Do you think this is nuts? I’m going to try to review all of the major DAWs, in other words all of the music editing software, music mixing software, music making software, recording music software, audio production software, whatever you want to call it. While each one has acquired it’s own fanbase, not many musicians would be tempted to trash an investment that can sometimes have a very long tedious learning curve to make the switch to another program, or would you? Another case in point is that the biggest, most popular programs have already reached a higher level of growth. But on the other hand,  I don’t believe that if any or all of them vanished overnight leaving only one, would it be that terrible? They all work well and you’d still be able to make great music! (assuming that you make great music:).

It’s nice to be able to compare/review each product because they all have different strenghts and weaknesses. Hopefully this will help you with your decision making as to what audio production software would work the best for you and your budget constraints (if any exist). The nice thing about some of these programs is that they have a less expensive version available that while not quite as fancy as the full fledged version, will still get the job done quite nicely.

So what about that learning curve? Don’t bury your head in the sand here. There will always be a learning curve. Like most programs available now, they are becoming more and more in tune with either Mac or Windows operating systems, which helps to lesson that fabled learning curve. Not to mention that these music editing software programs tend to borrow from the competition, hence making it easier to learn them and if you stay with the same company, but upgrade you’ve got even less of a learning curve. So you can relax it shouldn’t be that hard.

Sometime down the line you may want to switch. Like every thing else in this world nothing is static or stays the same, including recording music software programs. At some point you may want to try another product, it might have some feature in it that the program that you’re currently using is missing and you know that you just can’t live without. Personally I love technology and want every new gadget out there. If you’re anything like me I’m sure that eventually you are gonna want to try something new.

With that said I need to remind you that again nothing is static here. These music making software programs are constantly being changed and updated. Which on the one hand is great, but on the other hand can be frustrating. It’s the nature of the beast or anything electronic nowadays. Repeat after me, there will always be upgrades and improvements. Some you will love, others you will hate. Get use to it.

Next up, support. Well we all know what support can be like. Some audio production software companies do a pretty good job with support, others not so hot. I would suggest that you first check out any FAQ’s and second if they have a forum go there. Forums can oftentimes be the best place to find answers to your questions or problems. Most of these music making software companies are not set up for unlimited support. Use it wisely.

Technorati Tags: audio production software, music editing software, music making software, music mixing software, recording music software

Expert: Frank Green
Contact: www.digitalmaster.com
Bio: Frank Green, owner of DigitalMaster, moved to Nashville, Tenn., more than 24 years ago to further his music recording and production career.
Filmmaker: Dimitri LaBarge

Duration : 0:5:0

Technorati Tags: Audio, devices, equipment, music, recording, software, studio

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Audacity: Free Audio Editor and Recorder · Open Source
A free, open source software for recording and editing sounds in Linux, Mac OS X , and other operating systems.
Audacity: Download · Operating Systems Download. Stable: 1.2; Windows · Mac · Linux/Unix · Source Code · Release Notes; Beta: 1.3; New Features in 1.3 · Windows · Mac · Linux/Unix · Source Code …

Free recording software · Software
Download free recording software: we handpick and review the best. Let our recommendations guide you. Guaranteed 100% free.

Free Software - Handpicked, Safe and 100% free…… · Software
Free Games Free Limewire Free Antivirus Software Free Internet TV Free Online Games Google Software Free Recording Software Google Earth Free Online Dating …

Free Recording Software, Audio Plugins and Utilities. · Recording Gear
Page contains free recording software, vst audio plugins and audio related utilites that home and pro studios will find usefull.

PcMus, Quiet Music Pc’s Australia + Recording Tips
Pc Mus, Music Pc’s Australia. Custom built DAW (digital audio workstation) music pc and computer upgrades for recording studios. Also contains many helpful …

free recording software - freerecordingsoftware
free recording software.

CamStudio - Free Screen Recording Software · Open Source
Records screen activity from the Windows desktop into standard AVI movie files. It is an ideal tool for creating software demonstrations and active …

KRISTAL Audio Engine · Music Composition
16 audio tracks; 32 Bit floating point audio engine; 44.1 to 192 kHz sample rate ; 3-band parametric EQ &; 2 VST insert slots per channel …

Free Software Recording Programs… Studio Recording Software for Free
As with the free recording software programs listed below, you won’t know … ( It should be noted that a lot of free recording software programs don’t even …

Duration : 0:8:1

Technorati Tags: audacity-tutorial, free-recording-software

Expert: Rattanak Ouk
Bio: Rattanak Ouk is a engineer and producer. He is the owner of the Armory Recording Studio and is also the founder of new day productions and Salmon&Ouk Management.
Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso

Duration : 0:1:17

Technorati Tags: apple, Expert, free, How, logic, macintosh, mixing, music, pro, recording, software, to, Village

(P.S. You can reverse music with the freeware audio editing program Audacity. Get it here: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ )

Duration : 0:3:37

Technorati Tags: cool, Crazy, Kurayami, Messages, music, Scary, Subliminal, Valamer

Learn more about Adobe Audition at http://www.audioproduction.us/Adobe-Audition.html

I’ve been using Adobe Audition for a few years now and it is the audio production software I use for all of my work including the TV commercial audio featured on this channel.

Duration : 0:5:1

Technorati Tags: adobe audition, adobe audition 3.0, audio production software

Netbook Structure: Most netbooks sport small LCD screens, 8.9-inches to 10-inches, versus an average of 15.4-inches for normal laptops. Netbooks generally weigh around 2.2 lbs (1 kilogram) each, far lighter than most laptops, and carry batteries that last up to 8 hours. They cost between US$199 and $799 and lot more benefits.

Here are useful tips for your first netbook:

1. Make sure you want a netbook and not a full-fledged laptop computer.

What do you want to use this netbook for? Do you want a lightweight device for easy Internet access? Or are you really looking for a device to carry around that you can edit video on, play games, or use for other applications that test the computing limits of a netbook?

Don’t buy a netbook if you’re really looking for a laptop, it would be a mistake.

To ensure longer battery life, some key components on a netbook, such as the microprocessor, are less powerful than common laptops. That’s why they’re good for surfing the Internet, sending e-mails, or doing homework.

2. Buy a netbook with an 8.9-inch screen or larger.

Tested an Eee PC with a 7-inch screen, the Surf, and found screen too small. I was not able to view an entire Web page on the cramped display. On a screen that small, you have to scroll left and right as well as up and down to see an entire Web page. Scrolling up and down is normal, but left and right was annoying.

That’s less of a problem on the slightly larger-sized screens and, in the 8.9-inch screen size, the weight and size of the netbook is nearly the same as devices with 7-inch screens.

The 10-inch screens are even better, yet add size and weight to the netbook.

3. Make sure you get a 6-cell battery for your netbook, although you may have to pay $50 more and the device will weigh more.

Most companies started out offering netbooks with 3-cell batteries as the standard, but that doesn’t offer a whole lot of run time, just 2-3 hours. A 6-cell battery doubles that, and in some devices designed around a 6-cell battery, such as Asustek Computer’s Eee PC 901, you can get up to 8 hours.

Another benefit of the larger battery is that it props up the back of the device, putting it on a slight angle that makes typing easier. Keyboards on netbooks are smaller than normal keyboards, and comfortable typing was one area I was not willing to compromise on.

4. Try out the keyboard and make sure it’s right for you.

None of the devices, I tested had a better typing pad than Intel’s ClassMate PC, which has a keyboard far smaller than the Eee PC 1000. Keys on the ClassMate PC’s keyboard are raised and there is a lot of space between them, making them easy to find by touch.

I really liked the keyboards on Acer’s Aspire One, Hewlett-Packard’s Mini 1000 and Everex’s CloudBook Max, but the best keyboard was on HP’s Mini-Note.

5. Software: See what comes preinstalled and consider trying the Linux OS.

There are two lessons on software.

First, some vendors have skimped on including software in their netbooks on the pretense that users can download a lot of free software on the Internet. That’s true, but it’s a bad excuse for not going the extra distance for customer satisfaction.

Who wants to spend time downloading when many netbook makers have added lots of software so users can play with their new netbook right away?

Second, it may be time to the give the Linux OS a try.

Most of the netbooks I tested with Linux booted up far faster than Windows XP or Windows Vista. Which reminds me, don’t buy a netbook with Vista — it’s just too slow.

There are also free Linux-based word processing programs and spreadsheets available on the Internet such as Open Office, Sun’s inexpensive StarOffice and Web-based software such as Google Apps.

Google also offers a nice package of free software, Google Pack, which includes several popular applications such as Adobe Reader, Skype, RealPlayer for music and video, Norton Security Scan and two browsers, Google’s Chrome and Firefox.

6. Price: if it costs more than $500, start looking at a regular notebook computer.

Companies have started promoting a wide range of netbooks at ever higher prices, but once you pass $500, netbooks start to compete with laptops, and a laptop will almost always give you more value for your money.

Laptop computers have far more powerful microprocessors and other components than netbooks, and sport DVD drives. BTW, there are no DVD drives on netbooks.

7. Look around at what’s available.

Many new netbooks have come out. There are a lot of look-alikes since newcomers have copied what the pioneers found to be the most popular configurations. The net effect is to put more good devices out there from a number of competitors. You may be able to pick up a nice machine for a very low price.

In any case, the 10-inch screen devices are a little bigger and more expensive than what I was looking for. Size is important to consider in terms of weight. Ten inch screens, hard disk drives (HDDs) and 6-cell batteries add a lot of extra weight to a netbook.

Several netbooks are now on sale with built-in 3G modules and mobile phone service providers are offering them with 3G (third generation telecommunications) contracts, so people can access the Internet from anywhere on their mobile phone network.

People can also buy add-on 3G or WiMax cards for any netbook.

wpronline
http://www.articlesbase.com/gadgets-and-gizmos-articles/netbook-buying-tips-1163435.html

Overview

Anticipation has been high for the Nokia N82, ever since it was announced. Here, finally, would be the phone to end all phones, the phone that does everything. It would be packed with features, look beautiful and essentially, it would do anything.

All along, this was to be Nokia’s big shot at utter genius; the phone that does everything right, that everyone loves and adores. Nothing but perfection is acceptable. It’s curious, as well, that during the run up to Christmas, and into this new year, the news of the Nokia N82 has been more or less overshadowed by the news of its elder brother, the N95 8Gb. Why is it curious? Because this is easily the more capable phone of the two.

As the evolution of Nokia’s famous Nseries of mobile phones, the N82 was always destined to follow a certain design ethos, specifically that of the Nseries as a whole: “discover, capture, share”. As a design ethos, it reflects the goals of the N-phones, but it focuses specifically on the later models, such as the N95, N95 8Gb and N82.

It’s a very enticing slogan, as well. being deliberately evocative, but without really telling you anything about what the phone actually does. We’ll come back to this notion of discover, capture, share later in this review, but first of all, let’s take a look at the Nokia N82 as a whole.

Design & Construction

Nokia, in their Nseries range, have always made very striking handsets. It’s been a feature of the range since the very first models in the range. Think back to some of the other N-phones, like the N91, the N80 or the N95. Very handsome phones, to be sure, and the same tradition has carried through into the N82.

The look of the phone, and the build quality, are undeniably well pulled off. It’s a very pretty phone, with the softkeys almost flowing round to the sides, and the back of the phone, as is de rigueur nowadays, being rotated 90 degrees to make it look like a digital camera (which is an obvious move to make, as it has a xenon flash – see later – so making the side that actually faces people LOOK like a digital camera is a natural thing to do)

However, it should be noted that the Nokia N82 also retains one of the less desirable attributes of the earlier Nseries phones. There’s no getting away from the size of the phone. For a smart phone, it’s not THAT big, but it is certainly bigger (roughly the same size as its predecessor, the N73) than its main rivals, phones like the Samsung G800.

First Thoughts On Using The Phone

From the second the Nokia N82 is turned on, it’s immediately apparent this is a Nokia phone, with the trademark startup animation and music signalling the phone powered up and ready to use. In terms of menu layout, if you’ve ever used an Nseries phone, you’ll be right at home here. The icons are laid out almost exactly as you would find in an early Nseries phone, and it’s, once again, very intuitive to use.

However, there has been some controversy over the keypad design, built as it is with small keys, and set very low down on the body of the phone, making one-handed usage more difficult than it is on some other phones. In fact, in terms of user friendliness, the keypad is alongside the N91, which isn’t a glowing reference, as that phone was fiddly to use. The low-slung keypad also makes the phone top-heavy, given its size, which make it not sit properly in your hand, until you get used to the keypad position.

However, the N82 more than makes it up for its shortcomings in the design, when you consider its powerful feature set.

Discover

Ah yes, the advertising slogan: “discover, capture, share.” With the first part, “discover”, we’re into the territory of the Nokia N82’s big feature: built-in GPS. This exceptionally useful feature adds not just a GPS receiver to your phone, but also Nokia Maps. For the first time on an Nseries phone, as well, this feature is completely free. All you will pay, for any access of the GPS and maps, is your data rates on whichever tariff you go for.

The implications of this are obvious, as it makes the N82 the first mobile phone in the current era to give you full GPS navigation for absolutely no cost (aside from your network’s data charges). The key thing, though, is that Nokia provision of their part of the system for free further develops GPS’s big push into the mainstream phone marketplace.

But, of course, the question is whether the GPS is actually useful, and whether it works as described. The answer is a resounding yes, with the simple input and navigation system directing you to your destination with ease. I really cannot find anything to fault with this particular area of the Nokia N82.

Capture

Once you’ve reached your destination, using the built-in GPS, the Nokia N82 can seamlessly shift into “capture” mode. This is where the 5 megapixel camera comes into play.

There has been a glut of 5 megapixel mobile phones recently, as all of the big handset makers have scrambled to bring their own into production and to the masses of customers waiting for one. Phones like the Nokia N95, the Samsung G800, the Sony Ericsson K850i… they all have their merits, and they all have their foibles. But it’s very clear that, entering into this cutthroat market, the Nokia N82 has its work cut out for it.

Once you have actually experienced the N82’s camera, though, you’ll realise it accomplishes its goals with aplomb. I have absolutely no hesitation in saying that this is simply the best camera phone on the market today. It manages that feat by having the aforementioned 5 megapixels, but tying those in with Vario Tessar lenses from Carl Zeiss (the premium lens maker), a whole raft of top-end software, and most importantly, the best flash I’ve seen on any mobile phone. It makes shooting photos in low light a joy, and easily outclasses every other camera phone I’ve seen.

As with the GPS, I really can’t find ANY flaws in this particular feature of the Nokia N82.

Of course, it can also record video through that amazing camera, and once again, it performs very well, with a very high frame rate, and significantly higher quality videos than you’re likely to see from its nearest rival, the Sony Ericsson K850i.

You can, of course, view any media you capture, be it photos, videos or even sound, through the N82’s amazingly capable media player. And as another bonus, it shares the similar auto-rotation feature, seen in the K850i, whereby the screen switches to portrait or landscape mode, depending on how you hold the phone.

Share

Once you’ve discovered something, then captured say, an image of it, the final step is to “share”. With the Nokia N82, there are a huge range of options to do that.

As with nearly every phone nowadays, you would expect to get Bluetooth, and indeed you do get it. What you get in the N82 is the faster Bluetooth 2.0 standard, complete with support for stereo Bluetooth headphones. In other words, you can also double your phone up as a music player, and listen to music wirelessly, with Bluetooth headphones.

Also, the phone supports just about every data standard you could think of, from GPRS, through EDGE (although, that’s not an issue over here in the UK), to 3G and the fastest standard of them all, HSDPA, which can run at speeds of up to 3.6Mbps. By comparison, the broadband connection I most commonly use runs at 1Mbps. The difference in figures is made very real when you se the performance of the N82’s HSDPA connection, and see for yourself how fast it is. You also have WiFi built in, providing yet another option for connecting to the net.

Once you’re connected, there are a number of options for sharing, be it by email, or MMS, or even by automatic blogging of your photos. To put it simply, the Nokia N82 makes it VERY easy to share what’s on your mind and on your phone.

Telephony/Messaging

As you would expect from a Nokia, the call quality of the N82 is superb, with crystal clear audio in every test condition I tried. The earpiece was loud and clear, and never once left me feeling that I’d run the risk of not hearing the other end of the conversation. As for messaging, once again, if you’ve used a Nokia, you’ll be right at home here.

The only downside in this area goes back to my original complaint about the keypad: it’s simply too small, and set too low on the phone, to be instantly intuitive. I found that dialling numbers and texting were hampered by the small keys. It IS useable, and you WILL get used to it, but it takes longer to get used to than it should.

Other Applications & Games

As has been noted in my previous reviews, games aren’t really my area of expertise, so I tend not to get too excited about them. However, there is one thing of note in the Nokia N82’s gaming setup, which may make some prospective customers of the phone very happy.

Basically, the N82 has inherited the N-gage gaming system, along with its sliding sibling, the N81. As a mobile games platform, the original N-gage did set a new benchmark in games, with 3D graphics and impressive sound. That legacy carries on to the N82, so if you ARE a gamer, you’re going to find the N82 particularly fun to play on.

Conclusion

As you’ve probably worked out by now, I like the Nokia N82. I like it a lot. It has an impressive, nay phenomenal, array of features, and each feature is pulled off with panache. It’s not without its fault, though. To summarise:

Pros

Gorgeous design and typical Nokia build quality

Simply the best camera phone ever

Intuitive menus

The auto-rotation of the screen is wonderfully well executed

The built in GPS is a joy to use, and absolutely free

Massive choice of connection options, from GPRS to 3G, HSDPA and WiFi

Cons

Keypad is very small and set too far down the phone’s body to be comfortable

Despite being a smart phone, and packing so much in, I still feel it’s a bit big

At worst, you can call the Nokia N82 a flawed genius. But the flaws are tiny, compared to what you can do with the phone, what the phone can do FOR you. To put it simply, it is very rare in the world of mobile phones to see a feature-set as rich as this, and handled so well (particularly the camera, which is hands-down the best camera on any mobile phone). It may not be perfect, but it comes very, very close. And if you buy one of these, you will have made a VERY smart choice.

Overall Score: 9.5 / 10

Matt Sharp
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/indepth-review-nokia-n82-307639.html

Equipment/instruments

I have a simple usb interface for midi to use with Yamaha NP30 76-key keyboard
Guitar is direct to pc sound card (XFI Xtreme audio pci) through line in. Limited connectivity

I am considering buying a mixer "Boss BR-600 Digital 8 Track Recorder"

Software

I did find a copy of cakewalk sonar, but i found it to advanced for starting out.
Now tending towards Cubase sx

I used demo of both these programs years ago on a old Future Music cover disk and made some good music with them.

Any comments welcomed and some advice on starting out and getting kit together.
Would it be best to stay away from computers or make it all work together
Thanks for advice so far, some good links too

Still no mics for recording Jumbae, voice , acoustic guitar,
The Br600 does have mics reported to be quite good…
Guitar is semi acoustic - that is it has a pickup
i also have a Acoustic and Electric PRS copy

The problem with 8 tracks is there’s only 8 tracks which limits what you can input into a song. Computers are good because you can have unlimited tracks depending on your memory and as long as your interface has a good pre-amp it’ll sound good too.

Computers may be harder to understand and work with but that’s the direction i would go because you can fiddle and change songs with way more effects and editing tools than an 8 track. If your going to spend more money it might be a good idea to upgrade your interface to one with a better pre-amp.

If you just want to plug in and play then go for the 8 track, can’t beat them for simplicity.

That’s the extent of my knowledge (which isn’t much) but i hope it helps in some small way.

The famous artists have the facilities of recording their songs in their own studios with all the crew of engineers and technicians helping them with the instruments etc. However, if you are a beginner beat maker, you would need to consider many factors before starting to make your own beats and tunes.

You will need to keep in mind your own budget and the availability of beats and instruments. It is very difficult for the amateur beat makers to take decisions regarding the instruments and the beats they need to buy.

In order to give yourself a start, you should consider buying the beats from the professional artists.

There are many beats available on the internet which you can buy and use in your own songs and tunes. However, you will need to make sure that these beats come from a reliable source and are of good quality. You will need to first consider what style of music you are producing and then you can ascertain the usefulness of the beats you have available.

Also, while making a purchase through the internet, you can first download and listen to the demo beats from any website and if you like their quality then you can buy the beats that you think will be useful for your songs.

There are also exclusive beats available on the internet, which are very costly, but they are of great quality and can be used for the commercial purposes. You can also use these beats to create your demo CDs, which can be sent to the independent record labels. You should record your best songs and tunes on your demo CDs, which will allow you the best chance of being selected by the record labels.

The exclusive beats can be used in your songs; however, you should ensure that these beats are royalty free, which will relieve you from paying the royalties for using these beats in your songs. There are also some non-exclusive beats available on the internet, which do not cost much but since they are non-exclusive it means that anyone can use them. Hence you can only use the non-exclusive beats for creating your demo CDs and they are not for your exclusive right.

After getting the beats you can either use these beats to get an idea from them and start creating your own beats, or you can use them in your songs. You also need to have a music software, which will allow you to produce a variety of beats and songs on your computer, this can be a good replacement of a full fledge studio that might cost you too much.

However, you will need to buy some instruments in order to start producing your own music. While purchasing the instruments, always consider if you really require them and go for those instruments only which you badly need to get start.

In this way you can just start and go on with the beat making and producing music.

Seth Willis Jr.
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/hip-hop-beat-making-731318.html