Compyfox

*nervous fingertipping* Hm... *sigh* Can I hook you up as PM? And can you send me a phonenumber (PM) where to contact you by chance? Then I hook you up as soon as stuff cools down within the next 2 hours.

Well I thought you do a "dedicated show", like you did with "Kong in Concert" and "Doom", but it's okay. I can hook you up before midnight (my place) with some exclusive bonus material. Unless you really wanna do the show on Sunday (I just need a definite date and time) Did you reach Claado now? I think he's entitled to call in too, as he is the project leader and a bit more important than I am - I'm just the engineer (and coordinator of the SE, but still under control by Claado).

To be honest, Zoola... I don't like it there (even though I have better access to the software synths, etc). The desk is higher than my old one (80cm instead of 65cm), which makes stuff a bit uncomfortable. Also the desk is wider, which makes it impossible to setup the keyboard left of the desk. My "studio" is still a living room/studio hybrid. If I had a dedicated room, I'd setup everything in a "U" or "L" form or something like that, but I don't have the space. I'm also curious, if I really want to get a Behringer Rotary and/or Fader, where to put that, unless I get a desk add on or a small sideboard (or remove the PC keyboard, but then where to put that, and only one mixer has room for it there). I really like the desk, always what I wanted in terms of speaker setup, etc. But definitly not cool if you write music, and you want to have a mixing environment (digital), too. Unless somebody gives me a digital mixer desk, rather than an analog one (for automation, etc). This is why I wrote "setup will be changed eventually", which means "it will for sure". Just don't know when. I don't have a BFC/BFR yet. Hm... I might look into "sequencer controllers" or something like that...

Larry postponed it (alsodue to my request) a couple of times. He still wants to do it before he moves again and (finally?) stops doing shows. And last week he mentioned something to me via AIM and IRC - even to do a show within the week. Since then... silence.

Okay because Larry doesn't answer my eMails, I do it in here: "Does Mr. Oji hold a "Chrono Symphonic Special" show this weekend or not?!" I really need an answer on this, else I can't give you some bonus material! *duh - did you even contact Claado?!* Thanks... *I hate surprises! Something I don't need at the moment.*

A little before/after: BEFORE: AFTER: The rest of my equipment: Synthesizer Rack (Yamaha MU-15, E-MU XL-1, E-MU Virtuoso 2000, Dynacord ADS 2MB sampler, Yamaha RY-30 Rhythm Module) Guitars (Johnson Fender Strato, Sankai Concert) Some Closeups/higher resolutions: 80% finished setup (did I already say that I hate those courtains?! This setup will be changed eventually) LCDs in relation to the keyboard (I know it looks dusty, but you try to get that away from old devices with that type of cases!) And I can play "pimp-daddy", too: Several Boxes from Sequencers, VSTi and Hardware In this particular picture, most the stuff that I bought online is missing (I'll make DVD boxes for it: Rayzoon Jamstix, MusicLab RealGuitar, ReBirth 2.x, several filters, etc), not to mention the "Siedlaczek Box" I recently aquired. Also not on the picture is a surround setup I borrowed from a friend to do some tests (which is setup to my feet, and to the left/right of the LCDs), and of course for final check of mastered mixes on a 2.1 system. Soon to be added: - a ESI 8x8 MIDI Module (the M-Audio MIDIsport 4x4 isn't large enough anymore) - a "MIDIbox SID" (will build that around mid spring, already have the SID chip) - Behringer Control (Rotary and/or Fader) - some sonic foam - definitely a new amplifier More info, including a slightly outdated equipment and reference list, as usual on my homepage (will be updated soon).

Well what if we can say that GM2 is actually the "enhanced" GM MIDI standard. XG has some triggers and MIDI CC that GM doesn't use, GM2 is the "upgraded GM" system in terms of banks... So you can say, that those formats are not dead. MIDI won't die that soon, as it is implemented in hardware, software (Instruments and Plugins). "Bandstand" is a GM based sampleplayer, true that (it's sorted as if it was a GM standardised instrument), but EWQL Collossus sure isn't sorted in GM standard patchwise. Also... XG synths weren't software snyths only. Before the Motiv series came out, the XG Series was (and still is) the flagship of Yamaha. */me goes hugging his MU-15 and DB50XG Wavetable*

To get back on the topic, you hit the nail on the spot. We were talking about "enhancing that control language", not "how to make WAVs out of MIDI". MIDI has no sound(!), learn it finally and discuss it somewhere else please! And I have to disagree with the last sentence, Spc1st. XG (yamaha) and GM are still used. It's only a point of view. GM is theoretically only 1 bank and 128 programs, while XG can theoretically be 128 banks * 128 programs (16384) - but... no hardware synth used that much so far. The only synth that uses over 400 presets atm (without additional patches/programs) is the Korg Legacy "Digital Edition". And this thing is software only.

Maybe this is something for you, Malcos: http://www.kvraudio.com/get/1949.html Else I'm pretty sure on "Quantum Leap RA", "Quantum Leap Rare Instruments" and "Heart of Asia" (was that Spectrasonics?) are Erhus. Won't get any better.

Well if the plan doesn't change, next show is planned to be the long overdue "Chrono Symphonic" special. I just hope I have most of the stuff for the SE done till then, which would mean "exclusive footage". Up to Larry however. And seriously, Sephire: You should write "I am not a merry man" into your sig. XD

Thanks for the hookup, Bev.

Can somebody give a quick hookup what the calls were all about in the last shows? Last shows were sure a lot callers.

I don't see "Reuben Kee & pixietricks - The place we knew" and "po! - Crystal Potion" on the playlists either...

Time to pimp two of the last shows. VG FREQUENCY Show #81 and #82 - SATURDAY, 10pm EST *nothing to mourn about yet!* Here's a small overview of the most salient timezones for you. Small World-Timetable Los Angeles (CA, USA): 7:00pm Calgary (Canada): 8:00pm Chicago (Illinois): 9:00pm Atlanta (GA, USA): 10:00pm Rio de Janero (Brazil): 1:00am (*, Sunday) Reykjavik (Iceland): 3:00am (Sunday) London (England): 3:00am (Sunday) Paris (France): 4:00am (Sunday) Oslo (Norway): 4:00am (Sunday) Germany: 4:00am (Sunday) Kapstadt (South Aftrica): 5:00am (Sunday) Helsinki (Finland): 5:00am (Sunday) Moscow (Russia): 6:00am (Sunday) Hong Kong (China): 11:00am (Sunday) Tokyo (Japan): 12:00pm (Sunday, noon) Sydney (Australia): 2:00pm (*, Sunday) (*) currently observing daylight saving time (DST) Have fun while listening to VGF#81 and VGF#82.

Who knows... who knows... WUT?! No Shael Riley in the playlists? I thought I hooked you up with the remastered version of "Toybox", Larry.

Okay,now this is a lot better. You have a couple of possibilities now: Possibility 1 - Micing: Get a decent microphone (large membran or a simple dynamic microphone) and place itin front of the speaker. Then connect the mic with the mic in of your Creative Live. This way you record the sound of your amp and can catch some "life" from your room too. Possibility 2 - Amp Output: Okay here it depends... If the output is mono, then you can still connect it to your audiocard. Get a 1,4" to 3,5mm adapter (mono) and connect the mono output with the "line input" of your Creative live. Then you can record in either "pseudo stereo" or mono, while the stream is still stereo, but only one channel has a signal. Then it depends if the output sends a clean signal, then you need to process the guitar by yourself (VST plugins for example) or it is the amp sound, then you have a very harsh (dry) sound direcly from the amp. If the output is a headphones slot however, you can get a stereo cable (1,4") and you need a 1,4" to 3,5mm plug adapter (stereo). Also... here you have the dry and already amplified sound. Possiblility 3 - DI Box: DI boxes are cheap. 10-20bucks, they give you a line level (which means the output of the DI box will be connected with the Line in of your Creative Live). Use this solution if you want a clean guitar and amplify the guitar "on the fly" (VST or Standalone - like mentioned in the upper threads) or you just record your stuff and add the effects later) Possibility 4 - Line6 Guitar Port: I love this devil. This thing is a USB powered Preamp from Line 6. It's cheap lately. The advantage here is that you can record your stuff directly via USB (not via RCA cables or something). No matter if totally clean (all amps turned off) or with an amp you like. You also have access to 12+ amps and 15+ cabinets if I'm not mistaken that you can construct how you want to. A pricey solution, but cool if you're sick of your stack and want to experiment a bit without looking for adapters or expensive VST plugins (then again, there're tons of free out there, too). AND KEEP IN MIND: Don#t expect too much from your Creative Live while recording. It's noisy, it's flat sounding - it's a gamer card, no production card. The rest is up to you or the guitar player who can help you better than I could.

No backup from my side tonight, sorry. I gotta finish this project I'm working at. Also midnight CET is like 6am GMT+1 for me, 2am CET is like 8am. So yeah... sorry to dissapoint you in terms of support in the last weeks.

BEfore going haywire on software and what hardware to get (adapters is a NO-NO, especially stereo), let me ask what hardware do you "have"? Do you have a guitar only? Do you have an amp for the guitar? Does the guitar have an output (1,4" jack). Is the output (if you have one) titled DI or not? What audiocard do you use? If we know all this, then we can help more rather than "I have a guitar with in and out - how do I hook it up?". There're tons of ways to record a guitar, not to mention that there're also tons of ways to layer an effect over a guitar recording. More detailed info please!

Okay, now this was a clear threat towards my side but okay. I won't lecture you, I just want you to please accept the facts. Nothing more. If you think your masterings are okay in your book, then they are. If you think "free plugins" aren't worth shit, then they aren't worth shit to you. If you say "-10dB RMS was in the 50ies", then so be it. You know my works on JoeCam's "Hits & Misses" (which was mastered with a "free" limiter, btw), you heard stuff from Haroon Piracha that I mastered, Trenthian, Zeratul ("Just a Friend", just released on his page), soon even Shael Riley's "Toybox". If you say I talk crap - fine with me. It's your opinion as I have mine in terms of mastering. You say "make it loud", I say "K-12 is more than enough" - whatever, doesn't matter. It's more ignorant to not consider or even accept other opinions/skills rather than standing ground. I mean... I didn't devote my sparetime in the last 3 years for nothing. And if one of the most well known audio engineers (Bob Katz again) agrees with with what I just wrote, is an AES member, over 15 years in the business and even told me a thing or two, and you say this is not right... then I don't know what is. No threat, just my 2c.

I recently mastered Shael Riley's "Toybox" album. That album is in -8dB RMS, -0.2dB limiting. No matter if I open the WAV files or the mp3 files in Wavelab for a 1:1 check - both files are the same, none of them clip, the mp3 doesn't get "compressed" or normalised. A demo track that I mastered before for SGX with his mp3 issue was in -6dB RMS, also -0.2dB limiting. Even here, no clipping in the WAV, and not in the mp3 either. I wouldn't have written this if I'm not sure about it, blind. Also... You should know better. Vinyls work on a carving base. The smaller the amplitude (loudness) for carving, the better the record, the less the chance that the needle hovers around but stays on track. I never really gave tracks into press, but I know from befriended engineers that a -8dB and higher RMS is definitly a NO-NO. Some even say that -10dB is way too hot. The carved amplitude simply would get too big and turn into a squarewave, which also affects the other windings. This for example is also a reason why not to put a flanger or the bass/basedrum for club productions, or "spread" it out. Not only does it sound crappy on 08/15 standard club systems, neither does it work on the vinyl record itself. CDs work on a totally different basis, this is why loudness-driven engineers could easily step over it's limits. Speaking of Creamware. Maybe Creamware knows what they're doing, but that you can't even set the limiter to something different than only 0dB is a joke. No wonder that so many CDs are simply mastered the wrong way. Like I wrote in my last post... there are "always" spikes. Not hearable, but the metering tool catches it. And -0.1dB is just too less of a headroom. Also if I hear the name "optimaster", I get the chills. Every mastering limiter/compressor that I know which uses that name or even part of it, squashed the life out of the music. Especially in radiostations. So it's like a red flag for me which tells me "don't ever touch it!". Not to mention, if you say that this is the only transparent thing you know, then you definitly didn't try the TbT plugins. DSP cards good and fine, but to me they're overrated. No pun intended, but this is what I learned over the years from several pros (one of them Bob Katz, inventor and defender of the K-System) or read in books/AES papers.

Is it possible to get a copy with translation? Also copies from all other magazine "coverings"? I should check all german magazines about that. EDIT: Didn't find anything special on a quick search. Just a couple of german blogs where C.S. was menioned. But nothing in a games amagazine or one of the leading german anime magazines (which is dissapointing, cause I know there is a fanbase there).

Sorry but I can't leave it this way. This is why you limit it at -0.2dB! I mastered so many tracks in -0.2dB with different loudness. In the K-System, -8dB RMS, -6dB RMS, hell even -4dB RMS and higher where you definitly hear the pumping. MP3 has a limit - and that limit is -5dB RMS, everything higher and it has digital clipping even though it is limited at -0.2dB. I engineered so many tracks, did 1:1 tests... no loudness change, no limiting change if you don't push the mp3 format to it's limits. So it's not true that mp3 compresses properly mastered material even further in terms of loudness. Also if you use massive compression, exciting tools and other enhancers, and in worse case your limiter doesn't really "brickwall limit", your 0.1dB headroom is useless. Let me tell you why: CDs in the early days (even still) needed a certain headroom. That headroom is this 0.2dB (sometimes even 0.3dB). The reason was simple. The first CD player had problems with highly compressed material and it had a certain limit. Spikes (so called full scale samples) who caused clipping - most of the time certain synth patches/sweeps, bass, hell even hats - also caused the CD to literally barf (hiccup, skip), because the internal engine couldn't take it anymore. Even though limiters were accourate, you still needed a certain headroom to prevent clipping. So every mastering engineer who knew this (I'm not talking about project studios who spreaded like mushrooms) used -0.2dB as savety for spikes. And all of their highend metering tools didn't show any clipping at all. Nowadays there're tools out that catch every single issue (like Penguin Audio Meter, Inspector, soon the new limiter from PSP Audio Ware too if we talk about native plugins) - bitwise. Limiters and compressors are a tad more accourate than 10 years before, but that doesn't mean that they're flawless either. Like Gray mentioned... you wouldn't believe how many wannabe mastering engineers push the tracks to their limits, ignore every law of physics and sell their CDs full of bugs. You see, this is not a wild and crazy rumor, it is a fact. No Limiter - and by that I really mean noone - works flawless! I tried so many in the last couple of years. Every limiter (hell even Waves!) with a brickwall limiting of 0dB clips. No matter which material I used (except material that was at K-20 and lower of course, which barely touches 0dB peak). A lot has to do with the attack and release time of the limiter, too. But most of them only have a treshold and gain level. And this is where the -0.2dB (or even -0.3dB) come into play. Chances are that your limiter, as good as it might me, still let spikes through that're not registered by the peak meter (but tools like Inspector) who're still louder than 0.1dB. With the 0.3dB headroom however, you prevent every possible clipping that might occour. You loose this race however if you: - make the track louder again after it was mastered (for example CDex internal "normalise" function) - your mastering limiter uses an EQ after the limiting - encode into mp3 and the RMS level is stronger than -5dB RMS - encode into AC3 and your track is louder than K-12 (-12dB RMS, K-System meter setup) So... as you can see. Loud is definitly not better! And I guess it is time to post a link to the loudness race homepage: www.loudnessrace.com (server is unfortunately down a lot, and half of the facts are nonsense, but he has a point) I could write more about the other stuff mentioned, cause I definitly do not agree with everything. However they're just another aspects of what you could "do" - a different opinion. I just wanted to "fix" this little issue. But do not forget: Mastering is an own world for itself! There's way more behind it than just "highend" plugins (or even DSP cards) in a certain chain or all-in-one solutions. Else audio engineers would die out.

There will be. But Larry still has to fix some files. As soon as I have them all (or most of them), I release them.

So it happens sooner than expected... You still have an alternate plan though, Larry. But it's up to you. All I can say is "thanks for devoting your time for us", again.

Aw please, Jill. I didn't stop because of being "forced" to. I've had (and still have) other stuff to do, also I know when to stop. Not to mention that I have a life "outside" of OCR. However this is something that you still have to learn in your young life. Happy birthday anyway.