OT: So who else is going to see Talib Kweli tonight?

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

What do you make beats on? I'm going to buy some gear, but I don't know enough about it yet. I think I might go with Mark of the Unicorn software & hardware because I know a lot of film scorers use that stuff. Is there any standard software that hip hop producers use? I know 99% of studios use Pro Tools for audio, but I don't know if that's good for loops and midi stuff, etc.

I want a setup that can allow me to do two really different things: score an indy film with good fake orchestra samples; sequence electronic music mixed with some live instruments.

I want to avoid spending a million dollars, but I do need the end result to be pretty professional sounding.

[jerrod]

...

i use logic pro 7 and i love it but parts of it are needlessly complicated (mostly the setup type stuff). i'm hearing great things about logic studio now, that's the new version and it's $500.

i also use reason, which is just software emulation of classic hardware used in electronic music. i started on that but you'd have no use for it because it's all midi, no live audio unless you bring it in through a sampler.

on the hardware front, i have an mbox 2 and i wish i didn't, i wish i had a motu 828 or a traveller. but i anticipated needing pro tools a lot more than i do now. at this point i just use pro tools for recording vocals and do all of the composing stuff in logic but that's just because sometimes the mbox and logic don't get along perfectly.

although, most of the latest pro tools upgrades seem to be centered around midi production and i keep hearing people rave about this elastic audio time stretch/pitch plugin. but i haven't paid to keep up with the new stuff because i was happy with logic.

i don't have any experience with motu's software, but i've done some audio for video stuff in logic, and i think it worked pretty well. i just bought the symphony orchestra jam pack a couple weeks ago but haven't had a chance to play with it yet. i know there are higher quality sample libraries out there but i couldn't justify the cost for what i do.

so to me, the best setup for that kind of stuff would be a mac with a nice ram upgrade, logic studio, a motu interface (you probably don't need too many ins/outs), and then maybe a nice orchestral sample library and bfd 2 for your drums.



that was long winded, i just really enjoy this stuff. i'm still trying to get better at layering instruments like strings and horns.

edit: you might find this interesting, http://www.celemony.com/cms/index.php?id=dna
that's a hell of a tool for people that sample

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

How much does something like an 828 cost? I don't see a price on their website.

i've done some audio for video stuff in logic

Does it have all the time code stuff I would need for film?

My theory is that I can compose in Sibelius like I always do, and the new version of sibelius has a basic film synching thing that will give me the tempos I need for it to fit (102.239872837 or whatever). Then I can save that as a MIDI file, and use Logic or DP to replace the sounds with good samples and try to make it sound less mechanical.

Does that make sense?

[jerrod]

How much does something like an 828 cost? I don't see a price on their website.

here's the page on sweetwater
http://www.sweetwater.com/c683--MOTU--F ... Interfaces

you could probably get at least a little off the price from there.

might be overkill if you're only gonna track one instrument at a time though

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

I probably am going to do just one at a time. Is there something else that has both audio and midi, with preamp and phantom power? I think I might need just one audio line (maybe two just to be safe?) and maybe two midi lines. I don't know anything about this stuff. Should have paid more attention when I've recorded.

[jerrod]

My theory is that I can compose in Sibelius like I always do, and the new version of sibelius has a basic film synching thing that will give me the tempos I need for it to fit (102.239872837 or whatever). Then I can save that as a MIDI file, and use Logic or DP to replace the sounds with good samples and try to make it sound less mechanical.

Does that make sense?

i've been sitting here trying to come up with a more efficient way. i did notice that the newest version of sibelius lets you use vst/audio unit plugins, so you could use most sample libraries straight through there and get the sound quality you want. i don't know if you have the latest version, and that also wouldn't give you anything to do electronic music. so i think what you said maybe your only option unless sibelius is ever made so it can be a rewire slave and used as a plugin in logic. probably won't happen

logic does have notation stuff but i've never messed with it and i'm sure it's not as complete as what you use.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

Thanks for all the input Jerrod.

[jerrod]

Thanks for all the input Jerrod.

thanks for giving me something fun to talk about to distract me from my boring job


you can find 2 channel interfaces with phantom power and 1 in/1 out midi for as low as like $130 (of course, dealing with preamps that might not be a good thing). i don't think if i've come acrossed too many with 2 in/out, it seems like once you get past 1 then it jumps way up. i don't understand as much about midi in/out as i should though, my keyboard and drum pad are both usb.

one thing to keep in mind if you happen to use a ribbon mic (i don't think that's very common for horns though), a lot of the 2 channel interfaces will just have 1 switch to turn phantom power on or off for both channels and phantom power can damage some ribbon mics.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

I don't know anything about mics, except that the "best" mic for recording a trumpet (in a jazz or classical setting) is the rca 44. That's what every studio asks me to play on, and my trumpet playing friends report the same thing. I googled it, and it is a ribbon mic. It's really expensive though, so I won't be getting one for home use. I'll probably just get one of those $100 sure mics to start with and hope for the best. I might be using effects and things anyway.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/R44/

[jerrod]

cool, i used one of those once. i just thought i'd mention that because i've seen some stressful close calls with expensive mics.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

Talking about gear made me put on this Aphex Twin album. I never noticed before, but one of the tracks is the sample for that hilarious Iran So Far Away SNL Digital Short.

[jerrod]

Talking about gear made me put on this Aphex Twin album. I never noticed before, but one of the tracks is the sample for that hilarious Iran So Far Away SNL Digital Short.

i don't think i've ever heard an aphex twin song.


i was just thinking, have you played with garageband much? i'd imagine it's a really stripped down version of logic. might be worth trying that out to see what you think

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

I don't have garage band. My Mac's pretty old - a G4 tower. I'll buy a new iMac when I do all this. I don't know how I'll decide between Logic, Pro Tools, and Digital Performer. It would be nice to try them all, but I don't know how that's feasible. Hopefully I can find some good reviews. I sent emails to some guys who did film scoring at Berklee, so maybe they'll have a strong opinion.

[jerrod]

some guys who did film scoring at Berklee,

that'd be fun

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

that'd be fun

It is. My degree is in jazz composition, but for one semester I added film scoring as a double major, took around 6 credits, and then dropped it. It was a stupid decision (to drop). The courses I took dealt with analyzing scores which was great, but I didn't get far enough into it to learn the technology. For whatever reason I thought it was in my best interest to hurry through college instead of milking it for all it was worth. So now I want to pick it back up and see if I can learn the software well enough to get something going.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

I might start things off with one of the new iMacs that came out today. They look like a good deal, and have faster ram and front side bus than the old ones did. Great timing on Apple's part to release on the same day that stimulus checks are supposed to arrive. I can pretend that the IRS sent me an iMac and that I didn't actually spend any of my money.

[jerrod]

I might start things off with one of the new iMacs that came out today. They look like a good deal, and have faster ram and front side bus than the old ones did. Great timing on Apple's part to release on the same day that stimulus checks are supposed to arrive. I can pretend that the IRS sent me an iMac and that I didn't actually spend any of my money.

sweet

[BMF Jet Jaguar]

i saw talib at rock the bells, he rocked the crowd so hard