Musician Gear & Tech Discussion

Cakewalk is so easy compared to a lot of other software, I'd be afraid to use anything else.

Cubase is a nightmare, with 1 billion ways to do it wrong!

I'm not familiar with the Sony Acid stuff, but heard it was pretty good, as long as you're a rocket scientist.

Your sync problem sounds similar to an option the old DAT machines used to offer.. There was this extra control module thing, where you could move the tracks forward or back,,, in & out of sync, depending on if you wanted the singer to come in a bit sooner or later, or advancing the guitar lead to have more energy, and so on. It was fun to experiment with, it changed the entire flavor of the songs.

With your software, it might be good to contact a tech, maybe it's a computer glitch....?


Good luck with it! I feel your pain!

I experience a similar delay with my DVD recorder.
This isn't the DVD recorder built into my computer, but another one that is hooked up to a separate (and pretty big) Audio/video stereo system.

Sometimes I play back a tape of me on guitar, and record both that and me playing Bass onto DVD (to check proof-of concept for basss patterns).
If I monitor it though the stereo, it's real-time.
But if I also monitor it through the TV (I am recording video), there is an echo of about 150ms - 200ms.
Pretty cool, actually. But I just turn the TV volume down while recording.
The Sony tech people are helping. Tomorrow I'll try their last piece of advice - it could be a simple fix . . .
Stay tuned.

Sweet keep us posted

I haven't touched the software since Sony's new reply.
They suggested that I next try deleting the software, then delete certain files & folders, then go into the registry & change certain registry entries, and then try re-installing the software again, to see if it makes a difference.
Looks like a good 5 hours work, and even then it may still do the same thing as before.
But I also run a home business on this computer. I want to avoid this type of time-consuming software/registry problem.
I haven't been sure what to do. I've been spending 3 times as much time playing with the software, as I have been spending playing with my guitar.
Maybe I'll just live with the tempo problems, and use my work-arounds, for now. At least until get another computer devoted entirely to music.

Anyone got any input on any of these sound recording / editing programs at this site?

http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/win95/RECORDING/

The recorder that comes w/Windows XP is stone-age crap.

What I want to do is record a Guitar track, and then lay down a Bass track, and then maybe another guitar track.

I want CLEAN sound.

There's a lot of freeware & shareware out there - is any of any good?

"I use Cake walk Pro Audio 7 Force midi through Alesis SR16 to create the drum track then record as audio track to my harddisk recorder. At that point I can put own as many audio trax as I want pure digiatal quality. If your looking to record multitrack audio strictly to the computer Nuendo by Cubase or Cool Edit pro will also give you high quality recordings.."Goo Luck Tony O.

I have used Audacity for over a year now and like it alot. Decent, quiet recording for free. You cant beat that. Get the lame_enc.dll file and and you can mix them to Mp3s. Otherwise you only get to mix them into WMAs.

Check my profile and listen to my song recorded with Audacity.
I used V-Drums
Telecaster direct into a stompbox into a Lexicon Alex into the PC.
Bass recorded direct.

http://bandmix.com/profile80270.html

Geoff

I use sonar 6/cakewalk exclusively and guitar rig 2 with foot pedal, if I have the choice. It is entirely too versatile to go without it.

RhythmMan i would also recommend cakewalk, i used to use cakewald pro audio V9.03 but have changed to sonar 6 because of new options like v vocal...matter of fact there are free versions of it out there on the net.

If you are looking for an inexpensive, flexible multitrack recorder on par with Steinberg Cubase, try Reaper 2.008 www.reaper.fm It's uncrippled Shareware and looks impressive. For non-commercial license it's $50 I think..., but you can evaluate it free...

Sorry I haven't kept up with this thread.
I found that my issue was a 1/10 of a sec delay on recording, while listening to pre-recorded tracks. Also, due to my previous unfamiliarity with the software, I had been inadvertantly speeding up or slowing down some tracks.
Once I figured that out - it was a snap.
And I was surprised that one can hear the difference of a few milli-seconds early or late.
.
Most of my music is pretty quick, and I don't like playing Bass (for example) like a metronome, because you lose all the feeling.
Delaying a note slightly, here or there sounds better.
But, when one intentionally puts some notes late, it makes it a little harder to visually line up with the other tracks.
But - no problem, it's easy to adjust it.
.
I've been working about 12 hours a day, and have been way too busy to record anything, lately.
I have about 25 of my older songs to record, yet, and about 8 new songs are ready for copyright, - whenever I can find the time to record them . . .
I have drum tracks started for 2 - 3 songs, and one or two w/guitar tracks . . .
I'll probably start finishing up these songs next week some time . . .
It sure would be nice to find a qualified female vocalist who lives near-by to do the vocals . . .

I need to save projects.
I have others interested in collaborating with over the internet.
I need to be able to make, send and recieve studio-quaility songs.

Check out Krystal Audio Engine, a free multi-track recording program that lets you save project files. It's great, and I use it occasionally even though I have multi-track software apps I have paid for. For your online collaboration purposes it is perfect because others can download it for free and so getting half a dozen musicians using the same software is cost-free.

The downside is that it only handles 16 tracks. However, I have found this to be a plus.

I record and build drum tracks and synth parts in one program that I like (doing some industrial stuff) then I export the basic tracks as .wav files and import them into my favorite Cubasis VST. In Cubasis, I mix, slice, dice, rearrange and add effects. (I love that Cubasis has automated faders!)

When all is well, I will mix down. But, there are times when I feel I'm getting out of hand with tracks. So, instead of mixing in Cubasis, I fire up KAE and it forces me to mix a bit smarter. I usually have every piece of a drum kit with its own channel in other apps...but using KAE forces me to mix them down to 2 stereo tracks. After that, KAE isn't limiting at all.

The projects feature is great and KAE is laid out simply and intuitively. Musicians who think most multi-track software is complicated should give it a try. I am planning on some online collaborations in the near future and intend to make use of it.

Check it out at: http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/

I had checked out Krystal, and about 6-8 others, before eventually discovering/deciding that none of the freeware did everything I wanted it to.
It cost me $80 to buy "Sony Acid Music Studio."
I'm recording acoustic guitar, and bass . . . that's all I need, really.
I adjust the volumes, the tones, the panning, and usually add a very slight reverb. On one or 2 songs I added some slight effects. I can add distortion (ugh!), chorus, reverb, echo, phase-shifting and flange, if I want . . .
I can record unlimited tracks with the Sony Software; but the most I've ever used in one song, so far is about 18 tracks.
A lot of of my songs are 2-3 tracks, and several are about a dozen tracks.
I can import wavs and mp3's, which is all I need.
The software converts all my tracks/songs to mp3s, and I have recorded about 25 of my songs in the last year.
I cut CD's at will . . . bought the CD's, cases, printed the inserts, and have sold CDs . . . costs me less than 50 cents each . . . the cases are more expensive than the blank CDs . . .
This software has proven adequate for me, and it is not holding me back in any way.
So, for now; I'm good, thanks.
.
Thanks for your response.

No wonder you get such a great sound. It sounds like you know what you're doing musically and technically. I am intertained by your recordings on your BM site. I live down here in Thornton if you ever put together another band I'd be honored to audition for the bass chair.

Kenny Lee

Congratulations on reviving a thread that's been dead for 4 years!

I use Reaper for my DAW - $60 is a great bargain for all the features it has.