LuIzA

pretty much. I've used distorted acoustic on a couple of my songs, though it was achieved through plug-ins, as I don't have an acoustic-electric guitar. but only as an effect of sorts, it works pretty cool on trip-hop-ish styles/moods.

so I think i'm actually getting along with the sequencer better this time, even though it's essencially the same as 4's. It'll probably take some getting used to, but I love some of the other new(er) features. I'm messing a bit more with the demo, but I think I'll get the upgrade.

unless you're looking for a more exotic sound. It's probably a bad idea. I'm not entirely sure if there will be technical problems with that, but assuming it won't, you can pick pretty much any guitar pedal, but it probably won't sound 'good' for a rock sound, for instance, if that's what you're looking for.

Superior 2.0 does sound pretty good with zero tweaking (unlike the first Superior). but yes, that's quite true.

I'm not sure how much it costs in the UK, but I'd recommend the Ibanez JS1000. I own one myself, it has a good rock sound and a fat sound on the neck pickup which makes it amazing for jazzy sounds as well. however, maintenance for that guitar requires a little more patience because of its whammy bar. and if you plan on trying different tuning, whammy bars are a no-no, especially if you only got one guitar.

well, I know of the Royer SF-12 stereo mic. Royer makes amazing ribbon mics, but it probably costs a little over what you're willing to spend. you can also go for two Neumann KM 184, which would total about $1800. if you're willing to spend over one grand, I'd say Neumanns are definitely the way to go.

I guess I'll just download the demo and see everything for myself, before I make a decision.

I've never used EZdrummer myself, but I use Toontrack's Superior 2.0, I know for fact it's far more custumizable than EZD, but not only it is bigger and more expensive but also a little harder to use. so if you can spend $300 and some patience, it really is head and shoulders above the ones mentioned before. on the other hand, EZX has a plethora of expansions, so lots of different kits to choose from. personally, I don't really live Addictive Drums, the samples really sound pre-processed to me, in a way I don't really dig.

good to know, thanks =) i guess we have a winner then, i'll be going for the mackie. Now i gotta decide between the regular axiom or the axiom pro. EDIT: other MIDI controller suggestions will be much appreciated.

exactly. I hated the changes on the sequencer, took its intuitiveness away for me. That's why i downgraded to 3 no long after i got 4. Other than that, 4 had no other features that could win me back over. 5, however, does have, i'd definitely use kong and the new sampling feature. And also there's this 'blocks', which I didn't fully read/get what it is yet.

do any of you guys use the Axiom with Sonar?

yes, I'm quite familiar with that thread, I've posted in those forums (and in these forums too) because of my FTU, but no one could help. So, this is why I asked, unless MIDI I/O is necessary, I probably won't go with M-Audio again for audio interfaces. interesting.. and yeah, it does use USB 1.1 according to the link. Still, I'm still leaning more toward the mackie for the sturdyness and usb 2.0.

I'm looking forward to reviews of Reason 5. especially by those who hated reason 4, like me.

i'm looking for both orchestral sections of brass for, well, orchestral pieces, and solo intruments for jazzy solos or ska brass. As for budget, i'm looking for cost effectiveness, so as long as the price isn't outrageous, i don't mind having to pay a little more as long as the quality of the samples are as good as the price suggests.

like Moseph said. if you've never done it before, try sitting on a drumset at your local music store and learn how each sounds. then watch how drummers play, be it live or by video (I recommend live, if you can). then just listen to your favorite songs and play close attention to the drums... try first reproducing the same pattern in a song on your sequencer.. that's how I learned.

speaking of orchestra VST... what sound library, soundfont or whatever have the best/better brass sounds?

yes, the pre-amps are one of the main reasons I'm considering the Mackie. The Fast Track Pro also has S/PDIF I/O, but I really don't need that. I've also heard of the AC power vs. USB bus power issues. I'd like to hear more opinions, as I've had little experience with it myself... it didn't seem to make a whole lot of difference to me, but then again, the Fast Track Ultra is crap. As long as it works well, it's fine by me... I travel a good deal, so chances are I won't be bringing the AC adapter with me, also, the metal build of the Mackie will surely be appreaciated for that reason. I've used an Axiom 25 once, it seemed pretty decent, but I only tried it with Reason 3, it seemed fairly easy to use... but I still don't know how well it would work with sonar, not only with its midi/synths but to control it as well. I liked the Axiom (at least in prospect) because of the trigger pads and dedicated transport controls.

ok so, I'm upgrading my setup, I currently have an M-audio Fast Track Ultra interface that I'm extremely sick of, no MIDI controller and my DAW is Sonar 8 Producer. I'm thinking of buying either the Mackie Onyx Blackjack or the M-audio Fast Track Pro interface and the m-audio Axiom 61 Pro or not . first off, has anyone here used or have any of these? I'd like to hear of your experiences. both interfaces are pretty much on the strictly necessary side, and that`s what I`m going for, especially for portability. outside of other pro's and con's, main difference between these interfaces to me is the presence or lack there of of MIDI I/O. I'm planning on using the MIDI keyboard to also control my DAW, but they both have USB, so the question is: do I really need the MIDI I/O?? and finally, I'm fairly new to this MIDI keyboard business, and there are a number of features the Axiom Pro has (Hypercontrol, Trutouch, etc) the regular Axiom does not. the question: are they worth the extra bucks? thanks in advance.

a lot like Avatar, this game... it's all visuals. I've played about 30 hours and I have no desire to play even another 15 minutes. So I just decided to watch the ending on youtube... and what a f****** horrible ending.

maybe next compo I get to enter again, yay!

Thanks to everyone who listened. it really means a lot to me that you enjoyed it. I had a blast doing this track with Stevo and on top of that, this track means a lot to me. it's not only an actual remix of a song I've always wanted to do since before getting into remixing (as some of you may have read in the judges' thread), but also one that represents a bit part of what I grew up listening to.... so, lots of memories here.

one of my favorites from the project. I love the many different instruments and the acoustic guitar. absolutely beautiful.

to be very honest, this track probably has the most unused potential in the project. I adore rap rock and this has some great ideas. but production is pretty bad in general, everything sounds cheap to the point that a much better mix job couldn't do much. the rapping is ok, and I adore the chorus melody though. I really like the song, but the production value hurts it, A LOT.

this track needs no words or comments, but I will anyway: this is some of the most awesome shit I've EVER heard.