currently writing a lot of stuff with Reason 3.0 for the convenience of emailing song files back and forth
 
My name's Doug, and I'm a Mac-aholic.

Just returned to the production world after a 15 year hiatus (marriage, mortgage(s), children, adult-hood?!?).

Sank a bundle in PowerBook G4, and a Dual-Proc G5. With the little cash I had left, I grabbed the Digi 002 Rack and additional 8 I/O via the Behringer ADA8000 as a low-cost solution. Plan on upgrading to an "HD" set-up in the near future. That will come as part of a proposed studio...location scouting as we speak.

Got my first taste of production in '85 as a freshman in college. I'd enrolled in the Jazz-Studies program at Webster University (St. Louis, Missouri, USA). Found a recording studio hidden away in a separate part of campus. I stacked up the pre-req's to get into the "Engineering Class" in short order. Once I got in, I simply never left. I actually slept on the floor on a bed of Sonex and moving blankets on a regular basis.

Currently recording a variety of music projects. While I embrace technology, I pride myself on my old-school abilities; capturing sound energy traveling through the air with an assortment of microphones. There is something magical about mechanical/acoustic instruments. I see many of you have alluded to this in terms of the instruments and equipment listed in your posts. I have witnessed many younger cats "seeing the light" the first time they touch an actual Hammond Organ, or Fender Rhodes...

Let me step down off of my soap-box.
 
Hi.

Yebot here.

I got started with DAW's at the L.A. Recording school. That's when I bought a Beige g3/300 desktop with the 17" Apple Trinitron Colorsync display. I hooked up a Digidesign AudioMedia III card and started recording away in ProTools; dabbled in Cubase too.

Since then I upgraded to the Digi001 and loaded that into a quicksilver g4/733 which I use currently. ProTools has been a great friend but right now I'm getting into Logic and having a ball. I'm looking into upgrading to the M-Audio or Presonus line of breakouts.

I play in a band call Life On Mercury (see sig.)

later ...
 
Cool thread,

I'm Quigley,

I got into digital music production by default. After spending my whole life playing drums in a ton of different bands I got kind of bored and switched to Djing, specifically scratching. But, like the drums, i taught myself and never even really saw what scratching was "supposed" to look and sound like, so my style ended up being kind of odd, but unique. I really focused on scratching for a few years, I couldn't care less about being a dj and "spinning records" to make people dance, I was more interested in creating complicated rythms and really using a turntable like any other piece of percussion. I got back into performing with bands, only this time as a "dj" but really as a "percussive dj"



Anyway, it's always been about performing with a band, or at least with other people, until the last year or so. I moved to BC, didn't know any other musicians so, be default I bought a G5, an Mbox and reason w/ recycle. Loved Reason, Loved Pro Tools, but hated the mbox. Sold the Mbox, got Logic and now I'm my own band and I am enjoying everything that digital audio production has to offer.
I would love to go to school for audio engineering but it doesn't seem too likely.

**update**
so, now I'm in a band, playing drums and trying to teach myself how to record, mix and master. It's great. I love being in a band again, DJing got annoying and unsatisfying.

That's me. :)
 
Wow, some seriously impressive CVs there. Mine should prove an interesting contrast....My name is Clare (yes, I'm a woman) and I live in Ireland where I practice.....medicine. I've played accoustic guitar on and off for 30 odd years & took up classical guitar last year. I've played piano for as long as I can remember, and keyboard was an obvious addition a while back. I started writing music when I was 16 but somehow life got in the way and I'm only now coming back to it. Our new Mac Mini arrived last week and I'm about to order a Firebox + mic. My first project is to use Garageband to re-record onto computer a rather dubious quality relaxation tape I give to patients. I will compose my own "woobly" (husband's description) back ground music and use my voiceover. I'll also record myself playing guitar purely for appraisal purposes. I'm even fantasising about a degree course in sound recording....Glad to be in such exhalted company anyway.
 
Hi... I'm Steve, and I'm a sound guy. (crowd responds, "Hi Steve")

Seriously, though...

I'm currently working in live theatre, wearing too many hats to mention in one small post. Of all the hats, sound co-designer is the most relevant, I suppose. I've been in the sound gig since '97, and happy to do so. Quite recently, I've switched to the Mac... loving it so far, let's see how it goes. Gotta get myself a lappy for the 'on location' purposes, but for the time being I've got my 20" imac to get me by - with a nice custom bag. Still scared to transport such a big fragile screen, though. Anyway...

On the side, as a hobby, I've dabbled in songwriting as a hobby for years. Originally, I started with cakewalk and migated my way to the acid / soundforge / vegas realm of pc goodness. I gotta tell you, I love garageband, though. Just wish you could 'paint' tracks more easily, and change loop pitch mid-song. Regardless, the interface is quite the sweet, and the sound quality is amazing. It might be me, but I think the mac just plain sounds better. I dunno.

That's about it in a really small nutshell. If you really want to hear my original stuff, check it out here . Some of it's been used in indie films and small tv productions - makes me a little on the proud side.

~Steve
 
I've been a guitarist for 5 years and played in various bands (actually bands composed of me and some friends in various combinations). I've used various software on PC platform for 2 years to record my stuff, create drum loops and compose stuff. I had a P3 1,4ghz equipped with Audigy 2 Platinum soundcard (front panel model). Programs I used were guitarpro, creative medialab and fruityloops. I also fiddled around with various recording softwares but crc-monitor was too much for single-coil microphones so I couldn't record high quality.

Now I got a iBook and use only garageband, but I'd love to get guitarpro for this machine too. I'm also going to buy audio-in/usb module and usb-keyboard to have somekind of homestudio. as for now, gp is good enough for me (although count in could be twice as long...) but I plan to buy logic express some day when I finally learn to play something more difficult than children of bodom.
 
Wow, I've been on MR for about a year now and this is the first time I noticed this forum. I guess I should start paying more attention to my surroundings...
Anyway, my name is Andrew and I have a bachelors degree in music performance (flute) with a minor in composition. My dream is to be a film composer someday, so I'm just starting to learn the digital side of music. I started with GarageBand and Apple's Orchestral Instruments Jam Pack, and now I have moved up to Logic Express and will be getting the Garritan Personal Orchestra instrument library soon. There's so much to learn about digital music, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. I am doing everything off of my 17" Powerbook right now, but I hope to get a G5 soon and set up a real studio. I look forward to learning a lot from all of you who have more experience with this stuff than I do.
 
Hi, the name is Sam, 21 years of age, and well, I got an associates in Industrial Tech. Yup, that's about it. I don't have any plans in my life, just tryin' to figure out what I want to do... :( . I've been using Garageband on my eMac, nuthin' special. I wanna learn more about music production, and eventually learn to play an instrument. I listen to a lot of rap, and write lyrics as a hobby. I'm big on lyricism and wordplay.
 
Hey all, my name is Craig. I'm of the "self taught" school of recording. I started with a home studio recording locl bands. I set it up so it was "resonably" portable, it mainly consisted of a 24/8 Yamaha board and 2 digital 8 tracks, all outboard gear. I've since gone strictly the computer route.
I started working in Sound Design 3 years ago and since moved to game Design, leaving music more for pleasure than work. I use mainlt the (now Sony) suite, Vegas, Sound Forge and Acid. I'm in love with Reason. I'm planning on going the Mac route within the next two months, which is what brought me to this board. Glad to be here. There's some pics of my old setup at my website www.bassborden.com
 
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