dannthr

Well, when you mix in stereo, you don't have two tracks, necessarily, typically your mix is several stems/channels that are each "mixed" between the two stereo output channels. The same goes for surround. You'll need to mix each audio channel you have between the 5 outputs keeping in mind your bass channel cut-off frequency. So if you have a rock band with two rhythm guitars, a lead guitar, a singer, a bass, and a drum--you'll want to mix each of your 6 audio sources to the 5 channels respectively--depending on your desired spatial orientation in the mix. You will need to output your mix to a surround encoded audio format for user playback. You'll probably need to setup a 5.1 master channel, if possible, and you may need to purchase licenses for surround encoding formats depending on what your goals are (there are a few selections).

Samples of any calibre also require a measure of assembling, scripting, programming, mixing, and mastering that is highly dependent upon the user's skill. Crappy samples in the hands of a capable user can sound great, amazing samples in the hands of an inept user can sound higly mediocre. It's something you're going to have to work on. It's more important that you learn how to stretch the limits of the samples/gear you already have before upgrading to more advanced gear. The process is educational and you will be better off when you have the attitude of getting the most bang for your buck. There is no real upper limit to how much money you can spend on samples. So just make the most of the resources you have and carefully pick your upgrades based on absolute need.

This isn't a SONAR problem at all but really a problem with your disk streaming/RAM. When you play back in real-time, the samples may play for you, but when you render, it renders at a faster pace. You could probably duplicate the problem in real-time by multiplying your tempo significantly. This is not a problem that is uncommon to people with large scale sample projects--it's why so many of us use slave machines. Simply render parts of your track at a time. So, for example, render the brass to wav, then the ww, then the strings, etc, etc. If you still get drop outs, and you feel that the drop outs are identical despite shrinking the sample load, then you may want to try rendering to wav in a real-time recording method. Simply set up a bus in SONAR, send the VST outs to a new AUDIO track and record. Again, if you get drop-outs during real time, then you will want to try sectioning out your performance. If you have applied significant real-time audio effects to the VST tracks, this may also alter your performance, and cutting those out or waiting until after recording may improve performance. EDIT: I should also mention that EW PLAY products only has support in SONAR versions 6.2 or higher--if you're running 6, make sure you've updated to the latest version of 6.

http://www.amazon.com/Study-Orchestration-Third-Samuel-Adler/dp/039397572X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241888896&sr=8-1 You will study orchestration for the rest of your life.

I agree, why is the Workshop not in Workspace. I'm not complaining, it doesn't make it harder to find, it's just a logic thing.

Hy Bound, let me know if you want to practice on an orchestral piece--I can get you dry stems of something recent.

Please just see if there are ASIO drivers for your particular sound device/card before you install ASIO4ALL.

Pcmus1c, Hey man, welcome to independent game development. As the audio man (or woman), there are some considerations you'll want to take and some responsibilities you'll need to realize. First of all, deadlines, sounds like you have one--that's ace. Indie games and pet projects with no deadlines are as good as dead, so make sure that your responsibility number 1 is to complete. It sounds like you're going to have a lot of discretion on how the audio is going to sound, that's great, but it means you'll need to consider how your music and sound effects will weigh in on the final product. Since you have a small team, and assuming you guys can hang out face-to-face, you're doing fine, make sure that you guys meet once a week (minimum) and make sure everyone is a good sounding board for your ideas and vice-versa. The most important aspect of your development for this profile of game is coherent style. You will want to make sure that the sounds you produce will gel well with the art and game design style. This will require close collaboration and a lot of common sense. Question number 1: Have you given yourself a budget, any play money, that you can use during this development? If so you're going to want to use this money to fill in the gaps where your current setup is lacking. This could be buying some Reason Refills or some small general sound effects library or as much as buying some plug-ins or hiring a live player, etc, etc. How you manage your resources will be your true learning experience. The time you have to create and work and the money you have to make up for what's missing--these are your resources. You will want to use them very wisely. You will need to manage your time as best as you know how, and perhaps even better than you currently know how. Knowing as early on as possible what kinds of sounds and music you'll need and how they'll be implemented by the programmer in-game is very important. Don't sweat the small OR big stuff. Honestly, game development is a wacky biz (for-profit or not) and you may work hard on something that never sees the light of day. I did some work on a major title that was supposed to release at the end of March, but didn't. Not even a whisper from the publisher. It happens. The important thing to remember is that when you work, especially with indies, that you work for YOURSELF as much as you work for them. You want to make sure you walk away from this little gig a "bigger man," so to speak, one who is ready to take on the NEXT challenge and do EVEN better than last time. You want to make sure that you walk away from this project with something YOU can be proud of, even if it doesn't make a big splash (or even a little one). So good luck, god speed, never be afraid to ask for advice, even if people are bitches. Feel free to email me any time.

Gold XP is worth it, honestly. It will give you a lot to work with when you're just starting out.

Ke, this playing technique is called LEGATO. LEGATO means playing connected notes. This typically means single stroke or single string playing. DZComposer, wrong. There are up/down stroke patches in EWQL Gold XP: C VCS Quick Up Dn F VCS Mart Up DN F VCS Quick Up DN x6 F VCS Quick Up DN C VAS Shrt Mart Up Dn F VAS MArt Up Dn Marc F VAS Mart Up Dn F VAS Mart UD Marc S x6 F VAS Mart UD Marc S F VAS Shrt Mart Up Dn C 11V Quick Up Dn F 11V Mart Up Dn Marc F 11V Mart Up Dn Spic F 11V Mart Up Dn F 11V Quick Up Dn Marc x6 F 11V Quick Up Dn Marc F 11V Quick Up Dn Spic F 11V Quick Up Dn C 18V Quick Up Dn F 18V Mart Ud Marc Med F 18V Mart ud marc shrt F 18V Mart Up Dn F 18V Quick UD Marc S x6 F 18V Quick UD Marc S F 18V Quick UD Marc UD F 18V Quick Up Dn C CBS Quick UD mod Slap C CBS Quick Up Dn F CBS Mart Up Dn F CBS Quick UD Mod Slap F CBS Quick Up Dn x6 F CBS Quick Up Dn That's just ensemble patches, not even the solo patches.

I guess I don't see what's difficult or prohibitive about using Kontakt--since I already own it.

Dale North did a Venus Lighthouse remix, if I recall.... A really Dale Northy one...

Sometimes, for many reasons, it's just a good idea to step away from a project for a while and try to listen to it later with new ears. Hiring a mixer/masterer is about hiring someone with all the right gear who will give your work a very objective listen. This is important. If you can't afford one, no worries, you're probably not on a deadline--so give yourself a break and/or get some buddies who will give you some objective feedback. You WILL get higher with a little help from your friends.

I just wish we could get the SOUND of say Accoustic Legends or QL Gypsy with the playability and flexibility of RealGuitar.

Keeping this thread up, I see, yeah, Mr. Sax T is out, it sounds pretty darn good. There's also the old school First Call Horns Warp IV's set of instruments has finally released several other instruments, though none are as good sounding as they should be, in my opinion. What makes up for it, though, are the fantastic demos from Vir2 for Mojo their little big-band/funk brass module--real warm and sexy sounds.

I am looking forward to demos of: AI LASS and SILK

The only reason people don't get paid more for game music is because they don't require it. Bottom line. When all the little guys and beginners who have no concept of their worth go around and sell their music for less--it creates an imbalance in the indie market. What people DON'T get, especially people with very NARROW vision of the marketplace, is that you're not going to get paid more money by developers who are used to paying you for less. All you have done is taught developers that it's okay to undervalue music services. It's a marketplace imbalance. You're either a part of the solution or you're a part of the problem. There isn't an inbetween when it comes to these kinds of market dynamics.

Unless they go merrily off and make a "funner" game!

AI's set up is going to be expensive and I don't think that it's worth it. DVZ is like a running joke in the sampling community, their first two attempts at decent demos failed horribly with LOTS of negative reaction and their setup originally quoted something like 6 grand for the minimum as you had to buy their proprietary hardware as well. We'll see if they can create a competitive package since, afterall, they've spent and respent and respent TONS on R&D.

Never quit being who you are, Analoq. CME's UF and, I believe, VX series Keyboards come in varying key lengths. As far as price goes, that's entirely subjective--we all want keyboards for $100, but in the end we want keyboards that function the way we want/need them to and that is more often than not prioritized over price. CME is distributed via Yamaha, so it MAY be found at your local large-retail-outlet to try out for yourself, and like I said, the variety of available controllers is large. You, however, Analoq, are thankfully, one-of-a-kind.

I use the CME UF8. 88 weighted keys, aftertouch, mod wheel, pitch bend, several interface controls, USB input, and it includes an expression pedal input in addition to your standard sustain pedal input.

Yeah, my principle was Clarinet and my secondary was Oboe and I felt like either I was just a crappy Oboe player or there were pretty noticable timbral jumps between the registers. Though, I do feel like these are smoothed out with a really competent player. Additionally, the low end of the flute, which is really breathy and weak, does have a quality worth using in the appropriate situation, as is the case for most instruments. I wanted to bring this up, again, because when we have a discussion on keys, we can't ignore that certain keys will force certain instruments into certain ranges that will have timbral effects on seemingly intangable qualities like "warmth" and "lyrical" and "harsh." I wanted to make sure that this consideration wasn't ignored as it is often ignored by beginning composers.

I believe there ARE 5-string orchestral basses, I believe they go down to C, but I don't remember off the top of my head. My comment was in reply to your assertion that the key of D minor was powerful in the orchestra. I don't necessarily agree, aside from the fact that most CBasses can't reach low D to access their whole key, I think you'll find that it's more how you USE the instruments and their respective registers/timbres that will result in more or less power. For example, the low ends of the viola and violins are quite weak, but have an interesting character in certain situations. The low note on the Viola is C and the low note on the Violin is G but because their range spans 4.5+ octaves, I think you'll find the keys available to you quite flexible. (Which is probably why the instruments persist to this day despite only minor improvements over the last 150 years)

You might be a tonal synesthetic. Your feeling is not universal, but that's okay, it doesn't have to be. Or, you might be accustomed to hearing the key of G with similar instrumentations.

E is the low note on an orchestral bass unless you have a freak five-string double bass.