Nabeel Ansari

Pro Tools MIDI sequencing is as bad as everybody says, I can confirm this (having experience with it) along with merely pointing out that even Pro Tools users admit it. Are you aware this sentence makes absolutely no sense? If you're going to post some serious advice to someone at least be decent and proofread your god damn posts. I take no issue with you suggesting Pro Tools. Except your reasons for it over other DAW's are basically null at this point.

Or he can get something that's useful to him now. Pro Tools is good for audio editing. That's it, really. This guy wants to do MIDI orchestration. You don't pick up Pro Tools for its MIDI capabilities. (I wouldn't even call them capabilities, they're god awful). Try reading the first post.

Same with computers. Don't buy a computer that's good nowadays. You need to buy a computer that's ahead of its time so it will last you. Rockin an i7 SB, my music workload won't catch up to my CPU for a long time, but if I went with something less powerful like an AMD Phenom II X4, I would be hard pressed to upgrade in like a year or two because of my project weights and VSTs' tendencies to become more CPU intensive. Then I'd be spending MORE money than if I just got the killer PC in the first place, rather than getting a "good" PC then upgrading to another "good" PC in the near future.

Also, get FRUITY EDITION of FL Studio (the $100 one) and don't even bother with any of the other IL products. They're all synths and effects you don't need for orchestral. Fruity Edition has the Juice Pack (default FL effects bundle), which is great and fine for reverberation and delay for orchestral purposes. There's no need for the audio recording/editing capabilities of Producer Edition if you're making orchestral music. Also, Metal Man. Interesting fact: As far as cost goes, getting EWQLSO Gold on sale for $250 (special sale) plus $100 for Fruity Edition FL Studio is $350. Less than Reason's cost and it has better orchestral sounds as far as I've heard. I'm not saying it's a better idea, I haven't used Miroslav much, but it might be a way better investment since EWQLSO Gold contains an entire orchestra with loads of articulations. Here's my theoretical recommendation list: FL Studio Fruity Edition $99 M-Audio Keystation 61es ~$149.99 Finale Songwriter $49.95 (Don't need the whole shebang, just music notation editing) EastWest Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Gold (Wait until a special sale for this, it went 50% off for $250 back in September) Ideal total: $550, or $800 if you don't wait for a Symphonic Orchestra sale. His workflow would be writing the song in Finale with his keyboard and his mouse using notation he can understand. He then sends the MIDI data to FL Studio to edit key switches, CC data, and adjust note timings and velocities for humanization using the EWQLSO library for instrument playback. He can produce in the box with FL Studio, as all the essential effects like EQ and Delay/Reverb are included with a generously flexible mixer. For sake of saving his computer from being fried, he should disable the reverb in Symphonic Orchestra, since it just gobbles up CPU. I would recommend a nice pair of budget mixing headphones like AKG k240s for ~$100 to accurately hear what's going on in his music. There's no need for expensive monitors and acoustic treatment yet, not until he becomes confident enough that he knows essential principles of mixing & mastering.

Sure, I was just giving an example, Cubase is a well-known professional DAW. I have nothing against REAPER. Except for, well, its really messed up MIDI routing system. Tried to get MIDI tracks to send data to Kontakt for like an hour. Couldn't figure it out. It's a pain in the ass. Sure once you figure it out or look it up you can easily replicate it, but I'd rather get something more straightforward. But realistically speaking, I'd get REAPER because it's not $200 for every new version. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell if you're speaking on those terms, I'd get FL for life time free updates and awesome MIDI composing workflow. (y) But as far as cost is concerned, REAPER is the best way to go.

Reason is not what you get if your initial goal right from the start is orchestral music. If he's MIDI Recording, he'll want a good DAW like Cubase that can take in VST's like EWQLSO or Kontakt. If he's NOT MIDI recording, he'll need something with a good piano roll and can take in VST's. FL Studio has the most golden and straightforward piano roll as far as I've tried, at least. Don't have to hold anything down to draw, don't have to press a key for delete. Edit events is a spectacular feature for editing CC data and the like. Even if he was MIDI recording, I would still recommend FL for the amount of ease and precision it has for editing MIDI (notes or CC). It's like this DAW was built for MIDI composition (though it was a drum machine at first, MIDI composing/editing in it is one of the focal points many years later in FL10 IMO)

Tabs are only good if you know what the song already sounds like, since they give no indication of note timings. I wish there was some kind of hybrid that gave you the fret numbers AND note timings. X_X Anyone want to swoop in and say "WELL WITH THE NEW [insert invention here] YOU CAN"

Mixing hot is basically your mid high to high frequencies are loud (sizzlin).

You're a disturbed person.

Orchestral version of FF7 battle theme. (you guys know he's actually talking about tracks, not entire soundtracks right?) EDIT: Never mind, it's just dannthr I'm talking to.

Or you could, you know, not go on the internet during MAGFest. You're kind of wasting time and money doing that.

That was Will's best remix IMO

KILLER STUDIO CHOPS (I haz them)

If you went to MAGFest and asked that you would probably be murdered (and then taxidermized by Chuck Testa). http://magfest.org/

About the FL bundles, you'd basically be burning 1500 dollars if you bought the all bundle. Really. Bad. Decision. There are only about 2 or 3 plugins I'd recommend outside of the ones that come in sig bundle. Buying the rest would be like buying 40 $50 CASIO keyboards to stick in your room. They're not very good and all of that money could've been spent on something that could've actually helped.

That really helps. You know, a lot.

FL is the best around for creating your entire composition on the computer with your mouse and a keyboard. It is not, however, the best around for audio or MIDI recording. The reason nobody is giving you a definitive answer for what he should start with is because they all take a load of time to learn. If he wants to record using his piano (inputting MIDI data into the computer), he should look at a more linear DAW. Studio One is pretty good, I favor it over Cubase. If he's not interesting in recording anything (doing it by mouse), then FL Studio would be fine. A benefit to FL Studio is the modular workflow, which you can't really take advantage of if you're going to record-straight the MIDI. FL Studio is fine and functional for recording, but if that's how he works then there are better options.

Wrong on so many levels. :/ EDIT: I read your other posts and you seemed to know what you're talking about. So I reread this and realized that you mix on crappy speakers in addition to studio monitors. Sorry, I read it as "I only mix on crappy speakers because they sound like everything else"

First the poorly designed NY Comic Con booth and now this

Gettin my killer studio chops ready for round 10. Got a full studio armed to the teeth after the holidays and I'm ready to get back to BUSTIN SOME CHOPS I MEAN BEATS

Have: 6 Coal 25% off Valve 50% off Frozen Synapse Want: Magic The Gathering 2012. Any takers?

Whatchu know about high BPMs hater

I have 6 coal if anyone wants to trade me a copy of Magic The Gathering 2012 >_>

I think you just insulted the world.

None of that matters when you compare it to the fact my awful prelude mix was posted in 2011. Way more important.