zircon

How about the Northeast?

I use the piano roll 99% of the time, inputting notes using the mouse. Occasionally I record MIDI using my controller. Drums are sequenced using the step sequencer.

Hey, beats More variation would be nice, but for IDM/weird dance music it's cool.

Hey guys, here is a WIP of a track I just started a few days ago. It's a heavy big beat/breakbeat song that is heavily influenced by tefnek among others. Of course, there's a VGM influence in there too. Kind of a light-hearted melody on a sinister soundscape. Check it out; http://www.zirconstudios.com/Demon.mp3 Thanks in advance for listening! I'm having a lot of fun with this one. Note: Title is always tentative until the song is done.

Trust me, it's really not worth it. I AM a piano player, I spend hours a day writing all kinds of music, and I've had this 88-key controller for months now. I have yet to encounter a case where I've needed all the keys. Unless you are going to be recording entire performances of classical material that take advantage of the full range you don't need 88 keys. EVEN the wide-range keyswitch and performance patches I use in Kontakt 2 use 4 or maybe 5 octaves. NOT the whole thing.

Wow, very cool mix. Lots of creative ideas overall. I like the sequencing/performances, the overall feel, and the way all the instruments mesh well with eachother. The resonance on some of the parts is a bit excessive, but that can be overlooked. I do agree with Larry that the volume is on the loud side too (makes the highs more piercing). The stuttered horn bits are a nice touch. I think a bit of delay/reverb on some of the more prominent parts would have been nice, but again, not a big deal. I do think the solo has some weird notes (or perhaps the chords underneath don't mesh well). This is a nice arrangement and the problems I have are not significant enough to merit a no. Good job. YES

I still don't understand. Which tutorial are you referring to? Is there a particular audio example?

Frankly, I don't recommend XXL. Most of the stuff it comes with is not very good. I've been using Producer Edition for years and I'm fine. As for upgrading to FL7, if you bought FL5 you should have free upgrades for life.

The M-Audio Axiom 61 is quite good, and yes, it is cheaper than the Keystation Pro 88. If you use Froogle you will find that lots of 61 key controllers are cheaper. In terms of action, it feels good. It is not like a real piano, but is SIGNIFICANTLY better than my previous controller, an Edirol PCR-30 that was not weighted. I use it with an M-Audio SP2 Sustain Pedal (I believe that's the model) - playing "real" pieces feels pretty natural. However it is very large, and heavy. I also don't need all the knobs, buttons, and faders. But in terms of functioning as a controller, it is great, and you won't find anything else as good for $400. Well, a workstation does MIDI in and out, sure. But it also has a TON of other features. Synthesis, audio editing/recording, sampling, sample mapping + playback, banks upon banks of sounds... they're totally different beasts.

Fair enough, I just meant generally speaking if you want a MIDI controller... to get a "real" one. I don't consider the Prodikeys to be a real controller. A few things. First of all, even full range, weighted MIDI controllers sit in the $400-$600 range. I don't think I've seen any for $1,000. The stuff in that range includes *synthesizers* and workstations, not MIDI controllers which are solely dedicated to sending MIDI data. A synthesizer or workstation has a lot more going on internally. That said, generally speaking, the more you pay, the better quality builds you will find - more accurate simulation of the feel of a real piano for example. Personally I don't think 88 keys is worth it. I thought it would be useful when I got my Keystation Pro 88, but I was wrong. I rarely use the full 88. At most, 76. I could have probably done fine with 61, and a lot less knobs + sliders.

If you want a *good* MIDI controller, get a dedicated one. Edirol, M-Audio, and Novation are good brands.

??? DJ Amuro? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takayuki_Ishikawa You mean this guy?

"Sorry, the sample is unable to be played"

A few things. 1. Broadjam is not a scam, factually speaking. They are an established and credible business. 2. Broadjam is not running the contest, they are facilitating it on behalf of Konami. 3. The music industry is an industry of "no guarantees". For example, I am a member of an organization called TAXI. I pay $300 a year simply to see *opportunities* for submitting my music - to labels, TV shows, music libraries (etc) that want it. To actually submit I pay $5 per song, per listing. And there are absolutely no guarantees. I know people who have been members for years, who have not seen a single deal. Is TAXI a ripoff? No. Could another company do something similar and just pocket your money? Yes, so you SHOULD always be careful. However, it really is not uncommon in the biz to pay money just for the *chance* at success. It's a crapshoot. Konami would be shooting themselves in the foot if they had to select a winner. What if all the entries sucked? Their good name would be tarnished.

Hey guys, for those of you who don't know, Broadjam (www.broadjam.com) is running a song contest where you enter tracks for consideration to be used in the next Dance Dance Revolution game. They have to be original, and you have to be some kind of member of Broadjam to submit (there is a free membership). There's also a submission fee per song... for my membership level (NOT free) it was $10/track. I don't know what the other levels are. The prize includes $1000 and inclusion in the next DDR game. Anyway, the entry period is well under way - the deadline is February 28th. There is a peer review that any Broadjam member can participate in, though presumably Konami will also be evaluating things. This review ends on March 7th, and the contest itself is over on April 18th, when the winner(s) will be announced. Link: http://www.broadjam.com/submissions/details/index.asp?contest_id=147 So, even though a thread about this was posted before, I just wanted to remind everyone. Got a cool track that you think might fit in DDR? Submit it! It's only $10, and if you're good, it's a shot at winning $1,000, plus some fame. Even if you're NOT going to submit, I strongly encourage everyone to participate in the peer review. Several OCR members, myself included, are already involved (either submitting songs, peer reviewing, or both). ps. Don't think this is an attempt to curry more votes for my songs. The subs are anonymous, aside from song title, and the ones I submitted aren't publicly released.

I'm not sure what you mean... what did you mean by saying; "what sound did you start off with before you insert the Synth1 plugin"? What are you referring to?

This is again an improvement over the previous version. The samples overall sound a lot better. However, there are some issues: * Everything is really quiet. Really, really quiet. * The brass is highly "blatty" and fake-sounding. * The overall sample quality, while better, lacks aggressiveness in many cases. * The entire section from 1:25 to 3:02 lacks energy. It is too sparse and minimal. Maybe it's the volume. * Some parts are still too exposed, making them sound overly fake. * I think your drum sequencing in the last version was better. Please don't be discouraged. Don't think you're "not cut out for remixing". I did at least 10 arrangements that totally sucked before I could even approach a passable OCR, and this was years ago when it was easier to get on the site. Your problem is primarily production. That can be improved. Spend lots of time on the ReMixing forum and talk to as many orchestral mixers as possible. COLLAB if you can, with everyone you can that does this kind of stuff. Maybe just try a new mix for now and come back to this later. Either way, don't give up! Keep at it. NO

Seconding what Larry says. I recommend you spend more time in the WIP forums before submitting. Use the ReMixing forum to find resources on beefing up your sounds. Also, try to listen to the mixes we have posted lately and compare to what you are submitting. This isn't a bad early effort but it is nowhere near our bar for the reasons Larry stated. Very little arrangement, lame sounds, limited polyphony etc. The FL defaults don't help either. Keep at it though. NO

Unfortunately I have to agree with Larry. We can't really accept "covers" here - in other words, no remixes where the original tunes were merely ported over to different instruments. Harmonic additions/changes, variation on the melody (or melodies in this case), solos, new sections, interesting transitions/bridges, intros, endings, all that kind of stuff is preferred. Plus the performance issues as mentioned are holding this back. It is great to hear people playing live, and if you listen to remixes we have posted, we don't have an ultra-high standard for recording. But this needs to be stepped up a few notches before it can make it on to the site. NO

Yeah, this is way too similar to the original. The feel and instrumentation is basically the same, and the arrangement is not really interpretive. There are some *minor* additions but definitely not enough to come anywhere close to our bar. The length is also an issue... spend more time developing original ideas. "Great Warrior" was just sort of mixed in there for no reason. Could have been a good combo of themes, but it lacks the personal interpretation factor. You need to expand this big time. Production is good at least! NO

Best way to do it is use the Peak Controller and 3xosc. Create a new 3xOsc channel. Set it to a blank mixer track, then create a Peak Controller. Now, the 3xOsc sends signals to the controller. Right click on the volume knob of a different channel (the VST you wanted gated). Link to Controller -> find Peak Ctrl (Insert XX) Peak on the menu. Sequence a rhythmic line while the gated channel is playing, and that rhythm will translate into movements of the volume of the gated channel.

http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?p=234150 wrote a guide on it!

A simple question... or is it? Your sound card or audio interface is important if you are interested in music production & ReMixing. Here is a brief rundown - read carefully!! All prices are in US dollars. If the terms confuse you, scroll to the bottom of this post and you will see a glossary of terms. Each listing also links to a picture of the card or a product page so you can do further research. PCI Cards (Desktop) Emu 0404 - $100 - This is a great all-around soundcard for anyone interested in music production. It has a low noise level, various analog & digital ins and outs (through "breakout cables" - see the pic) as well as a very powerful software mixing system. The drivers have been known to be a little unstable in some applications (eg. FLStudio) but overall, this card performs better than any consumer-level card and is highly flexible. The internal software also has built in DSP effects which will not affect your computer's processor, great if you do a lot of recording and want to add some EQ, compression, or reverb without burdening your cpu. Emu 1212M - $150 - The next step up from the 0404, capable of running at higher sampling rates. Recording quality is slightly higher than the 0404. EMU 161M - $450 - The big daddy of EMU cards, this is a full fledged interface with fantastic sound quality. If you are really serious about recording, this is a great solution. However if you do most things "in the box" (eg. software only) this will be excessive. M-Audio Audiophile 192 - $180 - Comparable to the EMU 1212M in terms of features. My personal preference has been EMU products over M-Audio as the latter seems to use lower quality components than its competitors so it can mass-produce them. However, you should do your own research and read reviews to decide for yourself. Echo Mia MIDI - $130 - Another competitor in the lower price range. Echo products are considered to be fairly high quality. RME HDSP 9632 Hammerfall DSP 24/96 - $600 - OK, so this is getting into the *really* high end. However, Hammerfall makes the best of the best. If you have no idea what to do with your money and want a killer sound card that will offer the cleanest sound and most efficient drivers, this is your card... PCMCIA Cards (Laptop) Echo Indigo IO Stereo 24/96 - $200 - Not exactly cheap, but a good solution if you want an internal sound card for your laptop that will provide pro sound quality. EMU 1616 Laptop - $400 - Just like the 1616M, except... "portable". A high end solution, but worth considering if you don't want to compromise. USB Interfaces EMU 0404 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface - $200 - A slightly upgraded version of the PCI 0404 (in terms of converters) and physical control to boot. Good if you are a laptop user and like the EMU line. EMU 0202 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface - $115 - This is a step down from the USB 0404. If you're not going to be recording much, no big deal. It will still perform better than your average laptop soundcard. If you plan on doing a lot of recording, however, and you want as clean a sound as possible, consider something in a slightly higher price range. M-Audio Audiophile USB - $160 - Just like with the PCI Audiophile, this is a competitor to the EMU line in terms of price range. Similar features, but check the reviews for both. Native Instruments Audio Kontrol 1 - $250 - Though normally residing in the market of software instruments, NI has produced a good audio interface. Good drivers, clean sound, sleek design, and comes with a nice bundle of NI software. If you're starting from a clean slate this might be a good idea. Edirol UA25 - $240 - Touted as a very rugged and road-ready interface, if you plan on bringing around a laptop all over the place while recording, and don't want to settle for a cheaper interface, this may be what you want. Plus, Edirol is a good company! Digidesign Mbox 2 - $450 - This is a combo hardware/software product, as you get Pro Tools LE with it. Much like the other, more expensive options listed so far, this is not worth it if you are only looking to ReMix or produce music as a hobby. However, if you want the next step up in terms of low-noise, solid drivers, and powerful software, The Mbox/ProTools combo is attractive. Firewire Interfaces Presonus Firebox - $300 - Ahh.. the Firebox. I've been using one of these for a few weeks now, and my roommate had the expanded version, the Firepod. They're very good in terms of sound quality and the drivers are ROCK solid. Reasonably priced too. My only complaint is the mixing software is a little weak... you can't do a lot of routing with it, as compared to EMU's products w/ Patchmix. Still, recommended. Presonus Firepod - $500 - If you plan on doing lots of recording from multiple sources, such as a whole band, multiple vocalists, multiple synths, etc... this is a very good choice. No need to spend hundreds of dollars more on an external mixer! Presonus Inspire 1394 - $200 - If the Firebox and Firepod are a little too big for you, the Inspire holds its own and since it's by the same company, you know the quality will be good. A good choice if budget is an issue but you need to go Firewire. Behringer FCA202 F-Control - $80 - Behringer isn't exactly known for their high quality audio products. However, if you absolutely can't spend much on an interface, this is what you want. It'll still be better than your average Realtek or Sigmatel audio card! So... what card should I buy? My personal recommendations are the EMU 0404 and Firebox. The former if budget is an issue - it's still an excellent card, and the latter if you want more power. If you're going to do a lot of recording, I can't help but recommend the Firepod. If you want some nice bundled software, the MBox 2 or Audio Kontrol 1 are both advisable, though the MBox is somewhat pricey. In general, don't skimp. If your budget is $200, buy a card or interface that is $200. With audio gear, you generally get what you pay for. If you decide to upgrade later because you want to take music more seriously, or you want to do more recording, or whatever else, you can't get a hardware discount. Buy a $100 interface at first and you'll have to spend another $200-300 on top of that for your new, better one (maybe more). Start out with the more expensive interface and you'll have room to grow. Plus, the higher-end ones resell a lot more easily so if you DON'T like it, it won't be as hard to get rid of. Glossary XLR - A type of larger connection with three holes, typically used for plugging in mics. IMAGE TRS - A common audio connector used to connect all sorts of devices, from headphones, to guitars, and more. Typically 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch. IMAGE PCI - An internal connection type in desktop computers, used with long "cards" that attach directly to the motherboard. All desktop computers have at least a couple PCI ports, which can be used for a number of purposes, from network cards, to USB extensions, to sound cards, and more. PCMCIA - A PCI-like interface for laptop computers. Again, many things can be installed using it including sound cards. PCI-e - An improved form of PCI for desktops. This is mostly used for graphics cards currently. ASIO - A software interface between an application and your sound card. Better ASIO drivers mean lower latency and less CPU usage. It is also more flexible than DirectSound, which is what most generic sound cards for Windows use. Feel free to post here if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.

I definitely was not feeling the intro which felt really unpolished & overly minimal. The voices seemed poorly mixed in that the low note tends to overpower the others. By leaving them almost completely exposed it really calls attention to even slight problems with your delivery that would be otherwise not noticeable. Also the arrangement is not very creative... it's very close to the original progression. The bits of SFX here and there help but I would have liked more of them. At 2:00 more instruments come in but I disagree with Larry that they got the job done. Things still felt too minimal. Plus, the additions took place mostly in the low range which made it somewhat muddy. I also noticed the beat feels consistently out of sync (in a bad way), and is uninteresting in terms of sequencing and samples. You would be better off tightening up the rhythm on it or just not using anything. I don't feel this is at our bar at all. The arrangement is not that interpretive. I could overlook the extremely minimal instrumentation and the production issues if the voice stuff was really fantastic and took the original to a whole new level. But I don't feel that it does. Additionally I do not think the vocal performance is strong enough to merit being incredibly exposed the whole mix. If the surrounding elements of the mix were denser this would not be a problem, but it's the overwhelming focus of the mix. I do think this is a creative mix. It's pretty brave, and unique in the approach, but brave and unique don't necessarily make up for weaknesses in the fundamentals of arrangement & production. I am a fan of your stuff Neil and I would love to hear more from you, perhaps a more expanded version of this track. NO

Zanam, you know Valentine's Day is today, right? Great mix!! Even though I've collabed with Jill several times now, I love hearing her solo stuff.