ISYS 100 FL STUDIO TUTORIAL

Okay guys, so we have told you how much we love FL Studio that we have put together a quick video on how to make a Dirty Dutch song on this amazing software. Hope you like itt....

Jessica, George and Aram

George and Jess Opinion on Music Production Software

Cannot go wrong by using Frity Loops Studios. Having both used this software time and time again, it is definitely a favourtie. FL Studio is simple and effective. It may have all the same features and tools as other producing software have but it is simpler to use with many feature that help produce music. Fl Studio helps you to learn how to use the tools unlike other programs which are difficult to use. Many main producers use this software such as Afrojack , Sidney Samson, Avici, Hardwell. Afrojack quotes “it’s not the paint brush it’s the painter”. A lot of producer’s abuse Fl studio saying it is a simple and poor producing system but also many disagree. We like to use Fl studio because it simply has so many features from live recording from midi controller inputs, pitch changing and a piano roll, with inserted mixers to add effects like flanger reverbs, chorus, auto tune, pitch changer and vodcox.

Don’t get me wrong Albeton live and Adobe Audition are great producing systems and people claim them to be the best out there. We would agree with them but you might as well be a rocket scientist to make music on these applications. The quality could be outputted a little bit better then fruity loops but if you know how to use Fl studio your final output can be just a good.

As growing up not knowing a music note, a single key and still not knowing, this software has been able to allow both of us to make pretty good quality music which has been good enough to be played at clubs and pubs. George is still on his way to making a headline for himself at festivals but all producers started where we are at one point. If you can listen to music you can make music. Ask me where a C major is or an E minor I wouldn’t be able to tell you but you play a melody I could mimic you straight away. FL studio teaches you to do that and Fl studio was produced for people to produce simple. You don’t need to know any keys or riffs or whatever they are called, unlike the other programs you do the other programs you need to know music. Let me make a serious point, you don’t need to know music to make music you need to understand music to make music.

 FL studio is basically the practical class in the science faculty. No long boring lesson on the theory sides and you get straight to it. You can try it yourself download both Alberton live and FL studio and figure out how hard it is to make a song and then compare them. We can guarantee you FL studio is way simpler. I have produced many songs and I have used this fantastic social media website called sound cloud. If you want to check out what FL studio can do after 1 year of the program, have a listen https://soundcloud.com/georgie-d-93 , all the music on https://soundcloud.com/georgie-d-93 was produced by George no stolen or pre-used loops or pre-made sounds. Get FL studio, get sound cloud and throw your music out there who knows what can happen.

Both me and Geogre have made music on FL Studio and incorporated our singing which can really be effective make it sound like a song that deserves to be on the radio J

 

Jess and George.

 

Thanks Guys for reading what we have to say!!! Hope you enjoyed it all and it gave you a better understanding of the software out there and what’s HOT and NOT.

This was our lst post of the blog. Leave you comments.

 Till next time, Jess, Aram, George.  

 

Aram's Opinion on Recording Software

If you are in need of recording software, Mixcraft in my opinion is the best choice. It comes with over 6000 music loops and audio effects, as well 11 virtual instruments. No matter the music genre, it’s got you covered. It is a great program for all levels of expertise, with discussion forums and other information on how to use the program. Being able to use this software on both mac and pc makes it much easier in terms of compatibility. The good thing as well is that it is only $74.95 making it an affordable choice for such a feature packed program. You are also able to buy extra plugins and if you want 3 extra virtual instruments and more effects, you could get the pro version for $149.95.

 Don’t go buy expensive software that  can cost more than $300. This is  an affordable and easy to use software solution. I would recommend it to anyone. For more information and to purchase Mixcraft visit  http://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/.

Well this is my last post guys. Thanks for reading and I hope our blog posts have been informative and help you make a decision on which program you will you in the future.

Aram :)                 

Comparison of DJ Software

Last comparison out of the three. I will be comparing Traktor, Virtual DJ and Serato.

Traktor

• User-friendly and Support -This can be bought for computer iPhone and iPad. It gives users more variety and flexibility on how they want to use this software. Everything is easy to find and to use. There is support on the website which is seperated into downloads (free updates), activation and registration, online help, contact support and my account.

• Features -The top features include Revolutionary, easy to use DJ mixing application, touch the groove using standard iOS hand gestures and ability to prepare and sync with Traktor Pro 2. More on this site http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/traktor/.

•  Plugins -There are no plugins on the website.

• Price -Prices varies $279 - $899. This is more expensive than virtual DJ and there is more given with Virtual DJ at a cheaper price.

Virtual DJ

• User-friendly and Support - It is a program that I have personally used and it is very easy to use. Everything is clear and there is easy navigation. As a software that caters for beginner users, its is very user friendly where users are all able to use the features. There is a lot of support available on both the website and websites such as Youtube with excellent quality tutorials on how to use to software. 

• Features -This site, http://www.virtualdj.com/products/virtualdj/index.html, has a review of all the basic features of Virtual DJ. There is a very long list so I have done the research for you. The major features include: multi-deck, line-in inputs, re-wire support, genius DJ, new audio engine, database management and DJ controller support which are all still way ahead of competitors.

•  Plugins -These are available to download from the website, http://www.virtualdj.com/addons/skins.html and are categorised into skins, effects, controllers, languages, samples, grafx and tools. 

• Price -There is a free download on the website and purchasing from the site is very easy, fast and secure. This site, http://www.virtualdj.com/buy/index.html, shows both postal and electronic delivery and to purchase Vurtual DJ PRO Full will cost $329. 

Serato

• User-friendly and Support -There is so much support and downloads on the website, http://serato.com/downloads including videos. The product itself it used much and liked my many users. It is user friendly definitely.

• Features -This is another software with countless features. This site has it all http://serato.com/dj/features. Specifications are also included if you scroll down to the bottom of the page.

•  Plugins -These include and can be downloaded from the site, Pitch'n time and range series.

• Price -A free 14 day trial can be downloaded. Price of basic Serato DJ which is similar to the other software and costs $129USD.

Okay that is the information. George's, Aram's and my opinion will be up soon :)

Jess 

Comparison of Recording Software

Ok guys today I am going to give you a quick comparison of the recording software spoken about in the past week. These included Mixcraft, Audacity and GarageBand.

Mixcraft

Mixcraft is very user friendly and has plenty of support after purchase. Its website has discussion forums and other information on how to use the program. As discussed it has over 6000 music loops and sound effects and 11 virtual instruments to make your own sounds with. It packed full of features such as multi track recording and other audio effects. The base software program is priced at $74.95 and the Mixcraft pro studio is $149.95. Mixcraft works on both pc and mac operating systems.

Audacity

Audacity is the free option out of the three programs. It has features of an expensive software suite and it also allows you to cut and paste sections, delete sections, use effect such as fade in and out, noise removal, echo and many more including extra plugins that can be downloaded. The Audacity website offers up to date help manuals and tutorials for those who need it, which is great considering the software is free. This is available for windows, mac and Linux operating systems

GarageBand

GarageBand as discussed in the recent post, gives you the ability to create your own music with over 100 software instruments included in the software. It allows you record and edit your sounds as well as share them with others too. It is a user friendly program and has a clear and easy to use layout. The program as mentioned previously comes free with mac computers and is exclusive to mac as well.

Hope that gives you a quick comparison on the recording software. Next up is the DJ software comparisons and finally our own options on what software you should be using!

-Aram 

Comparison of Producing Software

So are you still trying to pick which one you like ?? It can be hard, but I am here to helpp.

We spoke about FL Studio, Reason Essentials, Albeton Live and Adobe Audition. 

There is four things I will discuss about to help make your decision.

FL Studio

• User-friendly and Support - Fl Studio is a straight forward program to use and is very user-friendly. The official website alone provides so much support to users such as help files for every version of the program with videos, technical support and forums for everyone to come together. In addition there are so many Youtube tutorials and forums that many people use.

• Features - There is a huge amount of features in FL Studio. Like even when I first saw it, I just wanted to use everything at the same time. Every new upgrade brings new features and the main ones include: Performance mode, Multi-touch support, Playlist (199 up from 99), Linking includes MIDI input port, Playlist and Piano Roll, Piano Roll, Right-click data entry, Plugin Picker, Mixer, Options. This features are always being improved and being added to. For more information go to http://www.image-line.com/documents/flstudio.html.

•  Plugins - Like the features, there is a huge range of plugins. They are even new or have been updated. The updated Plugins include: FL Flowstone, Newtone 2, Warp editors, Harmour, ZGameEditor Visualizer and Direct Wave. The New Plugins are, BassDrum, GMS, Effector, Patcher, VFX Key Mapper, VFX Colour Mapper. Some of you will know what this is all about and others who are just starting out may have no clue. This website has an explanation of all the plugins so it would be ideal to check it. http://www.image-line.com/documents/flstudio.html

• Price - The prices as mentioned before varies from $99.00 to $1000.00. The plugins, content, software tools can all be bought separate when purchasing a starter pack but may turn out to be more expensive than purchasing the full complete FL Studio Pack for $1000.

 Reason Essentials

• User-friendly and Support- Reviews prove that this is  a powerful and easy to use. There is so much that can this program to do and Propellerhead  has organised this program well to make it easy to use. The website also has support catergorized into user support, shop support, support news and support contact. There is also forums online which is a good place to communicate. 

• Features - This website has it all. http://www.propellerheads.se/products/reason/index.cfm?fuseaction=get_article&article=features_instruments. The great features of Reason Essentials include the Instruments, Creative Flow, Effects, Mixing, Rack Extensions, Recording and Sequencing and Sounds. 

•  Plugins -Rack Essentials is a major plugin that is popular. It opens up to third party developers. As part of this there is a Polar, Pulsar and Radical Piano. Don't forget to look at the site for more information.

• Price -Prices vary from $120 - $300. A different between with FL Studio and Reason Essentials that you have to pay for upgrades whereas for FL Studios all upgrades are free with your purchase.The prices also indicate however that FL Studio is a more advanced product.

 Albeton Live

• User-friendly and Support-There is some support on the website. There is not as much as the other programs on the site its self but I am certain there will be forums and videos available in addition to their website. https://www.ableton.com/en/help/. 

• Features - The features are not as professionally recognized when compared to Reason Essentials. This programs features includes: Audio and MIDI Tracks, Scenes, Send and Return Tracks, Audio Inputs, Max for Life, Audio Slicing and Groove Pool. This website goes into more detail about the various features included in the range of Albeton Range. https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/

• Plugins - I found this site (http://www.everythingableton.com/category/free-audio-plugins/) where they offer a free plugin every week. Some of the recent ones include: Orchestra sound library, Harmony Box, Glitch and Fuzz/overdrive effect. This is great and they have a wide range of plugins for every new tune.

• Price -Prices range from $599 to $1198. This is for the range of Live 9 for Intro, Standard and Suite. The starter off package includes a lot more than the other starter packages for the other programs but then again it is more expensive than the other starter packages.

Adobe Audition

• User-friendly and Support - Adobe is an internationally recognized brand and its format is consistent over all products. It is a very user friendly product and has support of the website. This website has the support contacts. The support is not as broad as the other programs but it is sufficient to get help. http://helpx.adobe.com/audition.html?promoid=DINUG

• Features - There are so many features. They include: Fast, precise editing, High-performance audio engine, Intuitive user interface, Track count limited only by CPU power, Real-time clip stretching, Powerful effects, Native audio effects, Powerful sweetening tools, Effects workflow enhancements, Powerful effects routing and VST3 support, Clip grouping, Favorites in Effects Rack, Tools for efficient session management, Fast and flexible batch processing and Trim to Selection. This is not all the features and for a description this website is perfect for more information. http://www.adobe.com/au/products/audition/features.html

•  Plugins - This is some steps that I found on the site in regards to installing programs. 

1. Choose Effects > Audio Plug-in Manager.
2. In the VST Plug-in Folders section, click Add to specify custom folders you want to scan for plug‑ins. Click Default to specify the standard VST folder for your operating system.
3. In the Available Plug-ins section, click Scan For Plug-ins.
4. Select the plug-ins you want to access in Adobe Audition, and then click OK

• Price - Prices vary from a subscription which costs $19.99, upgrades at $122.38 and full version for $585.00. It is cheaper compared to other programs and not used as much as other programs such as FL Studio for proffessional producers. 

Opinions will come soon but this comparison is great for those who have their own preferences and can pick and choose what they like. 

GarageBand

Love or hate Apple, everybody has heard of their fantastic recording studio program, GarageBand.

Garage Band gives you the ability to create your own music with over 100 software instruments included in the software. It also gives you the ability to use a USB music keyboard with the software, making it a great way for musicians to digitize their music and have the ability to add other instruments or vocals to their tracks with ease. You can record, mix and master your own tracks, as well as add effects. The program is easy to use and the layout is user friendly as can be seen in the following photo:

http://michaellemmon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/garageband-earth.jpg

Once you have created your track, you can export it into iTunes so you can listen to them on your iPod, iPhone, iPad etc. You can even share your creations online. The good thing about GarageBand is that it comes free with a Mac, which is great seeing as it is a feature packed program for both beginners and professionals. Unfortunately is only made for Mac and therefore windows users are unable to use it.

For more information on this program visit: http://www.apple.com/au/ilife/garageband/what-is.html

This brings us to the end of our reviews, but check back soon for the comparisons of the programs and our own personal opinions on what software you should be buying!

Check again soon….Aram

Adobe Audition

So the big boys have made producing software. I’m pretty sure everyone is familiar with the products from Adobe such as Photoshop, Flash Player, Dreamweaver and Creative Suite and now they have bought out this software which is known Adobe Audition. 

Syntrillium developed software called Cool Edit which is now known as Abode Audition. The software was founded in the early 1990s by a two man called Robert Ellison and David Johnson who were both former workers at Microsoft. Later on once Syntrillium expanded their product to Cool Edit Pro which allowed users to work with multiple tracks as well as more features; back then computers did not have strong enough processors for the software to function properly so people were limited to use this product. Adobe purchased this product and turned the non-shareware product to share ware. It was bought in May 2003 for $16.5 million Dollars and Adobe was the company that changed the name to what it is known as today. 

Versions

 Adobe Audition V1.5

Adobe Audition was issued for release in 2003 whilst it still had so many bugs but Adobe was determined on working to fixing all the issues but not adding any features. So basically it was still Cool Edit Pro 2.1 but just named Adobe Audition. Adobe then came out with Audition v1.5 in 2004 with huge enhancements which included pitch correction and frequency space editing, a CD project view, basic video editing and integration in addition to other several other developments.

Adobe Audition V2.0

Adobe Audition 2 came out in 2006. Auditions go into the professional Digital Audio Workstation market. The new versions have more than one track View supported up to 128 digital audio mono or stereo tracks at up to 32-bit resolution. This program supports multichannel sound card select for each input track and the well know sound driver called ASIO which was programmed into the software.

Adobe Audition V3.0

Audition 3 was released in 2007. Some new features that were included such as virtual instrument helped enhance shadow like editing, a new multi-track interface, new effects, and a bundle of free loops.

Adobe Audition V4 (CS5.5)

Audition CS5.5 got put into the producing market in 2011 as part of Adobe's Creative Suite. Enhanced additions of Adobe Premiere Pro allowed editing of multi-track Premiere projects and users of third-party software. New features included better multichannel support, new effects like DeHummer, DeEsser, Speech Volume, and  reverb. This was Abodes first version that was available for Mac users.

Adobe Audition V5 (CS6)

Audition CS6 was put to the market on April 23, 2012, as a chunk of both Creative Suite 6 Master Collection and Creative Suite 6 Production Premium. It included faster and more precise editing, real-time clip stretching, and automatic speech alignment.

So…… yep I’m on the same page which one do I use? Adobe is a great and very professional producing application BUT the hardest thing about producing is to learn if the producing software in correct? With all the new features and MAJOR upgrades on Adobe you basically have to start new over and over again. Software like FL Studio have also had changes but really behind the scenes that help you produce with noticeable upgrades and FL has pretty much stuck to the same layout and that’s why 80% of producers stick to FL Studio because they are proving their ability to produce and not have to learn a new software every time there is an upgrade or change. 

www.softsalad.com

Enjoy ... 

Jess

Serato DJ

Serato DJ includes all the features any professional DJ could ask for. It includes a wide range of customisable, high quality effects such as , Ping Pong Delay, Echo, Reverb, Phaser, Distortion, Flanger, HPF, LPF and a Combo HPF/LPF. Here is a video of the effects in action- http://serato.com/dj/tutorials#md=vid-dialog&vid=multi-fx-mode-tutorial The software also allows for hands on control through MIDI mapping to a secondary MIDI controller, allowing the user to use the software to its full potential and create their own unique sounds. Mix your music and impress the crowd through being able to mix up to 4 decks. Want to share your set with people from all around the world? Serato also allows you to save your sets with just a push of a button. How goods that!! The good thing about this program is also that you have access to heaps exclusive promotional music, absolutely free and Serato works seamlessly with other music libraries such as iTunes.

The image below gives you an idea of interface layout of the software and its functions:

http://www.djvibe.com/content/wp-content/uploads/4-Deck-View-extended-waveforms.png

Serato DJ is an advanced software package, packed with lots of great features, however It is restricted to approved hardware, which can be a hassle for many. The standard program is 99USD at present down from 129 and the Serato DJ+ video option is 149USD down from 199. These both are available to download from the Serato store on their website and can be used on either Mac OSX or Windows operating systems ( http://store.serato.com/software).However if you own certain ITCH controllers or supported DJ controllers such as Pioneer DDJ-SX, Serato DJ may be free for you. See the following link if for the supported controllers. http://serato.com/fj/hardware

That brings us to the end of another post. Check back soon as Jess or George will be putting up a great review on Adobe Audition very soon. Thanks for reading guys!  :)

Aram

Audacity

Audacity comes under the recoding live category of music production. This piece of software is used to record, edit and mix audio. The good thing about this program is that it is free to download and use, as it is an open source program meaning the code for the program is available for people to use and edit.  Audacity  run on Windows, Mac OSX and  Linux platforms, thus appealing to a wide range of people.  I myself have used this software to  record and edit  audio and I found it very user friendly and easy to navigate  around   the software. As seen in the screen shot below, the interface is simple, yet still allows for many different functions.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/about/images/audacity-macosx.png

Audacity has all the features of an expensive software suite and it also allows you to cut and paste sections, delete sections, use effect such as fade in and out, noise removal, echo and many more including extra plugins that can be downloaded.

Audacity is a great product if you are into music production and on a low budget. Doesn't matter if your just a beginner or a professional, this feature packed program will allow you to get your project done with ease, in no time at all. Isn't that great!! The software is also useful if you just want to convert files to a different format. For example if you had an mp3 file you can easily convert that to wav or even aiff.

For more information and to grab yourself a free copy of this fantastic program, which I would recommend to just about anyone visit http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Thanks for reading guys. Don’t forget to check the blog regularly for updates, as many more reviews are on the way!!!

-Aram

Mixcraft 6

Hi guys my names Aram. Over the next week or so we will be comparing a range of music production software for all budgets and technical expertise. The software packages I will be reviewing include  Mixcraft 6, Audacity, Serato and Garage band. Today I will be talking about Mixcraft.

If music production and recording live is what you do, then Mixcraft is a perfect option for you. Mixcraft 6 is a great option for multi-track recording as well its powerful music production tools. It comes with an array of music loops, audio effects and virtual instruments included, which is great considering some programs make you pay extra for them. With Mixcraft recording audio and MIDI tracks are a breeze. The 6000 skilfully created music loops and sound effects cater for a wider range of genres. Whether you are producing rock or dubstep, this program has got you covered!! You can even import your own loop from garage band or Acid into the program, so you can easily access your own unique sounds.

Let’s move onto the fun stuff!! The great thing about this piece of software is in my opinion definitely the 11 virtual instruments which you can you to make your own music. These include instruments such as synthesisers, orchestral instruments, drums, pianos, bass, guitar and heaps more. Not to mention the big selling point for the product, the range of virtual vintage keyboards as shown below:

http://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/images/mixcraft-6-screenshot-Instruments-effects.png

These are just some of the instruments that the software has to offer as the program also allows you to get many more through third-party plugins, ensuring you will always have an endless assortment.

One of the fantastic features that this software also offers is the ability to score and edit video, allowing you to make slideshows from your photos and video, remix the audio and add text and titles.

A trial version of the software is available to download from the Acoustica website, as well as the option to purchase the full version. There are a number of versions that are available for purchase. Mixcraft is the base edition of the software and includes the stuff I mentioned above. It retails for $74.95, making it an affordable choice for aspiring artists or even professionals. The top of the line software is Mixcraft Pro studio. This includes all the features of the standard Mixcraft software, however adds 3 more virtual instruments and four more fantastic effects. This version costs $149.95, however many will find that for the extra money it is not worth it and the standard edition will suffice..

I would definitely recommend it!! Great value, easy to use and affordable.

Check out their website for more info on the features and to purchase the product:

http://www.acoustica.com/buy.htm

Thanks for reading guys, plenty more on the way... Aram :)

Albeton Live

Albeton Live as a producing software has only been recently released and it is definitely a favourite in the producing world. 

Okay so let me tell you a little about it. Its master features include:  a music sequencer, a digital audio workstation, composing ability, live recording, arranging and mixing beats, mastering, crossfading and has compatible turntables for both Mac and Windows unlike some programs which do not allow for this such as Fl Studio. In that case for Fl Studio you need to download Boot Camp on Mac to have this software. The great thing is that for Ableton Live there is no worry about having to download any extras and it is one of the first music software out there that automatically beat matches songs. I can say that I definitely take my hat off to these developers.  

I have put a list of some of the great audio effects on Albeton Live and it is a BIG list. The effects that I love include: auto filter, auto pan, beat repeat, chorus, compressor, corpus, dynamic tube, eq eight, eq three, filter delay, flanger, frequency, shifter, grain delay, limiter, looper, multiband dynamics, ping pong delay, redox, resonators, reverb, saturator, simple delay, spectrum, utility, vinyl distortion, midi effects, arpeggiator, chord, note length, pitch, random, scale and velocity. There is so much there so it may be a good idea to check out the website for more information. 

Albeton Live shares many features with the other software that we will be talking about throughout the different posts we put up. Even though the features can be similar to FL Studio and MixCraft, a lot of people have labelled Albeton Live as software with quality. My absolute favourite feature in Albeton Live is live recording which is perfect in terms giving your voice dynamics and really stepping up the overall quality of the entirety of the song. 

On the down side it is not the easiest producing software to use. It can be daunting. It is important to really learn and master this software to get the most out of its potential because the final and professional result is worth aiming for. 

This software is quite costly compared to the others we are mentioning but worth the money. Live 9 Introduction costs $599, Live 9 Standard costs $948 and Live 8 Suite costs $1198. These are discounted prices and students can take off a further 40% off the prices. There is also an opportunity for users to buy an upgrade instead of having to purchase a brand new Live version.

https://www.ableton.com/en/sh

Check it out. Definitely worth the money...

Till next time ... George