Yoozer

From what you tell me; no. A sufficiently equipped audio interface (or even breakoutbox for portability and the fact you don't have to crawl behind your computer) will do just fine. You'll only need a mixer if you want to hear more than 2 hardware synthesizers/modules at the same time without switching on your computer. It is said that under $1000 you won't find anything good, and upwards the stuff only gets better with small margins, but I don't know if that's adjusted for inflation . Monitors alone will not do the trick; good acoustics help a lot, too. Re: NS10 - those things are horrible the first time you hear 'm. http://www.cdmasteringservices.com/ns10nearfieldmonitors.htm This article says something important; good monitor speakers allow you to mix in such a way that your music translates very well from one system to another.

Even in synth action, there are differences; the keys of my Alesis Ion feel jumpy, while those of my AN1x depress a bit easier. Most older Rolands have a rather stiff action, which means more resistance when you push the keys down. I've also got a semi-weighted keyboard in my workstation. The difference is that its keys depress easier; it's like the AN1x in terms of actions but feels more "luxurious". It is still not like a piano at all but feels a bit more closer to the action. Another advantage of weighted keys is the mass; you can have much more momentum (e.g. quickly strike a key and let its own mass drive it down while your finger can be elsewhere). This does not work with synth action because of the low mass of the keys and the spring system. Ivory is not used anymore because it's pretty much outlawed; legal ivory would drive up the costs. The top of the white keys is ivorite (imitation material). Even that is expensive; $18 per key.

Yeah yeah, I'll hurry up team captain so we can merge into the gigantic Emutron! Surammu Dunkuuuuu! Mackie 24/4 VLZ Pro mixing desk Yamaha 01v digital mixing desk Korg TR-Rack (Trinity) synth module Access Virus C Desktop synth module (not the Waldorf Q Rack synth module (not the Micro Q) E-mu Vintage Keys synth module Yamaha TX81z synth module Nord Micromodular synth module Alesis Ineko effect module TC Electronic M-300 effect module Digitech DSP-16+ effect module Digitech Studio Quad V2 effect module Alesis 3630 compressor E-mu ESI 4000 sampler Yamaha A4000 sampler Akai MPC-1000 sampler/sequencer Yamaha W5v2 synthesizer/sequencer (workstation) Yamaha AN1x synthesizer Alesis Ion synthesizer Roland XP-30 synthesizer Roland Juno-60 synthesizer with Roland JSQ-60 sequencer AM-06 amplifier Alesis Monitor one MKII monitor speakers Tannoy Reveal6A active monitor speakers Hartmann Neuron VS VST-plugin Native Instruments FM7 VST-plugin Synth1 VST-plugin Emagic EVP73 VST-plugin Steinberg Cubase SX3 sequencer Midex 8 midi interface Midex 8 midi interface M-Audio Midisport 2x2 midi interface Keyfax Phatboy v1 midi controller E-mu 1212m audio interface Expecting: Samplitude v6 Good. Don't forget to breathe!

But that's not the way you should do it . One of the most important ideas in software development is: "Don't reinvent the (square) wheel". Are there free sample players that can handle .wav files? If so, then you don't need to invent one. You don't save a VST from .wav files; it will not slurp up the wave files and build a sample playback engine out of it. The SynthEdit link (and the Reaktor solution Reasoner suggests) is about truly building your own stuff, mainly from a modular perspective. Unless you want to do some very weird, out of this world or never-seen-before processing, any sample-playback plugin will do. See this? http://www.kvraudio.com/get.php?mode=results&st=adv&soft=i&type%5B%5D=4&f=0&fe=0&win=1&free=1&sf=5&receptor=&sort=1&rpp=15 All these can play back a set of .wav files and they cost nothing. I advise you to dig around in that selection before taking the step to build your own VST . It'll be quicker, won't cost you effort, and you'll get what you want.

Sure you can, but you don't have to use samples if you don't want to. Check http://www.synthedit.com/

Details are nice too (and clickable).

Actually, softer tunes would have a lower SNR . A mixer also destroys original dynamics; there's always something going on in the summing chain. The original goal of a compressor was to make sure you didn't have to ride the faders manually. Since its existance it's also been used as an effect. Not using compressor/limiters is making the mastering process rather hard, as it's a vital tool to put emphasis or to play down parts -after- they've been mixed down. Surely you mean totally overdoing the loudness stuff; nothing wrong with properly mastered albums that simply don't clip.

Err, no? Making the default GM set sound good on a crappy onboard soundcard with a cheap wavetable synth - that's hard . You don't have compression or equalization. You should take into account that there's no reverb, chorus or delay. If it's really bad, you only have the default "rock" drum kit to your command. Any keyboard or synthesizer with a GM set and a sequencer already allows you to do it and to listen to the results. You don't really "convert" - you render. The sound that would normally go to your speakers is caught just a moment earlier and written to a .wav file. Remember : MIDI is not sound. The sound comes from the synthesizer in your soundcard. Actually, any Winamp version will do, as long as you have the "write to disk" plugin for it... 2.71 is pretty antique .

Any tips? Sure. The thing's a complete Motif without the sequencer/sampler. You can get expansion boards for the machine (PLG-DX and PLG-AN) that give it FM (like NI FM7) and subtractive synthesis (from the Yamaha AN1x, only 5 instead of 10 voices). It's 16 parts multitimbral. It's got its own USB-interface, so you don't have to buy an USB-MIDI cable. Or if it just is an expensive paperweight and you think the action's too heavy, sell it. Christmas was 4 months ago- what have you done with it in the meantime? The S90ES has another soundset, better filters, and a buffed up polyphony.

http://www.imuso.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?StockCode=EG00104 There you go

www.tindeck.com . About Soundclick - I don't like that you have to sign up to download the mp3 .

Crap. Is no car brand safe from these horrible things? I should've added "Boxster".

What's a great car? You can't answer that question without specifying your needs and also important, your budget. If you need an SUV, I'd rather not see you end up with a Porsche. All mixers are easy. All mixers are hard if you have no idea what the terms stand for or how they handle things internally. That's for music -and- video. Sure you need both? It's also got only 8 tracks. Sure that's enough?

You should have no trouble finding a nearby Guitar Center in both locations. It depends on where you actually stay, but because of relatively fast delivery times, you might try to order it online once you're there and then let it deliver where you're staying.

The difference is that purely digital clipping flattens and analog clipping (because of the nature of the medium) saturates and even compresses before it goes all out of whack. It's the difference between harsh and "hey, that's actually a nice-sounding effect".

Not zircon, but you know the difference between a compressor and a limiter? A limiter is essentially a compressor with an infinite ratio. Which means that if something gets above the level it gets squashed flat instead of bent. A limiter is indeed sort of a last line of defense; albeit that a recording that's mastered properly shouldn't have anything that's flat and at -0db anyway, because it means (unwanted) distortion. Also, a good limiter shows it when there's clipping. A compressor still has a gain knob, and if it's turned up too much, it can still clip.

It'll become very clear to you once you start making stuff. Programs like FL Studio will not be ten times harder because you don't know anything about music; you'll just wonder what's the deal with those black and white keys and why it sounds dissonant, maybe. The reason those are useful is because guitars, wind instruments, and drums are generally not so well represented as controllers. With "controllers", I mean a piece of equipment that doesn't make sound by itself; it can tell another piece of equipment (such as a synthesizer, sampler, computer) to make sound. Yes - there are wind controllers which you can play like a saxophone - but you can't do chords. Yes, there are electronic drum kits, but you can't do melody. Keyboard/piano solves all this, and there's dozens of those in the shape of a controller available. Like DarkeSword says - write music. Remixes aren't a special genre of music; if you've listened to some of the songs you'll hear 'm varying between rock, techno or symphonic music. All that starts with learning how to make music yourself. Once you can do that, you can start remixing. Simply using a MIDI file with some effects thrown over is not being original (which means that if you submit it, it'll be rejected - pretty much instantaneously I think), it's got nothing to do with remixing, and worst; you won't learn how to make music or compose any songs.

The difference between just any compressor and a mastering package like T-Racks and stuff is not necessarily the cost of the thing. It's also the fact that a mastering solution offers a multiband-compressor, with different compression ratios per frequency band (low, lo-mid, mid-hi, high). This matters quite a bit. You might try to simulate this; simply group the end result and split that in 4 parts. Put a strong equalizer over every part. Put a compressor on every group, but use different settings. Below's a schematic of each of those groups. It might take a while to get there but it can be a free solution . Plus, more important - you'll learn what works and what doesn't. Mastering is no dark art, albeit that it seems that way, sometimes. A plugin that does the work for you will stay a black box; simulating what happens in there will make things clear.

Seconded. Sound On Sound has a nice guide (albeit not available to people without eSub) on PatchMix - which I still should read. They also start with "load up a preset session".

Listen and don't do anything. Repeat 4-5 times or so. Then play the harder/more complex parts at lower speed (Winamp PaceMaker plugin). I do this occasionally for songs I'm not trying to get figure out, too.

That is indeed a very very sweet setup. Congrats . (also, what model Argosy is that? In their list I only saw stuff that accomodated for 2 monitors and a computer keyboard, but not for that CME).

How'd that be different from say, MySpace? Would you prefer museum-pictures only; just the goods, nobody else? This guy did exactly that, and then he got accused of not really having the studio - it was probably a render because all the vintage gear was in such an excellent state.

Hook 'm up to the output of your mixing desk or audio interface (should be in the manual, really). I also took the effort of visiting Event's website, and I looked around; seems there's only a sub for the 20/20 series, not for the TR series. Other subwoofers might be able to do the job, though. However - do you really need a subwoofer? Get your room acoustics up to spec first if it doesn't sound tight enough, a subwoofer will not help if your walls act like a mirror.

From Remixing > Submission instructions and standards: In the real world you are required to clear your samples; e.g. ask permission from the original artist before you make anything. While it could be argued that 1) remixing is not necessarily for profit and 2) it might fall under 'tribute to', I still wouldn't do it. Just let someone else re-play the part, in that case you're much safer off. If you need someone for that, ask it in the Live Performers offer and request thread. Again, from the same source: (have you read it already?)

There are 2 prices in music-gear land : street price (what you pay in most stores) and MSRP, which is what they'd love you to pay . 150 is nice for what you get, albeit that I personally (personally!) don't really enjoy the way the keys feel. The last time I had a chance to demo this was 3-4 years ago, so... AFAIK all FL Studio versions should work nice with any MIDI keyboard. The site's comparison chart confirms this, so you're good to go.