AMT
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Thanks DeathbySpoon! Do can you get a Staff on the sequencer? Or select instruments. I want to try putting in percusion. Oh, and how do you put MP3/MIDI songs in REAPER?
Thanks!
Not sure on getting a staff. For selecting instruments, look in my guide on the guides and tutorials section to get the sfz plugin. Then you can get soundfonts from soundfonts.darkesword.com or Hammersound or the likes. One note; sfz doesn't like being loaded multiple times (It makes this hideous crackling noise), so you might want to use FontSF2! instead. Google it, shouldn't be hard to find. You can get all sorts of different instruments from soundfonts. Tgsfx or something on Darkesword's page is a great starting place. To import midis / mp3s, go to "Insert > Media Item". Careful with midis, it's gonna split them up across all of your tracks and it can get messy pretty quick.
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REAPER is great for recording audio like guitar and vocals, but it can be used as a sequencer too, which sounds like what you want. Insert a new track by going to "Track > Insert New Track", and click the FX button on the new track in your mixer. This will bring up a window where you can add effects to the track. Go to "Instruments" on the left, and put an instrument in (Like Synth1 or ReaSynth). It should show up on the left of the window in your FX chain. Go ahead and close this for now. Now go to "Insert > New MIDI Item" and a box should show up called "untitled MIDI event". Drag this so that it's in the track with the ReaSynth or Synth1, it might have made a new track when you inserted it. Double click the MIDI event to bring up the MIDI editor. This is where you can actually write music. Click on the piano keys to hear what note your mouse is over (Or look at the note name in the bottom right corner). You can double-click to place a note. Click and drag to move the note around, or drag near the edge of it to stretch it out. The "Velocity" on the bottom is essentially how hard the note is being hit. The play / pause / stop thing on the bottom should be pretty obvious. On the right side of the midi editor, inside the window where you place notes, there should be a large vertical bar that you can drag left and right. This bar sets where the end of your pattern is; if you drag a midi item in the main window (Where the tracks are, not the editor), you can extend it so it loops. This bar sets where it will start to loop. Keep it lined up with the numbers on the top for the most part (These show what measure you're on, that'll keep timing in sync). I'll polish this up and put it in the next segment of my REAPER tutorial, so post any more questions you'd like to have answered!
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Updated, lots of little tweaks and a few small arrangement changes. I think I've got the production done pretty well, but more experienced ears than mine may disagree, so please leave feedback!
(Also, w00t, cleaned up WIP forum! No more stickies!)
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Getting Started with REAPER Part 1: Setting it up
I figured I'd write a tutorial for this since I use REAPER, but I don't really hear about anyone else here using this excellent piece of software. It's unexpiring shareware (So you can use it as long as you like without any limitations) and the full version is only $40. Alright, so, first thing's first; get REAPER.
REAPER is constantly updated, so get the newest version and install it. The community makes some pretty cool skins for it, so if you want to check those out, head over here:
http://www.cockos.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=26
The next thing you're going to need are ASIO drivers. These give you a lot lower latency (Delay between user input and hearing the sound you made) than your default sound drivers. Go to:
Download them and install them. Now, load up REAPER for the first time. Along the bottom of the screen is your Docker. This is a little tabbed area that lets you dock the mixer, FX chains, etc. As you can see, the mixer is there by default. Along the left side of your screen are the tracks. Right now there probably aren't any. In the middle of the screen is where you'll actually be putting audio files and the like, and moving them around / lining them up as you see fit. We'll get to this more later. First, click the little text in the upper right that gives information about your audio device. For "Audio System" on the top, select ASIO. For ASIO driver, select ASIO4ALL for now, but if your device has its own ASIO driver listed, that might work better. Select the first and last inputs and outputs in the drop down menu and click OK.
Now you should have a basic, functioning REAPER set up. To make sure, open up the demo project "BradSucks_MakingMeNervous" and hit play. If it sounds ok, we're good. If it's crackly and distorted, try increasing the buffer size in your ASIO settings. The larger the buffer, the smoother audio will play, but the more delay there will be when recording and adjusting values.
If all went well by this point, we're ready to get some more plugins that will be useful. REAPER comes with its own set of "Rea___" plugins that are quite nice (I really like ReaEQ), but there are some other things we can get that will help a ton. (Note: When I say a plugin or effect is good, I'm speaking only relative to the other free software I've used. I've never used any of the expensive stuff, so I'm not saying it'll rival Waves or anything like that).
Free VST Instruments
sfz soundfont player - http://web.archive.org/web/20060616173559/www.rgcaudio.com/sfz.htm
In order to play soundfonts (Collections of sounds; sound fonts), you'll need a plugin. This works great, but when you use more than one in a project you might get a nasty crackling noise, in which case you should use...
FontSF2! soundfont player - http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jez.price/Vst/Font%21SF2.zip
Similar to sfz, except it doesn't have velocity support as far as I can tell.
TriangleII synth - http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/Triangle/Default.asp
Use the VST link on the left.
Unifyer - http://67.18.247.83/2007_holidaygiveaway/freeware/am_unifyer%202.2.dll
Awesome awesome free VST synthesizer.
Vintager - http://67.18.247.83/2007_holidaygiveaway/freeware/vst_vintager2_win.zip
Another good synthesizer
Synth1 - http://www.geocities.jp/daichi1969/softsynth/synth1v107.zip
Excellent polyphonic synth, used in zircon's tutorials.
Free VST Effects
GVST Plugins - http://www.gvst.co.uk/downloads.htm
I really like the compressors and the tuner.
Voxengo Free Plugins - http://www.voxengo.com/downloads/
Some of these are free, some aren't. Check out Boogex and SPAN, those are both really useful.
mda vst plugins - http://mda.smartelectronix.com/
Lots of useful stuff.
Classic VSTs - http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com/classic-series.php
The compressor, phaser, chorus, flanger, and reverb are all pretty good in this set.
Free Soundfonts
NS7Kit Free - ftp://ftp.futurenet.co.uk/pub/computermusic/ns_sf/
Right click, save target on nskit7_freesf2.zip. Awesome free drum soundfont. The other ones here might be good, I have yet to try them out.
Darkesword's Soundfonts: - http://soundfonts.darkesword.com/
A great little selection of some soundfonts to start out with.
How to Install Plugins
-Make a folder somewhere where you're going to keep these. A lot of plugins default to C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins, but you can put it where ever you like.
-Put the dll files for the plugins to install in this folder. If the plugin uses an installer, install it into this directory.
-Open up REAPER. Go to "Options > Preferences > VST". Click the Add button on the top, and find the directory you made with the plugins in it.
-Press Rescan Directory. Now all of your plugins should show up in the FX browser.
With all of this stuff, you've got everything you need to make music except maybe a good audio interface and something to monitor with. You're not going to get that stuff free. On the next update I'll go into actually using the software. I hope you found this useful!
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Dang, this is getting so close. I really hate to nitpick on it so much, but this is such a great track that it needs to sound as good as possible. I'd put just a tiny bit more high end on the snares so it doesn't sound as much like a bucket, and a tiny bit more midrange on the piano so it doesn't sound like a toy. Hats could have a little bit more high end too. None of these adjustments should be that big at all, just a few little tweaks. In the intro the bass is almost non-existent; during that part, before everything else comes in, your guitar and / or bass could definitely have some more bottom end, but then keep it the way you have it now once everything else comes in. Maybe just a tiny bit more bass overall, it's kinda hard to hear. The solo is awesome, as is pretty much everything else about this. Great work man, this has come a long long way from when I first heard it!
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This is really nice, it's interesting to hear the theme done in a different way like this. Can't wait to hear more!
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I've had 3 for awhile, and am an ardent UT fan, so here's my take.
On the whole, it's kind of a disappointing package, mostly due in part to the new philosophy of the game. I read in an interview that the powers-that-be wanted a game where it would take no more than 5 shots with any weapon to kill someone. This, beyond all other things, is the crux of the failing of UT3. The overkill of the weapons completely negates their personality, and makes certain weapons (flak and rocket) the defacto choice. Your lifespan is roughly a minute at best and there is little time or reason to formulate a strategy since the game is all about "any weapon will do" as opposed to "the right weapon for the right situation."
Now, if you're smart, you should be thinking to yourself, "Wingless, sounds like you're making alot over nothing." But I'm not. That one "tweak" to the franchise has really broken it down and made it inferior to UT2004. When a mod comes along that either A.) cuts down the power of weapons or B.) increases your damage mitigation, watch how much better and tactical the game becomes.
But I suppose the most profound thought and feeling I have about UT3 can be best summed up like this: Unreal Tournament 3 makes me want to play Unreal Tournament 2004 again.
This is exactly how I feel about it. It's like Counter-Strike damage ratio with Unreal pacing, which totally messed up the flow UT used to have.
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Alright, here's something I've been working on for the past few days, and I think it's coming along really nicely. I suck at genre distinctions, so I'll just let you all listen to it. Please leave feedback, I really want to get this one sounding awesome.
Newest Version: http://ftp.cableone.net/rebelart/HotHeadBop2.mp3
Older Versions:
http://ftp.cableone.net/rebelart/HotHeadBop1.mp3
http://ftp.cableone.net/rebelart/LavaMaster4.mp3
http://ftp.cableone.net/rebelart/LavaMaster1.mp3
http://ftp.cableone.net/rebelart/LavaMaster.mp3
There's a little bit of clipping in the bridge, and it's not done yet, so it just kind of ends. Thanks for taking the time to listen to this!
EDIT: Took advice on the rhythm guitars, upped bass a tad, and finished off a potential ending by going back to the funk for a little bit. I still need advice as far as production goes, that's my weakest spot right now, and I only have some just-ok mixing headphones, so advice in any way on that helps a ton. Thanks, and please post feedback!
ANOTHER EDIT: Alright, this newest version is sounding a ton better. Sixto gave me some advice on rewriting the chord progressions, and it sounds great. Lots of production changes too, feedback is appreciated!
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Alright, first thing is first: You need to tune your instruments. Neither guitar is in tune. The timing on the percussion is pretty off too, did you play it by hand? I'd reccommend using a midi sequencer to program it in so you can get a spot on rhythm to play to. You might want to try going a bit slower too, so you can keep up with the beat. The bass was a bit too loud, and a compressor would help on the guitar so that those quiet notes come out louder. But yeah, all of that doesn't really matter yet; you really need to tune. I hope I don't sound harsh, just trying to help out. Give it another shot and good luck!
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It gives a different feel than the original song, but it still sounds good. It's just when you're used to hearing the song one way, it can sound a bit awkward when you hear it differently, even if there's nothing really wrong with the new version. I say keep it.
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but the whole tune got a key change, it's not an off note. Props on this so far, I absolutely love The Landing. You should try and intertwine Force Your Way with it, I think that'd sound pretty awesome having a mix of the two.
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Game is a start, naming where it's used is even better. Right now there aren't any actual points or anything awarded, it's just for fun, but we could do it like that if anyone wants. And yeah, that's Ska-Cha-Cha from Sonic Rush, so one down!
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I'm surprised OCR didn't already have a thread like this, so I figured I'd make it myself. Anyone is free to post songs, but let's try and keep the following rules:
-Original songs only, no arrangements (Try and get the original recording, but if you can't, a midi will suffice)
-You can trim songs down to conserve webspace, but keep enough of the song for it to be recognizable. Don't clip it down to a 3 second snippet.
-Games only, no other media. Basically, anything that could be OCR material (So no commercial songs in games, etc).
That's about it, really. I'll start it off with a few songs:
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http://ftp.cableone.net/rebelart/Guitar5.mp3
This is my attempt at a little rock riff. My focus here was mixing and production in general, so excuse the slightly sloppy playing. Where am I at production wise? What would make this sound better? Please leave feedback. Thanks!
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I'm no pro on the subject, but tgsf21x on http://soundfonts.darkesword.com/ has a halfway decent one that I like. I've never heard any of the higher quality samples / VSTs, so I really don't know how good it actually is.
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No problem, just thought I'd offer. Looking forward to the next update!
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Hey, a while ago bLiNd had some "Club Trance" albums up on his webspace, but they aren't there anymore. Does anyone know where to get these?
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Your sig made that infinitely better. The bear is totally just spacing out.
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You know, I'd offer to play bass for this, but I don't think I can play that fast. =P If you think it'd still be worth it for me to record it and speed it up or something, or rework it to be a bit more playable, I'd love to do the bass. Hit me up with a PM if you want to.
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Awesome, thanks.
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Forgive my newbieness, but I have a question about this mixer:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Behringer-EURORACK-UB1202-Mixer-631236-i1153479.gc
The 1/4" jacks near the XLRs, are those inputs that can be used instead? Or can it only take XLR inputs on those channels? Thanks.
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First off, love the strings. Now, production. The major thing I can hear is that this still has a gaping hole in the midranges. Do you have some monitors or mixing headphones? If not, that may be where your problem lies. Just messing around in Winamp, giving a boost around 1k-6khz to the whole song made it sound a ton better already. Make sure you didn't kill that frequency range in any of your instruments with your current EQs, and I'd boost up the guitars in that range even if you didn't. When applying that change to the whole mix it made the cymbals sound TOO sizzly, so watch out with that. That's really the most immediate problem, that should be addressed before anything else, then it'll be easier to hunt down all the little things. This is easily my favorite WIP on here, and the new arrangement changes are awesome (The guitar at 0:30ish sounds awesome). I really look forward to hearing more. Keep it up!
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0:08 - Piano thing comes in. I didn't like it right off, but I'm not sure. You could maybe try putting a different instrument / sample doing this? Maybe a synth or something.
0:15 - I love the drums.
0:22 - Bass comes in, sounds good.
0:36 - Lead and guitar come in. Something sounds strange here, I'm not sure which. I like the lead and I like the guitar, but together it's iffy.
1:04 - I like the long chords and the new melody, this sounds nice. The drums are still doing the same thing they've been doing the whole time, they could use some variation. This would be a good place to throw in a different pattern.
1:30 - This section repeats a bit too long, I'd add something different in here or shorten it.
1:58 - Back to piano, kind of a sudden transition. This could be smoothed out some.
2:10 - That repetitive section is coming back again. We've already heard all of these patterns before, and the drums are still doing the same thing.
3:33 - Same piano drop out as before. Bassline comes in and then a fade out.
The main thing I see with this is that it's really really repetitive right now. What you have is good, but you stretched out 30 seconds of material over 4 minutes. Add some new drum riffs, bring in some new melodies (I'm not familiar with the source, but you could maybe bring in some elements from other songs in the game or something to that effect). I didn't hear anything wrong production wise, but there are people here with much better ears than me. I hope this post was useful, good luck on this!
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I'm going to delete my Winamp library when this comes out. It'll be the only song I need.
HOW to RE-MIX?
in Music Composition & Production
Posted
I'll have to play around with it and see, off the top of my head I want to say any, but I'm not positive.
Sorry, I should have clarified how to install the plugins.
VST Plugins:
-Make a folder somewhere where you're going to keep these. A lot of plugins default to C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins, but you can put it where ever you like.
-Put the dll files for the plugins to install in this folder. If the plugin uses an installer, install it into this directory.
-Open up REAPER. Go to "Options > Preferences > VST". Click the Add button on the top, and find the directory you made with the plugins in it.
-Press Rescan Directory. Now all of your plugins should show up in the FX browser.
NSKit7 is a soundfont. You need to use a plugin to load the soundfont, then it will work like an instrument. sfz works for doing this, as does FontSF2!. sfz is in my guide, I'll add a link to FontSF2! in just a bit.